E.R. Costs for Mentally Ill Soar, and Hospitals Seek Better Way
NY Times article, published Dec. 25, 2013

In the past, paramedics would have taken the man to the closest hospital emergency room — most likely the nearby WakeMed Health and Hospitals, one of the largest centers in the region. But instead, under a pilot program, paramedics ushered him through the doors of Holly Hill Hospital, a commercial psychiatric facility...

For decades, North Carolina resisted the broad mental health reforms. But in 2000, state lawmakers moved to overhaul the state’s mental health system, closing state facilities and pushing counseling and outpatient programs to local communities.

Medicaid Reform Advisory Group Forum sign up today
The Medicaid Reform Advisory Group will hold its second meeting January 15, 2014. Additional information is listed below. Please note: Those who would like to speak at the January meeting can email their request to medicaidreform@dhhs.nc.gov no later than Monday, January 6, 2014.

The meeting will be held at:
State Library/Archives and History Building
109 East Jones St.
Raleigh NC 27601
The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Directions and parking information can be found at statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/directions.html.

Letter to the Editor of the N&O, Dec. 20, 2013

Here is to the Cary Town Council for delivering a lump of coal to its CTran transit users for Christmas.

The Council voted unanimously to increase all fares, despite acknowledging in interviews with Cary News reporter that the fare increase was not really necessary, but just a plan to shift costs from the municipality to riders. They even did away with the free rides for those over 65.

Council member Gale Adcock, a Democrat who now seeks a seat in the NC House (District 61), went along with the rest of the Council despite admitting to the Cary News that the affluent town of Cary could absorb these costs.

I want to find out why Council members voted as they did, but have been unable to get responses, as the Council has no voice mail at City Hall and they don’t seem responsive to email.

From the NY Times online:

How Pharmaceuticals Sell A.D.H.D.
BY POH SI TENG AND ALAN SCHWARZ
December 14th, 2013

What makes A.D.H.D. ads so effective? Dr. Aaron Kesselheim of Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzes several ads and discusses how they play on parents’ common fears about their children.

Related Article: 'The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder' (this story was printed in edited and shorter version in the Raleigh News and Observer on Sunday's front page.

Very important article that explains the reasons for unnecessary and potentially harmful prescribing of medicine to children and adolescents, and how it is also now marketed to adults, all to line the pockets of the owners of drug companies in the US and abroad.

JOINT LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
December 10, 2013 – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Legislative Office Building - Room 643

VoterRadio.com ‏@VoterRadio
Legislative Oversight Committee on Health & Human Services recessing for lunch until 1:45 pm. #ncga #ncpol

AGENDA available online