The Front Page Blog: Blogs on Health

Since 1945, Congress has sought to educate the public about the role of people with disabilities in the labor force. Originally known as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week,” Congress broadened its celebration and instituted “National Disability Employment Awareness Month” (NDEAM) as an annual October celebration in 1988. This celebration coincides with Mental Illness Awareness Week, recognized by Congress since 1990 to educate the public about mental illness. The overlap between these two observances is particularly relevant in light of the continuing COVID-19 crisis and the…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration Program provides funding and support for 44 state grantees to design and develop services and supports to assist individuals move from institutional to home and community-based settings. Additionally, MFP provides the foundation and framework for states to transform their systems to be more focused on home and community-based systems. 

For the past eight years, New Editions provided technical assistance to the 44 grantees. The advancements in home and community-based services that states…

Complete the following statement, I could improve my health if I [fill in the blank].

If you’re like me, the first answer for the blank above that comes to mind is: increase my level of physical activity. Over the last few years, I’ve not made enough time for exercise. However, our recent New Editions’ Walking Competition and the company’s participation in The Arc of Northern Virginia Corporate & Community Team Challenge 8k Run got me thinking about getting more active.

Despite my typically low daily step count, I enjoy a good challenge, competing, and being a part of…

Each year, the American Public Health Association (APHA) sponsors National Public Health Week. Today, April 2, kicks off the week-long celebration aimed at starting conversations and engaging communities to create a healthier nation. As an APHA member, I wanted to share this important initiative, as it impacts not only our personal and work lives, but also the work we do at New Editions for many of our clients in supporting healthy lives. This year’s theme, “Changing Our Future Together,” represents the important role…

In June, New Editions facilitated the seventh annual meeting between the US Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Agriculture (USDA) at HUD headquarters. The theme of this year’s meeting was Housing as a Platform for Health.

HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson started off the event by greeting the attendees and reflecting on how important it is to view individuals in a holistic manner. The Secretary was followed by three panels of key staff from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HUD, USDA, and other HHS divisions who…

During the first week of August, I attended a conference hosted by Aniridia Foundation International (AFI). Aniridia means “lack of the iris,” which is the colored ring around the pupil of the eye. Advances in research and development have shown that the impact of aniridia extends beyond the eye and can affect the development and maintenance of the eyes, pancreas, central nervous system, olfactory system, and parts of the brain. Aniridia is caused by a mutation of the PAX 6 gene which is now known to control development of the eyes as well as several systems in the body.

AFI is a…

During May, which is National Stroke Awareness Month, the American Stroke Association strives to educate the public that stroke is the leading cause of serious, long term disability. Here are some important statistics:

• Strokes kill more than 133,000 Americans annually
• Each year, about as many Americans have a stroke as a heart attack
• High blood pressure is the most important controllable risk factor for stroke
•  44%  more young Americans were hospitalized due to stroke in the last decade
• 73% of young…

Over 29 million Americans are currently living with diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations, and adult onset blindness. The disease also accounts for 20 percent of all health care spending in the United States. Given these facts, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified diabetes as a public health problem reaching epidemic proportions. Although these numbers may be daunting, there is hope in disease prevention efforts.

The CDC is working to reverse the diabetes epidemic by identifying treatment and prevention plans…

November is National Family Caregivers Month. While caregiving can be a very rewarding experience, caregivers are at risk of fatigue, increased stress, and other negative health consequences. One way to help reduce the stressors faced by caregivers is to learn about and employ helpful tools and resources.

At this year’s annual Home and Community Based Services national conference, a number of sessions addressed the need to support family and informal caregivers of people with chronic conditions and disabilities.  While there have been many studies tracking hours…

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities holds an annual National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference. The conference is for staff of Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as partners, providers and advocates providing services to people with long term services and supports (LTSS) needs in the community. 

At this year’s HCBS Conference, I had the opportunity to represent the Maryland Medicaid agency (my previous employer) on a panel presentation on how to obtain Federal funds for Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs…

The President of the United States proclaimed May 2016 “National Mental Health Awareness Month.” This proclamation recognizes the prevalence of mental health needs within our society, the need to reduce the stigma of having a mental illness (particularly among those pursuing treatment and support), and the expanding opportunities for treatment gained through the Affordable Care Act, as well as other Federal health initiatives. These opportunities have provided expansions in community health services, parity of service requirements for health insurance providers and clauses limiting…

Today marks the beginning of National Public Health Week (NPHW), an annual observance sponsored by the American Public Health Association (APHA) to celebrate the contributions of public health, highlight issues critical to improving the health of our nation, and mobilize communities with a shared call to action.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of families and communities through the promotion of healthy lifestyles, research on disease and injury prevention, and the detection and…

March 22nd marks the annual American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert day, an event that serves as “a wake-up call asking Americans to take the Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.” The importance of early diagnosis and proper management is crucial to positive outcomes among the diabetic population, as the progression of the disease can lead to serious disability if not treated properly.

It is estimated that one in every four people with diabetes is unaware that they have the disease. When left untreated, complications can…

Community integration for seniors and individuals with disabilities hasn’t always been the standard, but it is on the rise – thanks in part to programs like the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration Program. As a nation we are now at a tipping point with Medicaid dollars for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) approximating the dollars being spent on institutionally based services.

This shift has been influenced by the 1999 Supreme Court Olmstead decision that requires states to provide services for people with…

Since my days as a rehabilitation counselor three decades ago, I have worked toward a goal of including people with disabilities into our society—no matter the job that I held.  When I became an employer twelve years ago, I sought and hired people with disabilities. New Editions seeks contracts that focus on historically marginalized populations, trying to create a better society where everyone benefits, regardless of race, religion, age, culture or disability. About five years ago, we won a contract with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Center of Excellence on…

National Diabetes Awareness Month is observed every November. The National Diabetes Education Program’s (NDEP) 2015 theme, Diabetes Education and Support: Everyone Has a Role. What’s Yours?, highlights the need for ongoing diabetes education and support among people with diabetes and those who care for them, by drawing attention to diabetes and its effects on millions of Americans.

This year, New Editions’ nurses got a head start on diabetes education. On October 2, 2015, the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) held their Virginia State…

As a student at Loyola University, I was l lucky enough to call New Orleans home from 2001 to 2005. During that time, I became well acquainted with the vibrancy of the city, the kindness of its residents, and the cultural, political, socioeconomic and geographic traits that make it unlike any other place in the world. Two months after I moved to Northern Virginia, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, changing the landscape of one of America’s most beloved cities and altering the country’s understanding of natural disaster preparedness.

Hurricane Katrina claimed the lives of over…

I was optimistic about the direction the field of disability was taking when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed. I had spent a year arguing with my brother-in-law who belonged to an organization that was actively lobbying against the ADA. He was convinced that the ADA would be the death of the small business that employed him. Our arguments were heated and often led to me saying things such as, “We’re all only temporarily able-bodied. You should be helping to create an environment you’d want to live in if you became disabled.” I felt I had won that argument when the ADA…

Our lives have become dependent on instant communication. We spend every waking hour talking and texting, so it is hard to imagine a scenario in which you suddenly lose the ability to speak, write, and comprehend what you hear and read. This is called “aphasia” – the loss of language – and most often it is a result of a stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), or other neurological condition. Aphasia is not a well-known condition, possibly because our fast-paced, communication-driven culture does not recognize individuals who cannot speak up. Personally, I only learned about aphasia when my…

A recent Washington Post article by Richard A. Lovett has the cautionary title “Desk jobs can be killers, literally.” Since most of America's jobs are sedentary, ergonomics is becoming a necessity. 

Ergonomics is the study of people in the workplace, with a focus on designing the workplace to best fit the employee. Ergonomics often centers on reducing repetitive motions that can lead to repetitive stress injuries (RSI), or creating a workplace to eliminate overuse of muscles and poor posture which can lead to workplace musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). The most common RSI’…

As we celebrate National Minority Health and Health Disparities month, it is important to reflect on the events that shaped the movement and the potential for new initiatives to influence serious change. While significant progress has been made in some areas; in others, it has remained stagnant.

Efforts to address health disparities can be traced to the early 1900s, stemming from research by African-American scientist, W. E. B. Du Bois. His research indicated that higher mortality in African-Americans was due to their poor social and…

What is public health? Not getting polio. Buckling your seat belt. Not inhaling secondhand smoke. Laying your sleeping infant on her back. Getting a glass of water without worrying it will make you sick. Putting on a bike helmet. Decreased infant mortality rates. Increased safety in the workplace. The past contributions and ongoing work of the public health community touch our lives every day, through the things we see and do, and more importantly – through the things we no longer see and do.

Today, April 6, is the first day of the 20th annual National Public Health Week (…

The human heart, the size of a fist and the strongest muscle in the human body, beats about 100,000 times a day or about 2.5 billion times over a 70 year lifetime. With each beat, blood is pumped from the left chambers of the heart throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients, and collecting waste products, then returning to the right chambers of the heart. Waste products are removed as the blood circulates through the liver.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, is the leading cause of death for men and women in America…

So it’s the beginning of the New Year, now what? Like many other people, you may have made the resolution to get healthy by improving your diet and increasing the amount you exercise. Transitioning into a healthier lifestyle is not easy.

If you have a disability or chronic condition, it may be even more challenging to live a healthier lifestyle. New Editions’ work on two contracts--Support of Core Public Health Functions of Disability for the National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disability Development at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and…

Retiring Senator Tom Harkin and I have common interests. We share a passion for improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and we both support the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have both been to Cuba twice and we have both been criticized for our comments about Cuba’s healthcare system. 

Neither Senator Harkin nor I said that Cuba has better healthcare than the US - what we said is we think Cuba’s healthcare “system” is impressive.

Senator Harkin and I praised the strengths of Cuba’s system,…