Happy Wednesday DPH Colleagues! It’s National Park Week! There's no better time to embrace the great outdoors and take advantage of the beautiful parks in our state. Whether you're an avid hiker or just looking for a scenic spot to relax, now is the perfect opportunity to step outside and explore all that Idaho has to offer.
Open Enrollment for the State Health Plan is now available! In the Open Enrollment section of the newsletter you will find a to-do list, how to enroll, and time sensitive facts. Word of advice, don’t wait until the last minute!
📣 Reminder to PHAB Members | Piggybacking off of last week’s message, we’re still significantly behind target for submitted documentation. Please reach out to your Domain Leads or Team Liaisons if you need assistance. We got this!
Reminder to Domain Leads, please update the PHAB Progress Tracker with ALL current information to the status of your measures. As a resource, I (Clinton) host the PHAB Tracker “Office Hours” at 3pm on Tuesdays’ and Thursdays’ to help with any master tracker questions you may have. This is primarily for PHAB domain leads, however, anyone working on PHAB may join if they’re tasked with updating the tracker. If you do not see the office hours in your calendar please email me and I’ll add you to the list.
BUZZ AROUND THE OFFICE
Staff + Achievements + Milestones
👏 Service Recognition | This week I’d like to recognize those who in the last few months have reached a significant milestone in their years of service within our division.
🏆 10 Years of Service:
Shane Wright, Communications Supervisor
Kara Wells, Business Operations Specialist
Peggy Lindley, Management Assistant
🏆 5 Years of Service:
Luann Jensen, Health Program Specialist
Geoffrey Pard, Program Manager
Congratulations to all of the dedicated individuals who have served the public through the Division of Public Health! Your commitment is truly appreciated and has made a positive impact on the health and well-being of our communities.
📺 Idaho Today | Last week, our very own Dr. Christine Hahn was on the KTVB Idaho Today show to talk about National Infant Immunization Week 👇 Great job Dr. Hahn!
OPEN ENROLLMENT IS HERE!
State Health Plan open enrollment is available from April 24 – May 12
✔️ Open Enrollment “To-Do” List
☐ Check out the Overview: FY24 New Plan Year Highlights
☐ Review FY24 Plan Rates: Premiums | Office of Group Insurance (idaho.gov)
☐ Decide if you will keep or change your type of coverage: PPO, Traditional, High Deductible (single), High Deductible (family)
☐ Learn about Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and enroll/reenroll if you want ☐ to participate: FSA Tool Kit
☐ Learn about new HSA - you must be enrolled in the High Deductible plan if you want to participate: What is an HSA?
📌 How to Enroll (April 24 – May 12)
Decide on the Coverage you want.
If you want to change from what you currently have then, log on to SCO > Self-Service > Medical and Dental Enrollment Application. Make sure to hit “Submit”!
If you are not making any Medical and Dental plan changes, there is no action you need to take. High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) members, see the note below about action you need to take to enroll in the HSA.
Decide if you will participate in an FSA. There are three different types of FSA offered for FY24.
If you want to participate you must enroll/re-enroll. Log on to SCO > Self-Service > FSA Enrollment Application.
Be sure you select the Open Enrollment application.
Note that if you are interested in the Limited Purpose FSA, you must be enrolled in a High Deductible Plan.
Decide if you want to participate in the HSA. Action requested for all existing HDHP enrollees!
If you want to participate in the HSA, you must enroll/re-enroll for the HDHP plan and select the “I am eligible for the HSA” option. Log on to SCO > Self-Service > FSA Enrollment Application.
Be sure you select the Open Enrollment medical/dental application to confirm your enrollment in the HDHP and enroll for the HSA. There is not a standalone HSA form to complete.
There is no spot in this form to select your employee contributions to the HSA. That will be available to you after Luma Go Live.
⌛ Time Sensitive Facts About Open Enrollment:
No late enrollments will be accepted (enrollment period April 24 – May 12).
During this time, you may enroll/disenroll without a qualifying life event.
Starting this Open Enrollment, employees will be able to elect Medical and/or Dental coverage for a July 1 effective date.
Due to the timing of Open Enrollment and the LUMA launch, employees should participate in Open Enrollment per the usual process. Employees will then be given an opportunity in LUMA, in approximately September, to drop their medical or dental coverage if they wish to have only one. Unfortunately, OGI does not have a way to program this separation of coverages until the adoption of LUMA.
Employees who wish to participate in flexible spending (Health Care FSA, Daycare FSA, or the new Limited Purpose Health Care FSA) MUST enroll/reenroll. Absolutely NO late enrollments can be accepted. This enrollment does not rollover year to year. For those who wish to participate, annual enrollment in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) is required by the IRS.
DO NOT DELAY! If you are unable to access the SCO system prior to May 12, contact your HR office for directions on how to get your enrollment completed timely.
🤔 If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact your local HR Representative or the Office of Group Insurance.
THE INFO ZONE
News + Insights + Analysis
📝ACIP Meeting Notes | The CDC and FDA just announced updated COVID-19 vaccine recommendations in an effort to simplify the schedule. While complete clinical guidelines are still pending, for most adults, you can consider yourself up to date if you’ve had a dose of the bivalent booster shot that has been available since September 2022.
Adults who are now authorized to receive additional bivalent booster doses may consider doing so. This includes:
Adults age 65 and older, if it’s been at least 4 months since your initial bivalent booster vaccine.
Persons with immunocompromise, if it’s been at least 2 months since your initial bivalent booster vaccine.
For children, keep an eye out for updated COVID-19 vaccination guidelines which will be available from the CDC soon!
[Written by Dr. Christine Hahn]
🏥 Hospital Reimbursements | A new study from the American Hospital Association (AHA), found that hospital outpatient departments are more likely to treat “medically underserved” populations with complex medical conditions than independent doctor offices and ambulatory surgical centers. Medicare patients who received outpatient care at hospitals were more likely to be lower income, non-white, and burdened with severe comorbidities or complications. Meanwhile, Medicare reimburses the facilities less than the cost of providing care. AHA executives have criticized site-neutral payment policies for failing to recognize differences in the types of services hospitals provide.
AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack remarked that while hospitals serve “the sickest patients and those left behind economically in our communities,” Medicare reimburses facilities “less than the cost of providing care”— according to 2020 AHA survey data that only accounts for up to 84 cents for every dollar spent on care.
🦠 AstraZeneca Shifts | AstraZeneca, a leading global pharmaceutical company, expects a significant drop in Covid-19 pharmaceutical revenues for 2023 and plans to shift its Covid strategy accordingly. Rather than concentrating on mass vaccination, the company aims to develop new drugs and provide antibody therapy to safeguard vulnerable groups. AstraZeneca is already working on a second-generation Evusheld that combines two antibodies and is designed to treat Covid in immunocompromised patients, with efficacy against all variants.
In addition, AstraZeneca has set ambitious targets to bring new drugs to the market and compensate for the expected decline in demand for Covid medicines. According to Aradhana Sarin, the company's CFO, AstraZeneca is committed to accelerating research and development across a broad spectrum of diseases, including oncology, cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases, as well as rare diseases.
🔥 RAPID FIRE | News in a nutshell
Spending | US healthcare spending has slowed for the first time in recent years- reaching $4.3 trillion in 2021 according to a new American Medical Association (AMA) analysis. In 2021, health spending accounted for 18.3% of GDP, which was lower than the record-breaking 19.7% in 2020.
Insulin Costs | A new bipartisan bill, introduced by John Kennedy (R-La.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), called the Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023 aims to cap the price of insulin for all patients, including those who are uninsured, at $35 for a 30-day supply.
Cases Rising | Total reported cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increased between 2020 and 2021, reaching a total of more than 2.5 million cases – according to CDC’s final surveillance data.
Needle Anxiety | Estimates show that as many as 2 in 3 children and 1 in 4 adults have strong fears around needles. Trypanophobia is a very common condition and may be a big enough barrier for many people that they skip vaccinations all together.
📈 STATS | Referencing the CDC National COVID Data Tracker:
As of April 26th, 2023
104,445,294 total reported cases
1,129,573 total deaths
7,540 current hospitalizations
55,499,012 total updated booster doses
ESCAPE HATCH
Curiosity + Knowledge + Fun
In last week’s poll, Kara Stevens secured the top spot as the go-to person in the division for a good laugh or a clever quip aka the life of the workplace party! Special mentions go to James Aydelotte, Josh Lamansky, and Andy Bourne who all received multiple votes but not enough to take the throne.
Be sure to participate in this week’s poll 👇 (click on the blue button)
📅 Today in History | On April 26, 1954 mass trials of Jonas Salk's anti-polio vaccine begin; the first shot is delivered in Fairfax County, Virginia; more than 443,000 children receive shots over three months.
🚀 Space Elevator | Enjoy this ride up to space and learn some interesting facts along the way. Floor 138,944 please!
😝 Picky Much? | Take this test to see where you rate on the food disgust scale.
🌎 Recycling | Take the recycling quiz and find out things you probably didn’t know.
EXPERT EXCHANGE
Add these learning and growth opportunities to your checklist.
✅ Engaging Community Partners to Advance Nutrition and Physical Activity Equity / April 27 | Join the CHOICES Community of Practice, an online offering from ASTHO and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, for this coffee chat. Speakers from the Lowell Community Health Center will share how they have engaged partners in developing community-tailored strategies that can promote nutrition and physical activity and reduce disparities through their REACH LoWELL initiative. Participants will have a chance to connect and learn from others on this topic during a full group discussion and optional networking opportunities. Register Here.
✅ Diabetes Alliance of Idaho / May 2, 2023 | Registration is now open for the Diabetes Alliance of Idaho's annual conference. This year’s theme is Better Health for All: Reducing Health Disparities in Diabetes Care. Participants can expect to learn from some amazing national and local industry experts and keynote speakers, covering topics such as accessing diabetes care in rural Idaho, addressing diabetes disparities in unique ways, barriers and success in improving National Diabetes Prevention Program retention in underserved areas, youth with diabetes, and so much more. The conference at the Silverstone Amenity Center. Register Here.
✅ APHA’s 2023 Policy Action Institute | In-person and virtual registration options available now. APHA's Policy Action Institute brings together public health leaders, students and advocacy experts for a collaborative event to discuss proven and proposed policy solutions to tackle today’s most pressing health threats. REGISTER HERE
☑️ Quality Improvement (QI) Training Schedule 2023 | The new QI Training Schedule is available on the division QI SharePoint site. The schedule includes trainings offered throughout the year on performance management (PM) and quality improvement (QI) principles and practices.
In addition, groups can request trainings or facilitation specific to their own needs for problem solving or streamlining processes.
If you prefer one-on-one trainings, assistance with specific QI activities, or want to learn how to use a QI tool, please contact Dan Ward to schedule a time to meet.
☑️ DPH Mentorship Opportunity | The Division of Public Health Mentorship Program is in need of mentors! If you love meeting and helping others, and sharing your public health experiences and knowledge, or have any questions on the DPH Mentorship Program, please email DPHMentorshipProgram@dhw.idaho.gov.
Valuable Knowledge
For the lifelong learners in all of us.
Women’s History Through the Decades | READ ON
Integrating Breastfeeding Into Early Childhood Nutrition Security Programs | READ ON
Advancing Inclusivity Through Local, Diverse Leadership | READ ON
State and Territorial Policies to Strengthen the Public Health and Healthcare Workforce | READ ON
TRIVIAL PURSUIT
Weekly trivia questions related to health and science.
🧠 Four Truths and a Lie | Can you spot the False statement about the human brain?
A) The brain has no pain receptors
B) The hippocampus is responsible for memory
C) The frontal lobe is responsible for decision-making
D) The brainstem controls basic life-sustaining functions
E) The cerebrum is responsible for regulating body temperature
[answer is at the end of the newsletter]
>Side note: The common saying, “we only use 10% of our brain” is wildly misleading. Sorry to fans of the movie Lucy.
HELPFUL HUB
Services + Resources + Reminders
📇 LUMA | Don’t forget to Claim Your New State ID!
⏳ Open Enrollment | Log in to SCO to begin.
📝 As a reminder, please follow current CDC Guidance, as posted. Note: Wearing of masks is optional based on your own personal comfort level when in DHW offices.
SECURITY CHECKPOINT
Alerts + Guides + Safety
🛡️ Technology Tips | To keep your computer system up to date and to avoid issues, remember to always follow the instructions below 👇
Enroll in Ivanti Identity Director to unlock and reset network passwords, removing the need to contact ITSD. Instructions for enrolling in the Ivanti Identity Director. ITSD issued new guidance for resetting passwords (download the updated word doc) during teleworking.
ITSD recommends that staff click on the green desktop icon titled Force System Updates once a week to ensure computers remain up-to-date and secure.
Duo for Office Staff & Telecommuters | Follow instructions in the Setting Up Duo for Microsoft Office: In-Office Staff Document OR Telecommuting Staff Document.
👩💻 IT SERVICE DESK | 208-334-5673 → Option 1/2 OR visit IT HELP SharePoint for minor IT-related issues.
WRAP-UP ROUNDUP
High-five for making it to the end!
🧠 Answer | E) The cerebrum is responsible for regulating body temperature: This statement is false. While the cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is involved in a wide range of functions, it is not responsible for regulating body temperature. That is primarily the role of the hypothalamus.
🗣️ DHW Voice | From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: We support Idahoans being as healthy and self-sufficient as possible - April 21, 2023 Post
🗞️ DHW Connection | Most recent April 14th Newsletter
🗃️ Archives | Like a giant filing cabinet for content with less dust and more cool stuff.
🙏 Thank you for reading this week’s DPH Communications Newsletter! I hope you found the contend in this edition informative and enjoyable to read. If you have an idea for a new poll, an interesting link to share, or a public health trivia question please Email Me and it may be featured in an upcoming newsletter.
For questions, concerns, or suggestions contact Clinton Dela Cruz or Angela Wickham.
Have a wonderful rest of your week,
Clinton Dela Cruz