HR Articles

Nursing Jobs in Arizona Saved by AHCCCS Plan

A new plan to lower Medicaid costs throughout the state could end up saving nursing jobs in Arizona (Click here).

Gov. Jan Brewer recently released a plan to save the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and reduce overall Medicaid costs. More than 1.3 million Arizona residents depend on the AHCCCS for Medicaid coverage, which is currently the biggest factor in the state's budget gap.

Instead of eliminating the AHCCCS altogether - as some officials originally proposed - the new plan would downsize the agency by eliminating Medicaid coverage for adults without children. This could save numerous nursing jobs that deal with Medicaid patients.

In addition, childless adults currently on the plan would be allowed to remain there. Currently, Arizona is one of only seven states that provides Medicaid coverage to adults without children.

Eliminating this population from the state's Medicaid rolls would reduce AHCCCS enrollment by 100,000 people during the next 12 months and save about $500 million this year alone.

"State spending on Medicaid has increased 65 percent in four years," Brewer said. "We simply can't afford it. Nothing about this plan is pain-free. But it strikes a balance by creating a Medicaid program that is more fiscally responsible while keeping its core promises to the Arizonans who depend upon it."

Other aspects of the plan include:

• Reducing reimbursement rates for healthcare providers by 5 percent.
• Implementing or increasing co-payments for members.
• Instituting a fee for missed appointments.
• Eliminating free transportation to doctor's visits in urban areas of Maricopa and Pima counties.
• Eliminating state reimbursement for emergency care of non-qualified aliens.
• Pursue $40 million owed to the state by the Social Security Administration for previous eligibility errors.

San Diego Nurse Jobs Training Supported by Federal Grant

A new round of federal funding will help train local residents for San Diego nurse jobs (Click here) and other healthcare positions.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $25 million Health Profession Opportunity grant to San Diego County. The funding will be used to help low-income residents train for healthcare jobs.

The San Diego Workforce Partnership, a nonprofit organization that provides job training, will administer the grant. The money will be given to the county in $5 million increments during the next five years, according to an article by the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The funding will specifically be used to subsidize the cost of job training programs; tuition for classes at trade schools, community colleges and universities; and costs for transportation and child daycare services.

Some candidates will be asked to complete a California criminal records check before they can participate in the program. Visit http://www.easybackgroundchecks.com/ca-california-background-check.htm to learn more.

The grant will ultimately help fill the job openings that are expected at local hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices, dental centers, medical laboratories, and other healthcare facilities in the coming years. The grant program was funded by the Affordable Care Act passed earlier this year.

San Diego County was among 32 nonprofit groups, local government agencies, and community colleges throughout 23 states to receive a total of $67 million from DHHS. The county also was the only entity to receive a Health Profession Opportunity grant in California.

Miami Nursing Jobs Prep at New Magnet School

Local students will soon have a new option when it comes to preparing for Miami nursing jobs (Click here).

The Miami-Dade School District will open the Medical Academy for Science and Technology later this month. The Homestead-based healthcare magnet school will help students prepare for future careers in the medical industry.

Students attending the magnet school will have the chance to take specialized classes in medical-related subjects, such as anatomy, physical therapy, and nursing. They also will learn how healthcare and medicine fit into normal classes, such as math and language arts.

For the upcoming school year, the Medical Academy will offer programs in pharmaceutical science and physical therapy, and plans to offer a biomedical program during the 2011-2012 school year.

There are currently 150 ninth-grade students signed up to attend the school and some openings are still available. Any student from Miami-Dade County is eligible to apply to the school

"It's a school that's going to provide a challenging curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking,'' Millie Fornell, associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Miami-Dade district, told The Miami Herald. "For example, math would include statistical analysis and interpretation of data. "Language arts will include the process of research and technical writing.''

The Miami-Dade school district also will open the International Studies Preparatory Academy this year, which will offer world language programs and courses with an international focus. The school will focus on business and government in a technology-rich environment.

Colorado Nursing Jobs Supported by HIT Funding

A new round of healthcare information technology funding will help improve and support Colorado nursing jobs (Click here) and many other medical-related positions throughout the state.

The Colorado Beacon Consortium has been awarded an $11.8 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will be used to implement more healthcare information technology in an effort to help improve chronic disease care in the Grand Junction area.

"The Colorado Beacon Consortium, led by Rocky Mountain Health Plans, has been a national model for using healthcare information technology to improve medical care in the Grand Junction community," Gov. Bill Ritter said. "I am proud that the Recovery Act is investing in a new program that will improve the health of the Western Slope community. This Recovery Act grant will create jobs while laying the foundation for long term improvements in healthcare for Colorado."

The CBC includes Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Mesa County Independent Physicians' Practice Association, Quality Health Network and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center.

The funding will be used to collect more clinical data and: improve care for patients with diabetes, heart disease and hypertension; increase smoking cessation counseling; and reduce unnecessary use of emergency department care and hospital re-admission.

"We are excited about this grant and eager to build upon Western Colorado's reputation as an innovative pioneer that serves as an example of effective collaboration among community-based, not-for-profit health care organizations and service agencies," Steve ErkenBrack, an Executive Committee member of the Colorado Beacon Consortium and president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Health Plans, said.

In 2005, the Grand Junction community adopted the Quality Health Network, a coordinated healthcare information technology system. The majority of physicians and pharmacies, as well as two hospitals in the area are connect to the network, which includes data for more than 40,000 patients.

"The Beacon Grant is affirmation of the leadership and vision by healthcare community leaders in Western Colorado," Dick Thompson, CEO of Quality Health Network, said. "We appreciate this opportunity and look forward to sharing our progress with the nation."

Other communities throughout the nation are working to establish similar networks in an effort to improve patient care. A total of $2 billion from the ARRA will be invested to implement more healthcare information technology and provide an electronic health record for each person by 2014.