FEATURED STORY
AETNA's First Bi-Monthly community newsletter.
Aetna's goal is to keep you informed on important Aetna news to help you in your efforts to create Healthy Businesses and Healthy Communities. We want to partner with you to make a difference!
One example of our efforts is our launch of an exciting new health plan for New York City small businesses and not-for-profits with 2-50 employees. We are helping to make health care more accessible and affordable for NYC’s diverse communities. Please see a short video here to learn more.
Please contact me with any questions that you might have at
CentenoM@aetna.com.
Miguel Centeno
2008 Annual Healthcare Diversity Awards Gala : Save The Date
Friday, June 20, 2008
Association Of Hispanic Healthcare Executives And The National Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce On Health's 2008 Annual Healthcare Diversity Awards Gala,
Marriott Marquis Hotel At Times Square, For Sponsorship And Advertising Opportunities, Call: 212-877-1615
AHHE & NHCCH NATIONAL NEWS
CMS expects hospital spending to double by 2017
Hospital spending will double to more than $1.3 trillion by 2017, making up roughly 30% of all healthcare spending and representing the largest portion, by far, of any provider group, according to the CMS.
For the full story, please click here
Merck Will Pay $671M To Settle Claims That It Overcharged Medicaid for Prescription Drugs, Bribed Physicians
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report
(Feb. 8, 2008) Merck on Thursday agreed to pay $650 million plus interest to settle two lawsuits alleging that the company overcharged Medicaid for three of its most popular prescription drugs: arthritis treatment Vioxx, anticholesterol treatment Zocor and the ulcer medication Pepcid, the Washington Post reports (Johnson, Washington Post, 2/8). With interest, the settlement totals $671 million, Merck said (Johnson, AP/Houston Chronicle, 2/8).
For the full story, please click here
Hospitals Create Programs To Help Minority, Immigrant Populations Navigate Health System
([Feb 05, 2008) The Washington Post on Tuesday examined how hospitals are creating education programs that focus on the challenges minority and immigrant populations face in navigating the U.S. health system. The Post profiled the Holy Cross Hospital Ethnic Health Promotion Program, which uses community leaders -- including foreign-trained physicians who cannot practice medicine in the U.S. -- and "laymen to teach prevention in the immigrants' languages and in the context of their various cultures." The goal of the program is to reduce "costly emergency room admissions," according to the Post. Each culture has a different way of interacting with health providers, and the "concept of going to a doctor for checkups is novel to many minorities and immigrants," the Post reports. Many immigrants delay seeking care for conditions that would have been treatable through office visits, and sometimes patients are unaware that their condition is treatable because it would not have been in their home country, according to internist Elise Riley, director of the Holy Cross Hospital Health Center at Montgomery College in Maryland (Satyanarayana, Washington Post, 2/5).
For the full story, please click here
"How Do You Assure Your Interpreters Skills?
Current Language Proficiency Testing Options"
Over the last few decades, interpreters have gained prominence to enable effective communication between providers and their patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). This trend has contributed to increased concerns with interpreter competencies and a demand for tools to assess language proficiency. To this end, the NPO initiated an update to our Language Testing Options report (2002). The updated report, near completion, shows rapid proliferation of testing resources. We are happy to report increased sophistication in language and interpreter assessment, and understanding of the challenges from the dynamic nature of health care interpreting. The updated Language Testing Options report shows a trend of greater attention and concern for language assessment and interpreter skills.
For the full story, please click here
AHHE & NHCCH LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS
Big Nonprofit Insurers Seek To Go For-Profit
Higher rates for healthcare - and the city - are feared if HIP and GHI drop their nonprofit status
City Limits - by Tram Whitehurst
(Feb. 4, 2008) Two of the city’s last remaining nonprofit health insurers are awaiting final approval from the state on a plan to convert into a single for-profit company, a move that many predict could lead to higher health care costs for half a million New Yorkers and serious budget problems for the city.
Last April the state legislature signed off on a plan to allow Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (HIP) and Group Health Inc. (GHI) to convert into a single for-profit company, EmblemHealth. HIP and GHI are New York City-based companies that together serve about a third of the city’s health care market, according to the Independent Budget Office of the City of New York, including government employees, union members, small business owners and Medicaid and Medicare recipients. That includes more than 500,000 city employees and retirees and 4 million people statewide.
For the full story, please click here
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER NEWS
Latino Health: California's Challenge - by Dr. Robert A. Beltran, MD, MBA, Vice President, Southern California Chapter, AHHE
Although many improvements in the health of Americans have taken place in recent years, substantial differences still exist between racial and ethnic groups with regard to health status, health insurance and access to care. Such compelling evidence of this exists that in 1998 President Clinton put forth an initiative, “Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health.” The goal of this initiative is to eliminate disparities in infant mortality, cancer screening and management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV infections/AIDS and immunizations by the year 2010.
For more information and details click here
UPCOMING EVENTS
LOLA New York City Hepatitis C Walk
Thursday, May 15, 2008
From Battery Park to City Hall Park
Registration: 9:00-11:30 a.m.
Walk begins: 12 noon sharp
To register and/or volunteer please call (718) 720-4370
Or visit LOLA's website at www.lola-national.org
2008 Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards Provide Tri-State New York Hispanic High School Seniors With Thousands Of Dollars In Educational Grants
Actor and Inspira Award Winner Wilmer Valderrama Launches 11th Annual Program;
Applications Available Online and at SUBWAY® Restaurants
WASHINGTON, DC – The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) today announced the launch of the 11th annual Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards. Applications are now available online at www.hispanicheritage.org. This year, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation will offer educational grants totaling nearly half of a million dollars in 12 regions throughout the country. Applications must be submitted electronically by midnight Eastern Standard Time March 14, 2008. Application package must be postmarked by March 14, 2008.
For more information and details click here
Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College of the City of New York
40th Ruby Anniversary Gala
Thursday, April 17, 2008
For Information on sponsorships and advertising, contact:
Pedro Maymi at 718-518-415
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Joxel García to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services
January 17, 2008 President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate Joxel García, of Connecticut, to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services (Health). In addition, the President intends to nominate Dr. García to be Representative of the United States of America on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization. Dr. García currently serves as Senior Vice President and Senior Medical Advisor at MAXIMUS Federal Services, Inc. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization in the Regional Office of the World Health Organization for the Western Hemisphere. Earlier in his career, he served as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Dr. García received his degree in pre-medical studies from the University of Puerto Rico, his MD from the Ponce School of Medicine and his MBA from the University of Hartford.
SCHOLARSHIPS / INTERNSHIPS
Do you know of a deserving college student?
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has partnered with the New York Urban League to establish a scholarship/internship program providing financial support for minority college students!
click here for more info
Internships with Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives & National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Health. Call 212.877.1615 or send your resume to: AHHEinNYC@aol.com
- Bell Labs Fellowships for under-represented minorities
- http://www.bell-labs.com/
- Student Inventors Scholarships
- http://www.invent.org/collegiate/
- Student Video Scholarships
- http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html
- Coca-Cola Two-Year College Scholarships
- http://www.coca-colascholars.org/programs.html
- Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships
- http://holocaust.hklaw.com/
Get the complete list at AHHE.org
Please review Cover The Uninsured news digest featuring news summaries and opinions from around the nation. Click here to view the digest
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IN THIS ISSUE
- Feature Story
- National News
- Local and Regional News
- Southern California Chapter News
- Upcoming Events
- Scholarships / Internships
- Partners
NATIONAL CORPORATE PARTNERS
When it comes to health care, we understand that one size does not fit all. To more effectively serve New York City, we took the time to better understand the distinct cultural needs of the employers and residents within the city’s many diverse neighborhoods. The result is the NYC Community Plan, an affordable health insurance product for NYC small business owners with 2-50 employees. Learn more watching this 5 minute video.
Watch video
REGIONAL PARTNER
STATE DELEGATE NETWORK
The State Delegate Network is an innovative partnership concept whereby we provide free monthly space on our
e-newsletter to national health advocacy associations for them to showcase their organizations to a target audience of influential Hispanic leaders in healthcare and business. Join AARP NJ State Office, our first Partner
AARP New Jersey study finds Hispanics pay more for Prescription Drugs and Healthcare. For more information visit their website at www.aarp.org/nj and click on advocacy.
The American Diabetes Association would like to invite interested members of the AHHE/NHCCH to become more involved with our organization and the fight against diabetes. We currently have openings in our Corporate Development Committee and are looking for committed participants to help us in our fundraising efforts. For more information please contact Heather Considine Varian at 212/725-4925, ext. 3448 or hcvarian@diabetes.org
Feria de Salud 2008. The planning has already begun for our successful annual health fair being held to be held for the 2nd year in the South Bronx – an area disproportionately impacted by diabetes and with a large Latino community. If you would like to help us plan this event or think your corporation would like to become a sponsor, please contact Dorothy Harper at 212/725-4925, ext. 3414 or dharper@diabetes.or
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Nelson Vega-Garcia
MHA, FACHE, CMPE, EFPM
AHHE Board Member
7th Annual Health Care Diversity Awards Gala Photos
PARTNERS
Professional Association Partners
- Association of Hispanic Mental Health Professionals
- Association of Puerto Rican/Hispanic Social Workers
- Dominican Medical Association
- Hispanic Dental Association
- National Association of Hispanic Nurses
- National Hispanic Medical Association
Professional Membership Associations
- American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
- Medical Group Management Association:
- SUNY Downstate Medical Center, University Hospital of Brooklyn
- New York University Medical Center
- NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
- South Manhattan Healthcare Network/Bellevue Hospital Center
- The Mount Sinai Hospital
- Witt/Kieffer
- St. Barnabas Hospital
- Harlem Hospital Center, Generations+/Northern Manhattan Health Network
- Lutheran Medical Center
- Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center/North Brooklyn Health Network
- Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
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