CSTE National Assessment Finds Critical Public Health Disease Surveillance Capacity Lacking

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) released a report showing that the number of state-level epidemiologists has decreased steadily since 2004, with a marked decline of over 10% since 2006. There was also a substantial decrease in core epidemiology capacity over this same period, including epidemiology capacity for bioterrorism and emergency response. For some important subject areas such as occupational health, substance abuse, and oral health, basic epidemiology capacity in most states is described as minimal to non-existent, and many states still lack the 21st century technology capacity needed for state-of-the-art surveillance. Dr. James Hadler, the lead author of this article, concluded that "The current condition of national epidemiology is a preparedness and public health vulnerability." States indicated a substantial need for more epidemiologists in all program areas. The deterioration of state epidemiology capacity is a consequence of declines in funding for bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response as well as an effect of the economic downturn on state budgets.

CSTE's 2009 Epidemiology Capacity Assessment (ECA) is the most recent in a series of epidemiology capacity assessments that enumerate and characterize epidemiologists, measure core epidemiology capacity, and assess competency-specific training. The 2009 ECA also conducted initial assessments of surveillance system technologic capacity and substance abuse program capacity. The 2009 ECA builds on the previous ECAs of 2004 and 2006. This year's assessment indicates a substantial decline in overall epidemiology capacity across the nation.

Epidemiologists are best known for their "disease detective" work with infectious diseases that are naturally occurring or intentionally released, but they are mainly involved in everyday surveillance/monitoring and study of many diseases and conditions that affect the health of the their state's population. These activities can range from food and waterborne disease investigations to disease monitoring for environmental health conditions, chronic diseases, maternal and child health, injury, occupational and oral health and substance abuse.

"State, federal and local agencies need to work together to address the understaffed epidemiology workforce, the downward trends in capacity and the looming epidemiology workforce shortage. Public health needs to achieve a full, well-trained and competent workforce prepared with the appropriate tools and skills for the 21st century," says co-author Matthew Boulton from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Center of Excellence in Public Health Workforce Studies. Access to the full report, 2009 Epidemiology Capacity Assessment: Findings and Recommendations, can be found at www.cste.org.

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Secretary Sebelius Announces Medicare to Join State-Based Healthcare Delivery System Reform Initiatives

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, along with Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle today announced an initiative that will allow Medicare to join Medicaid, and private insurers in state-based efforts to improve the way health care is delivered. Innovative models of delivering primary care around the country are examples of the types of programs that will be part of the President's health reform plan. These are models that improve care for patients, give primary care providers better information about their patients and achieve greater value for the health dollars spent.

The new demonstration will build on a model being tested in Vermont. Under the Vermont model, private insurers work in cooperation with Medicaid to set uniform standards for "Advanced Primary Care (APC) models" also known as medical homes. These models provide incentives for doctors to spend more time with their patients and offer better coordinated higher-quality medical care.

"These demonstrations will strengthen our health care system and allow public and private providers to better work together," said Sebelius. "When Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies coordinate their efforts, we can improve the quality of care for Medicare
beneficiaries. As we have seen in Vermont, improved efficiencies in the system mean doctors can spend more time with their patients, provide high quality care and better coordinate that care with other medical professionals."

"The Medicare pilot program announced today will help states like Vermont achieve our vision of high quality, affordable health care for all our residents," said Douglas. "This is something we had been pushing for in Vermont for quite some time and I'm thrilled that Secretary Sebelius and her team have made it happen."

In Advanced Primary Care models, physicians are given supplemental payments for achieving nationally-recognized quality standards, coordinating care across a multidisciplinary team and monitoring patients' care outside the physician's office or hospital using health information technology.

This demonstration will mark the first time Medicare will be a full partner in these experiments and the practice model would, for the first time, align compensation offered by all insurers to primary care physicians. Instead of each third party payer and public program adopting different approaches, using different ways of measuring performance and creating different payment incentives, multi-payer programs will join together to work toward common goals to improve the delivery of care.

States wishing to participate in the new demonstration must:
* certify they have already established similar cooperative agreements
between private payers and their Medicaid program;
* demonstrate a commitment from a majority of their primary care doctors
to join the program;
* meet a stringent set of qualifications for doctors who participate;
* integrate public health services to emphasize wellness and prevention
strategies.

The demonstration's design will include mechanisms to assure it generates savings for the Medicare trust funds and the federal government overall.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will develop application materials later this fall with the expectation that the demonstration programs begin next year.

"This is a jump start on health insurance reform," said DeParle. "These demonstration projects will foster innovation, support change at the local level and help us build a better 21st century health care system."

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Dental Hygiene Holds Second Annual White Coat Ceremony

The Clayton State University Department of Dental Hygiene held its second annual “White Coat” ceremony on Aug. 17 in the Harry S. Downs Center. A total of 55 junior and senior students took the dental hygiene oath.

“The Dental Hygiene program’s White Coat Ceremony is a great day of recognition for our current students. The day welcomes the junior students into the program and introduces them to the responsibilities associated with patient care while in the dental hygiene program. The ceremony also reminds the senior students of their responsibilities associated with patient care in the program and also promotes the principles of professionalism they will need to embrace in their future practice of dental hygiene,” says Dr. Susan Duley, head of the Department of Dental Hygiene.

Dr. Karl Haden, founder and president of the Academy for Academic Leadership, was the keynote speaker at the ceremony. Tianddria Walton (Newnan), president of the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association at Clayton State, led in reciting the oath along with her fellow classmates.

Haden was also guest speaker for the first White Coat ceremony at Clayton State in fall 2008. For more than 15 years, Haden has consulted with colleges and associations in academic healthcare. Haden’s areas of expertise include leadership development, organizational change, ethics, team building, negotiation and conflict management, strategic planning, curriculum development, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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