Find Your Passion – That’s What Makes Life Worth Living

Passion is part of what makes us human, what separates us from those logical-thinking machines called computers. And if we are passionate about what we do, it will be obvious to all around us

Impact of the DRA Citizenship and Identity Documentation Requirement on Medi-Cal: Findings From Site Visits to Six Counties

Evaluates how the 2006 requirement for Medicaid beneficiaries to present proof of citizenship affected the workloads of California counties and enrollees' and applicants' access to Medi-Cal. Examines stakeholders' views of the requirement

Medicaid in a Crunch: A Mid-FY 2009 Update on State Medicaid Issues in a Recession

Based on a November 2008 survey of Medicaid directors, examines the impact of the economic downturn on state Medicaid programs midway through fiscal year 2009, including possible cutbacks; the outlook for 2010; and priorities for federal action

Moving Ahead Amid Fiscal Challenges: A Look at Medicaid Spending, Coverage and Policy Trends

Examines fiscal year 2011 trends in state efforts to control Medicaid spending, reform payment and delivery systems, and prepare for healthcare reform implementation, as well as projections in spending and enrollment growth for fiscal year 2012

Watching Each Other: An Essay From the Field

Excerpt Lines blur in the field all the time. Textbooks and courses and conventional disciplinary wisdom would make you think that research is like a coloring book. That the researcher and the subject roles are well-defined. That objectivity is just a matter of following the rules. That not getting involved is ideal. But the lines blur in the field all the time

Rural Hospital Nursing Skill Mix and Work Environment Associated with Frequency of Adverse Events.

Introduction: Though rural hospitals serve about one fifth of the United States (U.S.), few studies have investigated relationships among nursing resources and rural hospital adverse events. Objectives: The purpose was to determine relationships among nursing skill mix (proportion of Registered Nurses (RNs) to all nursing staff), the work environment and adverse events (medication errors, patient falls with injury, pressure ulcers, and urinary tract infections) in rural hospitals. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, nurse survey data from a large study examining nurse organizational factors, patient safety, and quality from four U.S. states were linked to the 2006 American Hospital Association data. The work environment was measured using the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI). Nurses reported adverse event frequency. Data analyses were descriptive and inferential. Results: On average, 72% of nursing staff were RNs (range = 45% to 100%). Adverse event frequency ranged from 0% to 67%, across 76 hospitals. In regression models, a 10-point increase in the proportion of RNs among all nursing staff and a one standard deviation increase in the PES-NWI score were significantly associated with decreased odds of frequent adverse events. Conclusion: Rural hospitals that increase the nursing skill mix and improve the work environment may achieve reduced adverse event frequency

Headed for a Crunch: An Update on Medicaid Spending, Coverage and Policy Heading Into an Economic Downturn

Presents findings from a survey of state Medicaid officials on trends in spending, enrollment, policy actions, and budgets for fiscal years 2008-2009. Discusses the possibility of increased enrollment and budget shortfalls due to the economic slowdown

Sales Loss Determination in Food Contamination Incidents: An Application to Milk Bans in Hawaii

This article presents a procedure for estimating sales loss following a food contamination incident with application to the case of heptachlor contamination of fresh fluid milk in Oahu, Hawaii in 1982. A major finding is that media coverage following the incident had a significant impact on milk purchases and that negative coverage had a larger effect than positive coverage. This conclusion implies that public statements by producers or government to assure the public of safe food supplies may be ineffective in restoring consumer confidence following the discovery of a food safety problem. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, August, 1988.food contamination, food safety policy, milk demand, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

The Crunch Continues: Medicaid Spending, Coverage and Policy in the Midst of a Recession

Presents results from a state-by-state Medicaid budget survey for fiscal years 2009 and 2010. Examines the effects of the recession on spending, how states used Medicaid fiscal relief funds from the federal stimulus package, and the outlook for 2011