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HEALTHBEAT SHOW NOTES .... Episode #33 - Recorded February 24, 2006

Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of HealthBeat, Chiropractic OnLine Today’s Health, News and informational Podcast.

In this week’s news:  We’ll Look At –

• Regional Health Information Organizations

• Warning Signs of Stroke

• Focusing on Treating the Elderly Population

• Health Clubs in New Jersey

• Medicare Fee Cuts Reversed

• Ethics Examinations

• Changes in Online Continuing Education Credits

• And Finally, Computer Corner discusses the role of Tablet PCs in the Office

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #33, recorded February 24, 2006.  HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories.  Please surf to our web site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

As a quick reminder, please remember to surf to our parent web site, Chiropractic OnLine Today, located at http://www.Chiro-online.com.  We have many articles from some of the leaders in the Chiropractic and Health profession, including articles from Dr. L. John Faye, Dr. Louis Sportelli, Dr. Jan Corwin, Dr. Donald Murphy and Dr. David Lemberg, to name a few.

We also have a Chiropractic Referral Directory and a Classified Advertisement section.

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And Now for some news ….

Regional Health Information Organizations

For those of you keep track of all the health acronyms…. Here’s a new one – RHIO – which stands for - Regional Health Information Organizations.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, “Regional Health Information Organizations support state and other regional projects that help harmonize the privacy and business rules for health information exchange.

There are over 100 regional projects under way that are funded by the Federal government. Several other projects are being supported by private industry efforts or are substantiated by State Governors and/or state legislation.”

For more information, surf the Show Notes for this episode - http://www.dhhs.gov/healthit/rhio.html

Warning Signs of Stroke

According to the Cooper Fitness Newsletter, few things are more devastating than a stroke. It can take a vibrant, apparently healthy person and cripple him in a matter of moments.

A stroke refers to damage to part of the brain tissue as a result of a loss of blood and oxygen. A stroke can also be called a "brain attack."

Hispanics and African Americans are at much higher risk for stroke than are Caucasians, because they have a higher prevalence of factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Most of what we read focuses on the lifestyle habits that can help reduce risk, but it's also crucial to understand the warning signs of a stroke.

Should any of these occur, seek medical help immediately!

If you can remember HELP NOW, you can remember the warning signs of stroke. They include:

H - Headache: A sudden, severe headache, particularly in someone with no history of headaches.

E - Eyesight: A sudden change in vision in either eye or both eyes.

L - Language: Sudden difficulty in talking or understanding speech.

P - Paralysis: The sudden onset of a complete inability to use a part of the body, especially an arm and a leg on the same side.

N - Numbness: The sudden onset of numbness on the face, an arm, and/or a leg, especially on the same side.

O - Orientation: The sudden onset of disorientation or confusion.

W - Weakness: The sudden onset of weakness in an arm and/or leg, especially on one side. This needs to be evaluated even if the person still has some use of the extremity.

Prevention is the key. In the event that symptoms occur in spite of your preventive measures, every second counts. Call 911 for help immediately.

For more information, contact your qualified healthcare professional.

Focusing on Treating the Elderly Population

According to the http://www.FitnessBusiness-Pro.com  newsletter, the demographic of aging adults combined with the urgent need to control health care costs is fueling demand for walking trails, wellness and fitness centers and activity programs, according to research reported in "Active Aging in America , Residential and Commercial Fitness."

Today, there are an estimated 77 million baby boomers (born 1946 to 1964) and more than 36 million people ages 65 and older. Older adults control the most wealth in the United States , and the baby boomers alone account for over $2 trillion in consumer spending each year. The aging population is a significant demographic with buying power.

People over 65 accounts for one-third of the $300 billion health care expenditures in the United States , an amount expected to increase 25 percent by 2030 unless health promotion activities are successful. Since physical activity, healthy eating and a positive outlook are well-documented ways to improve health and quality of life, governments and private businesses are prioritizing physical fitness and wellness initiatives.

Surf to our Show Notes for a link to this article - http://www.fitnessbusiness-pro.com/news/syndicate/ICAA_growth_013006/

Health Clubs in New Jersey

If you workout at a health facility in the state of New Jersey, please be aware that a new law requires an automated external defibrillator (AED) to be in New Jersey health clubs no later than Jan. 12, 2007. The bill requires that clubs have at least one AED on its premises stored in an accessible location known to employees. The AED must be tested and maintained.

The club must also notify emergency services about the defibrillator, the type it owns and where it is located. Clubs must ensure that in addition to staff receiving CPR and AED training, one employee who is trained in CPR and AED use is on site during normal business hours. Clubs that fail to follow the new law can be liable for a civil penalty of not less than $250 for the first violation, not less than $500 for the second violation and not less than $1,000 for the third and all subsequent violations.

For more information, surf to http://www.FitnessBusiness-pro.com

Medicare Fee Cuts Reversed

President Bush signed legislation on February 8, 2006, that not only reverses the current 4.4 percent Medicare physician payment reduction, which went into effect on the first of year, but will also provide automatic reprocessing of claims retroactive to Jan. 1, 2006. The legislation was included in the Deficit Reduction Act.

The American Chiropractic Association issued a statement that they are extremely pleased that Congress has halted the current cut in physician Medicare payments and that they have made the change retroactive.

“The return to the 2005 rate is at least partial recognition by Congress that healthcare providers face significant challenges in today’s practice environment.”

The CMS said it expects contractors to begin paying new claims using 2005 rates within two days of the legislation’s enactment. In addition, doctors of chiropractic will not need to resubmit existing claims submitted between Jan. 1 and Feb. 8, 2006.

For more information, surf to http://www.acatoday.org

http://www.chiroeco.com/news/2006/February/Medicare.php

Ethics Examinations

The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) has computerized the optional Ethics and Boundaries Examination (E&B). The first computerized administration will be in February and then again in April, June, August, October, and December of 2006 at Pearson Professional Centers throughout the United States.

The computerized exam will be more easily accessible to practitioners who are required by state licensing boards to prove their knowledge of ethics and boundaries issues potentially encountered in chiropractic practice. The exam covers ethical misconduct, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment and consists of 100 questions, with 50 of the questions devoted to ethics issues and the other 50 devoted to sexual boundary issues.

To view Study guides and sample tests, surf to http://www.nbce.org

http://www.chiroeco.com/news/2006/February/NBCE.php  

Changes in Online Continuing Education Credits

According to Chiropractic Economics, recent rule changes now allow the following states to receive continuing education (CE) credits online:

• Minnesota chiropractors can now obtain all 20 hours of CE online;

• Texas DCs may meet all 16 required hours by taking six hours online and 10 hours by teleSeminars (live seminars by telephone conference call); and

• New York DCs may meet all 36 required hours by taking 12 hours online and 24 hours by teleSeminars.

For more information, contact your Local or State Chiropractic group.  You can also surf to our Parent page, located at Chiro-Online.com, for information about our Online Educational programs.

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropractiRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember - COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Computer Corner – In This edition of COT’s HealthBeat’s Computer Corner, I spend some time with Dr. Chris Wilkerson, discussing the role of Tablet PCs in a Healthcare office setting.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you.  Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is: healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

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Finally, I leave you with the following quote:
“Anxiety is Worry gone Out of Control.” – 2006 Commercial

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

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