Health & Medicine Congratulates Linda Rae Murray, MD, MPH, Immediate Past President of Health & Medicine’s Board, on her recent election as President of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Linda is the second APHA President to have come from HMPRG, the other being HMPRG Founder & Chairman, Quentin Young.
Health & Medicine’s Center for Long-Term Care Reform was designated by the Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), a national organization, to be an official state partner in the Elder Economic Security Initiative (EESI) several years ago.
EESI provides information about the actual cost of living, the Elder Index, for older Americans. There is a clear gap between what a typical older American makes through Social Security, pensions and other government programs, and the actual cost of living (click here for more information in Illinois). The Elder Index accounts for people living on their own or as couples, and as renters, owners with mortgages or owners without mortgages. In addition to housing, the Elder Index takes into account the cost of living, including: healthcare, transportation and food. The Index is based on geographic locations throughout individual states.
• Currently, EESI is active in 12 states: Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, New Jersey, Michigan, New York, West Virginia, and New Mexico
• The Elder Index has been completed in 9 states, including Illinois
• The Elder Index and concepts of the Initiative are incorporated into policy course curriculum for graduate social work students at the University of Chicago
Download the EESI Illinois Fact Sheet
Visit WOW’s EESI website and blog for information on EESI at the national level.
The Elder Economic Security Initiative in Illinois will be forming a coalition of stakeholders and working to have the Illinois Elder Index used as a benchmark for service provision for older adults. We’ll keep you posted…
For additional information on Long-Term Care Issues, visit our Center for Long Term Care Reform sub-page at Health & Medicine’s blog
Long-term care is receiving attention on a national level! Currently over 10 million people need long-term care services and supports, with an aging population this number is continuously growing. Long-term care services and supports are essential to helping older American age in their homes and communities. While we at Health & Medicine’s Center for Long-Term Care Reform recognize the dire need for a long-term care system in Illinois, and are working hard to build that system, it is nice to see that there is some recognition at a federal level as well.
The Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) Act is a bill “to amend the Public Health Service Act to help individuals with functional impairments and their families pay for services and supports that they need to maximize their functionality and independence and have choices about community participation, education, and employment, and for other purposes.”
The CLASS Act was introduced in both the House of Representatives (HR 1721) and the Senate (S 697), and is also included in the final health reform bill in the House, “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (HR 3200).
The CLASS Act makes it more affordable and accessible for older adults and persons with disabilities who have long-term care needs to purchase care services helping them remain in their homes and communities.
The Kaiser Family Foundation does a great job explaining all the details. Check out their site This webpage, “The Sleep in Health Care Reform: Long-Term Care and the CLASS Act” has a wealth of information.
For additional information on Long-Term Care Issues, visit our Center for Long Term Care Reform sub-page at Health & Medicine’s blog
On October 1, 2009, Health & Medicine hosted our 2009 HMPRG Awards Event at Prairie Production in Chicago. Over 140 people came together to celebrate the 2009 winners who inspire us and set the benchmark for us all! We also inagurated two new awards showcasing young health justice leaders.
It was a great celebration of visionary leaders and a true convergence of committed health system reformers!
Congratulations to the winners:
Health
Rachel Abramson, RN, MS, IBCLC
HealthConnect One
Medicine
Robert Cohen, MD
Stroger Hospital
Tom Huggett, MD, MPH
Circle Family Care
Policy
Ada Mary Gugenheim
Research
Helen Binns, MD, MPH
Children’s Memorial Hospital
Group
RIC Women With Disabilities Center
Emerging Health Leader
Alicia Gonzalez, Chicago Run
Young Health Activist
Muriel Dorsey
View awards ceremony videos below (click the second button from the left to see all the videos within the player)
