In the Headlines

State Senator Lowe Finney has outlined recent and upcoming developments in helping senior citizens in Carroll, Gibson and Madison counties.  “We are making progress to help the more than 700,000 seniors in Tennessee who can benefit from a simpler and more efficient government,” Finney said.

“Our state already offers numerous services to our older loved ones and neighbors, but it is often difficult to know whom to call or where to go to access those services.  My long-time goal is to move those various services into one agency to improve customer service and save taxpayer money.  Streamlining and consolidating services, cutting waste, and improving the quality of care should be our priority.”

In June, the General Assembly passed a resolution by Sen. Finney to create a special committee to study the benefits and possible implementation of such a plan. The Joint Committee to Study the Creation of a Department of Aging and Adult Services is convening its first hearing Nov. 4, Sen. Finney said.  (Coalition Update:  The next meeting will be December 7th at 8:30am in Legislative Plaza)

Finney also indicated progress in the development of legislation passed last year to improve long-term care options so more seniors can stay in their homes longer when they need additional medical care. 

Pushing for Quicker Improvements to Long-Term Care

Sen. Finney, Secretary of the Joint Committee on Long-Term Care Oversight, criticized Bureau of TennCare officials at a recent committee hearing for its lack of swift effort to implement the program authorized by the General Assembly and for planned delays in bringing the program to West Tennessee. 

“I can’t imagine why the Bureau would not want to have providers from all across the state engaged in this process sooner rather than later,” Finney stated during the hearing.  Chairman and East Tennessee Representative Dennis Ferguson (D-Midtown) stated that the original plan was “simply unacceptable”.

Following Sen. Finney’s criticism, TennCare officials reported back with an expedited timeline, stating the program would be implemented statewide by the end of the current fiscal year and, specifically, that program staff would begin meeting with West Tennessee providers about the program in late October and early November. 

TennCare officials planned to meet with long-term health care providers beginning Oct. 29 in Humboldt and Union City to discuss how the program would operate.

“The needs of West Tennessee families are as urgent as those in Middle Tennessee.  The Bureau’s original plan to set up the program in Middle Tennessee first is woefully deficient and unsatisfactory” Finney said.  “I’m glad we were able to move the program forward in a more timely fashion for our region of the state.”

Sen. Finney represents Carroll, Gibson and Madison counties in the State Senate. He is Vice-Chair of the State and Local Government Committee and also serves on the Transportation Committee. He and his wife Tiffany live in Jackson.  Reach him at 731 424 0461 or www.lowefinney.com.

Source:  NWTN Today at http://www.nwtntoday.com

Family Support Program Faces Uncertain Future
Millions In State Grants Aren't Part Of Early Budget Draft

A program designed to help the state's most severely disabled residents could be in jeopardy.

The Family Support program has been in place since 1992, providing small grants to thousands of Tennessee families. It usually helps to cover the costs associated with care and support services for the disabled. Currently, the state budgets more than $7 million for the program.

"We can help them to modify their home to make them accessible," said Mary Hildebrand, who runs the program in Nashville through The ARC of Davidson County. "We can pay for medical care, whatever an individual family needs. [It] makes life easier and helps people remain independent."

Read the rest of the Channel 4 story.

Gordon Bonnyman has spent his entire career representing low-income clients, the elderly, prisoners, disabled persons, and the uninsured. He has been the lead counsel in more than a dozen class actions lawsuits, many of which have served as models for legal services organizations throughout the United States. After graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1972, Bonnyman began his career with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and The Cumberlands. In 1996, in response to new lobbying restrictions placed on legal services organizations, he founded the Tennessee Justice Center with Michele Johnson. He initially worked without a salary until additional funding could be secured. A seasoned and successful litigator, he is also an accomplished legislative advocate and policy analyst. He lobbied for nursing home regulatory reform in Tennessee, which was adopted in 1987.

Bonnyman is known as one of the top health law theoreticians and practitioners in the country.
He and the TJC have been personally attacked by state officials and other entrenched powers in Tennessee—the nursing home industry, the hospital ndustry, and the health insurance industry. But Bonnyman has never wavered in his commitment to Tennesseans who are poor, ill, disabled, or imprisoned.

In spite of the pressure and challenge of his work, Bonnyman never loses his sense of humor, even with adversaries. He remains witty and warm while advancing the interests of his clients. As one nominator put it, “Gordon encourages us to take ourselves much less seriously than we take our work.”“The Morris Dees Justice Award should be given to someone who shows great compassion and love for people. Brother Bonnyman has these qualities.”
Dr. Dwight Montgomery
President, SCLC Memphis Chapter

Local families no longer need to travel to larger cities to have their children assessed, diagnosed and treated for developmental conditions such as autism and learning disorders — disabilities that have a higher occurrence in Tennessee than the national average.

Siskin Children’s Institute has partnered with T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital to open the first pediatric center in southeast Tennessee with a full-time, triple board certified developmental behavioral pediatrician.

The Siskin Children’s Institute-T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Center for Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics opened today inside the Institute’s 1101 Carter Street facility in downtown Chattanooga. The center offers assessment, diagnosis and treatment for children ages birth to teens with or at risk for developmental conditions.

“Our family would’ve had to go to Nashville or Atlanta for these services,” said Candy Whitlock, a mother from Rock Spring, Ga., whose 3½-year-old son is being treated at the center. “Traveling is one less thing we have to worry about.” 

Approximately 16.4 percent of Tennessee children and 14 percent in Georgia have a special need that requires services of a board certified developmental behavioral pediatrician, according to a 2006 survey by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (Source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/cshcn05/index.htm). The national average is 13.9 percent.

Early detection of a developmental delay or disorder is critical, said Regina Gargus, M.D., the center’s developmental behavioral pediatrician. “Identifying these conditions as early as possible improves their long-term outcomes,” she said. “The sooner a child is diagnosed, the sooner we can intervene to help.”

All patients are referred to the center by their primary care physician. The estimated wait time for an appointment is eight to 12 weeks.

“I’ve always had to send families out of town for assessments,” said Jeanie Jung, M.D., a primary care pediatrician at McLean Medical Services in East Ridge. “For families in the area to have local access to this type of health care, it just provides an extra sense of relief.”

The U.S. has fewer than 600 developmental behavioral pediatricians, according to the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). To diagnose a developmental delay or disorder, a physician must be certified by the ABP in developmental behavioral pediatrics, which includes completing an intensive three-year fellowship in the field as well as passing a stringent board exam.

In addition to the developmental behavioral pediatrician, the center will feature the following medical positions: pediatric psychologist, advanced nurse practitioner, licensed practical nurse, speech and language pathologist, pediatric occupational therapist and pediatric physical therapist.

Families will also benefit from the family support and counseling services provided by the Siskin Outreach and Resource Center, which is adjacent to the pediatric center.  The outreach center features a library as well with more than 6,000 resources about disabilities and parenting.

“Beyond the diagnosis, families need information about their child’s conditions,” Dr. Gargus said. “They can visit our outreach center for advice and several other resources. This outreach service makes our pediatric center very unique compared to practices across the country.”

Despite the need for this sub-specialty health care, developmental behavioral centers typically struggle financially due to low reimbursement rates from insurance companies. According to a 2003 survey of developmental behavioral pediatricians, more physicians in this sub-specialty field are encountering constraints to seeing more patients because of declining reimbursement for services. As a result, the center will rely on fundraising to overcome anticipated budget shortfalls each year.

“We began this project knowing it would be difficult financially,” said Jerry Jensen, president and CEO of the Institute. “But this is a pressing need for many families in our region, so we knew this was the right investment to make.”

For referrals to the center, physicians may call (423) 778-6031. They can also find intake forms as well as more information on the Institute’s website, www.siskin.org.

Center’s areas of focus

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders

Behavioral Disturbance in Early Childhood

Cerebral Palsy

Chromosomal Developmental Impairments

Communication-Language Disorders

Cognitive Impairments

Developmental Delays

Down Syndrome

Motor Impairments

Preterm Infant Developmental Surveillance

Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Sleep Disturbance in Childhood

About Regina Gargus, M.D.

An accomplished triple board certified developmental behavioral pediatrician, Dr. Regina Gargus is the medical director of the Siskin Children's Institute-T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital Center for Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics. She most recently served as the medical director at the J.L. Dennis Developmental Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. She received her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia-Virginia Commonwealth University, where she also completed her pediatric residency and a neonatology fellowship. She is a certified physician executive by the American College of Physician Executives, with a master of science in administrative medicine from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She completed a developmental behavioral pediatric fellowship at Rhode Island’s Brown University School of Medicine in June 2005. 

About Siskin Children’s Institute

Siskin Children’s Institute makes life better for children with special needs and their families. Founded in 1950, the non-profit organization achieves its mission locally and nationally through four initiatives: education, outreach, health care and research. The Institute provides early childhood education where children with and without disabilities learn together; family support and professional development programs; developmental behavioral pediatric health care; and innovative research in early childhood development and special education. For more information about Siskin Children’s Institute, visit www.siskin.org.

About T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger

As the only medical center in the Chattanooga and tri-state region devoted solely to children, T. C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger provides the best in children’s health care by viewing the world from a unique perspective of children and understanding what they need. This special environment of healing for all children, regardless of their ability to pay, is the daily and ultimate goal of everyone at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital. No other facility in the region can say they do the same. For more information about T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital at Erlanger, visit www.erlanger.org/childrens.

About Erlanger Health System

Erlanger Health System is a non-profit, academic medical center affiliated with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, and is a Level-One Trauma Center for adults and, through T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital, is also the region’s only pediatric hospital. Erlanger is the only provider of tertiary care services for a four-state region encompassing southeast Tennessee, north Georgia, north Alabama and western North Carolina. With a history that dates back more than a century, Erlanger is recognized as one of the nation’s finest public hospitals and a leader in health care. Each year, more than a quarter of a million people are treated by the team of healthcare professionals who are part of Erlanger. For more information about Erlanger Health System, visit www.erlanger.org.

Top Photo:  Dr. Regina Gargus, left, examines 4-year-old William Harris, with his mother, Gena, looking on.

Lower Photo:  Six-year-old Koree Ray undergoes therapy with the help of Terri Woodruff, an advanced pediatric nurse practitioner at the center.

The U.S. Department of Labor this week launched Disability.gov, a redesigned federal Web site that connects the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities to thousands of trusted resources on disability-related issues, programs and services. Formerly known as DisabilityInfo.gov, the site has been completely redesigned and updated with new social media tools, such as a blog and a Twitter feed, to encourage feedback and interaction among visitors.

Disability.gov is not just for Americans with disabilities, but also for parents of children with disabilities, employers, workforce and human resource professionals, veterans, educators, caregivers and many others.

Disability.gov features comprehensive information from 22 federal agencies, as well as educational institutions, non-profit organizations and state and local governments. Topics covered on the site include: benefits; civil rights; community life; education; emergency preparedness; employment; health; housing; technology; and transportation.

The new site can be found at: http://www.disability.gov