ProMed Holiday Closure Reminder

Professional Medical will be closed on Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1 in celebration of the new year. 

If you have any questions or concerns, we invite you to contact our customer service team at (800) 648-5190.

We wish you and yours a safe and happy celebration and look forward to our continued partnership in 2013.

State Regulators Seek FDA Regulation of Compounding Pharmacies

State regulators are requesting that the FDA regulate compounding pharmacies in the wake of the recent fungal meningitis outbreak.

The regulators would like the FDA to establish federal definitions for both manufacturers and compounding pharmacies, with the most important task being defining the exceptions.

Traditionally, compounding pharmacies make custom medications for patients in response to a prescription. In the case of the meningitis outbreak, the New England Compounding Center produced large amounts of medication without individual prescriptions. So far, the outbreak has led to the deaths of 39 people. A total of 620 people have been affected.

To learn more, click here.

Santa Claus Goes Global

Sinterklaas

Here in the United States he's known as Santa Claus, but the jolly man in the red suit takes on many different names and roles around the world. 

The Netherlands: Known as Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Santa reportedly lives in Spain during the off season. He takes a steamboat to Holland in mid-November and spends three weeks delivering presents to good children. Naughty children don't get gifts, though. Instead, according to legend, Sinterklaas kidnaps them and takes them back to Spain! 

Italy: Le Befana is a friendly holiday witch who delivers goodies to children on either Christmas or Epiphany (January 6). Unlike Santa, she prefers wine over milk and cookies and Italian parents often leave her a glass to enjoy during her stop. A Santa Claus figure, known as Babbo Natale, is also becoming more popular in Italy. 

Russia: Ded Moroz, or Grandfather Frost, looks a lot like the Santa we know in the U.S., but he also carries a magical staff and travels with his granddaughter Sengurochka, or Snow Girl. The pair plan New Year's Eve parties for Russian children and hand out gifts.

Mexico: While Santa Claus does travel to Mexico to hand out gifts, they're also distributed by El Nino Dio (Baby Jesus). Depending on the region, either Santa or El Nino Dios may bring the bulk of the gifts.

Sweden: Jultomten, Sweden's answer to Santa Claus, is actually a hybrid of Santa, Julbocken (a Swedish Christmas goat) and a garden gnome. Jultomten visits homes on Christmas Eve and asks "Are there any good children here?" before unloading gifts from his pack. 

Medicaid Underpayment to Grow to $7 Billion by End of 2012

A new report shows that Medicaid underpayments are expected to exceed $7 billion by the end of 2012, averaging out to a shortfall of $22.34 per resident day. In 2010, that figure was $18.54. The report was commissioned by the American Health Care Association (AHCA).

The following factors are likely to keep the situation from improving in the future:

• Dual-eligible integration, which will likely have implications for both Medicaid long-stay residents and Medicare-paid post-acute care average length of stay
• Reduced occupancy rates driven by government-encouraged expansion of home- and community-based services
• Managed care plans for Medicaid beneficiaries

To learn more, click here. 

Reminder: ProMed Holiday Closure Notice

Professional Medical will be closed on Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25 in honor of Christmas. Orders that are placed by noon on Friday, December 21 will be delivered by Friday, December 28.

We invite you to call our customer service team at (800) 648-5190 with any questions or concerns.

We wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday!

Songs for Your Facility Christmas Celebration

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) named the following as the top 10 most-performed Christmas songs. You'll want to make sure they're on the soundtrack for your facility holiday party!

1. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)"
2. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
3. "Winter Wonderland"
4. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
5. "White Christmas"
6. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
7. "Jingle Bell Rock"
8. "Little Drummer Boy"
9. "Sleigh Ride"
10. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"

To view the complete list, click here. 

Meet Cliff, the C. Diff Sniffing Dog

The British Medical Journal has reported that a beagle named Cliff was successfully trained to detect C. diff in stool samples in a lab environment.

Cliff was trained to either sit or lie down when he detected C. diff. He was tested on 100 C. diff positive and negative stool samples and was able to identify all the positive samples and 47 out of 50 negative samples. He was also taken to two Dutch teaching hospitals and taken through wards, where he identified 25 out of 30 cases of C. diff in patients and 265 out of 270 negative controls.

To learn more and see a video of Cliff working, click here.

Our Thoughts Are With Connecticut

Our hearts go out to all of those impacted by the devastating school shooting in Connecticut. We hope that the community is able to find strength in the worldwide support it is receiving and is, in time, able to heal.

With Deadline Approaching, Only 15 States Plan to Set Up Healthcare Exchanges

States have until tomorrow to notify the federal government of whether they plan to operate health insurance exchanges, a key provision of President Obama's healthcare reform law. So far, only 15 states are planning to do so, but that number is expected to rise to 18. This means that the government will be left to set up exchanges in at least 30 states.

The exchanges would allow individuals to purchase private coverage from online exchanges at federally subsidized rates. The administration in planning on beginning to enroll families via the exchanges beginning October 1, 2013. The insurance coverage would begin on January 1 of 2014.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the administration estimates that approximately 26 million people will eventually purchase coverage through the exchanges.

To learn more, click here.

Navigating Sweets and Alcohol with Diabetes During the Holidays

The holidays are a great excuse for spending lots of time with friends and loved ones, but those visits often come with an abundance of sweets - and alcohol. This can spell trouble for people with Type 2 diabetes.

HealthGrades recommends the following six strategies for keeping your blood sugar in check during the holidays:

1. Make sure to eat before drinking any alcohol. Try to choose complex carbs and proteins that will be digested and release sugar into your bloodstream slowly.
2. Check out everything on the snack table and then make a conscious decision about what you'll eat. 
3. Remember that if you eat dessert, you'll need to cut carbs from other places in your meal. 
4. Keep a nonalcoholic beverage on hand. 
5. Dilute your drinks for a lower alcohol content (for example, add club soda to wine). 
6. Check your blood sugar before going to bed to avoid nighttime low blood sugar.

To learn more, click here.

Kudos to Elmhurst Extended Care

Team ProMed congratulates Elmhurst Extended Care! The facility had a zero-deficiency survey that was completed on December 7.

VA Expands Benefits for Vets with Traumatic Brain Injuries

The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that a number of conditions associated with traumatic brain injuries will be eligible for expanded benefits, including Parkinson's disease, unprovoked seizures, some dementias, depression and hormone deficiency diseases related to several glands. The new proposal could open the door for thousands of veterans to file treatment claims with the Veterans Benefits Administration.

There are some restrictions to the additional benefits. Veterans who suffer from Parkinson's, unprovoked seizures, dementias and hormone deficiency diseases will only qualify for additional benefits if their traumatic brain injuries are diagnosed as moderate or severe (only about one-fifth of the injuries are diagnosed at those levels). The proposal also puts time limits on claims related to dementia, hormone deficiency and depression.

To learn more, click here.

Surgeon Implants "Pacemaker" In Brain of Alzheimer's Patient

In a surgery that was the first of its kind in the U.S., a surgeon at Johns Hopkins implanted a pacemaker-like device in the brain of an Alzheimer's patient in the early stages of the disease.

The device, which has also been used in Parkinson's disease patients, is designed to help boost memory and reverse the mental deterioration of Alzheimer's patients. It provides deep brain stimulation and low-voltage electrical charges.

Approximately 40 Alzheimer's patients are expected to receive the device implant both at Johns Hopkins and other facilities across North America.

To learn more, click here.

Be On the Lookout for Abbott’s New Safety Screw Connector System

Abbott Nutrition has introduced a new Ready-to-Hang Safety Screw Connector System that was designed to help reduce the risk of potential misconnections. The Piercing Pin Set currently on Ready-to-Hang containers will be phased out. Abbott Ready-to-Hang containers will begin shipping with the new connector system in mid-December.

Abbott spike sets that are currently being shipped include a Transition Set adaptor that will work with both the old and new systems as the change is completed. To use the adaptor, simply unscrew the existing cap on the Ready-to-Hang bottle and replace it with the Transition Set.

To learn more about the new Ready-to-Hang Safety Screw Connector System, click here. Abbott has also created this video to help you understand and prepare for the modifications.

CDC: Flu Season Earliest In Nearly a Decade

According to the CDC, the flu season is already in full swing in some areas of the US. Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas have already reported high levels of flu activity.

Typically, the flu season peaks after the holidays and sometimes as late as February or March. The CDC noted that this is the earliest regular flu season that the US has seen since the 2003-'04 season.

The earlier onset of the flu season might mean that a number of people haven't received their flu vaccines yet. The CDC recommends the flu vaccine for everyone six months and older.

To learn more, click here.

Congressman Wants Tougher Bed Rail Regulations

Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA) is calling for increased government regulation on bed rails in the wake of a report that notes 550 people have died from bed rail entrapment since 1995. A quarter of those deaths occurred in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

Markey is asking the FDA, FTC and Consumer Product Safety Commission to create a national task force that will increase regulation of bed systems and bed rails.

To learn more, click here.

Nurse Practitioner Groups Merge, Seek More Active Role in Caregiving

The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse Practitioners have announced that they will merge into one group, effective January 1, 2013, and will henceforth be known as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

The new group, which will have a membership of 40,000, hopes to become more involved in the formation of future caregiving models and expand the role of the nurse practitioner. However, the American Academy of Family Physicians has resisted the idea of allowing non-physicians to to take on more primary-care practices or certain other expanded roles, arguing that the training and education levels between the two groups are simply too different.

To learn more, click here.