Please join us today as we bring you some of the leading experts from accross the University who will discuss healthcare reform in the country and in Pennsylvania. The event -- Reforming Health CARE: In the Public Interest -- will take place Wednesday, November 18th at 2:30p.m. in the Ann L. Roy Auditorium of the School of Nursing.
How do we solve the problem of the existing shortage of primary care providers that would only exacerbate by expanding insurance to millions of uninsured? Are there implications of Pennsylvania’s healthcare reform strategies for other states? What healthcare reform bills offer the best opportunity to redesign care to produce better patient outcomes?
These are just some of the many questions that will be addressed and answered at today's dialogue that will bring together healthcare experts from across the University as well as the architect of Rx for Pennsylvania, the governor’s blueprint for improving access, quality, and affordability of healthcare.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Recommended Reading
If you haven’t already read the article from The New York Times magazine about the injustices suffered by women in the poorest countries of the world and the need for foreign aid directed to women, then I encourage you to read it now:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?em#
Written by New York Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof and a former Times correspondent, Sheryl WuDunn, the essay is adapted from their book, Half Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.
“In many poor countries, the greatest unexploited resource isn’t oil fields or veins of gold; it is the women and girls who aren’t educated and never become a major presence in the formal economy,” the authors write. “With education and with help starting businesses, impoverished women can earn money and support their countries as well as their families. They represent perhaps the best hope for fighting global poverty.”
Here are some facts from the essay:
• An obscure but meticulous demographic study that outlined a human rights violation that had claimed tens of thousands more lives… found that 39,000 baby girls died annually in China because parents didn’t give them the same medical care and attention that boys received — and that was just in the first year of life.
• In India, a “bride burning” takes place approximately once every two hours to punish a woman for an inadequate dowry or to eliminate her so a man can remarry…
• It appears that more girls and women are now missing from the planet, precisely because they are female, than men were killed on the battlefield in all the wars of the 20th century. The number of victims of this routine “gendercide” far exceeds the number of people who were slaughtered in all the genocides of the 20th century.
• In the West African country Niger, a woman stands a one-in-seven chance of dying in childbirth at some point in her life.
We should all be morally outraged, and we must support all that can eliminate oppression, inequity, marginalization, and violence. As educators, it is our duty to expose our students to such writing and encourage a dialogue about issues and solutions. Nurses are part of the solution.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?em#
Written by New York Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof and a former Times correspondent, Sheryl WuDunn, the essay is adapted from their book, Half Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.
“In many poor countries, the greatest unexploited resource isn’t oil fields or veins of gold; it is the women and girls who aren’t educated and never become a major presence in the formal economy,” the authors write. “With education and with help starting businesses, impoverished women can earn money and support their countries as well as their families. They represent perhaps the best hope for fighting global poverty.”
Here are some facts from the essay:
• An obscure but meticulous demographic study that outlined a human rights violation that had claimed tens of thousands more lives… found that 39,000 baby girls died annually in China because parents didn’t give them the same medical care and attention that boys received — and that was just in the first year of life.
• In India, a “bride burning” takes place approximately once every two hours to punish a woman for an inadequate dowry or to eliminate her so a man can remarry…
• It appears that more girls and women are now missing from the planet, precisely because they are female, than men were killed on the battlefield in all the wars of the 20th century. The number of victims of this routine “gendercide” far exceeds the number of people who were slaughtered in all the genocides of the 20th century.
• In the West African country Niger, a woman stands a one-in-seven chance of dying in childbirth at some point in her life.
We should all be morally outraged, and we must support all that can eliminate oppression, inequity, marginalization, and violence. As educators, it is our duty to expose our students to such writing and encourage a dialogue about issues and solutions. Nurses are part of the solution.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Transitional Care Legislation
I am proud to write to you about the stellar testimony before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee by one of our faculty which has led to Congressional bills that are likely to enhance quality of care and decrease disparities. As many of you know, Mary D Naylor, PhD, FAAN, RN, the Marian S. Ware Professor in Gerontology and director of NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, has been in the forefront of research producing the evidence for a care model to assist and manage the multiplicity of health problems of frail elders as they move from hospital to home. This transitional care model has the potential of enhancing the quality of life of these patients and their families as well as decreasing cost.
Currently, Dr. Naylor’s model has the potential, with your help, to become law. Findings from her and her team’s research form the basis of the “Medicare Transitional Care Act (H.R.2773) sponsored by Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Charles Boustany (R-LA) which was introduced this week in the U.S. House of Representatives. This important legislation is designed to eliminate the thousands of preventable hospital readmissions that occur each year by providing high quality transitional care to high-risk Medicare beneficiaries throughout episodes of acute illness.
Since 1989, Dr. Naylor has led an interdisciplinary program of research designed to improve outcomes and reduce costs of care for vulnerable community-based elders. To date, Dr. Naylor and her research team have completed three National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)-funded randomized clinical trials focusing on discharge planning and home follow up of high-risk elders by advanced practice nurses. Dr. Naylor and her team of researchers partnered with Aetna Corporation and Kaiser Permanente Health Plan to apply the model in everyday practice. Throughout testing, the model has proven to provide improved quality of care at lower cost by reducing the number of hospital readmissions. One study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that one-third of Medicare beneficiaries are rehospitalized within 90 days leading to billions of dollars of Medicare payments on unplanned hospital readmission. In short, nurse-conducted research is poised to make an impact on the nation’s healthcare and budget by becoming a Medicare benefit.
Currently, Dr. Naylor’s model has the potential, with your help, to become law. Findings from her and her team’s research form the basis of the “Medicare Transitional Care Act (H.R.2773) sponsored by Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Charles Boustany (R-LA) which was introduced this week in the U.S. House of Representatives. This important legislation is designed to eliminate the thousands of preventable hospital readmissions that occur each year by providing high quality transitional care to high-risk Medicare beneficiaries throughout episodes of acute illness.
Since 1989, Dr. Naylor has led an interdisciplinary program of research designed to improve outcomes and reduce costs of care for vulnerable community-based elders. To date, Dr. Naylor and her research team have completed three National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)-funded randomized clinical trials focusing on discharge planning and home follow up of high-risk elders by advanced practice nurses. Dr. Naylor and her team of researchers partnered with Aetna Corporation and Kaiser Permanente Health Plan to apply the model in everyday practice. Throughout testing, the model has proven to provide improved quality of care at lower cost by reducing the number of hospital readmissions. One study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that one-third of Medicare beneficiaries are rehospitalized within 90 days leading to billions of dollars of Medicare payments on unplanned hospital readmission. In short, nurse-conducted research is poised to make an impact on the nation’s healthcare and budget by becoming a Medicare benefit.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Happy National Nurses' Week
In anticipation of National Nurses’ Week, May 6-12, 2009, I wanted to take this time to thank you for choosing to become a member of the profession of nursing. As nurses, you are at the center of health care wherever you work locally, nationally, or globally. Each day you make a difference in the lives of people and their families because you truly care to save lives, to alleviate suffering, and because you have the passion to change the world.
Whether you are studying to be a nurse, practicing nursing at the bedside, conducting nursing research and advancing science, bringing along the next generation of nurses, or using your nursing competencies in some other part of your life, I applaud you for choosing to be a member of the “caring profession”. So during National Nurses’ Week, let me salute you and thank you for all you have done and all that you will do in the future as a PENN NURSE.
Whether you are studying to be a nurse, practicing nursing at the bedside, conducting nursing research and advancing science, bringing along the next generation of nurses, or using your nursing competencies in some other part of your life, I applaud you for choosing to be a member of the “caring profession”. So during National Nurses’ Week, let me salute you and thank you for all you have done and all that you will do in the future as a PENN NURSE.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Take action to prevent child marriage
Sixty million girls around the world are married before the age of 17. You can help bring this practice to an end.
Child marriage is a human rights violation that puts young girls at risk and keeps them mired in poverty. They need your protection.
Please ask your member of Congress to help prevent child marriage by co-sponsoring the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009. At this week's CARE National Conference and Celebration in Washington, D.C., advocates from around the country will be making the same request of their members of Congress. Join them.
When a girl is forced to marry at a young age, it diminishes her chance at an education, endangers her health and has long-lasting and dire consequences not only to her, but to her family and community as well.
Young brides are:
• More likely to become young mothers. Girls under the age of 15 are five times more likely to die of childbirth than women in their 20s.
• More likely to drop out of school and have limited economic opportunities in the future, which keeps them and their families locked in the cycle of poverty.
• Twice as likely to suffer domestic violence and more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV.
The cost of these marriages is too high to be ignored. I encourage you to ask your members of Congress to take immediate action.
The United States can use its leadership to prevent child marriage. This important legislation recognizes child marriage as a human rights violation and develops a comprehensive strategy to prevent these marriages and empower young girls.
Please join me in ensuring that no girl is forced into an early marriage. Ask your representatives to co-sponsor the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009. Thank you for helping to empower young girls around the world.
Child marriage is a human rights violation that puts young girls at risk and keeps them mired in poverty. They need your protection.
Please ask your member of Congress to help prevent child marriage by co-sponsoring the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009. At this week's CARE National Conference and Celebration in Washington, D.C., advocates from around the country will be making the same request of their members of Congress. Join them.
When a girl is forced to marry at a young age, it diminishes her chance at an education, endangers her health and has long-lasting and dire consequences not only to her, but to her family and community as well.
Young brides are:
• More likely to become young mothers. Girls under the age of 15 are five times more likely to die of childbirth than women in their 20s.
• More likely to drop out of school and have limited economic opportunities in the future, which keeps them and their families locked in the cycle of poverty.
• Twice as likely to suffer domestic violence and more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV.
The cost of these marriages is too high to be ignored. I encourage you to ask your members of Congress to take immediate action.
The United States can use its leadership to prevent child marriage. This important legislation recognizes child marriage as a human rights violation and develops a comprehensive strategy to prevent these marriages and empower young girls.
Please join me in ensuring that no girl is forced into an early marriage. Ask your representatives to co-sponsor the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009. Thank you for helping to empower young girls around the world.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Loan repayment for nurses
Representative Tom Latham (R-IA) has introduced the “Nurses’ Higher Education and Loan Repayment Act of 2009” (H.R. 1460). The bill would amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a graduate degree loan repayment program for nurses who become faculty members for at least four of the six years after completing their degree. Repayment for a master’s degree would be up to $10,000 per year with an aggregate $40,000 cap; for a doctorate, annual payments could be up to $20,000 with an $80,000 cap. Appropriations for the program would be “such sums as may be necessary” for FY 10 - FY 14.
Given the dire shortage of nurses, this legislation could have tremendous impact on encouraging individuals to enter the profession. I commend Representative Latham for his effort to address one of the gravest challenges in our healthcare system.
Bill text is available via thomas.loc.gov by searching for the bill number.
Given the dire shortage of nurses, this legislation could have tremendous impact on encouraging individuals to enter the profession. I commend Representative Latham for his effort to address one of the gravest challenges in our healthcare system.
Bill text is available via thomas.loc.gov by searching for the bill number.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
CARE to celebrate International Women’s Day
As champions of issues concerning global poverty, social justice, and the hope for change, Penn Nursing is proud to encourage students, alumni, and friends to attend “A Powerful Noise,” a documentary playing in more than 450 theatres nationwide for one night only tonight, Thursday, March 5, 2009.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, CARE and NCM Fathom , in partnership with ONE and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, will show the film, “A Powerful Noise,” which features the stories of three inspiring women:
Madame Urbain — an activist working to educate and empower young women and girls in the slums of Bamako , Mali;
Bui My Hanh — an HIV-positive widow helping others combat the spread of HIV and the social stigma associated with the disease in Vietnam; and
Nada Markovic — a survivor of the brutal Bosnian War bringing women together to rebuild their once-tranquil community
These women are embodying the Penn Nursing motto. They care to change the world, and their stories will inspire. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.fathomevents.com/details.aspx?eventid=769&utm_source=CARE&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=APowerfulNoise. More than 30 percent of ticket purchases will go directly to support the work of CARE, a leading humanitarian organization that fights global poverty by empowering marginalized women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities.
As a board member for CARE, as council general of the International Council of Women’s Health Issues, and as someone who has made the rights of girls and women across the globe not just an area of research but a passion, I encourage everyone to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th by thinking of the many ways we can work, individually, on improving the care for all women, all over the world.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, CARE and NCM Fathom , in partnership with ONE and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, will show the film, “A Powerful Noise,” which features the stories of three inspiring women:
Madame Urbain — an activist working to educate and empower young women and girls in the slums of Bamako , Mali;
Bui My Hanh — an HIV-positive widow helping others combat the spread of HIV and the social stigma associated with the disease in Vietnam; and
Nada Markovic — a survivor of the brutal Bosnian War bringing women together to rebuild their once-tranquil community
These women are embodying the Penn Nursing motto. They care to change the world, and their stories will inspire. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.fathomevents.com/details.aspx?eventid=769&utm_source=CARE&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=APowerfulNoise. More than 30 percent of ticket purchases will go directly to support the work of CARE, a leading humanitarian organization that fights global poverty by empowering marginalized women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities.
As a board member for CARE, as council general of the International Council of Women’s Health Issues, and as someone who has made the rights of girls and women across the globe not just an area of research but a passion, I encourage everyone to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th by thinking of the many ways we can work, individually, on improving the care for all women, all over the world.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Penn Nursing is 2nd in NIH-ranking
I am delighted to announce that the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has risen to 2nd in NIH rankings. This is based on NIH funding to Schools of Nursing for FY08 (based on federal fiscal year of 10/1/07 – 9/30/08). Our funding increased 12% from FY07 to FY08.
This is fantastic news for our School and is a reflection of the excellence of our faculty and the leadership of Dr. Linda McCauley, associate dean for nursing research, and the staff in the Office of Nursing Research.
I would like to extend my deepest appreciation on behalf of our entire community for the incredible scholarship and dedication of each and every one of our faculty, our research centers, and to Linda and her staff for all they have done to facilitate this substantial move up in our funding. Without their efforts, perseverance and exemplary research projects, this would not be achievable.
This is fantastic news for our School and is a reflection of the excellence of our faculty and the leadership of Dr. Linda McCauley, associate dean for nursing research, and the staff in the Office of Nursing Research.
I would like to extend my deepest appreciation on behalf of our entire community for the incredible scholarship and dedication of each and every one of our faculty, our research centers, and to Linda and her staff for all they have done to facilitate this substantial move up in our funding. Without their efforts, perseverance and exemplary research projects, this would not be achievable.
Celebrating Dr. King's vision
Each year, the School of Nursing honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King with a lecture from a prominent local leader, and on February 10th, Penn Nursing had the honor of hearing Councilwoman At-Large Blondell Reynolds Brown.
A longtime proponent of the safety and well-being of children, quality child care, and expanded business opportunities for minorities and women, Councilwoman Brown has, in the spirit of Dr. King, done much to improve the quality of life for our city's most vulnerable citizens. From persuading the Phillies and Eagles to establish a "Fund for Children" and commit $1 million annually for 30 years to authorizing legislation requiring chain restaurants to provide menu labeling with nutritional and caloric information, she has made an enormous impact on the community at large.
"One of the reasons I ran for office," she said, "is that I realized that if you're not at the table, then you get what you get."
Councilwoman Brown's commitment to justice, equality, and service espouses the values of Dr. King. At Penn Nursing, where our motto is "care to change the world," we, too, embody his vision that, "Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better."
And it is the work and scholarship of our students and faculty that represent our commitment to making the world better. Through our educational curriculum, our students learn the need for cultural competence in direct care. Through Penn Nursing's Center for Health Disparities, faculty members conduct research that will advance knowledge of the determinants of health among racial/ethnic minorities, marginalized, and underserved populations across the life span.
Nursing research is a tool for social justice. As Penn Nurses, we care to change the world through our science because of our shared belief that as nurse practitioners, scholars and scientists, improving the health of others is not a job, but a responsibility.
A longtime proponent of the safety and well-being of children, quality child care, and expanded business opportunities for minorities and women, Councilwoman Brown has, in the spirit of Dr. King, done much to improve the quality of life for our city's most vulnerable citizens. From persuading the Phillies and Eagles to establish a "Fund for Children" and commit $1 million annually for 30 years to authorizing legislation requiring chain restaurants to provide menu labeling with nutritional and caloric information, she has made an enormous impact on the community at large.
"One of the reasons I ran for office," she said, "is that I realized that if you're not at the table, then you get what you get."
Councilwoman Brown's commitment to justice, equality, and service espouses the values of Dr. King. At Penn Nursing, where our motto is "care to change the world," we, too, embody his vision that, "Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better."
And it is the work and scholarship of our students and faculty that represent our commitment to making the world better. Through our educational curriculum, our students learn the need for cultural competence in direct care. Through Penn Nursing's Center for Health Disparities, faculty members conduct research that will advance knowledge of the determinants of health among racial/ethnic minorities, marginalized, and underserved populations across the life span.
Nursing research is a tool for social justice. As Penn Nurses, we care to change the world through our science because of our shared belief that as nurse practitioners, scholars and scientists, improving the health of others is not a job, but a responsibility.
Friday, January 16, 2009
A global commitment
As a nation that is committed to playing a leadership role and in fostering peace in the world, our future is predicated on making a strong investment in the development and well-being of girl children and women.
We must reignite our moral commitment to eliminating disparities and the violating practices and policies that are disempowering to women who make up half of the world’s population. As educators, we must inspire a generation of graduates who are prepared to become citizens of the world.
President Obama should inspire — and invest financially — in a global commitment to women’s health and safety. He should also focus on providing future generations with a more global education. As a product of a multinational education that has shaped his values and experiences, he understands the need for this investment.
Last month, the Institute of Medicine on Monday released The U.S. Commitment to Global Health: Recommendations for the New Administration, a report for the Obama administration that highlighted health as a pillar of U.S. foreign policy and provides specific recommendations as to how the incoming leadership can demonstrate its commitment to global health.
Having served on the IOM Committee on the U.S. Commitment to Global Health, I believe strongly that in this new era of global health, our leadership is a demonstration of American values and moral responsibility. Global health should be an essential component of U.S. foreign policy.
As Senator Clinton said during her Senate Confirmation hearing, "of particular concern to me is the plight of women and girls, who comprise the majority of the world's unhealthy, unschooled, unfed, and unpaid. If half the world's population remains vulnerable to economic, political, legal and social marginalization, our hope of advancing democracy and prosperity is in serious jeopardy. The United States must be an unequivocal and unwavering voice in support of women's rights in every country on every continent."
We must reignite our moral commitment to eliminating disparities and the violating practices and policies that are disempowering to women who make up half of the world’s population. As educators, we must inspire a generation of graduates who are prepared to become citizens of the world.
President Obama should inspire — and invest financially — in a global commitment to women’s health and safety. He should also focus on providing future generations with a more global education. As a product of a multinational education that has shaped his values and experiences, he understands the need for this investment.
Last month, the Institute of Medicine on Monday released The U.S. Commitment to Global Health: Recommendations for the New Administration, a report for the Obama administration that highlighted health as a pillar of U.S. foreign policy and provides specific recommendations as to how the incoming leadership can demonstrate its commitment to global health.
Having served on the IOM Committee on the U.S. Commitment to Global Health, I believe strongly that in this new era of global health, our leadership is a demonstration of American values and moral responsibility. Global health should be an essential component of U.S. foreign policy.
As Senator Clinton said during her Senate Confirmation hearing, "of particular concern to me is the plight of women and girls, who comprise the majority of the world's unhealthy, unschooled, unfed, and unpaid. If half the world's population remains vulnerable to economic, political, legal and social marginalization, our hope of advancing democracy and prosperity is in serious jeopardy. The United States must be an unequivocal and unwavering voice in support of women's rights in every country on every continent."
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