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People with carotid artery disease are at a higher risk of stroke. Carotid artery disease is characterized by carotid stenosis, or narrowing of the carotid artery, and is a very significant risk factor for stroke.
An ultrasound is currently the best available screening study for carotid artery narrowing. The test is non-invasive, painless and uses sound waves to image the arteries to assess the degree of narrowing.
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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently voted to approve the Vaccines for Children resolution updating influenza vaccine recommendations for children 6 months through 8 years, to include: All children ages 6 months through 8 years who receive influenza vaccine for the first time should be given 2 doses. Children who receive only one dose in the first year of vaccination should receive two doses in their second year of vaccination.
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There's a bit of time-tested wisdom that says good things only get better with time. HFA's Online Appointment Scheduling software is one good example.
More and more HR managers are electing to implement the HFA system. Here are some of the reasons why:
According to one corporate convert to HFA's Online Appointment Scheduling system software, "In a business where promised performance seldom lives up to the hype, this one's a keeper. Setting up and managing our annual employee health fair has gone from shipwreck to smooth sailing in a single move."
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Don’t be left out in the cold. Reserve you date(s) now!
If a vaccination event is important enough to make sure it happens, it’s worth getting management sign-off (if that’s even necessary – it isn’t for those companies that budget for and schedule events annually) and scheduling early. In fact, the earlier you schedule the less chance late-in-the-calendar-year activities and priorities will get in the way.
Here are four suggestions to make your life easier. Take them one at a time. Their affect is cumulative.
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NYBGH, The New York Business Group on Health, is a not-for-profit coalition of 150 businesses in the New York Metropolitan area focused exclusively on employer health benefit issues. The organization held a conference entitled, “A Carrot or a Stick? Changing Behavior with Incentive Programs and Tailored Communications.”
Presentations made during the conference included the following titles: "Rewarding Healthy Behavior: Incentives in Health Promotion," "Communicating Rewards and Lifestyle Change," "Leveraging Incentives in Health Promotion" and "Engaging Employees in their Health."
“As those titles suggest, employers and health care professionals have had empirical and anecdotal evidence of the effect of positive changes in employees’ personal habits and behaviors,” said Health Fairs of America President Alan Kohll. “While it’s difficult to quantify,” he explained, “it’s clear improved employee health has a direct impact on bottom line performance. The reason is constrained — even reduced — employee health care costs. This is magnified significantly by the fact only about 20% of any employee base is responsible for the majority of direct and indirect health care costs.”
By implication, according to Kohll, finding the one employee in five needing change and fostering specific healthier personal behaviors will have a significant direct affect on profitability.
“That,” emphasized Kohll, “is why we developed Strategic Health Management, Inc. SHM is a set of tools we use to identify specific areas of need, develop customized solutions and apply them. That includes the ability to find, analyze, guide and support individual employees in that 20% group.”
SHM, said Kohll, is working at the beginning of an entirely new approach to holding down employee health costs. “Much like medicine itself, we’re learning how to attack the problem at its core. The future looks very good.”
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Please see the preliminary recommendations at the end of this article.
How Effective is the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine?
The effectiveness of the vaccine depends, in part, on the match between the viruses in the vaccine and influenza viruses that are circulating in the community. However, it’s important to remember that even when the viruses are not closely matched, the vaccine can still protect many people and prevent flu-related complications.
As of February 9, 2008, nearly all H1N1 viruses tested at CDC were well-matched to the H1N1 vaccine strain. However, most of the H3N2 and B virus strains were different from those contained in the vaccine. This suggests that protection against circulating H3N2 and B virus strains may not be optimal. As stated above, however, even when the viruses are not closely matched, the vaccine can protect many people and prevent flu-related complications. Therefore, the CDC continues to recommend influenza vaccination even during seasons when there is a less than ideal match. This is particularly important for people at high risk for serious flu complications and their close contacts.
The provisional recommendations for the prevention and control of influenzain the 2008 – 2009 flu season include the following:
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Vaccination Services of America, Inc. (VSA) and Health Fairs of America, Inc.(HFA) will use a new, smaller and safer, 1cc "Baksnap" syringe for vaccinations and other injections. The smaller (1" needle) syringe, similar to a TB syringe, is half the size of syringes currently used. They will become standard equipment in all corporate wellness events beginning in fall 2008.
Explaining the move to the smaller syringe, HFA V. P. and Nursing Director Kate Adams notes, "It has advantages for everyone involved.
"For us, the provider, the Baksnap syringe is smaller and lighter. That reduces both package size and weight, both of which reduce shipping and storage costs. It will also cut down on the amount of wasted fluid vaccine, another cost reduction. Plus, we are able to get a more accurate dose, and eliminate additional waste of vaccine.
"For our clients, reduced supply costs help hold down per employee injection costs.
"Employees will like the smaller syringe because it will produce less anxiety prior to the injection and hopefully less discomfort during the injection.
"And finally, our nurses will benefit from the design of the Baksnap syringe. The needle retracts up into the syringe to prevent accidental finger sticks. Only the syringe with the retracted needle is thrown in the sharps container. The needle cap and plunger, after being snapped off of the syringe, is thrown in the regular trash. That cuts biohazard waste in half, making it more eco friendly. We (VSA / HFA) are dedicated to creating a "greener" environment."
VSA / HFA Founder and CEO Alan Kohll, commenting on the change of equipment, said, "It might seem like 'much ado about nothing' but, in fact, it's a significant move. When you look at how one simple change of equipment can have a positive impact on every major stakeholder on the corporate wellness landscape you have to be impressed."
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THEM:
Some providers of corporate vaccination and health fair events position themselves as "national providers." One of the methods used to back up the claim is to offer to ship to corporate sites anywhere in the country.
Here's the problem. Look closely at the small print under a heading such as "Administration" and you might find something that reads, more or less, like this:
Your supplies will arrive the day before your clinic. The vaccine will be packaged and, if left sealed in a reasonably cool room, will remain usable until the clinic the next day.
However, if your clinic is scheduled for a Monday, supplies will arrive the Friday before the Monday event. In this case, the vaccine must be removed from the Styrofoam cooler and placed in refrigeration. It must not be frozen. If the vaccine is not refrigerated over the weekend it will not be usable the day of your clinic. Do not put the entire Styrofoam cooler in refrigeration, just the vials of vaccine.
In other words, responsibility for receiving, handling, storing and protecting the valuable materials for an event falls on the corporation. Worse, the corporation is responsible for improper handling of vaccine and resulting spoilage. And whose job is it to properly pack and return unused vaccine in order to avoid being charged for unused product? Most likely, corporate personnel.
And now you know one way a low price "national" vendor is able to offer that attractive, low price per injection.
US:
Always remember, the bitter taste of poor quality lasts long after the sweet smell of low price has faded!