That sounds great. Anything we can do to help this? Melissa
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
Write or contact the state reps & urge that they align themselves with the LDA & Columbia LYme center. This will ensure that the center at UMASS or whereever they choose is open to our camps research etc.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
CONGRATS FOGGY/LYMIES on getting this done! whoopie time!
is it best coming from YOUR STATE or all states?? let us know ok!
then post the emails of those folks who should be emailed below ok! Posted by EyeBob (Member # 12572) on :
this is awesome, and would be very handy as a regional site. I live in NH a small, stingy state that would never fund this type of thing. Mass is a great and progressive place, it's just too bad that I don't vote there.
Foggy, is there a way to stay up-to-date on this?
BT
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
Keep searching google or the Globe
Yes, given this is Steere's state it's fantastic! The hoity toity Harvard teaching hospitals are arguably the least LL in the region.
[ 25. July 2007, 03:54 PM: Message edited by: Foggy ]
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
Bill would create Massachusetts Lyme disease center Text Size: A | A | A Print this Article Email this Article Share By CYNTHIA McCORMICK STAFF WRITER July 23, 2007 BARNSTABLE -- Controversy dogs every aspect of Lyme disease, splitting the medical, insurance and patient communities when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of the tick-borne bacterial illness.
"The medical community is somewhat polarized right now. It's tough for the physicians. It's tough for the patients," said Brenda Boleyn, head of the Cape Cod & Islands Lyme Disease Task Force.
Lyme hearing "An Act Relating to Comprehensive Lyme Disease Detection and Prevention," is scheduled for a public hearing before the Public Health Committee Wednesday at the Statehouse in Boston. Boleyn was attending a special task force meeting at the Barnstable County Superior Courthouse last Thursday on proposed legislation filed by state Rep. Jennifer M. Callahan, D-Worcester, that seeks to eliminate some of the confusion by educating the front-line medical professionals.
Callahan wants to create a Massachusetts Center for Lyme Disease, possibly at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. The center would educate doctors, nurses and other health professionals on the complexities of the disease, including how the disease affects children and adults over the long term.
The Cape Lyme task force would have at least one seat on the commission charged with designing the center and its mission.
Callahan, a nurse with a master's degree in public health, is responding to a concern voiced by many patients in Massachusetts that they have to go out of state to find doctors who are adept at diagnosing the disease and who will to treat it with long-term antibiotics.
Callahan said the most controversial aspect of the bill will be that it prevents insurance providers from rejecting doctors' recommendations that their patients receive long-term antibiotic therapy.
The guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, a physicians group, specify that in most cases a 30-day course of oral antibiotics is enough to cure the disease. But the Lyme Disease Association, a patient advocacy organization, and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society say those treatment guidelines are too restrictive.
State Rep. Cleon Turner, D-Barnstable, also has co-sponsored a Lyme disease bill, which would increase Lyme disease education for medical professionals, and prevent doctors from being disciplined for prescribing long-term antibiotics.
The Cape and Islands have the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the state -- more than four times the state average. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 342 new cases of Lyme disease on the Cape and Islands in 2005, the last year for which the federal agency has figures. The number of cases statewide was 2,336.
But many medical professionals and patient advocates believe those figures do not reflect the actual numbers of people afflicted with the disease.
As part of her bill, Callahan wants to construct a study that would give health professionals a more accurate assessment.
"There's really been no pilot study for testing people in high-risk areas," Callahan said. "The true extent of the public being afflicted is not known."
Currently, determining how many suffer from Lyme disease is dependent on health professionals diagnosing and reporting those cases. Callahan wants a wider screening of the state's population, by with a more rigorous blood test, possibly with a state lab supervising the testing.
"The state supports a lot of things to get people healthy," such as breast cancer screening, Callahan said.
Cynthia McCormick can be reached at [email protected].
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
"Callahan, a nurse with a master's degree in public health, is responding to a concern voiced by many patients in Massachusetts that they have to go out of state to find doctors who are adept at diagnosing the disease and who will to treat it with long-term antibiotics."
This is a MAJOR disgrace, especially with Boston being one of the finest centers of research medicine in the world.
Posted by bystander (Member # 11893) on :
Here's some advice from one of the bill's sponsors:
You can contact every state rep and senator and let them know how important it is to get doctors and health care insurers to see how important it is to stop the wavering on Lyme Disease treatment and payments.
Thank you Rep. Cleon H. Turner
And here's that link to every state rep and senator:
________________________________
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
What are the bill numbers?
Posted by nan (Member # 63) on :
There are two bills. A Hearing was held last week on the first bill which was amended as H4000. Here is the text of that:
Representatives Callahan of Sutton, Hill of Ipswich, Koutoujian of Waltham, Grant of Beverly, L'Italien of Andover, Garry of Dracut, Loscocco of Holliston, Webster of Hanson, Turner of Dennis move to amend the bill by adding the following section:
``SECTION __. Resolved, that a special commission, to consist of two members of the senate, three members of the house of representatives, the commissioner of the department of public health or his designee, the commissioner of education or designee, the chancellor of the university of Massachusetts medical school or his designee, the director of the state laboratory institute or designee, the state epidemiologist or designee, and three persons to be appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be a representative of the Cape and Islands Lyme Disease Task Force, one who shall be a member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, and one who shall be a representative of the Lyme Disease Association is hereby established for the purpose of making an investigation and study of Lyme Disease.
Such study shall be funded by $75,000 as appropriated in item 4510-0600 in Section 2 of H. 4000. Such study shall include the review of costs and benefits associated with (1) establishing a Massachusetts Center for Lyme Disease;
(2) conducting a Lyme Disease public health clinical screening study in high risk regions;
(3) developing education materials and training resources for clinical providers and school health personnel for detecting signs and symptoms of tick borne illnesses in school aged populations.
Said commission may travel within the Commonwealth and contract with an entity to conduct such study. Said commission shall provide a report of the results of its investigation along with recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect.
The commission shall report the results of the study back to clerk of the house of representatives, the legislative joint committee on public health and both house and senate ways and means committees with their findings by no later than February 1, 2008.
There will be a hearing on Sept. 12th on the second bill. Will post that one later because I can't find it at the moment.
Hope you folks from MA will join the Yahoo Massachusetts Lyme Group so you can keep up with the latest news!!
Posted by Shosty (Member # 12232) on :
Foggy, Wrote both our sen. and rep. How does one join the Mass. Lyme yahoo group? Is it helpful to attend when these bills are discussed? Do letters to the paper help?
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
Is there a seperate senate bill? I used to volunteer for a state senator and can contact him about this.
Posted by merrygirl (Member # 12041) on :
up for others
sent mine in
Posted by bystander (Member # 11893) on :
Shosty - here's the link for joining the yahoo massachusetts lyme group:
The hoity toity Harvard teaching hospitals are arguably the least LL in the region. [/QB]
You can say that again! They must ride on the Duck Tours a lot.
Tic
Posted by tic chick (Member # 9156) on :
quote:Originally posted by nan: There will be a hearing on Sept. 12th on the second bill. Will post that one later because I can't find it at the moment.
[/QB]
Nan....any news here? Sorry if you've already updated out here but, I just came across these posts and am ready to do my part.
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