BOSTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden planned to join Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy for a forum on policies that affect people with mental illness, intellectual disabilities or addiction.
The two-day event marks the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's signing of the Community Mental Health Act. The legislation, the last signed by Kennedy before his assassination, helped transform the way people with mental illness are treated and cared for in the United States.
Chelsea Clinton and Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who's been treated for a personality disorder, also plan to attend the opening night gala.
Biden, Sebelius and Marshall are expected to speak at the event.
Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, will moderate a conference panel on public health and community approaches to addressing behavioral health disorders.
Patrick, the late president's nephew and a longtime mental health advocate, said he hopes the forum will help remove the stigma surrounding mental illness.
The Wednesday night gala will be followed by a daylong conference Thursday at the Westin Copley Place in Boston.
The forum also will include a discussion of the importance of stemming suicide among veterans and improving mental health care for a generation of veterans returning from a decade of war.
The law signed by Kennedy in 1963 aimed to build mental health centers accessible to all Americans so that those with mental illnesses could be treated while working and living at home, rather than being kept in state institutions that sometimes were neglectful or abusive.
Recent deadly mass shootings, including at the Washington Navy Yard and a Colorado movie theater, have been perpetrated by men who were apparently not being adequately treated for serious mental illnesses.
Those tragedies have renewed public attention on the mental health system and areas where Kennedy's hopes for the treatment and care of those with mental illness were never realized.
SAP is planning to rely heavily on HTML5 and open standards within its products for building mobile applications, and is embracing the concept of BYOT (bring your own tools) in order to draw interest from developers.
Version 3.0 of SAP Mobile Platform, which was announced Tuesday during the Tech Ed conference in Las Vegas, will combine SAP's NetWeaver Gateway, Sybase Mobiliser and Syclo Agentry products "to meet current and future mobile app use cases," according to the announcement.
SAP's mobility tools will support open-source standards such as OSGi, OData and Apache Cordova. Developers can also expect "extensive use of HTML5," SAP said.
Under the BYOT approach, developers can use their desired tools alongside those from SAP's platform. SAP is also planning to offer a cloud version of the mobile platform, according to the announcement.
The company announced updates to its Mobile Secure product portfolio on Tuesday as well.
An upcoming cloud-based version of SAP Mobile App Protection will help companies apply "fine-grained" security to applications running on iOS and Android devices, SAP said. The company has also upgraded its Mobile Documents product, adding iPhone and Android support, and has created a new secure mobile browser.
SAP gained a set of mobility products through the 2010 acquisition of Sybase.
It has been emphasizing mobile-friendly software development heavily of late, and earlier this year launched Fiori, a set of lightweight mobile applications that tie into its core Business Suite ERP (enterprise resource planning) system.
The Mobile Platform 3.0 release also represents a fresh start of sorts for SAP, according to one observer.
"When SAP assumed Sybase's mobile assets, they basically did not have a complete or stable product," said analyst Ray Wang of Constellation Research. "This new release is a major overhaul which allows them to write once, deploy everywhere."
SAP did make tweaks to the Sybase technology as part of the 3.0 upgrade, said executive board member Vishal Sikka, who heads all development, during a press conference on Tuesday at Tech Ed.
SAP has also had some time to rethink what is truly important for mobile developers, Wang added.
"Embedded security, mobile apps stores, and community are key to their potential success this time around," he said. "The challenge will be the price points as IBM is also aggressively competing in this space."
Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris' email address is Chris_Kanaracus@idg.com
IU, Regenstrief initiative aims to decrease hospitalization of nursing home residents
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
24-Oct-2013
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Contact: Cindy Fox Aisen caisen@iupui.edu 317-843-2276 Indiana University
INDIANAPOLIS -- The OPTIMISTIC study, an innovative initiative developed by research-clinicians from Indiana University and the Regenstrief Institute to improve health care, reduce avoidable hospitalizations and increase access to palliative care, is now underway in 19 nursing facilities throughout Central Indiana. The program is supported by a $13.4 million 2012 award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Emergency room visits and hospitalizations are common but extremely stressful to nursing home residents -- many of whom are physically frail and/or cognitively impaired -- and to their families. Total costs for these potentially avoidable hospitalizations for Medicare-Medicaid enrollees for 2011 have been estimated by CMS to be an estimated $3 billion.
The goal of OPTIMISTIC -- Optimizing Patient Transfers, Impacting Medical Quality and Improving Symptoms: Transforming Institutional Care -- is to improve care and communication within nursing facilities and between these facilities and acute care institutions so problems can be caught and dealt with before it becomes necessary to transport a resident to the hospital.
"We chose the acronym OPTIMISTIC to set a tone for how we feel about the potential to improve care for this vulnerable population," said OPTIMISTIC project co-director Kathleen T. Unroe, M.D., MHA, Regenstrief Institute investigator, assistant professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine and IU Center for Aging Research center scientist. "Working with the IU School of Nursing and the University of Indianapolis, and community partners including nursing homes, we are providing education and training in real-world environments to develop a new model of care, putting increased resources into nursing homes, which we hope will result in system change in Indiana and across the nation."
For example, nursing aides working in the 19 nursing homes are trained to recognize warning signs to identify a change in a resident early -- for example, that a resident's swollen feet may be an indication of heart failure. They and the nursing staff are also educated to communicate rapidly and effectively with the resident's medical team so appropriate treatment can begin before the problem escalates to a level requiring hospitalization.
"Long-stay nursing facility residents are high-need and high-risk individuals who have gotten little attention in the research arena and have been neglected previously to a great extent by health care reform," said Regenstrief investigator Greg A. Sachs, M.D., OPTIMISTIC project director and director of the IU School of Medicine's Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. Dr. Sachs is also a professor of medicine and an IU Center for Aging Research center scientist. "With OPTIMISTIC, we are working with the residents where they live to improve many aspects of their lives including chronic disease management -- especially for dementia, which affects more than half of long-stay residents -- as well as improve the care they receive during the transition process to and from a hospital, when that transfer is necessary."
In addition to Drs. Unroe and Sachs, OPTIMISTIC is led by Arif Nazir, M.D., IU School of Medicine (medical director); Susan E. Hickman, Ph.D., IU School of Nursing (leader of the palliative care component); Ellen Miller, P.T., Ph.D., Center for Aging and Community, University of Indianapolis (leader of the education/training component); Greg Arling, Ph.D., Regenstrief Institute and IU School of Medicine (leader of the data and evaluation component); and Michael LaMantia, M.D., Regenstrief Institute and IU School of Medicine (leader of the transitions of care component). Laura Holtz, B.S.; Helen Maurer, M.A.; Merih Bennett, M.A. and Ravan Carter, B.S. of the Regenstrief Institute and IU Center for Aging Research manage the project.
OPTIMISTIC is supported by a project team of IU and Regenstrief geriatrics and palliative care experts along with their nursing facility partners. Specially trained nurses are stationed on site at the 19 Central Indiana nursing facilities to provide direct support to long-stay residents as well as education and training to the staff.
OPTIMISTIC nurses also lead care management reviews of long-stay patients to optimize chronic disease management, reduce unnecessary medications and clarify care goals. Nurse practitioners cover "pods" of geographically related facilities providing additional resources and expertise to the onsite nurses.
Nursing homes participating in OPTIMISTIC are:
Allisonville Meadows
American Village
Brownsburg Meadows
Countryside Meadows
Forest Creek Village
Golden Living Indianapolis
Greenwood Meadows
Harrison Terrace
Hooverwood
Kindred Greenwood
Kindred Wildwood
Miller's Merry Manor, Castleton
Miller's Merry Manor, Indy East
North Capitol
Northwest Manor
Rosewalk Village
Riverwalk Village
University Heights
Westpark
"OPTIMISTIC benefits our long term residents. An experienced and highly trained RN conducts assessments and evaluations. This work supplements, complements and informs the care that our nursing center staff provide," said Pamela Zanes, RN, BSN, Ed.M., senior director of care transitions, Kindred Heathcare. "The OPTIMISTIC nurse's findings are reviewed and discussed with the physician and nurse practitioner caring for the patient as well as the other members of the interdisciplinary care team. OPTIMISTIC also provides educational sessions for our staff which enhances their ability to care for our residents."
OPTIMISTIC is supported by one of only seven cooperative agreement awards nationwide to implement CMS' Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents. In addition to Indiana, programs are underway in Alabama, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
According to CMS, research has found that approximately 45 percent of hospitalizations among Medicare-Medicaid enrollees receiving either Medicare skilled nursing facility services or Medicaid nursing facility services are potentially avoidable.
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IU, Regenstrief initiative aims to decrease hospitalization of nursing home residents
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
24-Oct-2013
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]
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Contact: Cindy Fox Aisen caisen@iupui.edu 317-843-2276 Indiana University
INDIANAPOLIS -- The OPTIMISTIC study, an innovative initiative developed by research-clinicians from Indiana University and the Regenstrief Institute to improve health care, reduce avoidable hospitalizations and increase access to palliative care, is now underway in 19 nursing facilities throughout Central Indiana. The program is supported by a $13.4 million 2012 award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Emergency room visits and hospitalizations are common but extremely stressful to nursing home residents -- many of whom are physically frail and/or cognitively impaired -- and to their families. Total costs for these potentially avoidable hospitalizations for Medicare-Medicaid enrollees for 2011 have been estimated by CMS to be an estimated $3 billion.
The goal of OPTIMISTIC -- Optimizing Patient Transfers, Impacting Medical Quality and Improving Symptoms: Transforming Institutional Care -- is to improve care and communication within nursing facilities and between these facilities and acute care institutions so problems can be caught and dealt with before it becomes necessary to transport a resident to the hospital.
"We chose the acronym OPTIMISTIC to set a tone for how we feel about the potential to improve care for this vulnerable population," said OPTIMISTIC project co-director Kathleen T. Unroe, M.D., MHA, Regenstrief Institute investigator, assistant professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine and IU Center for Aging Research center scientist. "Working with the IU School of Nursing and the University of Indianapolis, and community partners including nursing homes, we are providing education and training in real-world environments to develop a new model of care, putting increased resources into nursing homes, which we hope will result in system change in Indiana and across the nation."
For example, nursing aides working in the 19 nursing homes are trained to recognize warning signs to identify a change in a resident early -- for example, that a resident's swollen feet may be an indication of heart failure. They and the nursing staff are also educated to communicate rapidly and effectively with the resident's medical team so appropriate treatment can begin before the problem escalates to a level requiring hospitalization.
"Long-stay nursing facility residents are high-need and high-risk individuals who have gotten little attention in the research arena and have been neglected previously to a great extent by health care reform," said Regenstrief investigator Greg A. Sachs, M.D., OPTIMISTIC project director and director of the IU School of Medicine's Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. Dr. Sachs is also a professor of medicine and an IU Center for Aging Research center scientist. "With OPTIMISTIC, we are working with the residents where they live to improve many aspects of their lives including chronic disease management -- especially for dementia, which affects more than half of long-stay residents -- as well as improve the care they receive during the transition process to and from a hospital, when that transfer is necessary."
In addition to Drs. Unroe and Sachs, OPTIMISTIC is led by Arif Nazir, M.D., IU School of Medicine (medical director); Susan E. Hickman, Ph.D., IU School of Nursing (leader of the palliative care component); Ellen Miller, P.T., Ph.D., Center for Aging and Community, University of Indianapolis (leader of the education/training component); Greg Arling, Ph.D., Regenstrief Institute and IU School of Medicine (leader of the data and evaluation component); and Michael LaMantia, M.D., Regenstrief Institute and IU School of Medicine (leader of the transitions of care component). Laura Holtz, B.S.; Helen Maurer, M.A.; Merih Bennett, M.A. and Ravan Carter, B.S. of the Regenstrief Institute and IU Center for Aging Research manage the project.
OPTIMISTIC is supported by a project team of IU and Regenstrief geriatrics and palliative care experts along with their nursing facility partners. Specially trained nurses are stationed on site at the 19 Central Indiana nursing facilities to provide direct support to long-stay residents as well as education and training to the staff.
OPTIMISTIC nurses also lead care management reviews of long-stay patients to optimize chronic disease management, reduce unnecessary medications and clarify care goals. Nurse practitioners cover "pods" of geographically related facilities providing additional resources and expertise to the onsite nurses.
Nursing homes participating in OPTIMISTIC are:
Allisonville Meadows
American Village
Brownsburg Meadows
Countryside Meadows
Forest Creek Village
Golden Living Indianapolis
Greenwood Meadows
Harrison Terrace
Hooverwood
Kindred Greenwood
Kindred Wildwood
Miller's Merry Manor, Castleton
Miller's Merry Manor, Indy East
North Capitol
Northwest Manor
Rosewalk Village
Riverwalk Village
University Heights
Westpark
"OPTIMISTIC benefits our long term residents. An experienced and highly trained RN conducts assessments and evaluations. This work supplements, complements and informs the care that our nursing center staff provide," said Pamela Zanes, RN, BSN, Ed.M., senior director of care transitions, Kindred Heathcare. "The OPTIMISTIC nurse's findings are reviewed and discussed with the physician and nurse practitioner caring for the patient as well as the other members of the interdisciplinary care team. OPTIMISTIC also provides educational sessions for our staff which enhances their ability to care for our residents."
OPTIMISTIC is supported by one of only seven cooperative agreement awards nationwide to implement CMS' Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents. In addition to Indiana, programs are underway in Alabama, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
According to CMS, research has found that approximately 45 percent of hospitalizations among Medicare-Medicaid enrollees receiving either Medicare skilled nursing facility services or Medicaid nursing facility services are potentially avoidable.
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People using online identities to deceive Wikipedia users, according to the Wikimedia Foundation. Several hundred user accounts have been suspended because of suspicions that these "sockpuppets" were using the site to promote clients and/or give misleading information. Host Rachel Martin talks to foundation Executive Director Sue Gardner,
ATLANTA (AP) — A new high-dose flu vaccine for seniors works better than the standard shot in that age group, according to a long-awaited study by the vaccine's manufacturer.
Experts say regular flu shots tend to be only about 30 to 40 percent effective in people 65 and older, who generally have weaker immune systems. Sanofi Pasteur's Fluzone High-Dose vaccine boosted that to 50 percent.
"I wouldn't call it great" said Dr. Edward Belongia of the Wisconsin-based Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, a flu vaccine researcher who was not involved in the Sanofi study.
But any improvement is welcome, and the results could mean fewer illnesses — and, hopefully, hospitalizations and deaths — in seniors, he said.
For other ages, effectiveness can run 60 percent or higher for the regular vaccine.
The Food and Drug Administration licensed the higher-dose Sanofi vaccine in late 2009, based on a study that showed it led to higher levels of flu-fighting antibodies in seniors a month after vaccination. The new study is the first to measure how much protection it actually provides against the flu.
The study involved 32,000 seniors in the U.S. and Canada during the last two flu seasons. Half got a regular flu shot and half got the high-dose version. Researchers called the participants to see if they had flu symptoms or were hospitalized; tests to confirm the flu were done in more than half of the people reporting symptoms.
The high-dose shot was 24 percent more effective than the regular shot at preventing flu, against all strains, the company said.
Sanofi has the only high-dose flu shot for seniors on the market. It was used last year in 1 in 5 seniors who got vaccinated, according to Sanofi. The $27 per dose cost is more than twice the $12 for the company's older version. But Medicare pays for both, and Sanofi executives say they don't think cost is a significant deterrent.
Instead, they believe doctors have been holding off until they saw real-world effectiveness studies.
Dr. David Greenberg, a Sanofi vice president, is scheduled to present preliminary study results on Thursday at a meeting of vaccination experts in Atlanta. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices advises federal health officials, who then make vaccination recommendations to doctors.
The government already recommends flu vaccines for everyone, except babies under 6 months. The panel is expected to discuss whether to one day voice a preference for Fluzone High-Dose for seniors.
Among infectious diseases, flu is considered one of the nation's leading killers. On average, about 24,000 Americans die each flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sonic Youth released its greatest record, Daydream Nation, 25 years ago in October 1988. And even after all of those years, the Led Zeppelin reference in the album's art is still puzzling.
The Disrupt Europe Hackathon is underway, but just because you can’t make it out to Berlin for the festivities, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the experience.
That said, we’re bringing you as close as possible to the sights, sounds, and (unfortunate) smells of the 24-hour coding competition with this video. We’re seeing starts from near and far, experienced and brand new to the scene compete.
More than $5,000 is on the line, as hackers will present their products on stage tomorrow at noon to a panel of amazing, expert judges. Plus, our incredible API sponsors like Weather Underground and Yammer are giving away some amazing prizes for the best use of their API.
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