December 17, 2009  
 

As the recession in the United States carries on into 2010, IMCHC and other advocacy continue to work to put forth the message that health care reform is crucial to address the squeeze that is being place on working families’ budgets.

Leaders and the local, state and federal levels need to hear from you to ensure that quality, affordable health care reform becomes a reality for all Americans.

IMCHC will continue to keep members updated about opportunities for action in 2010 through our e-advocacy program. If you have not already joined our e-advocacy list, you can do so by visiting IMCHC’s Policy & Advocacy Center and sign up to receive our emails and action alerts.

In 2010, IMCHC also plans to host several policy forums on national health care reform and maternal and infant health; these events will be free of charge to members. Our 2010 membership applications are now available. Join now to ensure that you stay current on the latest topics in school-based health care, reducing infant and maternal mortality, immunizations, prematurity and other topics that impact women and children.  

Federal - Health Care Reform Updates

Senate

The Senate continues to debate and amend their health care reform bill, HR 3590 the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” and is scheduled for recess at the end of this week.  In addition to larger provisions surrounding insurance market reforms, mandates for coverage, the creation of an Exchange, and the public health insurance option, there are many smaller provisions that will affect women and children positively.

Some of these small but mighty provisions include:
Breastfeeding Promotion: Employers would be required to provide an unpaid break for nursing mothers during the first year after giving birth.  Small businesses would be exempt from this provision and mothers would be provided with a small room, other than a bathroom.
Personal Responsibility and Sexual Education for Teens: $400 million has been set aside to fund sex education in schools, as well as “adult preparation programs” for teens as they transition into adulthood.  Another $10 million will be allocated to areas with high teen birth rates for innovative youth pregnancy prevention strategies.
Extension of Dependent Coverage:  If an individual is included as a dependent on their parent’s insurance coverage they may stay on that coverage through the age of 26.
Oral Healthcare Prevention and Education: Establishes a 5-year national public health education campaign focused on oral health prevention and education.
Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs: Creates a new section to Title V to provide $1.5 billion over five years to implement one or more evidence-based home visitation models.
School Based Health Clinics: Authorizes $50 million over 4 years to establish a new grant program to support school-based health clinics that provide health services to children and adolescents.
 
While these provisions are small, they are all part of a significant whole.  It is important that we continue to encourage Senators Durbin and Burris in their support of the Senate’s health care proposal, as well as continuing to monitor the more moderate Senators necessary to achieve 60 votes.  Those Senators include Ben Nelson (D-NE), Mary Landrieau (D-LA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), so please encourage anyone you know in Nebraska, Louisiana, Arkansas, Connecticut and Vermont to contact their Senators as well.

Take Action: Call Senators Durbin and Burris NOW and tell them that you want a health care reform bill from the Senate that includes a public option for all Americans.

Toll Free: 1-800-828-0498
Senator Roland Burris:  202-224-2854 or 312-886-3506
Senator Dick Durbin:  202-224-2152 or 312-353-4952

Visit IMCHC's e-advocacy site to send an action alert and to find your legislator. Contact Kathy Chan to report the results of your phone calls.

For more information on the key provisions in the proposed bills for both the House and Senate please visit the Kaiser Family Foundation’s interactive side-by-side health reform comparison tool, with separate summaries of the bill’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program provisions, as well as an outline of the ongoing process that Congress must follow as it works to complete and enact a health reform bill.


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Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers

School Health Center Conference 2010 - Call for Presentations

The Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers seeks presentations for the 8th Annual School Health Center Conference, Building Bridges: Healthy Minds, Bodies, Communities. Presentations should speak directly to collaborative, school-based strategies focused on the holistic health of youth. Presentations, regardless of topic, should aim to fulfill the following goals:

• Promote the integration of mental health services in SHCs.
• Address the impact of mental health issues in SHCs.
• Promote community collaboration in SHCs that focus on the holistic health of youth.
• Provide resources and support for developing school health centers.
• Enrich and strengthen the skills of clinicians, administrators, allied staff, and advocates in the school health center setting.
• Provide opportunities for attendees to share ideas, information and experiences.

For more information about topics and to submit a presentation, visit the ICSHC's website. Email Conor Butkus or call him at 312-491-8161x35 with questions.

Chicago Area Immunization Campaign

Chicago Department of Public Health to Provide Free H1N1 Flu Shots at Clinics Across Chicago

For Chicago residents who do not have a doctor or whose doctor does not plan to give H1N1 vaccinations, the Chicago Department of Public Health will offer H1N1 flu vaccinations at six locations across the city. The vaccinations are for people at increased risk for flu and flu complications including:

** pregnant women.
** all children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years.
** people who live with and/or care for infants younger than 6 months of age.
** people age 25-64 with chronic health conditions (like asthma or diabetes).
** health care workers.

 The six locations are:

          ** Kennedy King College, 6301 S. Halsted
          ** Olive Harvey College, 10001 S. Woodlawn
          ** Richard J. Daley College, 7500 S. Pulaski
          ** Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson
          ** Arturo Velasquez Institute, 2800 S. Western
          ** Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett
          ** Malcolm X, 1900 W. Van Buren St.

The locations will be open to serve Chicago residents at increased risk on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays---starting Saturday, October 24.. Hours of operation are 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays.

No appointments are necessary, and all vaccinations will be delivered free of charge, on a first come/first served basis.

If you have any questions about the clinics, or would like more information, please contact Sheila Sanders.

9th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions – Call for Abstracts and Early Registration

The 9th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions (NCIHC) will be hosted by the Chicago Area Immunization Campaign, a project of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition. NCIHC will take place on May 26 – 28, 2010 at the Westin River North Hotel in downtown Chicago. 

Abstracts are now being accepted! NCIHC 2010 will showcase successful ways in which health coalitions can improve immunization protection, prevent disease, improve access to care and health outcomes for underserved populations, reduce racial, ethnic, and geographic health disparities, educate new populations and build community health infrastructures.  Abstracts are welcome from all disciplines and must be submitted electronically no later than February 1, 2010.  If you are interested in submitting an abstract, information is available through IMCHC’s website.  

Early registration is now open for the conference! Payment must be received by February 12, 2010 to ensure the early registration cost. If you are interested in registering for this event, or would like more information, visit IMCHC’s website.

Illinois Premature Infant Health Network

The Illinois Premature Infant Health network has had their first meeting with IMCHC as administrators and it was a great success.  Advocates, providers and parents participated in our meeting on December 7th.  We look forward to our next meeting on March 1st to discuss further the goals of the network including a bill to get more educational materials to parents of premature infants, conducting a subject matter only hearing on prematurity in Springfield and planning NICU tours during the summer of 2010.

IMCHC Junior Board

Over twenty young professionals are actively involved in IMCHC’s Junior Board planning events to raise awareness for maternal and child health.  Please contact Sara Howard if you would like to learn more about the Junior Board and its activities. Meetings are held on a bimonthly basis at IMCHC’s offices.

Some upcoming events include:

January 12th  – Junior Board Meeting at 5:30 at the IMCHC Office
                Please contact Sara Howard if you are interested in attending.

March 25th – Grown-Up Spelling Bee Fundraiser
                Please contact Megan Erskine if you are interested in helping to plan this event.

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Newsletter Archive

Visit our newsletter archive to read about recently listed articles from past issues.

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La Rabida Children’s Hospital Presents: The 14th Annual Perspectives in Care Symposium

On April 9, 2010, La Rabida Children’s Hospital will present “A Collaborative Approach to Cerebral Palsy” at their 14th Annual Perspectives in Care Symposium.

For more information, call 773-256-5997

IMCHC Junior Board Meeting
Tuesday, January 12th
5:30pm – 7pm
IMCHC Office
1256 W. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
RSVP to Sara Howard

ICSHC/IMCHC Junior Board Fundraiser: Spelling it Out for Student Health
A Grown-Up Spelling Bee Fundraiser
Thursday, March 25th
Contact Megan Erskine with Questions

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Mark Your Calendars for our 2010 Meeting Schedule!

February 24, 2010                           
May 26, 2010 
June 15, 2010 (Tuesday, Annual Meeting at Maggiano’s from 11:00am-2:00pm)
September 22, 2010       
December 8, 2010        

Southern Illinois Chapter Meetings 

Wednesdays, 12:15 pm - 2:15 pm
Mt. Vernon to be held at the Municipal West Building, 200 Potomac

January 27, 2010
April 21, 2010
July 28, 2010
October 20, 2010

Lake County Chapter Meetings
Wednesdays, 1-3pm
To be held at the University of Illinois Extension Program in Grayslake, IL

March 24, 2010

The Illinois Premature Infant Health Network
Locations to be announced

March 1, 2010
June 7, 2010
September 13, 2010
December 6, 2010

Reminder: The Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition office will be closed from December 25th, reopening on January 4th. 

We wish everyone a very Happy Holidays.

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