Editorial: Health care challenges

Measure Up Marion: Chronic disease, poverty, more addressed

Ocala Star Banner
By Fred Hiers

Improving the health of Marion County’s residents will not happen easily or soon.

But with a U.S. Centers for Disease Control $1.3 million grant for Marion County to focus on addressing avoidable chronic diseases, Maclyn Walker, project director of Measure Up Marion, hopes to make a dent.

Measure Up Marion was a product of Marion’s 2012 Community Health Improvement Plan. The study took comprehensive stock of the county’s health problems, such as the area’s high diabetes, obesity and heart disease rates, as […]

August 31, 2015

Families with Healthy Kids Full-Pay Insurance will qualify for a SEP

The Florida Healthy Kids insurance plan is scheduled to dramatically increase in the cost of its premium on Oct. 1, 2015 for those who have the full-pay option plan. Healthcare.gov is now allowing those families who will be experiencing the rate increase to qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) on the Health Insurance Marketplace. This will allow families to shop for alternative, more affordable coverage for their children outside of Open Enrollment.

Allowing families in this situation to gain an SEP will affect many children […]

August 27, 2015

FL KidCare Full-Pay program rates to rise

Health News Florida
By Daylina Miller

The families of more than 35,000 children enrolled in the Florida Healthy Kids program will soon have to choose between two more expensive plans, or find new insurance.

The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation recently sent a letter to parents enrolled in the full-pay program earlier this month. It said new requirements in the Affordable Care Act forced them to either raise their rates or shut down the full-pay program, which is part of the Florida KidCare program that serves about 400,000 […]

August 27, 2015

Free parenting program

Healthy Start of North Central Florida is offering a free parenting program in Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Hamilton and Putnam Counties. The Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program helps parents and caregivers:

• Learn about their child’s development
• Gain one-on-one parenting support
• Connect with other parents and resources
• Address developmental delays and/or health issues
• Access books and educational toys for their child

Also, parents can earn free rewards, such as diapers and wipes, by participating in the program.

The MIECHV […]

August 24, 2015

Job opening for QA Planner

Job Title: Quality Assurance Planner
Department: Healthy Start
Location: Gainesville, FL
Salary: $35,000 – $40,000 plus benefits
Posting: Closes 5:00 pm on Wednesday, August 26, 2015; Submit resume to hr@www.wellflorida.org

Summary

The Quality Assurance Planner is responsible for assisting in the determination of subcontracted providers’ compliance with program goals and contract requirements. The primary duties of this position are to collect and analyze data; evaluate services; and to provide technical assistance and training to improve quality of services. This position reports directly to the Healthy Start Program […]

August 12, 2015

How to spend $212M? Survey will help trustees

Ocala Star Banner
By Fred Hiers

The Marion County Hospital District now has the beginnings of a framework by which it can decide how to financially support Marion County healthcare endeavors.

The district, which owns Munroe Regional Medical Center on behalf of the public, but leased it a year ago to a national healthcare conglomerate, commissioned a survey of Marion County’s healthcare needs. It now has the preliminary results, and on Aug. 24 consultants will present their findings. The public is invited to attend.

The district will […]

August 10, 2015

Residents encouraged to participate in focus groups on health

WellFlorida News Release

Citrus County residents are invited to share their views on health and healthcare in their community by participating in one of four focus groups taking place at Citrus County library locations throughout August. The Citrus County Community Health Advisory Partnership (C-CHAP) is conducting focus groups on the following dates, times and locations:

Coastal Region Library – 8619 W. Crystal St., Crystal River, FL 34428

August 13, 4-6 pm

Homosassa Library – 4100 S. Grandmarch Ave., Homosassa, FL 34446

August 17, 4-6 pm

Central Ridge Library – 425 W. […]

August 10, 2015

DSME Q&A conference call answer summaries

DSME Q&A Conference Call
Call-in: 888-670-3525; Code: 416-360-4135
2:00 – 3:00 PM
August 4, 2015

Question and Answer Summaries:

Question: How do we submit the proposal and budget?

Please submit all proposals via email by 11:59PM (EDT) on August 31, 2015. The email address is listed in each Hub’s mini-grant announcement. Each Hub’s service area is listed in their respective mini-grant announcement.

Question: How do we complete the budget if we are applying for more than one category of funding?

If your organization is applying for multiple categories of funding, […]

August 10, 2015

New Healthy Start bulletins available

Central Healthy Start and Healthy Start of North Central Florida have released the summer 2015 issue of A Healthy Start. Readers can expect to learn valuable information on topics such as prenatal care, water safety and why breastfeeding is best. Designed for pregnant women and mothers of children up to three years old, the bulletins are published twice a year by WellFlorida Council and Healthy Start. Bulletins will be distributed to pediatricians, hospitals and clinics across 16 counties. PDF versions can be downloaded at wwww.centralhealthystart.org and www.healthystartncf.org.

July 30, 2015