Healthy Wednesday and More

An LGBT Inclusive Healthcare Summit in Little Rock

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, in partnership with the Elton John Foundation and the Arkansas Children's Hospital, is proud to present the inaugural Equal Care for Equal Lives: An LGBT Inclusive Healthcare Summit, a statewide conference to address LGBT health disparities and create welcoming healthcare spaces for ALL Arkansans. Join us on June 11 at the Brandon Conference Center, located on the Arkansas Children's Hospital campus, 11 Children's Way.

Equal Care for Equal Lives is designed for community members, practitioners, and healthcare professionals to build awareness and cultural competency, to leverage best practices, and to gather resources from leading experts and organizations in the field. The cost of the one-day summit is $25 before June 6, 2015. The rate is $50 thereafter. Registration includes breakfast, lunch and a closing reception, in addition to all conference materials. Scholarships are available to attend. Below is the event agenda:

Updates on the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of HIV - Marvell Terry, HRC HIV/AIDS Fellow, Red Door Foundation
LGBT Health 101 - Harvey J. Makadon, M.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the National LGBT Health Education Center at The Fenway Institute

Concurrent Session I
LGBTQ Health Disparities and Creating a Welcoming Space - Sara Tariq, M.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, UAMS
Removing the Financial Barriers to ACA/Healthcare Literacy 101 - Kellan Baker, Senior Fellow, LGBT Research and Communications Project, Center for American Progress
HIV/AIDS - Linkage to Care - June Gipson, Ph.D., President and CEO, My Brother's Keeper; and Leandro Mena, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Medical Director at Open Arms Healthcare Center Staff

Concurrent Session II
Mental Health and LGBT Populations - Angie Bowen, M.S., LPC, owner of the Bowen Wellness Center; Jon Mourot, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist; and Jeffrey Neal, M.D., UAMS Department of Psychiatry
Toward an LGBT Competency Curriculum - Diedra Levi, CEO LACorp/Patient-Centered Care for Trans Health; and Andrea Zekis, Executive Director, ARTec
What LGBT Patients Wish Their Physicians Knew - Panel
LGBT Youth and Their Health - Age Appropriate Sex Education - Panel

Analysis Finds the 21 States That Have Not Expanded Medicaid under the ACA Could Expect Substantial Coverage Gains and Increased Federal Funding Were They to Expand

The 21 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would see substantial gains in coverage, decreases in the uninsured and bigger increases in federal Medicaid spending than in state costs newly updated analysis for the Kaiser Family Foundation.

should they ultimately decide to do so, according to a

The analysis comes as several states continue to consider whether to adopt a Medicaid expansion, as 30 states (including the District of Columbia) already have. The potential impact on state budgets and health coverage often are key elements of the debate. The analysis provides state-specific estimates for each of the 21 states.  Key findings include:

• If all 21 states expanded, nonelderly Medicaid enrollment would be expected to rise by nearly 7 million. Three states – Texas, Kansas and Idaho – would be expected to see Medicaid enrollment increases of 50 percent or more; 

• Across the 21 states, federal Medicaid spending would rise by an estimated $472 billion from 2015 to 2024, while state Medicaid spending would go up by $38 billion. Idaho and Georgia would see the largest increases in federal spending (50% and 48%) and in state spending (10% and 8%). Alaska and Wisconsin would see declines in state spending; 

• There would be 4.3 million fewer uninsured people. Reductions in the uninsured would be 40 percent or more in 5 states (Maine, South Dakota, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana);  

• The amount of uncompensated care from 2015 to 2024, estimated to be $266 billion with no expansion, would fall to $185 billion if all 21 states were to expand. The states would collectively capture between $5 and $10 billion in uncompensated care savings over the 10-year-period. 

As with all of Medicaid, the coverage and budget impacts of the Medicaid expansion would vary across states, with some states seeing greater increases in state costs or coverage than others. The full analysis, conducted by the Urban Institute for the Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, can be found online at kff.org. 

Health Planning Meeting Date Set

The Lung Cancer Symposium Planning meeting will be held next Tuesday, May 12, from 2:30-3:30 pm at UAMS in the Strauss McCaskill Classroom which is on the 10th floor of the Cancer Institute.


National Women’s Health Week

National Women’s Health Week is an observance led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. The goal is to empower women to make their health a priority. The week also serves as a time to help women understand what steps they can take to improve their health. The 16th annual National Women’s Health Week kicks off on Mother’s Day, May 10, and is celebrated until May 16, 2015.

What steps can I take for better health?

To improve your physical and mental health, you can:

• Visit a doctor or nurse to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings.
• Get active.
• Eat healthy.
• Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.
• Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, texting while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet.

Find out what additional steps you should take based on your age.

How can I participate in National Women’s Health Week?

The Office on Women’s Health invites women across the country to:

• Spread the word through social media with our easy-to-use resources. Use the #NWHW hashtag.
• Join the National Women’s Health Week Thunderclap.
• Take the National Women’s Health Week pledge.
• Organize events or activities.
• Learn what steps you should take for good health based on your age.
• Share National Women’s Health Week infocards with your friends, family, and coworkers.