New Publications Examine SCHIP Experience; Trends in Access to Medicaid and SCHIP Coverage

(Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured)
January 9, 2007

Maintaining and expanding health coverage for children and parents will likely be in the forefront of health care policy debates in Washington and state capitals in 2007. With states generally in better financial shape since the fiscal crisis earlier in the decade, many have expressed interest in improving access to their Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP). A new 50-state survey shows that one-third of states (17) increased access to health coverage in 2006, and no state cut income eligibility in Medicaid and SCHIP for the first time in four years.

Resuming the Path to Health Coverage for Children and Parents

Enrolling Uninsured Low-Income Children in Medicaid and SCHIP

State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) at a Glance

Health Coverage For Low-Income Children

A Decade of SCHIP: Experience and Issues for Reauthorization

Black Women More Likely Than White Women To Die From Childbirth, Study Finds
(Reuters Health)

While black women are no more likely that white women to develop complications during pregnancy, they are more likely than white women to die from such complications, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, Reuters Health reports. For the study, Myra Tucker, a physician at CDC, and colleagues based on their findings on federal hospital discharge records and other sources from between 1988 and 1999 (Reuters Health, 12/29/06). Researchers calculated prevalence and case-related fatality rates for preeclampsia, eclampsia, abruptio placentae, placenta previa and postpartum hemorrhage--which together account for 26% of all pregnancy-related deaths. The fatality rates among black women with the conditions were two to three times higher than that of white women, the port find (United Press International, 12/29/06). For instance, for every 100,000 women who developed preeclampsia, about 27 white women died, compared with 73 black women. For every 200,000 women developing postpartum hemorrhage, 21 white women dies, compared with 68 black women. The study did not look at the women's health and background information, and reasons for the disparity remain unclear, Reuters Health reports. However, researchers noted that general health and access to quality health care is likely to be a contributor. In addition, black women are more likely to have certain health conditions--such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity--that increase health risks during pregnancy. A "complex interaction of biological and health services factors must be untangled" in order to determine reasons behind the disparity, researchers said (Reuters Health, 12/29/06).

ACOG Releases New Guidelines Recommending That All Pregnant Women Be Offered Screening for Down Syndrome in First Trimester

(Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy)

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in the January issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology released guidelines recommending screening for Down syndrome to all pregnant women in their first trimester, the Los Angeles Times reports (Maugh, Los Angeles Times, 12/31/06). Down syndrome is the most common major chromosomal abnormality in the U.S., occurring in about 5,000 infants born annually. Physicians often administer a blood test to pregnant women--especially women who are older or who have a family history of genetic abnormalities--in the second trimester around 16 weeks' gestation. If the blood test, known as the quadruple screen, is positive, the woman then undergoes an invasive tests called amniocentesis to confirm the diagnosis. A new method consists of performing an ultrasound test, called the nuchal translucency test, and a different blood test in the first trimester between 10 and 13 weeks' gestation. The nuchal translucency test measures the translucent space in the tissue in the back of a developing fetus' neck, which typically is larger in fetuses with Down syndrome because of excess fluid accumulation. The measurement then is put into a formula with the pregnant woman's age and the gestational age of the fetus to determine the likelihood that the fetus has Down syndrome (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/10/05).

Every Life Makes a Ripple No Matter How Small.

2nd Annual

Memory Walk

OU MEDICAL CENTER-Presbyterian Tower Pond

Saturday, October 14- 10 a.m.

NW 13th Street & Lincoln Blvd.

To honor October as National Pregnancy and Infancy Loss Awareness month, OU MEDICAL CENTER will host its annual Memory Walk on Saturday, October 14 at 10 a.m. This walk will honor the lives of babies lost in pregnancy or infancy. Parents and families of all ages, and supporters of anyone who has lost a baby in pregnancy or infancy, are welcome. There will be a short program before the walk at the Presbyterian Tower pond (NW 13th St. and Lincoln Blvd.)

For more information, contact the OU MEDICAL CENTER Chaplain's office at (405) 271-5758

October is SIDS Awareness Month

On September 5th, Governor Henry signed a proclamation naming October as SIDS awareness month.

For a copy of the proclamation click on the link :Oklahoma Proclamation

A resolution is also on it's way throught the U.S. Congress. The resolution "Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day" has passed through the U.S. House of Representatives and is now on it's way to the U.S. Senate.

For a copy of the resolution click on the link below:

Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

A Few Facts about SIDS

• SIDS risk reduction efforts have resulted in a dramatic decrease in SIDS death by nearly 60% since the "Back to Sleep" campaign was first announced in 1992, the equivalent of sparing the lives of 3,500 babies a year.

• SIDS is still the major cause of death in the United States for infants one week and older, still claiming the lives of approximately 2,100 babies every year, which is more than cancer, juvenile diabetes, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic fobrosis and muscular dystrophy combined for children up to fourteen years of age.

• African-American infants are at more then twice the risk of caucasian infants, Native-American infants are at two and one-half times the risk and one-fifth of all SIDS deaths are occuring in child care settings.

Needed: Statewide Project Coordinator for Early Childhood Program

Smart Start Oklahoma is very excited to be partnering with the Community Action Project of Tulsa County on implementing a grant to increase funding for high quality care for low-income children birth to three. They are seeking to hire a statewide project coordinator as quickly as possible to provide project management services and oversight to these programs across the state.

Job Summary:

The Oklahoma State Department of Education has funded a “Pilot Early Childhood Program” to improve and expand early childhood services to low income children ages birth through three. The grant has been awarded to a single grantee, Community Action Project of Tulsa County, which will work with partners throughout the state, including existing Early Head Start programs. These programs are located in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Sand Springs, Antlers, Hugo Idabel, Bristow, Sapulpa, and Stillwater. Additional service providers may qualify to participate during the grant period.

The Statewide Project Coordinator (SPC) position, reporting to the Executive Director of Smart Start Oklahoma, will provide project management services and oversight to these program partners to enable program partners to implement the pilot program and to meet program requirements. The SPC will coordinate financial operations, processes, and other activities between the program partners and the primary grantee, and provide technical assistance.

For a complete job description contact Nancy vonBargen, Smart Start Oklahoma, at nancy.vonbargen@smartstartok.org or 405-278-6978, ext. 23.

Key Resources on Health Coverage and the Uninsured
from The Kaiser Family Foundation

The U.S. Census Bureau released its annual update on health insurance coverage and the number of uninsured Americans this week. The survey showed that the number of uninsured Americans increased by 1.3 million to 46.6 million for 2005. The percentage of people with employer and non-group coverage fell, while the share of the population with public coverage held steady. The percentage of children who are uninsured increased for the first time in recent years . The Foundation collected some of its key recent resources on health insurance coverage and the uninsured, including a new issue brief, “Who are the Uninsured? A Consistent Profile Across National Surveys,” comparing the total number of uninsured from three major national surveys, demonstrating that these estimates are actually more consistent than what is often perceived.

For a complete list of resources visit: The Kaiser Family Foundation

Local Oklahoma Author Makes National Children's Bereavement List

Jewel Sample, a local Oklahoma author of a children's book entitled "Flying Hugs and Kisses" has been placed on the National SIDS/Infant Death Resource Center list. The book was written after Jewel and her family experience the death of a grand child from SIDS.

Flying Hugs and Kisses is about five children who creatively take on roles of support toward each other while showing their individual feelings about the death of their baby brother. This sensitive story of grief recovery is a great resource for parents to use to help their children understand and affirm their experience of the loss of a brother or sister.

Jewel Sample has a Master of Science degree in Family Relations and Child Development from Oklahoma State University. She and her husband, Chuck are the parents of three sons and grandparents of thirteen children. One grandchild died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is her hope this story gives insight into a family’s creative support and courage to move forward in the midst of their grief.

"Flying Hugs and Kisses" is available for purchase on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com

Visit the National SIDS/Infant Death Resource Center for more information and other resources.

October will be SIDS Awareness Month!

Fall Forum Annual Conference

Celebrating the Past, Launching the Future

The Annual Fall Legislative Forum on Children's Issues is a two-day working conference where advocates across the state of Oklahoma gather to examine the current course of Oklahoma's young people, share ideas, and develop a legislative agenda to create positive change.

October 10-11, 2006

Nigh University Center

University of Central Oklahoma - Edmond

Featured Speakers include:

• Dr. Harold Hodgkinson, demographer from the Institute for Education Leadership, will discuss how population trends will affect health care and education policies in Oklahoma's next hundred years.

• Kathy Gebhardt, Director of Children's Voices in Colorado, will share her perspective on the TABOR experiment in Colorado.

• Capt. John Herrington, (USN) is the first Native American to fly and walk in space and is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. Born in Wetumka, Oklahoma, Herrington has logged in 330 hours in space.

Register On-line

Hotel Information

Conference Agenda

UCO Campus Map

U.S. Senate Approves Bill Aimed at

Preventing Premature Births

(Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy)
Thursday, August 03,2006

The Senate on Tuesday approved by voice vote a bill (S 707) aimed at preventing premature births, CQ Today reports (CQ Today, 8/2). The bill, sponsored by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), would expand and coordinate research through NIH and CDC on preventing preterm births and caring for preterm infants; authorize grants for demonstration projects on treatments for prematurity; authorize the creation of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Prematurity and Low-Birthweight, which would require HHS representatives to report annually to Congress and the HHS secretary about their work on the issue; and authorize additional funding for the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, according to Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), a co-sponsor of the bill. The bill also would provide funding for research on the needs of parents and families with infants in neonatal intensive care (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 6/29). Similar legislation (HR 2861), sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and introduced in the House on June 9, 2005, is before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for consideration, according to CQ Today (CQ Today, 8/2).

2006 Fall Forum on Children's Issues

Tuesday and Wednesday,

October 10-11, 2006

University of Centeral Oklahoma

Edmond, Oklahoma

Mark your calendars and plan to attend The Annual Fall Forum on Children's Issues. The Fall Forum is a two-day working conference where advocates from throughout the state gather to view the current picture of Oklahoma's young people, share their ideas, and develop a legislative agenda to create positive change.

As Oklahoma prepares for our Centennial Celebration in 2007 we invite you to join us in mapping our children's future.

Featured Speakers:

• Dr. Harold Hodgkinson, demographer from the Institute for Education Leadership, will discuss how population trends will affect heatlh care and education policies in Oklahoma's next hundred years.

• Kathy Gephardt, Director of Children's Voices in Colorado, will share her perspective on the Colorado experience with TABOR (the so called Taxpayers, Bill of Rights). She will also conduct an in-depth workshop on the issue.

• Kevin Johnson (invited), spokesperson for the Stand Up organization, will relay his journey from NBA stardom with the Phoenix Suns to founding the St. Hope Academy in Sacramento.

Work Groups:

1. Maternal and Child Health
2. Early Childhood Issues
3. School-Age Health and Safety
4. Out-of-School Time/Positive Youth Development
5. Children with Special Needs
6. Children's Behavioral Health
7. Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
8. Balanced and Restorative Juvenile Justice
9. Child Abuse: Prevention
10. Child Abuse: Intervention and Treatment

On-line registration begins

August 15, 2006 at www.oica.org