News Archive

Archive of news items.

Received 10-10-02 from AAKP Listserv

AAKP Renal Flash October 2002 brought to you by the American Association of Kidney Patients

800-749-AAKP www.aakp.org e-mail - info@aakp.org

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

1) Send an e-mail message to Listproc@wugate.wustl.edu

2) In the message area, type: subscribe amer_assn_kidney_patients_aakp Your Name For example, if your name is John Smith, your subscription request would look as follows: subscribe amer_assn_kidney_patients_aakp John Smith

3) remove any other text (like a signature file, etc.)

4) send the request

CONTENTS

1. AAKP Selects New Orleans as Site for 30th Annual AAKP Convention

2. Dialysis Pioneers Receive Prestigious Research Award

3. AAKP Membership Offers Numerous Benefits

4. Researchers Link Female Donor Kidneys to Worse Outcomes

5. AAKP Offers Electronic Newsletter for Those Approaching Kidney Disease

6. PKD Research Receives Significant Funding

1. AAKP SELECTS NEW ORLEANS AS SITE FOR 30TH ANNUAL CONVENTION

The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is pleased to announce that it has chosen New Orleans, La. as the host city for the 2003 AAKP Convention. AAKP will celebrate 30 years of hosting Annual Conventions from Aug. 28 - Aug. 31, 2003 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. AAKP created its annual convention to establish a forum for fellow patients to discuss their concerns and share their experiences with each other while educating them on the important and timely issues that affect their healthcare. Individuals attend the AAKP Annual Convention to meet fellow patients, learn about the latest advances in renal care and engage leading healthcare professionals in the field of kidney disease. During this three-day event, attendees can expect to find educational tracks for all stages of kidney disease and all treatment modalities.

The AAKP Convention brochure will be available in May and will contain registration information along with details on the agenda and travel and dialysis arrangements. Visitors to AAKP's web site at www.aakp.org can register to join the Convention brochure mailing list. Current members of AAKP will receive the brochure through the mail. Located directly across from the historic French Quarter, the New Orleans Sheraton Hotel features 1,100 guest rooms, five distinctly designed ballrooms, a fitness center and picturesque views of the Mississippi River. The hotel is located within walking distance of several New Orleans attractions including the Warehouse Art District, the Aquarium of the Americas and the New Orleans shopping district.

For more information about the 2003 AAKP Convention, please call the AAKP National Office at 800-749-2257. For specific information about sponsorship and exhibit opportunities, please contact Joseph Nadglowski at 800-749-2257 or jnadglowski@aakp.org.

2. DIALYSIS PIONEERS RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS RESEARCH AWARD

Two pioneers in dialysis treatment - Willem J. Kolff, MD and Belding H. Scribner, MD - have been named as the recipients of the 2002 Lasker Awards for Medical Research. Dr. Kolff created a device for treating patients experiencing acute kidney failure in the late 1930s. He developed the first clinically useful hemodialyzer, a machine that removes the toxins from the blood in a patient's body. Dr. Scribner invented what came to be known as the Scribner shunt, which allowed for regular dialysis by providing a permanent hemodialysis access. His invention made long-term dialysis possible and he later developed the first outpatient dialysis center in the world, now called the Northwest Kidney Center.

The Lasker Awards are one of the nation's most prestigious honors for outstanding contributions to basic and clinical medical research. The Lasker Award has been given to 65 scientists who went on to receive the Nobel Prize, including 14 in the last 10 years. The awards were presented at a luncheon ceremony on Sept. 27. More information about the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation and the 2002 Lasker Awards for Medical Research can be found at www.laskerfoundation.org.

3. AAKP MEMBERSHIP OFFERS NUMEROUS BENEFITS

The American Association of Kidney Patients provides education and support services to kidney patients and their families. A board of directors, over 50 percent of which is comprised of kidney patients themselves, leads AAKP. The organization's mission is to improve the lives of fellow kidney patients and their families by helping them deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease. As the only national kidney patient organization directed by patients for patients, AAKP brings a unique perspective to the issues facing those with kidney disease. Membership in the American Association of Kidney Patients contains numerous benefits for those interested in learning the latest information about kidney disease and its treatment. As a member, you receive our most current and updated materials such as brochures, booklets, books and other informational pieces. You also receive subscriptions to AAKP's two patient magazines: aakpRENALIFE for those with end-stage renal disease and AAKP Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine for those who may be approaching kidney disease.

You also receive assurances that AAKP is representing the voice of the kidney patient at all levels, including any legislative changes that may affect patient quality of life or quality of health. By becoming a member, you let our numbers be more powerful, our combined voices speak louder and make our abilities stronger. You become a leader in the association.

Membership in AAKP has additional benefits as well including an opportunity to attend the AAKP Annual Convention - a three day event featuring educational sessions and social events; access to local AAKP Chapters nationwide that provide support group meetings, social functions and educational programs; an opportunity to subscribe to the AAKP Renal Flash and AAKP Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter, Internet newsletters transmitted monthly and membership packets filled with a wide range of informational brochures, created for individuals at various stages of kidney disease.

Patient/family membership in AAKP is $25 annually. Professional membership is available for $35 per year. For immediate membership, please contact the AAKP National Office at 800-749-2257 or visit our web site at www.aakp.org. For additional membership questions or information regarding membership, call the AAKP National Office or send an e-mail to info@aakp.org. Please let your friends, family members and others know about the benefits of joining the American Association of Kidney Patients - "the voice of all kidney patients."

4. RESEARCHERS LINK FEMALE DONOR KIDNEYS TO WORSE OUTCOMES

New research indicates that individuals who receive kidney transplants from women donors are more likely to experience kidney rejection or die when compared to recipients of kidneys from male donors. The research supports the results of earlier studies indicating worse outcomes among recipients of kidneys coming from female donors. The results did not suggest a reason for the finding. However, Martin Zeier, MD and his colleagues from the University of Heidelberg in Germany believe that immunologic factors may play a role.

The researchers observed that a higher number of male transplant recipients required antirejection therapy one year after their transplant when the kidney was donated from a female rather than a male. They quantified the risk of losing a transplanted kidney to be 22 percent higher when the kidney came from a female donor. They also observed the risk to be 15 percent higher among women who received a kidney from a female. They also found transplant recipients to be more likely to die when their transplanted kidney came from a female donor, particularly if the donor was under the age of 45.

The findings were published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

5. AAKP OFFERS ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER FOR THOSE APPROACHING KIDNEY DISEASE

AAKP provides a monthly electronic newsletter called AAKP Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter for those with chronic kidney disease. This service is transmitted through e-mail on the first Thursday of each month.

The newsletter contains information about chronic kidney disease, common questions associated with its treatment and new research associated with diabetes, hypertension and other conditions that affect the kidneys. Readers will also find news and information about new programs for the CKD patient along with news about AAKP events and services.

To subscribe to this service, send an e-mail to aakpkidneybeginnings-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or ask AAKP to subscribe you by sending an e-mail to info@aakp.org and mentioning AAKP Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter.

Please let your family, friends and those who may be concerned about kidney disease know about this free service from AAKP. For more information or to view past editions of the newsletter, go to www.aakp.org/KidneyBegin.htm

6. PKD RESEARCH RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT FUNDING

The Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health have funded a seven-year, $20.1 million PKD Clinical Trials Network to study potential treatments for the disease.

PKD affects approximately 600,000 people in the U.S. and 12.5 million people worldwide. The disease causes fluid-filled cysts to form on the kidneys, diminishing their ability to filter toxins from the blood.

The PKD Clinical Trial Network consists of four clinical research centers and a data coordinating center. Clinical centers are at Emory University, Atlanta, GA; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; New England Medical Center, Boston, MA; and University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO. The Data Coordinating Center is at Washington University, St. Louis, MO. More information about PKD and the PKD Foundation can be found at www.pkdcure.org.

Received 8/23/02 from NASW

Dialysis Death Cases Settled

http://news.findlaw.com/ap/o/1500/8-23-2002/20020823083006_64.html

Received 8/16/02 from NASW NC Listserv

Editorial from the News & Observer Aug 16, 2002
The right budget way

It's called "setting the stage" in budget season. The state House budget now has been formally rejected by the Senate, which means budget-writers from both houses will convene to get down to what they knew they were going to have to get down to months ago. They'll hammer out a final budget in conference with leaders of each chamber. As they begin, legislators would be wise to follow the same guideline Governor Easley announced last year as he formed his Loophole Commission to tighten a few loose knots in the state's tax code and monitored efforts of a group he had charged with seeking greater efficiencies in government. The governor said he wanted working families protected in the course of those efforts. That is what lawmakers must try to do as they wrestle with the daunting task of funding programs while trying to close an eight-figure shortfall in the budget. To! every degree possible, every degree, human services, including health care services, must be protected. Both chambers show an inclination to protect education, which is as it should be. But the budget documents of both House and Senate apply one-time money -- drawn from trust funds, for example -- to expenses that are a regular part of state government. What that means, of course, is that after that money is applied toward this budget, a brand new hole will open in the next budget. The only way to do anything about that, and lawmakers know it, is to find new, reliable revenues, which means that the scariest three-letter word on Jones Street, tax, might have to be uttered. Don't count on hearing it in this, an election year

Received 7-2-02 from CNSW Listserv

As an alternative to purchasing the directory that

lists dialysis providers, you can search:

1) Nephron Information Center - http://nephron.com/usacgi.html -

has the 2001 list of providers in a searchable database that

allows you to search by Network, City, State, Zip Code, or you can

even do an advanced search to choose the area and then see what

facilities are certified to do a particular type of dialysis

(doesn't necessarily mean they're doing it). This could help if

you have a traveling PD patient or if you have a patient who is

interested in home hemodialysis and you're interested in finding

out who in your area is certified to teach HHD. This site also

has copies of the Uniform Transient Forms.

2) DialysisFinder - www.dialysisfinder.com - lets you choose how

far you're willing to travel from a specific town, provides

contact information on facilities within that range, and prints a

map and directions for the clinic you prefer

3) The List - http://www.eneph.com/thelist/index.asp has links to

information on clinics in the U.S. and abroad

You can find the Uniform Transient Forms are also on CNSW's site

and on http://nephron.com/usacgi

Received 5/31/02 from AAKP

1. SPECIAL ALERT AAKP RENAL FLASH

When fast changing events occur in the renal community that directly affect

the chronic kidney disease population or dialysis and transplant patients,

the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) provides a Special Alert

AAKP Renal Flash, which is distributed in addition to the regular monthly

issues of the newsletter. Please share this information with fellow patients,

family members and professionals and encourage them to subscribe to the AAKP

Renal Flash to receive important informational services.

2. HOME DIALYSIS CUT AVERTED

The American Association of Kidney Patients was informed yesterday (May 30)

by the office of Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT) that the home dialysis

payment cut originally proposed in draft House GOP Medicare legislation

slated for Congressional action in June has been dropped.

Kris Robinson, Executive Director of the American Association of Kidney

Patients (AAKP), said upon learning of this news, "AAKP is delighted that the

threat to home dialysis has been lifted. Congratulations to the nation's

kidney patient community who made this happen. The swift and timely action by

kidney patients - in contacting Congress to tell of the importance of home

dialysis as well as their own stories - turned back this proposed cut."

Brenda Dyson, President of AAKP added, "This is a victory for commonsense. We

appreciate very much the work of Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and other

members of the House of Representatives in assuring that home dialysis

remains available to the nation's renal patients."

AAKP led the national patient community in contacting Congress to eliminate

the home dialysis cut and educate members of Congress about the disastrous

affects such legislation would have on patients' ability to choose the most

appropriate dialysis therapy, the outstanding quality of life and health

outcomes associated with home dialysis and the exciting new developments in

home treatment. AAKP Executive Director Kris Robinson met personally with key

House health staff and hundreds of patients responded by sending letters and

making phone calls, sharing their personal success stories of home dialysis.

AAKP is the voluntary, patient organization, which for over 30 years, has

been dedicated to improving the lives of fellow kidney patients by helping

them deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease.

The programs offered by AAKP inform and inspire patients and their families

to better understand their condition, adjust more readily to their

circumstances and assume more normal, productive lives in their communities.

This development is a victory for all kidney patients, especially the

approximately 32,000 that currently receive dialysis at home. AAKP would like

to thank all of the patients who e-mailed, faxed and called their

representatives to share their personal stories. AAKP of course would also

like to thank Congresswoman Nancy Johnson and other members of the House of

Representatives in assuring that home dialysis remains a viable option for

the nation's renal patients.

Patients are encouraged to send letters of thanks to their Representatives on

the Ways & Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee and/or

Congresswoman Johnson. Please visit AAKP's web site at www.aakp.org for

contact information on all members of the respective committees.

For more information on this development and other kidney policy issues,

please visit AAKP's web site at www.aakp.org.

-end AAKP Renal Flash Special Alert-

Retreived 5/29/02 from Thomas Server www.thomas.gov

Kidney Disease Educational Benefits Act of 2002 (Introduced in House)

HR 3770 IH

107th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 3770

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for kidney disease education services under the Medicare Program, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 14, 2002

Mr. CRANE (for himself, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. EHRLICH, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. CAMP, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. HONDA, Mr. WYNN, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. KIRK, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, and Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for kidney disease education services under the Medicare Program, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Kidney Disease Educational Benefits Act of 2002'.

SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF KIDNEY DISEASE EDUCATION SERVICES.

(a) COVERAGE OF KIDNEY DISEASE EDUCATION SERVICES-

(1) IN GENERAL- Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.1395x), as amended by section 105 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (114 Stat. 2763A-471), as enacted into law by section 1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554, is amended--

(A) in subsection (s)(2)--

(i) in subparagraph (U), by striking `and' at the end;

(ii) in subparagraph (V)(iii), by adding `and' at the end; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(W) kidney disease education services (as defined in subsection (ww));'; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`Kidney Disease Education Services

`(ww)(1) The term `kidney disease education services' means educational services that are--

`(A) furnished to an individual with kidney disease who, according to accepted clinical guidelines identified by the Secretary, will require dialysis or a kidney transplant;

`(B) furnished, upon the referral of the physician managing the individual's kidney condition, by a qualified person (as defined in paragraph (2)); and

`(C) designed--

`(i) to provide comprehensive information regarding--

`(I) the management of comorbidities;

`(II) the prevention of uremic complications; and

renal

`(ii) to ensure that the individual has the opportunity to actively participate in the choice of therapy.

`(2) The term `qualified person' means--

`(A) a physician (as described in subsection (r)(1));

`(B) an individual who--

`(i) is--

`(I) a registered nurse;

`(II) a registered dietitian or nutrition professional (as defined in subsection (vv)(2));

`(III) a clinical social worker (as defined in subsection (hh)(1)); or

`(IV) a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are defined in section 1861(aa)(5)); and

`(ii) meets such requirements related to experience and other qualifications that the Secretary finds necessary and appropriate for furnishing the services described in paragraph (1); or

renal

`(i) provide the services described in paragraph (1); and

`(ii) meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B).

`(3) The Secretary shall develop the requirements under paragraph (2)(B)(ii) after consulting with physicians, health educators, professional organizations, accrediting organizations, kidney patient organizations, dialysis facilities, transplant centers, network organizations described in section 1881(c)(2), and other knowledgeable persons.

`(4) In promulgating regulations to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that such regulations ensure that each beneficiary who is entitled to kidney disease education services under this title receives such services in a timely manner that ensures that the beneficiary receives the maximum benefit of those services.

`(5) The Secretary shall monitor the implementation of this subsection to ensure that beneficiaries who are eligible for kidney disease education services receive such services in the manner described in paragraph (4).'.

(2) PAYMENT UNDER PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE- Section 1848(j)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting `, (2)(W)', after `(2)(S)'.

RENAL

renal

(4) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS- Not later than April 1, 2003, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on the number of medicare beneficiaries who are entitled to kidney disease education services (as defined in section 1861(ww) of the Social Security Act, as added by paragraph (1)) under title XVIII of such Act and who receive such services, together with such recommendations for legislative and administrative action as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to fulfill the legislative intent that resulted in the enactment of that subsection.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this section shall apply to services furnished on or after the date that is 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

Received 2/13/02 from NASW-NC Advocacy listserv. Important for our Women patients. JR

Fri, Jan 18, 2002
Cuts in budget to affect women
Baby Love to be just for Medicaid clients By Danielle Deaver
WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL REPORTER
About 700 women could lose access this year to Forsyth County's Maternity Care Coordination program, which was promoted as being a possible solution to the county's infant-mortality problem.Cuts to the Forsyth County Health Department's budget forced health officials to change the enrollment requirements for the program, Health Director Tim Monroe said. The program had been open to any pregnant woman, but now only women who qualify for Medicaid will be able to enroll.Judy Lupo, the maternal-health supervisor for the health department, said that the change will reduce enrollment from about 1,350 women to about half of that.The maternity care coordination program - also known as the Baby Love program - coordinates services for pregnant women, making sure that they have access to baby and parenting classes, social-work programs and health care.Social workers work one-on-one with pregnant women to determine their needs and to make sure those needs are being met. They visit pregnant women in their homes and at the hospital, and are available 24 hours a day, Lupo said."It's like a menu. Not everybody needs everything. It's like when you go to a restaurant - not everyone needs dessert," Lupo said.The state-sponsored program is open only to Medicaid patients in most counties. Shortly after starting the program in Forsyth County 14 years ago, officials decided to let any woman enroll, hoping to combat the county's infant-mortality problem.Forsyth County had the highest infant-mortality rate last year of all of the urban counties in the state. For every 1,000 babies born, 10.6 died. All other urban counties had mortality rates of 8.5 or fewer deaths for each 1,000 births.Monroe is hoping that the changes to the program won't increase the county's infant-mortality problem."The concern is, of course, that the loss of these services for a population that, even though they are not Medicaid eligible, are at social or economic risk, that there could be a negative impact of that," Monroe said. Women who are in the country illegally would have the greatest chance of being affected by the change, Monroe said. Since they can't get Medicaid because they are undocumented, the women will not be able to enroll in the program.Because Hispanic women typically have fewer problems with their pregnancies, the effect of the change may not be apparent at first, said J. Nelson-Weaver, the director of the Forsyth County infant mortality coalition."We are certainly sad to see the cuts in the maternity care coordination program because we know that significantly fewer Hispanic women will be able to be served by the program in the coming year. I do not, though, think that will have much impact on our county's infant-mortality rate," Nelson-Weaver said.• Danielle Deaver can be reached at 727-7279 or at ddeaver@wsjournal.com

A nice note of praise for SW in NC! JR

E'town mother of three says DSS workers went beyond call of duty-Bladen Journal

By: Jack McDuffie, Staff Writer January 22, 2002

Christian Hilbourn is the owner and operator of her own hair salon and working hard to make a go of it. She opened her new business, located adjacent to Schulz-Ellis Chiropratic Center on West Broad Street in Elizabethtown, in September of last year.

But reaching this point in her life has been a challenge for this mother of three young children. She credits the dedication of the staff at the Bladen County Department of Social Services for having played a major role in helping her overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Hilbourn said her struggle to reach self-sufficiency began when she separated from her husband early last summer after what she calls a "difficult" relationship, a relationship that culminated in what she says was domestic abuse.

"When I realized that I had no alternative but to get out of the relationship, I had no idea what I was going to do," Hilbourn said. "I had three children; I had no job; and it seemed hopeless. My only income at the time was child support payments from my first husband, but I did not want my children to grow up in that type of environment."

She says this feeling of dependency is why women in abusive situations often are reluctant to leave the relationship.

"I didn't know what to do, but on the advice of my mother, I contacted the Department of Social Services to see if they could help me until I could get on my feet," she explained.

"They were very helpful in every way they could be, but getting assistance through Social Services is not nearly as easy as many people believe it is. You have to be able to show proof of income, have birth certificates, Social Security cards for the children and other things.

"Kathy Mount, who initially handled my case and signed me up, was very caring, very helpful and did everything she could to keep me from feeling even worse about my situation," Hilbourn explained.

She said that making the decision to ask for assistance through the Social Services system was difficult.

"Your self-esteem is already low because of the situation you have left," she said. "It is hard to explain exactly how you feel when you finally decide you have no alternative but to try to seek help. It is not easy.

"But Kathy did everything she could to keep me from feeling ashamed and made appointments for me with Child Protective Services and other agencies who could help me, both financially and emotionally. She was pulling out papers on domestic violence, the resources available, and counseling services."

Hilbourn was registered for Work First Family Assistance, Medicaid and Food Stamps.

"I told her that I was a licensed hairdresser and that it was the one thing I'd been trained to do," she said. "She encouraged me not to give up on my dream of owning my own shop again someday, and gave me information on how to get in touch with the Small Business Center at Bladen Community College."

Hilbourn had previously owned and operated a hair salon on Peanut Plant Road at an earlier time; however, when her first marriage ended, she says she was unable to keep the shop because she was not making enough to pay her bills and pay childcare. She later worked in another salon in Elizabethtown for a period of time.

Hilbourn said that her caseworker, Rhonda Scott, in the Child Protective Services Division was also very helpful.

"She came out to my home and sat down and talked with me for a couple of hours," she said. "But she never made me feel threatened and reassured me that everything would be alright and that I was not going to lose my children.

"I cannot tell you how much she has meant to me during this period. She became more than a caseworker, she became a friend-someone I could call when I was having a particularly difficult time.

"She told me from the beginning that her goal was to help me get my life and the lives of my children back together again," Hilbourn said, tears welling up in her eyes. "She checked on me every two weeks.

"I really think her, and the other helpful people at DSS, being in my life has been a blessing," she said. "They bent over backward to help me get my life back in order. When I went into business, one of the girls even helped me by printing up business cards for me in her own time. That, to me, was such a simple act of kindness. It wasn't something she had to do, it was something she wanted to do-something I will always remember.

"After I opened the business, they encouraged me to hang in there. They helped me have the confidence I needed that I could make a go of it."

Hilbourn wasn't able to get financial assistance from the Small Business Administration to start her business, because she had no collateral, but she was enrolled in a Work First job-training program at Bladen Community College.

The training program was designed to retrain her into office technology. Hilbourn went to school three days a week and worked two days at the Board of Education.

"I soon realized that I just wasn't cut out for that type of work," she said. "I knew nothing about computers and really wanted to get back into the work I've always loved, cutting hair.

"One day in class, I just broke down and cried," she explained. "I decided then that somehow I would go back to what I knew.

"I also knew I would not be able to take care of my family responsibilities, such as picking up my son from school in the afternoon (her oldest child is in the first grade), if I had to work in an office. The only way I could take care of my parenting responsibilities was to work where I had some flexibility in scheduling my time."

Hilbourn says that with the help of her family, she was able to open her new business in September, albeit on an extremely low budget. Since that time she's been working to build up the business.

She has not drawn WFFA payments since she opened the business, but is still eligible for Medicaid and Food Stamps due to her income level.

"It's not been easy, and it still isn't, but now I can see light at the end of the tunnel," Hilbourn said. "And I know that I could not have gotten to where I am without the help and moral support of the people at Social Services, who did so much to help me get back on my feet.

"I want other women who are victims of domestic abuse to understand that there is hope, if they are willing to seek it. They don't have to continue to live in abusive situations," she added.

This is an old message from the CNSW listserv. However, I feel it has some great resource info in it. JR

CNSW the listserv for NKF CNSW members <CNSW@LISTSERV.KIDNEY.ORG>

I did a search on Google (www.google.com) using the search terms "sexuality & kidney" and the first item (Sexuality & Kidney Disease) listed addressed the issue of peritoneal dialysis, as well as hemo and transplant. You can find it at http://www.cardiffandvale.wales.nhs.uk/main/kidneypatients/Section%207/Sexuality%20and%20kidney%20disease.html

The NKF has a brochure on Sexuality and Chronic Kidney Disease that you can find at http://www.kidney.org/general/atoz/content/sexuality.html.

Sexuality and the Renal Patient seems to be more addressed to the renal professional than to the patient but has some good suggestions. You can find it at http://www.sextx.com/renal.html

Information for people with diabetes about sexuality (not renal) can be found at http://diabetes.about.com/cs/sexuality/.

Renal Sexuality 101 by Robin Siegal, MSW LCSW can be found at www.ikidney.com/lifestyle_tips/anitem.cfm?AnnID=46. This brief patient education piece provides useful information even if it doesn't cover PD specifically.

Paul O'Connor Sunday, January 20, 2002
Rumors of a session-Chapel Hill News

RALEIGH -- Political rumors are hard to kill, especially when they are as frightening as the thought of an extra legislative session called for next month to deal with the state's budget problems. Gov. Mike Easley's communications director, Cari Boyce, says, "There are no plans to call a special session." It is just that kind of open-ended denial that has people concerned that Easley is holding open the possibility of bringing legislators back to Raleigh. Or maybe people are nervous because of comments Easley made to Jack Betts, the Charlotte Observer columnist, just before Christmas. Asked if he'd call a special session, Easley said, "If we do, it won't be to raise revenue. Here's what we are going to bring them back for . . ." He then cited statutorily required programs that he cannot cut on his own. Or maybe people just understand that with a budget hole in the range of hundreds of millions of dollars, all governors prefer to share with legislators the political heat for ! program cuts. Whatever the source of the rumor, Marc Basnight, Senate president pro tem, is clearly worried about Easley calling an extra session. Basnight ordered his staff to compile records of the last 25 years worth of extra sessions to show that they have a tendency to drag endlessly. "The senator feels that the governor should just go ahead and make the necessary cuts," said Amy Fulk, Basnight's press secretary. "He doesn't feel that a special session would be very productive." You don't have to look past last year's 11-month session to develop a jaundiced opinion of this legislature's productivity. But let's look, anyway. There have been 15 extra sessions since 1977. Of those, 10 have lasted less than five days, many just one or two days. But since 1994, when then-Gov. Jim Hunt called an extra session to fan public panic about crime and solidify his hard-right record for his re-election run, three of the six extra sessions have run three weeks or longer. Basnight unde! rstands that an extra session to deal with budget problems would likely fall into the category of sessions that last three weeks or more -- not into the one-day variety. Across the hall, Danny Lineberry, press secretary to House Speaker Jim Black, says, "It's not going to happen." He said that House leaders don't expect an extra session for the budget. The budget is not the only issue for which an extra session might be called, however. The U.S. Department of Justice and state and federal courts all have the authority to reject the legislative and congressional redistricting maps prepared last year. If they do, legislators will have to rush back to Raleigh to redraw the maps. It is in that context, then, that Easley's comments about statutorily protected programs comes into play. If he must reconvene the legislature to deal with redistricting, Easley might just decide to open the budget to some cutting. Now, that is something to fret over -- a special session in which the tw! o most contentious issues of 2001 are rehashed. No wonder Basnight is nervous.

From NASW-NC Advocacy listserv

County facing changes to mental health services-

Goldsboro News-Argus - 1-23-02

Wayne County officials face some choices this year that will affect how their residents receive mental health services for decades to come. In November, state Secretary of Health and Human Services Carmen Hooker Buel announced the first major reform of the state's mental health system since 1974. The planned changes are complex, but the overall intent is to give county governments more oversight of services for mental illness, substance abuse and developmental disabilities. These services are now overseen by "area authorities," boards that are generally appointed by county commissioners but that draw most of their funding from the state. Many of these groups, but not the Wayne County Mental Health Board, were criticized in a state auditor's report in 2000 as lacking supervision or review from either the local or state governments. The proposal will replace those groups with ones either composed of county commissioners or that answer directly to the county boards. County Manager Lee Smith and some county commissioners have been scrambling to get information about the decisions that will need to be made this year. A big concern is funding -- "how much is this going to cost and where is the money going to come from," said Area Director Bill Condron. By Oct. 1, all North Carolina counties must decide whether it's more economical and practical to have their own mental health agencies or whether they should join with other counties. Regardless of whether they go it alone or in groups, counties must decide whether the commissioners will oversee mental health services or whether they will appoint boards to do so. Then, by Jan. 1, 2003, the counties must have plans for providing certain core services. Condron explained to the Wayne County commissioners Tuesday that the state is emphasizing partnerships between the counties. Currently, the state has around 40 area authorities, a number that the state auditor's report found cumbersome. After the reform, DHHS officials hope to have around 20 single- or multi-county agencies. A natural partnership for Wayne County would be with Lenoir, Duplin and Sampson counties, he said. All four counties use similar paperwork and serve many of the same community needs, he said. Smith, Condron and Floyd McCullouch, the chairman of the mental health board, have already met informally with representatives of those counties to begin informal discussions. A second emphasis will be a privatization of many mental health services, Condron said. The state wants the local agencies to contract with physicians, drug treatment counselors, etc., for certain treatments instead of having all those people on staff. The shift will be from "care providers to care managers," he said. Tuesday's meeting was the first time the county commissioners have even considered the issue as a group. "We need to get on a fast track to educating ourselves on this! ," Commissioner J.D. Evans said, tapping the inch-thick stack of documents provided by Condron. The commissioners have their next work session scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 29.

Breaux favors health aid
Senator backs universal coverage for all U.S. citizens

By MARSHA SHULER Capitol news bureau

U.S. Sen. John Breaux on Wednesday advocated federally subsidized health insurance so that all U.S. citizens would have coverage. "You ought to have health care as a basic right. Everybody in America should have health insurance and we should help people get it," Breaux said. Breaux talked about the need for action on the federal front as he prepares to announce today whether he will run for Louisiana governor next year. Breaux declined to say what decision he has reached before today’s schedule news conference. "We are going to talk about that tomorrow," Breaux said. Breaux, his wife, Lois, and top aides spent Wednesday afternoon visiting the Volunteers of America’s Parker House for neglected and abused children and LSU’s Earl K. Long Medical Center. At both stops, the high-ranking Democratic senator, who has the ear of Republican President Bush, talked about things he could do in Washington to help. At Parker House, Breaux brought gifts and took a turn doing a modern-day version of the "bunny hop" with children as aides worried about him pulling an already injured hamstring. Before leaving, he volunteered to help connect officials with national foundations that could help with efforts to raise $1.5 million to purchase and maintain the new home for the children’s program. At Earl K. Long, Breaux talked about the universal health insurance program, which he said he and a number of national "think-tanks" are investigating." We ought to mandate that everybody have health insurance — after they reach a certain age you have to have it," Breaux said. Breaux compared the idea to Louisiana and other states requiring drivers to have automobile insurance. But, in the case of health insurance, the government would help subsidize coverage for those who could not afford it, he said. Breaux said that individuals getting their insurance through employers is an "archaic concept." You should be able to pick your health insurance," he said. If everyone has health insurance, Breaux said, health-care costs will go down because there will be more healthy individuals and the costs will be spread around. "Somehow, we have got to take Huey Long’s concept (embodied in Louisiana’s charity hospitals) and bring it into the 21st century," Breaux said. Breaux also said he and other congressmen could help attract federal grants and other funds for health-care and medical research activities if there was a more unified approach by the LSU hospitals and medical centers. And Breaux encouraged state health officials to obtain sufficient state dollars to tap all the federal funds available for health care because of the critical need in Louisiana, particularly among the state’s children. "It seems to me it’s not rocket science that the key to developing our state is in two particular areas — education and health care and particularly health care for our children," Breaux said. "You cannot educate children who are sick. No matter how much you pay teachers and how nice our classrooms are, we must make sure children are healthy enough that they are able to learn."