Affordable Care Act.

September 23rd is the six-month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. The Patient’s Bill of Rights will be enacted. Several new health care benefits will begin to apply on Thursday.

1. Insurance companies cannot deny health care to people for making a mistake in filing, no more unjustified rescissions.

2. Parents can keep the kids under the age of 26 on their health insurance. Ask your employer when they will have open enrollment to get your kids back on!

3. Preventative health care is covered.

4. Insurances cannot charge a higher co-pay for going to an Emergency Room that is out of network.

Your community members may have questions about how the Affordable Care Act can help them access health care. Encourage them to visit HealthCare.gov, a “one-stop shop” where they can find answers to their questions about health care reform. Spanish speakers can visit CuidadoDeSalud.Gov, the partner site of HealthCare.gov. For additional resources and information, including a HealthCare.gov Fact Sheet, please visit the HHS Partnership Center.
Thank you for connecting your community members to information and resources that will help them access quality, affordable health care coverage.


Sincerely,
Dr. Tart

Preceptor Development Workshop

Join the Harvard School of Public Health Nurses’ Health Study III

Dear Nurse Colleagues and Nursing Students,
Please consider joining the Harvard School of Public Health Nurses’ Health Study III. The study is ONLY for nurses, which makes it very unique. The longitudinal research study is meaningful to our future. I have been in the Nurses’ Health Study II for 25 years and consider it a privilege to assist with health research. Typically I receive one survey a year that asks about my health, diet, exercise. At times they have asked for x-ray records, blood samples, urine samples, finger nail clippings. I also receive updates and reports from the study.

Please share this email with other nurses and ask them to join with you! You will be glad you did!!

Sincerely,
Dr. Tart

2010 Women of Excellence!

This Saturday, I was the guest of Debra Belgard, RN, MS, at the Federation of Houston Professional Women. Mrs. Belgard, helped teach the Perioperative Nursing Care elective course this summer. She is past president of the AORN group in Houston. We were able to meet Anise Parker, Houston’s mayor, at the event. It was fun celebrating Mrs. Belgard’s accomplishment as one of the 2010 Women of Excellence!

Sincerely,
Dr. Tart