Based in Chicago, Illinois, BCBS is the result of a merger between Blue Cross Association and National Association of Blue Shield in 1982. Evolution and growth of the concept of managed health care system in the United States most, if not solely, because Blue Cross-Blue Shield plan. <br> Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance companies offering insurance programs in one or two brands.

Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurers offer some form of health insurance coverage in nearly every state in the United States. They provide group coverage to state government employees, and employees of the U.S. Federal government under the national program of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) established by the association on their behalf. Traditionally <br> Blue Cross symbol used for hospital care while Blue Shield for medical coverage. <br> The 14-state WellPoint is the largest Blue Cross-Blue Shield members, and this is a public limited company. There <br> Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation on Health Care which is a non-profit making association.

The Foundation is a centralized agency that coordinates national multi-site health services research. <br> Foundation provides affordable service and contribute for the good of society by focusing on population-based study as an effective way to influence health outcomes, health policy and health service quality and delivery.

Government cutbacks on NHS staff have been felt heavily by qualified nurses looking to obtain positions within the health service. However, new independent research carried out with the elderly may hold out a ray of hope for frustrated and skilled nurses who are currently out of the employment loop.

The independent research was conducted during November 2006, by TNS Face to Face Services on behalf of Consultus Care & Nursing Agency, with adults aged 75 and over. The results have revealed an overwhelmingly strong preference for live-in nursing: 88% (of adults aged 75 and over) preferring to receive long-term nursing care at home compared to 7% who would prefer a nursing home.

At a time when nurses who have been let down by government overspending are in need of opportunities to utilise their skills, the results of the survey make for encouraging news. An increase in live-in nursing care might also ensure that at least some of the estimated 600 million spent on health care training by the government in 2005 is not wasted: firms such as Consultus giving well-trained staff an opportunity to build on their skills rather than nurses choosing alternative career paths.

The research also raises questions pertaining to the plight of the elderly, many of whom are currently forced into nursing homes without other options being made available to them.

Philippa Easterbrook, a Registered Nurse based in Powys, currently working with Consultus, commented on the recently released research findings in relation to 87% of respondents who agreed that live-in nursing should be more readily available through the NHS.

“Everybody should be offered the choice – rehab patients, people who’ve had operations – if it’s the right option for them and their health, of course they should.”

Her colleague, Lorna Shaw agreed.

“It should be more available…and people don’t realise the funding is there for special category patients. But social workers won’t offer it because it can be more expensive. Patients need to be educated about this so they can put pressure on the local authorities or the health authorities to give them what’s best for them.”

The research, which is the first of its kind, has underlined the strong views held by the elderly about where they choose to be nursed. Paradoxically at a time when Trusts hit worst by the NHS budget crisis are cutting back on nurses, there is a real demand for live-in nurses.

These skilled health care workers are able to give clients the 24/7 nursing care that they clearly want, whilst a choice of working weeks enables more nurses to remain in the profession that they have chosen. The reality is that live-in Nursing can provide an economical solution to both patients and nurses.

The next question is inevitably funding for live-in nursing patients, Kevin May Registered Manager of Consultus Care feels there is access to available funding for live-in nursing and in some cases sees this as a desirable option for an NHS system currently facing huge deficits.

“The ‘NHS Continuing Care Scheme’ headed up by the Primary Care Trusts (PCT) does provide funding for those who need either long term or palliative care outside of hospital. In order to ascertain whether a client would be eligible for funding a panel of local health and social care advisors such as district nurses, GPs and members of the local health authority meet to decide whether the clients needs are sufficiently deserving of Continuing Care, and what the most appropriate location for that care would be. The patients view is taken into account in these matters in terms of whether they would choose to be cared for at home or in a nursing home – the final decision being dependent on the criteria set by the local PCT or health board.”

“There are also options available to local PCT’s, to offer live-in nursing as an alternative, which are beneficial to the NHS system itself, enabling clients to leave hospital earlier and preventing bed blocking or even hospital admission.”

“Acute Trusts which administer the General Hospitals charge the PCT’s a higher fee if the patient being cared for in hospital has a certain condition – in some cases higher than costs for live-in nursing. In this sense, live-in nursing can be a financially beneficial option for the trusts – actually cutting costs for the NHS.”

It seems live-in nursing which is often deemed to be a more costly option could now be seen as a realistic solution to many of today’s financial ailments where the National Health Service is concerned – full time, one-to-one nursing at home recognised as not only qualitatively very desirable for many patients but also fiscally a better option for the NHS itself.

For further information on Consultus Care & Nursing, a live-in nursing specialist please contact Kevin May on 01732 355231 or visit www.consultuscare.com

Research highlights:

- After a spell in hospital 91% said they would prefer to convalesce in their own home compared with 1% who would choose a hospital ward.

- 87% agreed that live-in nursing should be more readily available through the NHS and 89% agreed that more information should be made available.

- The possibility of going into a nursing home concerned most people with over a third feeling very concerned.

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Corporations Board of Directors and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Commissions Board of Directors. In 1997, President Clinton appointed him to the Federal Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry. In 1995, Mr. Warden served as chairman of the American Hospital Associations Board of Trustees, and was a member of the Pew Health Professions Commission, the National Commission on Civic Renewal and past chairman of the Health Research …

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NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE FACT SHEET

The National Library of Medicine (NLM), in Bethesda, Maryland, is a part of the National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since its founding in 1836, NLM has played a pivotal role in translating biomedical research into practice. It is the world’s largest biomedical library and the developer of electronic information services that deliver trillions of bytes of data to millions of users every day. Scientists, health professionals, and the public in the US and around the globe search the Library’s online information resources more than one billion times each year.

The Library is open to all and has many services and resources–for scientists, health professionals, historians, and the general public. NLM has nearly 12 million books, journals, manuscripts, audiovisuals, and other forms of medical information on its shelves, making it the largest health-science library in the world. In today’s increasingly digital world, NLM carries out its mission of enabling biomedical research, supporting health care and public health, and promoting healthy behavior by:

* Acquiring, organizing, and preserving the world’s scholarly biomedical literature;

* Providing access to biomedical and health information across the country in partnership with the 5,600-member National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM®);

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* Creating high quality information services relevant to toxicology and environmental health, health services research, and public health;

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* Funding advanced biomedical informatics research and serving as the primary supporter of pre- and post-doctoral research training in biomedical informatics at 18 US universities. Scientific Information Services:The most frequently consulted online scientific medical resource in the world is MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a publicly available database of over 18 million journal citations from 1948 to the present. Another important part of NLM’s vast online holdings is PubMed Central® (PMC), a Web-based repository of biomedical journal literature providing free, unrestricted access to more than 1.5 million full-text articles. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) distributes GenBank®, a collection of all known DNA sequences, and also provides access to the assembled Human Genome data. NCBI also has a prominent role in the important new Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) project, an NIH-wide initiative directed at understanding the genetic factors underlying human disease.

In 2007, NCBI significantly expanded its breadth of public resources by developing the database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP). These and other NCBI resources are accessible at http://www.ncbi.nih.gov. It has been 14 years since the Visible Human Project® male and female datasets were released by NLM’s Lister Hill Center. The datasets (some 50 gigabytes in all) are being applied in a wide range of projects by nearly 2,500 licensees in 49 countries. The Specialized Information Services Division (SIS) offers a wide range of resources relating to environmental health and toxicology

. Among the best known is TOXNET®, a collection of databases on hazardous chemicals, toxic releases and environmental health. SIS also compiles information on HIV/AIDS, disaster preparedness and other topics. Information Services for the Public: The Library has extensive information resources to serve the general public.

The Library’s main portal for consumer health information is MedlinePlus®, available in both English and Spanish (MedlinePlus en español). MedlinePlus has comprehensive, up-to-date, easy-to-read information on nearly 800 health topics. It also provides interactive health tutorials and a collection of surgery videos. MedlinePlus features information on thousands of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, as well as alternative treatments such as herbals. And, to provide the public with more health care news it can use, NLM staff oversees the production of the free, quarterly NIH MedlinePlus magazine and its Spanish-language counterpart, NIH MedlinePlus Salud. ClinicalTrials.gov provides the public with comprehensive information about all types of clinical research studies.

The site has over 71,000 protocol records sponsored by the US government, the pharmaceutical industry, and academic and international organizations, in all 50 states and 165 countries. Genetics Home Reference is NLM’s Web site for consumer-friendly health information on genetic conditions. This information resource bridges consumer health information and scientific bioinformatics data, and it links to many existing resources, both at NLM and at other reliable sites. Another information resource for the public is NIHSeniorHealth.gov, which is maintained by the Library in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging and other NIH institutes.

The site features information on topics of interest to seniors, with special features like enlargeable type and a “talking” function that allows users to listen as the text is read to them. NLM has information for the public, too, on toxicology, environmental health, and HIV/AIDS. The Household Products Database, provides easy-to-understand data in consumer-friendly language on the potential health effects of more than 2,000 ingredients contained in more than 7,000 common household products. Tox Town® points out many harmful substances and environmental hazards not only in a town but in a port, a big city, a farm, and the US-Mexico border area.

The Division has also created a series of information portals targeted to special populations, including Native Americans, Asian Americans, and those living in the Arctic. ToxMystery, an interactive Web site for children ages 7-10, teaches users about potential chemical hazards in a home. There is also a Spanish-language version (click on “español”) of this lively interface. National Network of Libraries of Medicine: NLM’s key partner in making information available is the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. The network consists of 5,600 member institutions, including eight Regional Medical Libraries that receive NLM support, 125 resource libraries connected to medical schools, and more than 5,000 libraries located primarily in hospitals and clinics.

Grant Programs:The Extramural Programs Division provides grants to support research in medical informatics, health information science and biotechnology information, as well as for research training in these areas. Network planning and development grants support computer and communications systems in health institutions and the study of new opportunities with high-speed computer networks in the health sciences. Health science library resource grants assist in improving information access and services for health professionals. Research and publications in the history of medicine and the life sciences are also funded. Annual Statistical Profile of NLM: (September 30, 2008)

* Collection (book and nonbook) – 11,890,964

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* For on-site users – 171,455

* Computerized searches (MEDLINE/PubMed) – 775,504,557

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, health services organization and financing, and health insurance issues. She provided leadership for IOMs Quality Chasm Series which produced ten reports during her tenure including: To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System and Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Prior to joining IOM in 1998, Dr. Corrigan was Executive Director of the Presidents Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry. Dr. Corrigan received …

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From the ancient times, the mentally disturbed people have been viewed with a mixture of fear and dislike. Their fate is generally rejection, neglect, or ill treatment. People with mental health problems are treated in hospitals by community mental health specialists, including nurses, counselors and social workers. People suffering mental health problems are in need of access by community services such as mental health services. The welfare needs of the mentally ill people are the responsibility of the Department of Social Services or health services. Mental health services are there for treating and caring for mentally disturbed persons and for encouraging mental hygiene.
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The majority of people who suffer from mental illness receive excellent treatment through mental health services. In fact, they help them recover better. Mental health service organizes major mental health events each year. Mental health service organizations helps in maintaining mental health and preventing the development of psychosis, neurosis, or other mental disorders.
The <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”http://www.healthon.com”> Mental health </a> services aims in providing good mental health. The main activities of the mental health services and mental health organizations are rehabilitation of the mentally disturbed, prevention of mental disorder, reduction of tension in a stressful world, attainment of a state of well-being in which the individual functions at a level reliable with his or her mental potential, encouraging mental hygiene to promote and to preserve mental health, and promoting community mental health.
Government shares its mental-health function with religious groups or with other nongovernmental agencies. In US, the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) makes efforts to improve prevention and mental health treatment services for all Americans. It helps in improving and increasing the quality and range of treatment, rehabilitation, and support services for people with mental health problems, their families, and communities. It administers programs that focus on prevention, education, and delivery of quality mental health services for persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families, partners, and health care providers. It supports programs for people who are at-risk for mental illness and lack mental health services.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the major funding resource in the United States for basic and applied research in mental health and in the behavioral sciences, for demonstration projects, and for the training of mental-health professionals. NIMH has developed special programs in a broad range of social problem areas, from drug addiction to suicide prevention. Many innovative mental-health services initiated in Europe includes the concept of integrated community services, the use of tranquillizing drugs, the sheltered workshop, and the employment of nonprofessional workers in positions of responsibility. The World Federation for Mental Health federation organizes international study groups and expert committees, and regional and international meetings in order to develop close contacts with mental-health workers worldwide.

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Uwe Reinhardt, the James Madison Professor of Political Economy and Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University Recognized as one of the nations leading authorities on health care economics, Reinhardt has been a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences since 1978. He is a past president of the Association of Health Services Research. From 1986 to 1995 he served as a …

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