The percentage of children in Colorado in their first 15 months receiving preventive medical and behavioral health services increased by 23% from 2013 levels and remained constant during COVID’s public health emergency, according to new data released by the Center. to improve value in healthcare.
But Dr. David Keller, a pediatrician and professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said that’s not the case for many children ages three and older who have missed regular checkups.
“We are seeing an epidemic of children’s mental health problems,” Keller said. “We see a lot of children with anxiety disorders, a lot of children with depression, children who are prone to suicide.”
The focus of visits for children aged three and over is kindergarten readiness – to make sure they are equipped for development, and mental health screening to ensure that children are in the best place to succeed in order to succeed.
These visits decreased significantly between 2019 and 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Keller added that school interruptions create even greater problems for teenagers’ mental health.
Despite the overall positive trends, in 2020, 40% of children aged 15 months and younger did not receive the recommended six or more visits of well children to a primary care provider. Children covered by commercial health insurance performed better than children covered by Medicaid.
Keller said the arrival of meetings could be a particular challenge for families struggling economically.
“I know a lot of families who work in two jobs,” Keller said. “I have a lot of families where the father works at night and the mother works part-time because they can’t afford day care, and that makes it really hard to plan a good visit.”
Children in rural Colorado have similar visits compared to urban children, although there are fewer providers and families have to travel longer distances.
Keller said most families have a lot on their plate and it’s easy for wellness visits to slip off the list of priorities.
“One of the things I love about being a pediatrician is that I can actively practice primary prevention,” Keller said. “We can do so much to help families help their children be the best they can be. And that would be my best message: Come in, we want to see you.
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Groups that promote responsible technology deployment are celebrating the Biden administration’s new $ 42.5 billion broadband, access and deployment program because it prefers fiber-optic technology to broadband communications technologies such as cable, satellite, DSL and wireless.
Gary Bolton, president and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, said fiber-optic connections are faster, more reliable and can be easily adapted to future technological advances.
“You will be able to do things like smart grid upgrades, public safety and even modern services like 5G,” Bolton said. “So having this almost unlimited capacity will really eliminate the digital divide once and for all.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration aims to ensure that all communities, including low-income rural areas, have high-speed broadband access so that they do not lag behind in the digital economy.
Funding for the implementation of broadband access comes from the Two-Party Infrastructure Act.
Doug Wood, president and founder of Americans for Responsible Technology, said health groups prefer broadband to wireless because wireless cell towers emit radio frequency radiation. A 2018 study from the National Institutes of Health linked radiofrequency to cancer in laboratory animals.
“We are beginning to understand that there are biological impacts, even at levels far below what the government considers safe,” Wood said. “So it seems like an unwise decision to start installing wireless antennas and wireless broadband and communities across the country.”
Proponents of wireless technology say their products are safe. In its blog, wireless company Ceragon claims that fixed wireless solutions are reliable, have a higher bandwidth, and are faster and cheaper to deploy and maintain.
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A new network of COVID-19 vaccine clinics has already opened, located in Latin American churches in nine cities across the country, including one in Nevada.
The clinics are part of a collaboration between the Hispanic Access Foundation and a federal agency called the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Andres Almansa Cañas is an associate director of the vaccine program at the Centro de Adoracion Familiar in Henderson, which is holding its next clinic on Tuesday, June 14th.
“Many in the BIPOC community are not vaccinated due to lack of transport,” said Almansa Kanyas, “as well as a lack of access to education and relevant knowledge that does not come from wrong social media posts.”
Almansa Kanyas accuses fake memes on social media of spreading misinformation about the price, safety, efficacy and side effects of the vaccine.
A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 47% of Hispanics received at least one vaccination and that many people – especially those with mixed immigration status – were afraid to give their personal information to health authorities.
David Armijo, head of programs at the Spanish Access Foundation, said many people feel more comfortable taking pictures in church – somewhere they know and trust.
“Many of them had not come because they were afraid they would not have material in Spanish,” Armio said. “They will have to fill in information, they will not have an interpreter. So the opportunity to provide these clinics in difficult Latin American areas was a great success. “
The clinics in this program will be open until August. The other eight clinics are in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey and Texas.
Locations and times are listed on the Hispanic Access Foundation website.
Disclosure: The Spanish Access Foundation contributes to our fund for reporting on budgetary policies and priorities, climate change / air quality, education, environment, health issues, human rights / racial justice, decent wages / working families. If you want to help support news of public interest, click here.
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Health workers at an Oregon hospital are calling for more support as the short staff gives their all.
More than 100 members of SEIU Local 49 at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital on the central coast of Oregon are stalled in negotiations for union contracts with the hospital. Workers include emergency room technicians, respiratory specialists and radiology technologists.
Rachel Eagleton, a Certified Assistant Nurse (CNA) at the hospital, explains the pressure they have put on workers.
“Being alone like a CNA at night with nine patients is too much,” Eglton said. “Everyone is important, but of course, some of them need more time, but it’s almost impossible.”
On Remembrance Day weekend, Eglton and other members of SEIU Local 49 gathered to continue talks. Their biggest concerns are pay, staff retention and access to a union education fund for their career development. In a statement, Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital said its wage and benefit package was competitive with other hospitals in the state and that a salary increase was proposed under the workers’ three-year contract.
The starting fee for CNA at Samaritan’s North Lincoln branch is just under $ 16 per hour. Eagleton said her youngest daughter does almost as much as she does at a fast food restaurant without any training, adding that it has been difficult to cope with the rising cost of living in the area.
“We need a hospital that will attract quality employees who would like to stay,” Eglton said. “Because a lot of our employees are leaving right now because they just can’t afford to stay in the Samaritan hospital anymore.”
Eagleton noted that the starting salary in other Samaritan hospitals for CNA is more than $ 3 higher. She wants North Lincoln to unite and negotiate with other Samaritan care centers.
“We all adhere to the same standards, we all do the same job, we are all hardworking people,” Eglton said. “So why should North Lincoln Hospital be paid less?”
Disclosure: SEIU Local 49 contributes to our fund for reporting sustainable wages / working families, social justice. If you want to help support news of public interest, click here.
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