Longterm Health for Short Term $

Any of your kids have access to a school nurse? Not only does a school nurse help with minor maladies, he or she will also play a crucial role in educating little ones. Ranging from nutrition to basic personal healthcare, the long term benefits of a well informed young person will ultimately save the system money down the road. The problem is, how do you convince everyone that the cost of a school nurse is worth the money, especially in tough economic times? Few people even consider simple elements of their lives like nutrition (obesity epidemic anyone?) let alone the importance of healthcare education. The benefits far outweigh the collective cost, but sadly we'll be seeing even more school nurses cut in ensuing years.

Xmas Bonus! How much do you get for overtime?

3X the amount? If you have a nice government job as a nurse as say, a prison, and you cash in tons of overtime, you're slated to make tons of cash. This woman made 1/4 of a million a year. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-16/million-dollar-nurses-show-california-s-struggle-to-reduce-payroll-costs.html What do you get for overtime? The usual? How should State's treat overtime pay for their employees? Yes, we all should get fairly compensated for our worktime, but at the end of the day taxpayers are shelling out big money, that's you and me. When we're in a deficit situation that cash is harder to come by. Solution?

The Value of the School Nurse

There was a time when nurses and healthcare providers were active participants in our everyday lives. You could access healthcare in a variety of places, and school was one of them. The benefit was not only improve quality of life, but also a reduction in the overall cost of the healthcare system as fewer individuals accessed health services unnecessarily, and still more had improved education for various health topics.

Although the school nurse is still around, the number of students under one nurse has ballooned. Budget cuts force some nurses to have over 15000 students under their care.


Some parents even make decisions of which school to send their child based on healthcare provision. Do you?

Health Ideas rewarded by Obama Administration

The Obama administration has $1 billion of federal funds earmarked from last year's health reform law that will go toward innovation programs designed to boost jobs and improve patient care.

Have any ideas?

The administration will award grants in March 2012 to people who come up with the best ideas to lift care and save money for those enrolled in the federal healthcare programs Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. THe money is coming from the Affordable Care Act slated to fund a new CMS Innovation Center.


To get a grant, projects must start within six months and the program will concentrate on those ideas that spur the most hiring and workforce training.

Constitution Clash Over Healthcare Heads to Supreme Court

Some people just hate to see those in need get healthcare.

http://www.latimes.com/la-na-healthcare-court-20110929,0,6378627.story

The Obama care package is heading to the Supreme Court (the first of various rounds). What's the issue? Afront to civil liberties? Or a civil society taking care of the least among them. We sure know that we haven't been doing a good job of the latter. What's your take?

Ever Striked as a Nurse?

23 000 nurses in California his the streets for a one day strike to send a message to three hospital employers that RNs will not accept reductions in patient services or cuts to nurses and other caregivers.

The members of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United walked out. They are making 200 demands to counter Sutter executives that would:

Restrict their ability to effectively advocate for patients
Effectively force nurses to work when sick, dangerously exposing extremely ill patients to infection.
Sharply reduce nurses’ healthcare coverage and retiree health benefits.
The Sutter RNs are also protesting years of widespread cuts in patient care services


Have you ever striked as a nurse? If so what were the circumstances?

America's Underfunded State healthcare

It's not good, not good at all. But thankfully Republicans have the solution which involves cutting healthcare, medicare, and of course corporate taxes

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/mapping-americas-underfunded-state-pension-and-healthcare-liability-debacle