January 27, 2010 
 

We’re not giving up on health care reform, and neither should you!

The fight for health care reform is not over.  The opposition would like to have us believe that they’ve won and health care reform is dead, but we’re not giving up so easily!

Please make a call and send an email to your representative and senators in Congress and tell them that you want them to continue fighting for health care reform.  Tell them that you want quality, affordable health care for all Americans and that we are closer than ever to achieving that goal.  Ask them to take us over the finish line!

Call Congress toll free at 1-800-828-0498 to reach your Congressperson.  Click here for more information on who represents you.

If you have any questions, or would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact Sara Howard at 312-491-8161 x32.

Mark Your Calendars for 2010 IMCHC Meetings and Events!

Annual Meeting and Luncheon
Tuesday, June 15th
11:30am – 2pm
Maggiano’s at Clark and Grand in Chicago

Contact Lilah Handler for sponsorship opportunities.

Chicago Area General Membership Meetings
Wednesdays, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Metropolitan Family Services, 1 N. Dearborn, 10th Floor, Chicago

February 24, 2010                  
May 26, 2010 
September 22, 2010   
December 8, 2010        

Southern Illinois Chapter Meetings 
Wednesdays, 12:15 pm - 2:15 pm
Municipal West Building, 200 Potomac in Mt. Vernon

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

Lake County Chapter Meeting
Wednesdays, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm at the University of Illinois Extension Building, 100 South Highway 45, Grayslake

March 24, 2010

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IMCHC Junior Board

State and Policy Updates

"We Can't Wait" Campaign Launches Statewide!

The Responsible Budget Coalition’s “We Can’t Wait” Campaign is now underway!  Show lawmakers and everyone else how we are all hurt by the state's broken budget. This campaign gives you an easy way to tell your story AND to mobilize your community to take action in support of tax reform that will:
(1) raise more adequate revenue
(2) make taxes fairer 
We need thousands of Illinois citizens to get involved so legislators feel the pressure, at home and in Springfield.

Illinois needs a responsible budget with a balance solution.  We must avoid relying on deep, painful cuts in vital services to solve our fiscal problems.  "We Can't Wait" will help you make contact with your State Representative and State Senator so they know how their actions in Springfield are being felt at home.

The Illinois Department of Public Health Releases New EPT Guidelines and Factsheets.
Recently, local health departments were notified by email of the new Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) guidance and materials and an email went out about the new EPT guidance to persons who have signed-up to be notified. To view the guidelines visit Illinois Department of Public Health’s website.

Reproductive Health Lobby Day
A Reproductive Health Lobby Day will take place in Springfield on Wednesday, February 10th. As a member of the Illinois Coalition for Reproductive Choice, IMCHC encourages its members to participate in this opportunity to speak to legislators about the need to protect reproductive choice and offer comprehensive sexual health education in public schools.

Transportation to and from Springfield as well as a training and lunch are provided at no cost. Contact Kathy Chan for more information.


Ensuring a Medical Home from Illinois Health Connect
Three years ago, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services moved to a primary care case management model called Illinois Health Connect (IHC).  IHC has created a primary care provider (PCP) network with the capacity for 5.3million clients, but only 1.7 million are enrolled. To continue to enhance continuity of care, IHC is now implementing Phase I of the Illinois Health Connect Referral System will be implemented by Region, on the dates provided below:

• Northwest Counties – October 1, 2009
• Collar Counties – December 1, 2009
• Cook County – February 1, 2010
• Central Counties – April 1, 2010
• Southern Counties – April 1, 2010

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Federal - Health Care Reform Updates

As representatives from both the House and Senate continue to wrangle over the health care reform bills in the wake of the Massachusetts Election, the importance of improving access to health care still remains. This fact is that, for women, health care reform remains a vital imperative. Some of the reforms proposed include many provisions for women, including:

• The eradication of pre-existing condition exclusions for private health insurance plans, which means women won’t have to worry that pregnancy will be excluded in their plan, or that a prior c-section will mean a later pregnancy won’t be covered.
• Gender rating for private health insurance plans will be illegal, meaning that women will no longer be charged more for insurance simply because they are women.
• For women seeking OB/GYN care, plans would not be able to require pre-authorization or referral.
• The bills would establish a new office – the “Office of Women’s Health and Gender-Based Research” within the Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ) – which does not already exist.
• A new “Pregnancy Assistance Fund” would be available via grants to states to support pregnant and parenting teens and young women, such as stay-in-school programs, intervention services, and outreach programs.
• Domestic violence screenings would be considered as part of a primary care or behavioral health assessment visit.

It is important to remember, now more than ever, how much we need health care reform, and how important these reforms are as they create quality, affordable health care for millions of Americans.

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.

For additional questions, you may also email Sara Howard, Staff Attorney at IMCHC who has been closely monitoring this legislation. She can also be reached at 312-491-8161 x 32.

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Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers

Building Bridges: Healthy Minds, Bodies, Communities
2010 School Health Center Conference

Join us at the Hilton in Springfield, IL on May 13 and 14th. We are currently accepting presentation submissions for conference workshops. The deadline is February 1, 2010.

For more information, click here.

Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers Highlighted in Report

The Poverty to Opportunity project of the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights has highlighted ICSHC and the Anna-Jonesboro School Health Center in their Poverty Elimination Strategies that Work: A Human Rights Toolkit for Addressing Poverty in Your Community. See pg. 19 for mention of school health centers.

In the midst of the recession, the state budget crisis, and historic unemployment rates, local communities are grappling with how to meet the needs of the growing number of individuals and families experiencing extreme poverty and hardship. This report is meant to be a tool kit to assist neighborhood groups, faith communities, service providers, policymakers, and others, in creating solutions to fundamentally address poverty. The web-based report provides over 50 Poverty Elimination Strategies that Work along with hyperlinks to sources which contain information about highlighted solutions and additional resources that may be useful in developing and implementing poverty elimination strategies locally.

Chicago Area Immunization Campaign

Chicago Department of Public Health to Extend the Dates for Free H1N1 Flu Clinics Across Chicago.

Through the month of January, the Chicago Department of Public Health is hosting H1N1 walk-in immunization clinics for Chicagoans over the age of 6 months.  The vaccinations are available for any Chicago resident who has yet to receive the H1N1 flu shot.  Weekday clinic hours are from 9am – 3pm and weekend clinic hours are from 9am – 2pm.  To view the list of clinic locations, click here.

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. 

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.

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.  

Illinois Premature Infant Health Network

The Illinois Premature Infant Health network will have its next meeting on March 1st at IMCHC’s office in Chicago. We will be discussing 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.  Please contact Sara Howard if you would like more information about IPIHN or to RSVP for a meeting.

Upcoming meetings include:

March 1st – IPIHN General Meeting, 10am-12pm at the IMCHC Office

June 21st – IPIHN General Meeting, 10am-12pm, hosted by LaRabida Children’s Hospital, located at East 65th Street at Lake Michigan in Chicago

            *Please note date change for our June IPIHN Meeting.

IMCHC Junior Executive Board

Over twenty-five 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.

Upcoming events include:

March 9th – Junior Board Meeting
            5:30-7pm at IMCHC Offices, 1256 W. Chicago Avenue
            We’ll be discussing IMCHC’s policy agenda, as well as plans for our upcoming events.

March 11th – Junior Board Book Group Discussion of Reefer Madness:  Sex, Drugs and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market by Eric Schlosser.
            5:30-7:30pm at the home of an IMCHC Junior Board Member          
Please contact Sara Howard if you would like to attend this discussion.

March 25th – S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G it Out for Student Health: a Spelling Bee of Grown Up Proportions.

Were you a champion speller back in the day? Want another chance to show off your spelling skills as an adult? Join the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers, a project of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, for their first spelling bee fundraiser. Teams of two will compete in three exhilarating rounds of spelling for the title of the “Best Spellers in Chicago.” Don’t miss the most exciting fundraiser of the year!

Funds collected will support the youth development work of the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers.

If you are interested in being an event sponsor or participating as a spelling bee contestant, please contact Megan Erskine at merskine@ilmaternal.org or by phone at 312-491-8161, ext 29.

June 24th – 2nd Annual IMCHC Junior Board Summer Rooftop Fundraiser
            6:00-9:00pm at a private rooftop location in the West Loop
            Cost: $35.00 (Includes dinner, drinks and candy buffet)
            Raffle Tickets: $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00

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Newsletter Archive

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

• Federal and State Policy Updates
• Junior Board Events
• Chicago Area Immunization Campaign Meetings
• Staff Updates

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.

New Provider Notice from HFS

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has posted a new Provider Notice to the Federally Qualified Health Centers page. You may view the Federally Qualified Health Centers page here.


HFS Announces its 2010 Winter Outreach Tour Dates

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is about to begin the Winter 2010 Outreach Tour. Sessions will be held at various times and locations throughout the Chicago land area. During each session the following information will be provided:  Policy updates on FamilyCare, All Kids, All Kids and FamilyCare Rebate, Moms & Babies, Illinois Healthy Women, Illinois Breast & Cervical Cancer Program, Illinois Warrior Assistance Program, Veterans Care, Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities and Child Support.

IMCHC will also be presenting updates on health care reform at many of these sessions.  You may register online, the dates and locations are listed below:

January 28, 10-12am, at Illinois Masonic Hospital in Chicago
February 2, 2-4pm, at South Shore Hospital in Chicago
February 5, 2-4pm, at McNeal Hospital in Berwyn
February 9, 10-12am, at Provena Medical Center in Aurora
February 24, 2-4pm, at Vista Medical Center in Waukegan
March 2, 2-4pm, at St. Mary’s of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago
March 9, 2-4pm, at Provena Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin

Illinois Partners for Human Service Announce Legislative Meetings for January and February.
Across the state human services are under assault. A new group - Illinois Partners for Human Service - has been formed to help Illinois residents and elected officials understand the value of human services and what is at stake if this system continues to be dismantled. IMCHC is a member of this coalition.

In January and February, Illinois Partners for Human Service will hold a series of meetings around the state to ensure human services and the people they serve are represented during the 2010 legislative session.  To see the schedule for meetings visit Illinois Partners’ website.

For more information or to join Illinois Partners, contact Judith Gethner.

New Female Condom, FC2, Now Available at More Affordable Price:
Chicago Female Condom Campaign Invites Area Agencies to Participate in Pool Purchasing

The Chicago Female Condom Campaign, a coalition of area organizations working to expand access, availability, and utilization of female condoms (FCs), has launched a pool purchasing program to enable greater affordability of and access to female condoms.  Area agencies are invited to join the pool purchasing program to access greater quantities of female condoms for nearly 30% less than the cost of the original FCs. Through this joint purchasing program, agencies will pay approximately .75 per condom.  A minimum order of one case (1,000 female condoms at $755) is required to participate. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Terlikowski.



Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding Core Measure: USBC publishes guidance for hospitals

The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) has published guidelines to aid hospitals and maternity facilities in accurate collection of the data needed to comply with The Joint Commission's new core measure on exclusive breast milk feeding. After March 31, 2010, The Joint Commission's Pregnancy and Related Conditions core measure set will be retired and replaced with the new Perinatal Care core measure set. The new Perinatal Care core measure set is available for selection for hospitals beginning with April 1, 2010 discharges.

For more information visit USBC.


Obesity Prevention Initiative Act: PUBLIC HEARINGS

The Illinois Department of Public Health will host a series of public hearings in accordance with the Obesity Prevention Initiative Act.  The purpose of these hearings is to illuminate the social and human costs of obesity and to highlight existing state and community level initiatives; identify existing plans and opportunities for action and expansion of initiatives; inform policy makers and the public about effective solutions to the problem; and identify and engage stakeholders to promote action to reduce obesity, improve nutrition and increase physical activity.

Interested stakeholders are invited to attend and testify at the hearings.  If you would like assistance in crafting your testimony please don’t hesitate to contact Kathy Chan at IMCHC, or Karen Berg or Amber Broughton at the Illinois Public Health Institute.

For additional information about the hearings please visit the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website, or call 217-557-0496.

The dates for these hearings are:

February 26, 2010, 1-4pm
Michael A. Bilandic Building in Chicago
160 N. LaSalle, Room C-500

March 8, 2010, 10am-1pm
Illinois Department of Agriculture in Springfield
801 Sangamon Ave., Gate 11, Auditorium

March 15, 2010, 10am-1pm
Carbondale City Hall/Civic Center in Carbondale
200 South Illinois Ave., Room 108