As health reform increases access to care for people with chronic conditions at a time when the supply of primary care physicians is decreasing, one viable alternative is nurse-managed protocols for outpatient treatment of adults with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
SOURCE: HUMAN CAPITAL BLOG FROM THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION

A study in the current issue of Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice reveals that an estimated 17.5 percent of newly licensed RNs leave their first nursing job within the first year, and one in three (33.5%) leave within two years. The researchers found that turnover for this group is lower at hospitals than at other health care settings.
SOURCE: THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION NEWSROOM

By Rachel Zimlich
An influx of newly insured patients and additional administrative tasks are taking nurses away from the bedside, but some hospitals are finding creative ways to increase the amount of direct-care time patients receive. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement took the report to heart and began looking for ways to bring nurses back to the bedside, launching an initiative in 2003 called "Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB)."
SOURCE: HEALTHCARE TRAVELER

This is a summary of the workshop held by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Roundtable on Population Health Improvement. The workshop discussed important ingredients, effective strategies, and other lessons learned in three contexts: youth organizing, community organizing or other types of community participation, and partnerships between community and institutional actors (e.g., universities, public health agencies).
SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Texas TEAM has three webinars in October to help you succeed in these key areas:

• Academia (October 1)
• Acute Care (October 15)
• Business (October 29)

Each webinar is only $15 and counts as 1.0 CE.

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This program is suited for nurses as well as other healthcare professionals interested in an informatics career and expanding their expertise. 50-seat maximum — reserve your seat now!

Jointly hosted by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, Seton Healthcare Family, the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, and the University of Texas at Austin Health Informatics and Health IT Program.

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Join us for the International Nursing Administration Research Conference in Dallas, Texas.

The theme will be "Pioneering through Chaos: Leadership for a Changing World." See Program Agenda here.

INARC is co-sponsored by CGEAN, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, Texas Health Resources®, and TONE.

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The Senate voted 78-22 to approve a continuing resolution (H.J. Res 124) extending funding for all federal programs through Dec. 11. The measure now goes to the president for his signature. While extending funding at the current annual rate of $1.012 trillion, the bill provides $58 million to the Department of Health and Human Services to address Ebola therapies and $30 million to respond to the Ebola outbreak in Africa, as well as several other changes to existing law.
SOURCE: AHA NEWS NOW

The Senate has approved legislation (H.R. 4994) requiring long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies to report standardized patient assessment data and quality and resource use measures.
SOURCE: AHA NEWS NOW

Thank you to everyone who voted and to the leaders who have stepped up to serve.

• President-Elect -- Jane McCurley
• Secretary -- Valerie Kiper
• Director, District 2 -- Susie Cassle
• Director, District 4 -- Lisa Cox
• Director, District 8 -- Wilma Powell Stuart

Remember, you can only participate in elections and enjoy TONE benefits if you keep your membership up to date. Now is the time to renew! Click here to renew. 

We’re pleased to announce that North Texas Organization of Nurse Executives (NTONE) is the TONE Chapter of the Month. See their Chapter page to learn more about them!

Health care providers can volunteer through Oct. 3 to participate in an ICD-10 end-to-end testing opportunity with Medicare Administrative Contractors and the Common Electronic Data Interchange contractor. About 850 volunteers representing a cross section of provider, claim and submitter types will be selected to participate in the testing, scheduled for Jan. 26-30, 2015.
SOURCE: AHA NEWS NOW

In September the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the availability of $295 million to nearly 2,000 health centers across the country, which will expand primary care services and improve access to care.
SOURCE: THE HUMAN CAPITAL BLOG FROM THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION