Nurses Partner With New Mothers for Positive Outcomes

Last week, the Durango Herald highlighted on the very successful Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), which we have covered many times on this blog. As with most the of the stories we have covered, this article gives a personal account on just how effective the NFP is in creating positive health outcomes, but empowering families for generations to come.

To read the full article, click here.

To access all of our blogposts related to the NFP, click here.

New York Times Op-Ed: The Power of Nursing

Yesterday, the New York Times featured an Op-Ed by David Bornstein discussing a groundbreaking imitative, the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP). Mr. Bornstein, known for his coverage of social innovations, outlined how the NFP arranges for registered nurses to make regular home visits to first-time low-income or vulnerable mothers. This program has resulted in improved health for mothers and their children, while also contributing to greater society by preventing child abuse and costly hospital admissions from infants.

Click here to read more about Mr. Bornstein's coverage of the NFP program.

Six Stories on Preventable Readmissions

Last week, Jaimie Oh, of Becker's Hospital Review, highlighted six recent initiatives by health care organizations around the country aimed at reducing preventable readmissions. The intiatives range from home visits by nurses, social workers and pharmecists to interventions specifically focused on the pediatric population.

Click here to read the six stories on how health care organizations are focusing on preventable readmissions.

Pennsylvania's Nursing Homes Are in Crisis

Last week, Jim Hook, senior writer for PublicOpinionOnline.com, discussed in great detail how proposed Medicaid cuts in Pennsylvania will create a financially unsustainable environment for nursing home facilities. The proposed $102 million statewide cut in Medicaid funding would drastically effect the way in which care is delivered both inside and outside of these facilities, potentially resulting in home visits by case coordinators being drastically cut back. Mr. Hook does a fantastic job of covering numerous issues with the latest Medicaid cuts and we strongly encourage you to read the full article.

Click here to read the article.

A Shift From Nursing Homes to Managed Care at Home

Last week, Joseph Berger, reporting for the New York Times, discussed how providers are moving from the traditional nursing home model of care to managed care at home. This new model of care has not only been proven cost effective, but also allows for able-bodied elderly individuals to live independently. Mr. Berger's article highlights the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly(PACE), which provides almost all the services a nursing home would but in an 'day care' setting. This program, in addition to similar home health services, receives bundled payments for each patient they treat rather than relying on the traditional fee-for-service reimbursement model. PACE and similar home-care programs are being heralded as the future model of health care for the aging baby boomer generation.

Click here to read the full article.

Nursing's Impact Beyond Care: Nurses Help Fight Crime

Yesterday, Jerry Large, of The Seattle Times, reported on a innovative program that aims to reduce crime and poverty by utilizing visiting nurses in low-income communities. King County's initiative, the Nurse-Family Partnership, utilizes 24 registered nurses that work with young women during their first pregnancies and through the baby's second birthday. Results of this initiative have been promising, with studies showing that the initiative has led to improved health and education for the mothers and children impacted by the outreach effort.

Click here to read the article.

Healthcare Jobs Drive Employment First Nine Months of Year

With the economic recession still greatly affecting many US citizens, individuals are looking for industries with significant job growth. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hospital job growth in the first nine months of 2011 is four times what it was in all of 2010. Additionally, 42 percent of all new jobs in September were from the healthcare sector. This spike in job growth has been attributed to an emphasis on less invasive procedures, more outpatient care, and as a result, a higher utilization of visiting nurses. For example, leading travel nurse agency, American Traveler, announced in October a year-over-year increase of 56 percent in nurse job employment. With such a large growth in the nursing field, it is imperative that nurses continue professional development and obtain higher degrees in order to stand out and carve their own niche in the burgeoning industry.

Click here to read the full press release.

Click here to find out more about the IOM's recommendations in their report, Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.