Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatments: Do They Work?

When it comes to mental health and substance abuse issues, many patients and their loved ones are skeptical about the effectiveness of treatment. Since conditions like addiction, depression, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder are so personalized and complex, many individuals have doubts concerning the effectiveness of treatment. However, there are several treatment options which have proven successful in the battle against various types of mental and behavioral health problems.

Treating Disorders Pertaining to Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Health

Although various types of medication are often used in the treatment of mental illness and addiction, studies show that counseling and other types of psychotherapy are effective at treating the long-term effects of these conditions. Psychotherapy, also known as counseling or talk therapy, is designed to help individuals work through their mental health and substance abuse problems through discussion and behavior modification. And unlike medications, which often vary according to diagnosis and other factors, psychotherapy has proven effective in treating a broad range of conditions, some of which include the following:

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatments: Do They Work?

• Addiction to drugs and alcohol
• Depression
• Anxiety Disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Sex and gambling addictions
• Extreme fears and phobias

There are several different types of psychotherapy treatment, the most common of which include the following:

Behavioral Therapy

This type of psychotherapy works by identifying and modifying the individual's self-destructive or otherwise unhealthy behaviors. Although behavioral therapy can be used in various types of individuals, it is most often used in those suffering from depression, substance abuse, anxiety and phobias.

Cognitive Therapy

During cognitive psychotherapy session, individuals are encouraged to work on their problems by pinpointing and changing dysfunctional patterns in thoughts, emotions and behaviors. The point of this type of therapy is to bring subconscious thoughts and actions into the conscious mind so that the individual is aware of unhealthy behavior patterns and has the opportunity to change their behavior.

Psychoanalysis

During psychoanalysis treatment sessions, the individual is encouraged to speak openly so that their thoughts and behaviors can be analyzed. This can help counselors to determine the source of issues concerning mental health and substance abuse, as well as possible long-term solutions to these problems.

Group Therapy

Like one-on-one counseling sessions, group therapy creates a safe environment in which individuals can discuss their problems with mental health and substance abuse issues. In group sessions, clients meet with other like-minded individuals, where they are encouraged to speak openly about their thoughts, feelings and experiences. Group therapy provides various benefits to individuals in recovery from mental health or substance abuse problems, including the support, accountability and shared knowledge of peers.

Studies show that the types of therapy mentioned here not only help in the short-term, but also provide the individual with the coping skills to sustain long-term health and recovery. Through the use of these treatments, patients can experience numerous advantages pertaining to mental and behavioral health.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatments: Do They Work?

Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP is the President and CEO of The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center, a licensed mental Health treatment center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ben has more than 20 years of experience in the addiction and mental health fields, which led him to develop a combination of innovative treatment protocols at The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center. He has been published on various topics including dual diagnosis and chemical dependency, and gives back to the community by educating other addiction counselors at his Academy for Addiction Professionals.

Health News for the Entire Family

Children

Parents who choose heart healthy meals and activities for the children now are protecting them against heart disease later. Good nutrition and daily exercise, whether it is formal classes, organized sports of spontaneous play, all work against childhood obesity and its effects later.

Health

Teens that spend time volunteering are healthier, have lower cholesterol and report feeling more emphatic and altruistic than those who do not. Volunteering also raises self-esteem which can take some hits in the teenage years. It raises moods and increases awareness of those who are less fortunate. It also increases responsibility for the teen which they must learn as they grow older, attend college and land the first job.

Health News for the Entire Family

Special needs kids might have sleep problems like difficulty staying asleep, night terrors and snoring. These can be caused by medication. Parents of special needs kids already know the sleep habits and problems of their children. But just in case someone else needs to know, here are some things which might help get the special one a good night rest: develop a regular time for bed and stick to it every night, develop a regular routine before bed, make the room a restful place and have the child sleep in the same place every night, put or send the child to be when they are sleepy yet not fully asleep, deflect anxiety as it is often a factor in sleep disorders with special needs kids.

Parents

Migraines are a pain for anyone who gets them and can cause a complete stoppage of all activities, including work. While there are many over-shelf-medications to ease the pain and many more prescribed by doctors, there is one remedy reported that is quite pleasurable - sex. Pleasure with your partner releases endorphins, the natural pain killers for the body, which can ease or get rid of the pain. So replace the pills with your love to get rid of a migraine or cluster headache.

America is the land of the super-sized plates and meals which do nothing more than add unneeded fat, calories and cholesterol. It is National Nutrition Month and it is time to take note of what is on your plate. Fruits, vegetables, grains and protein are valuable to maintaining a health body. The serving size for each is much less than what we get when we order at a restaurant. Healthcare professionals recommend asking for a take-home box and immediately putting half of the meal in it, and eat the half that is left on the plate. That is the size of a regular meal. Half of the plate should be filled with fruits, veggies and grains. Reduce the amount of salt, sodium and sugar in meals and drinks. Always check processed and frozen food packages for the amount of sodium in them. Be mindful of what goes into your mouth because it will eventually land on your hips, thighs, back-end and ankles. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, stay regular, and to flush out toxins.

Grandparents

Grandparents and aging parents have different needs in order to maintain wellness - both physical and mental. Fortunately, there is a lot going on for them to stay healthy and happy.

Regular exercise focusing on strength, balance, stretching and endurance helps prevents falls which is a main cause for broken bones. Joining classes and social groups keeps single seniors happy and less likely to center attention to their loss. Another fun idea to keep their moods up and help them improve hand to eye coordination is to invite them to play a video game with you or the kids.

Free health screenings under the new Affordable Health Care Act are especially good for the older generation. Some of included are: a free wellness exam every year, bone mass measurement, flu shots, pap tests and pelvic tests, breast cancer screenings. There are other tests which have a low fee and they are: cardiovascular screenings (the test is free, doctor visit is not), colon cancer screenings, diabetes testing, glaucoma testing, and prostate cancer screenings. As always, check with your doctor if you think any of these screenings or tests should be taken. Grandparents and older parents are special and hold the key to our past. Be sure to take time with them and ask about their childhoods and life experiences. Write down or record what they say. This is a history lesson which will disappear when they are gone. Learn from them, love them and respect them. They have experienced much more in their lifetimes than the rest of us can imagine.

Health News for the Entire Family

Rebecca writes on a variety of health topics. Senior wellness is one topic she loves to share.

Health Benefits of Propolis

Propolis is a natural antibiotic that is fast gaining in popularity in the application of home remedies! It's one of those bee products that really cause me to wow at the wonder of nature and marvel at the ability of the highly organised insect - honey bee. Now, let me tell you what exactly propolis is.

Some trees and conifers produce sticky resins as part of their immune system to defend themselves against disease. Honey bees collect these substances that ooze from the buds of these plants. After chewing them and mixing them with their saliva and other substances, propolis is formed. This nutrient-rich substance is of vital importance for the survival of the honey bees in the beehive. It is created to sterilize the hive and protect it against diseases and infection. Not only does it help to inhibit the spread of bacteria, virus, and fungi that would otherwise pose a significant threat in the closely-knit quarters, it also and help fight against climatic changes, such as wind and cold. It is also used as a "putty" to seal cracks and openings in the hive and to strengthen and repair honeycombs, and for this reason is also known as 'bee glue'. Another fact that amazes me is that honey bees also use this sticky substance to embalm or "mummify" the carcasses of larger insects that invade the hive. Such intruders are immediately stung to death but because the defending bees can't transport such heavy corpse away from the hive, they embalm them rather than allowing them to decay. The ancient Eygptians observed this and used propolis as one of the embalming agents for their exquisite mummies!

Health

Propolis contains approximately 50-70% resins, 30% wax, 10% etheric oils and 5% pollen. It is especially rich in amino acids, important for immune system function. It has a high vitamin content (Vitamin A (carotene), Vitamin B1, B2, B3, biotin) and is extremely rich in bioflavonoids (Vitamin P) which are believed to have numerous immune building properties and health benefits. Bioflavonoids are the natural pigments in fruits and vegetables and are found in abundance in oranges. This bee glue contains almost 500 times more bioflavonoids than is found in oranges! It also contains an array of albumin, calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. Like Royal Jelly and Bee Pollen, it contains a number of unidentified compounds which work together synergistically to create a balanced, nutritive substance.

Health Benefits of Propolis

Propolis can be purchased completely raw and unprocessed, but it in its natural state is a sticky substance and is very difficult to handle. Some beekeepers will package the raw propolis and freeze it in small portions. It can then be added to a coffee grinder in its frozen state and ground for easy consumption. Most producers utilize a process where the active ingredients are 'leached' into water or alcohol, then either packaged in liquid form or dried and capsulated.

Because of its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, this precious substance has been used as a healing agent for many centuries. It has the ability to provide protection against infectious invaders, promote healing and regeneration of tissue, and provides a superior source of energy and stamina. It has been used as ointments for healing cuts and wounds and shown to have outstanding value for a wide variety of illnesses. It is also used as a natural alternative to penicillin and other antibiotics. It is said to be particularly safe and effective and inhibits the resistance-building effect that is a negative factor with prescription antibiotics. In the former Eastern Bloc countries, antibiotics have never been widely available, but beekeeping is widely practised. To help prevent many diseases, hospitals and clinics recommended washing, gargling or irrigating the sinuses with propolis rinses, as well as taking propolis internally. This bee product is certainly a good weapon against bacteria when used topically. It can clearly prevent infections, and can also help heal infections that have already begun.

Do you know that now even toothpastes contain natural ingredients related to honey bees. Propolis has become a healthy alternative to synthetic brands of toothpastes as it is especially useful in mouth and gum disorders. Our mouth is one of the most sensitive spots of our body. This is the place where the synesthesia of senses starts and the food we visualize develops its full smell and taste. The mouth is the starting point of the food digestion. A healthy mouth cavity is certainly one of the elements contributing to the appetite and good mood in general. If the mouth develops sore spots, thrush or gum disease, it causes the whole system to disrupt, resulting in pain and tormenting feeling. Published clinical research demonstrates that propolis fights bacteria, prevents tooth decay, enhances oral hygiene, heals bleeding gums, and prevents gums receding. Manufacturers of propolis toothpastes and mouth sprays claim that their products leave teeth clean, gums feeling healthy, taste great without artificial ingredients, and produce no negative side effects. The salesperson at a honey shop which I often frequent explained that propolis toothpaste are very suitable for young children's use as even if it's accidentally swallowed, it's extremely safe. Such products are easily applied, and have increasingly become part of the everyday dental hygiene of people who are especially interested in natural remedies. My latest discovery while shopping for honey products : propolis extract now even comes in the form of sprays and candies. The spray claims that it is effective against flu, cuts, burns, gum and mouth infections, throat discomforsts and intestinal discomfort, while the candy is sold as a good therapeutic substitute to the traditional throat lozenges and an aid to curing flu, colds, throat discomfort, cough and bad breath.

Note of Caution: Propolis is generally non-toxic, though allergic reactions such as skin rashes, swelling, redness, eczema or fever have been reported. As the effects of propolis during pregnancy and breast-feeding have not been sufficiently evaluated, women should not use it during these times unless directed to do so by a physician.

Source: www.benefits-of-honey.com/propolis.html

Health Benefits of Propolis

R. Tan is the owner of the website benefits-of-honey.com which is a rich honey resource community specially built for all the honey lovers and fans in this world. She has packed this website with a wide range of quality contents on honey based on her knowledge and experience with honey, so as to promote its invaluable benefits which she believes could bring many positive spin-offs in everyone's daily life.

The Health Benefits of Kale

When you mention kale, the majority will look up with raised eyebrows and mumble "What"? "What's that"? An old, hardly spoken of and powerful green food. Kale is a leafy green vegetable with a mild earthy flavor. The season for kale is between mid winter and early spring where it can be found in abundance in most produce sections of the local grocery store. However, one can find kale year round. Thankfully, kale is starting to garner well deserved attention due its nutrient rich phytochemical content which provides unparalleled health promoting benefits.

Kale absolutely rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in Vitamin C not to mention the much needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of processed food eating Americans. The "Icing on the Kale" are the natural occurring all important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer. Let's not forget the all important antioxidant Vitamin E. Rest assured kale spares nothing in providing one with much needed nutrients and associated health benefits.

Health

The naturally rich sulfur content of kale deserves a bit more discussion. Science has discovered that sulforaphane, helps boost the body's detoxification enzymes, possibly by altering gene expression. This is turn is purported to help clear carcinogenic substances in a timely manner. Sulforaphane is formed when cruciferous vegetables like kale are chopped or chewed. This somehow triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals, of which we all are exposed on daily basis. A recently new study in the Journal of Nutrition (2004) demonstrates that sulforaphane helps stop breast cancer cell proliferation.

The Health Benefits of Kale

Kale descends from the wild cabbage which originated in Asia and is thought to have been brought to Europe by the Celtics. Kale was an important food item in early European history and a crop staple in ancient Rome. Kale was brought to the USA during the 17th century by English settlers.

A leafy green vegetable starting to gain widespread attention, kale belongs to the Brassica family, a group that also includes cabbage, collard greens and Brussels sprouts. Choose kale with small leaves as they will be tenderer and offer a sweeter taste. Make kale leaves a regular addition to your salads. A sautéed side dish of kale, onions, and garlic drizzled in olive oil is second to none. Enjoy your kale. You'll be glad did.

The Health Benefits of Kale

Dr. Linda Posh MS SLP ND. "Doc Posh" brings a fresh perspective to natural health and nutrition. She packs a solid educational background with degrees in organic chemistry, psychology and a Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders. The Dr. sports a diverse work history including experience and expertise in acute care neurorehab services, special education, autism support services, spinal cord injuries, senior rehabilitation services and currently consults to both patients and colleagues in natural health. Recently, she has been in the laboratory, formulating revolutionary whole food nutritional supplements. LiquidVitaminAnswers.com Body Balance Liquid Vitamins Answers Website donates all profits to providing free Health Care for those in need. Sign up for Doc Posh's newsletter. Get the latest in health care discoveries, consumer deception and more. Visit http://www.LiquidVitaminAnswers.com for the finest in liquid vitamins.

Lemon Juice Health Benefits

Lemonade is known to have been used as a refreshing drink since the time of the Moguls. Modem investigations have tended to support this use, the essential oil being very good for cooling the body. This use can be extended to the employment of lemon juice with water and sugar as the best drink to take when you have a fever

When the temperature of the body is high, whether from the effects of the sun or from the results of illness, it is necessary to take regular drinks in order to prevent dehydration. Sugar is not normally a desirable part of a healthy diet, nevertheless it has its part to play with lemon, and although there is no doubt that the addition of honey if available is very much to be preferred.

Health

The high vitamin C content of the lemon has been used for hundreds of years to ward off scurvy among sailors and travelers. There is little sodium, so the fruit is good as a flavoring for those on a low salt diet.

Lemon Juice Health Benefits

Because in some countries the producers of lemons extend their keeping properties and improve appearance by coating them with the chemical diphenyl and waxing the fruits, it is a wise precaution to wash the lemon with a little unscented soap and then rinse thoroughly before converting the whole fruit to juice.

The pulp left from the juicing is excellent for the skin and can also soothe the bites and stings of insects. If you add equal parts of toilet water and of glycerin to the residue the mixture can be made to keep the hands smooth.

Doctors Morel and Rochaix demonstrated that the extract of lemon when vaporized will neutralize the bacteria of meningococcus, typhoid, pneumococcus and staphylococcus in from 15 to 180 minutes.

A gastronomically inclined Frenchman, Charles Richet, is said by Dr Valnet to have discovered that the lemon juice added to raw oysters before eating them destroys 92% of the bacteria present within 15 minutes. A good reason to wait before you eat!

This information is relevant to the idea that lemon juice is a most important therapy to be used in all cases of infection of the respiratory tract and as a general tonic.

Provided that the juice is diluted with water, there is no danger in taking any reasonable quantity of lemon juice. Be sure to choose firm, clear colored lemons that have not begun to wither. The first signs of ageing can be spotted where the stem was once attached to the fruit.

Lemon Juice Health Benefits

Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of natural home remedies websites which have information on benefits of juices and raw vegetables are also mentioned which includes lime juice too.

Healthcare Decision Support Systems

IT Efficiency: Ontology Programming Holds the Key

The seamless integration of knowledge and data is indispensible to today's modern healthcare decision support systems (DSS). A healthcare organization that thoroughly understands its patients and is able to respond quickly to their needs, scores highly with them-and this has become an extremely important competitive component in today's ever-more interconnected world where patient feedback can positively or negatively affect an organization's reputation and bottom line.

Healthcare

The patient care world is complex, with various information systems being utilized to streamline and automate patient care processes.Fortunately, there is a new approach to IT efficiency vis-a-vis ontological engineering-or ontology programming-that is possibly the most significant benefit to ensuring accurate data integration, which fosters a better understanding of patient needs, thus resulting in better patient care and excellent patient outcomes.

Healthcare Decision Support Systems

Ontological engineering excels at extracting knowledge and critical information from the various information systems within a healthcare decision support system (or its organizational databases). Ontology programming reduces often difficult data integration issues and promotes data reuse, data sharing, and common vocabularies between the information systems, from patient intake to patient discharge.

For healthcare organizations to understand their patients better, data across the entire organization or spectrum of information systems involved in patient care must to be analyzed. Knowledge from different areas or "domains" (e.g., the patient-entry process domain, hospitalization and treatment domains, and billing and insurance domains) must to be extracted in order to accurately interpret quality of care.

Detailed knowledge is also required to interpret patient responses to the various care options exercised from the time of entry into the healthcare facility through final discharge. In addition, quality healthcare organizations strive to improve their existing processes and analyze post-care data in order to determine areas of improvement and initiate appropriate programs. Therefore, the accurate compilation and correlation of patient data is essential during the care process-both individually and in aggregate with other patient data-to determine potential process improvement steps.

As mentioned previously, healthcare organizations also benefit from their patients' recovering better and more quickly as a result of higher quality care. This is, in no small part, driven by efficient information systems. Patient care results are reflected in quality reports issued by premier organizations such as JCAHO (Joint Commission for Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations). As of 2009, JCAHO reports include patient satisfaction data, as well, thus making it even more important to understand patient information effectively and utilize to it to render care that leads to better patient satisfaction.

Accurate knowledge across intra-organizational domains can only be extracted when healthcare decision support systems are able to exchange relevant data with each other-which is not always possible with current configurations.Even if the numerous systems within an organization can connect to each other through common computer interfaces, they may have stored patient data differently,rendering information exchange virtually impossible and creating a silo effect. Additionally, the context in which the information is used may vary from system to system,making it even more difficult to correlate data across various platforms and systems within the organization. Finally, data consistency and data integrity issues arise as each silo information system is further customized to optimize the information system's performance.

Therefore, to achieve a comprehensive and accurate individual patient view across the entire patient care spectrum of an organization, different information systems-based reports may have to be compiled separately with data correlated between them. The results will then need to be represented in a single, coherent report. This type of data correlation may include the mapping of various customer names for a single patient, as an example. Obviously, this type of system is not only vulnerable to error and to data integrity and consistency issues, but it is also quite inefficient and, therefore, needlessly costly.

Data correlation, integrity, and integration issues are not confined within an organization's systems only. Health care organizations rely on HIE (Healthcare Information Exchange) to communicate with external entities. HIE is used to move clinical information between different information systems from various providers (i.e. test labs, insurance companies, and other healthcare facilities) without losing the meaning of the information exchanged. These systems typically use established standards for data exchange, such as SNOMED CT, ICD-9 and -10, and other HIE standards.

Periodic updates are required, and organizations must ensure that they are in compliance in order to participate in data exchanges with other providers. Naturally, whenever any data changes occur, the cost and time required to modify multiple systems within an organization can be staggering, but without the use of ontological engineering, the higher costs must be borne, as system modifications are mandatory.

Whether the data reside internally or external sources are employed for HIE, a healthcare organization faces the common issues of data mapping, data integration, reuse, and data sharing.  Whenever data change, or new relationships between data are discovered, organizations expend valuable resources in time and money adjusting databases across various systems in an attempt to keep them aligned with each other. This absorbs important resources, taking them away from the core focus and value proposition of the organization-that of providing quality patient care.

When data change, especially internal organizational data, conventional technologies (as in "relational" databases) require changes to their database structures and schemas, potentially leading to major regression testing of the systems after the changes have been completed.  This must be accomplished in order to ensure that nothing is deleted or corrupted after the changes are made, and is quite naturally, another costly step-both in terms of time and resources. 

Information Technology departments have tried to respond to data integrity and data integration issues across various systems within an organization by building a data warehouse that acts as a central repository for most, or all, of the inter-related systems. However, the solution is only partially successful. Often times, competing interests from various internal "stakeholders" in different information systems can lead to data that is stored in a manner is favorable to some information systems, but not others. This, of course, potentially compromises data access and reuse by other systems.

In addition, since the entire organization's data cannot be migrated to a data warehouse simultaneously, some systems are migrated before others, and the entire migration process may take as long as a year or more to complete in a large health care organization. In the interim, data across the enterprise changes, and the whole cycle of re-aligning data must start anew. There have been proposed solutions to address this and other related problems, but they each leave something to be desired.

Ontology programming can help reduce data integration, sharing, and reuse pains to quite an extent. By definition, ontologies are a formal representation of knowledge by a set of concepts within a domain. They not only store data in a database, but also store relationships, including hierarchical relationships, between data. 

This ability distinguishes ontological engineering from standard relational databases and provides the flexibility of updating data and relationships between them. Ontologies are also able to add newly discovered relationships without the necessity of significantly changing the core database or requiring extensive programming efforts-unlike typical databases currently in use.  They also excel at removing term confusion and providing data mapping capabilities, which vastly promotes improved data share and data reuse across an organization's information systems.

For healthcare organizations, as well as other large business enterprises, the practical, time-saving applications of a system built on ontology programming are quite extensive. We know that ontological engineering provides the ability to extract knowledge contained within applications and information systems across the various domains within an organization, but it is also very useful for capturing "real world decisions" made by humans and converting it into computer format. The result of this capturing of knowledge across domains by SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) and healthcare providers leads to much more consistent query results whenever similar conditions are encountered in the future.

Such information system architecture can significantly reduce medical errors and enhance patient care. This can be accomplished, for instance, by the capturing of a healthcare professional's diagnosis of a particular medical condition and other relevant data. Once the data are entered into the ontological system, it will consistently provide the same results for similar conditions in the future and offer the diagnostics and conclusions as an aid to other healthcare professionals.

Subsequently, a healthcare professional may choose to exercise the same diagnostics (or treat the patient differently according to differences in patient circumstances), but the healthcare decision support system's information can now provide an important, relevant checkpoint based upon the previous diagnostic information.

In conclusion, the use of ontology programming in the healthcare field provides a significant reduction in data integration issues and-because these technologies are superior extractors of knowledge across multiple information systems and can add new relationships between such systems with relative ease-they provide the flexibility to change data with far less effort and cost than standard systems now require.

Consequently, ontological engineering is able to provide an invaluable component to improved patient care and outcomes by supporting critical healthcare processes and decision-making. The superior integration of knowledge and data within healthcare organizations may at first appear prosaic, but it is nothing short of revolutionary in its potential to affect organizational performance and quality care.

Healthcare Decision Support Systems

For more information, please contact TerraFrame ( www.terraframe.com ), a leading ontological engineering software development company in Denver, CO or call 877-444-3074 or email Ray Hutchins at rh@terraframe.com or JP Batra at jp.batra@blueriverintnl.com.

California Job Outlook - Healthcare Workers in Huge Demand

Temperature is right for Healthcare Opportunities

A healthcare career might be just the cure for your occupational woes. Whether it's working with patients, being a key contributor in a medical office team, or opening up your own business, healthcare is a satisfying, challenging and exciting career choice. And there's never been a better time to train for a healthcare position. With the aging of the baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), a shift from inpatient to outpatient care, and the expansion of healthcare centers, the demand for healthcare workers is expected to increase in the years to come, especially in California.

Healthcare

Below are the fastest growing Healthcare Careers in California:

California Job Outlook - Healthcare Workers in Huge Demand

*Dental Assisting*

Average Annual Wage: ,985

2002-2012 Job Growth: 57%

Future Career Paths: Dental Hygienist, Licensed Vocational Nurse

*Health Claims Examiner/Medical Biller*

Average Annual Wage: ,772

2002-2012 Job Growth: 41%

Future Career Paths: Medical Coder, Insurance Adjuster

*Massage Therapy*

Average Annual Wage: ,340

2002-2012 Job Growth: 21%

Future Career Paths: Physical Therapist, Day Spa Manager

*Medical Assistant*

Average Annual Wage: ,890

2002-2012 Job Growth: 46%

Future Career Paths: Licensed Vocational Nurse, Medical Coder

*Optical Dispensing*

Average Annual Wage: ,441

2002-2012 Job Growth: 23%

Future Career Paths: Store Owner, Manufacturers Sales Rep

*Pharmacy Technician*

Average Annual Wage: ,632

2002-2012 Job Growth: 31%

Future Career Paths: Occupational Therapy Assistant, Dietetic Technician

*Surgical Technology*

Average Annual Wage: ,178

2002-2012 Job Growth: 36%

Future Career Paths: Central Supply Mgr, Asst. Operating Room Admin.

*Diagnostic Medical Sonagraphy*

Average Annual Wage: ,908

2002-2012 Job Growth: 21%

Future Career Paths: Physician's Assistant, Medical Technologist

** Salaries listed above are average annual wages reported by the Employment Development Department of the State of California and do not reflect entry level salaries for the healthcare positions listed.

Key Success Factors

Do you have a genuine desire to help people? Then chances are you'll be successful as a healthcare professional. The four other critical skills you'll need to succeed in health care are:

o Team player. Healthcare is a group activity, so people skills and teamwork are essential.

o Compassionate and caring. Helping take care of people requires patience and a service-orientated attitude.

o Comfortable in any setting. You might be part of a huge organization or a small staff, working at the local, state, regional or national level. The possibilities are endless.

o Desire for lifelong learning. You'll need to keep studying and learning throughout your career to keep up with the latest developments in the field.

Healthcare provides a helping hand

Healthcare professionals are essential when it comes to caring for the physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing of individuals. Whether you're a health information specialist or a dental receptionist, all support staff play a vital role in patient care. As an important contributor to the healthcare system, you'll need to be able to establish trust and credibility with fellow workers and patients. Good communication skills, ability to follow directions, and strong listening ability are important, especially if you're working in a clinical environment.

Technical abilities are a must

Technology has altered the practice of healthcare. No matter what the healthcare field, an ability to work with computers and high-tech equipment is a powerful asset. As a medical biller, you will probably be asked to help process some claims electronically. Medical clinical assistants may need to deal with an Electronic Medical Record. Pharmacy technicians often operate automated pill dispensers. But if you're unfamiliar with such tools, don't worry--your all-important career college will help introduce you to these concepts.

Exciting environments

Is it any wonder that shows like NBC's "ER" and "Scrubs," and CBS' "Rescue 911," have been so popular? They show the drama of medicine and the reality of life-and-death situations. Healthcare is filled with stimulating and interesting interactions. Of course, big-city hospitals bustle with activity, but even a quiet suburban assisted living facility, chiropractic office, retail pharmacy, HMO, or medical clinic have everyday drama and fascinating daily interactions. If you like a variety of tasks, work well under stress, and take pride in doing a job well done, then you have what it takes to be a valuable member of the healthcare team.

Lifelong learning

Medical-related workplaces have always been settings that support and encourage professional growth and development. Opportunities for on-the-job training and continuing education abound, and often employers will subsidize your schooling. You'll also have lots of opportunities for advancement, so your ambition will serve you well in a healthcare profession. If you're interested in a career like massage therapy, be assured that complementary and alternative medicines are being integrated into conventional healthcare systems, offering you even greater opportunities. No matter what your area of interest, be sure you start out at a school that provides a positive learning environment and is prepared to help you launch your career in this exciting arena.

Reality check

Although not every healthcare professional works with patients, those who do will find that people are sicker, older, and living longer, often with chronic diseases. Keeping a positive attitude is key for maintaining a cheerful office or clinic. Are you up to the challenge? Being a paid caregiver requires confidence, commitment and compassion.
Summary

The clock never stops ticking in the healthcare profession. Perhaps it's time for you to join this financially rewarding, stable and gratifying occupation. One recent study showed that California led other states in the number of advertised healthcare job vacancies, with other regions also showing a strong demand across the nation.

One healthcare worker said it best: "Touching someone's life in a positive way is the most rewarding work that there is."

To request free information about the healthcare career training programs offered in southern California, visit http://www.americancareer.com.

To request free information about the healthcare career training programs offered in northern California's San Joaquin Valley, visit http://www.acicareercollege.com.

About American Career College

For over 25 years, American Career College (ACC) has been helping thousands of students get their start in the healthcare industry. ACC offers nine healthcare training programs at campuses in Los Angeles, Orange County and Norco, California:

Dental Assisting

Health Claims Examiner/Medical Biller

Massage Therapy

Optical Dispensing

Vocational Nursing

Pharmacy Technician

Surgical Technology

Diagnostic & Medical Sonography (Ultrasound)

Medical Assistant

About A.C.I. Career College

At its McHenry Avenue campus in Modesto, CA, the College offers six accredited healthcare training programs:

Health Information Specialist

Medical Clinical Assistant

Medical-Dental Administrative Assistant

Pharmacy Technician

Massage Therapist

Medical Dental Receptionist

California Job Outlook - Healthcare Workers in Huge Demand

Dotty Zukoff is a freelance writer who specializes in writing articles on career education opportunities. She contributes regularly to e-zines and works with strategic marketing companies that specialize in lead generation marketing for career schools, including Smart Prospector (www.smartprospector.com) and Effective Student Marketing (www.effectivestudentmarketing.com).

Healthcare Professionals

You may wonder who helps you when you are sick. Who takes good care of you when you are confined in the hospital or clinic? They can be found in every hospital, clinic or health care setting, and they are called healthcare professionals.

Healthcare professionals are people who devote their time in providing good care to people who are sick or to people who need attention with regards to health related matters. They are equipped with the knowledge and skills that are needed in order to help those who are in need. For example, in order to treat certain illnesses or diseases, a person will have a degree in medicine and will become a doctor. Doctors are the ones who assess you when you are sick and diagnose your illness. They are the ones who prescribe you your medication/s in order to aid you in recovering from illness. The doctors cannot perform all the tasks in dealing with patients alone, they need the help of other healthcare professionals.

Healthcare

One of them would be the nurse. The nurse assists the doctor in providing care for the patients. They are the ones who monitor the condition of the patient when they are confined in the hospital. They aid in the daily activities of patients who cannot perform on their own. The nurses are the ones who spend most of the time with patients in the hospital. Another healthcare professional would be the medical technologist. They are the ones who are responsible in obtaining blood samples of patients to help properly diagnose the condition of the patient. The medical technologist work hand in hand with the pathologist in studying the blood of the patient, so as to determine whether the underlying cause of the illness can be found in the blood. Each of the healthcare professionals perform a specific task in order to help the patients recover and be able to get back to good health.

Healthcare Professionals

The healthcare professionals do not rely only on their knowledge and skills when providing good quality care to their patients. They also need the use of medical equipment in order to endow their patients with quality service that is needed to facilitate their fast recovery. For example, the nurse uses the nebulizer for the patient who has asthma. The nebulizer aids in administering the medication needed by the patient to alleviate his or her condition. Another example would be when the doctor coordinates with the physical therapist to assist the patient in conducting physical therapy.

The physical therapist in turn will use medical equipments such as an overhead trapeze, which is installed on the patient's bed, in order to help the patient use his or her own muscles when turning from side to side in order to facilitate range of motion exercises. All of the medical equipment being used has its purpose to assist in the improvement of the condition of a patient and the healthcare professional. The healthcare professional in turn must be knowledgeable enough on how to use the medical equipment in order to provide the most excellent care that will aid the patient in gaining good health.

Healthcare Professionals

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PPO Health Insurance Plans - The Pros & Cons

PPO is short for Preferred Provider Organization. PPO health insurance plans are based on contractual relationships that the insurance companies have with the organizations. The term "organizations" refers to the healthcare providers, doctors, hospital, clinics, etc.

Thus, PPO plans have pre-approved lists of healthcare providers called the Participating (In-Network) Provider list. But they also allow you to see healthcare providers who are not on the list called the Non-Participating (Out-of-Network) Provider list.

Healthcare

Note that when you use a non-participating provider you will end up paying more than if you had used one in-network.

PPO Health Insurance Plans - The Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Access: You have access to a larger number of doctors and facilities.
• Choice: You can chose whatever doctor you want to see for your healthcare needs.
• Specialists: you do not have to have a referral to a specialist.
• Primary Care Physician: You do not have to chose and be tied to a primary care physician.
• Negotiated Fees: When you use a participating provider, the amount charged will be a negotiated amount less than the provider would charge someone without the plan.

Cons:

• Deductible: There is almost always a deductible to be met.
• Co-Insurance: After the deductible is met, there is a co-insurance amount that you are responsible for paying the average being 30% of the cost.
• Out of Pocket Expenses: Overall, PPO plans cost you more between the deductible and co-insurance and other out-of-pocket expenses.

In the end it comes down to what is important to you. Are you willing to pay extra for open access to the healthcare provider of your choice?

Whether you want a PPO, HMO, or HSA, you should consult a local health insurance agent or broker to help you find the right plan.

PPO Health Insurance Plans - The Pros & Cons

Corinne Mitchell has worked in the insurance industry for 10+ years and currently works with the Group Insurance Benefits Specialists at http://www.nicoins.com

Read her blog http://www.groupinsurancebenefitsspecialists.com/ for more tips.

Make sure you get expert advice and find the right coverage for you and your employees.

Comparing the Pros and Cons of Outsourced Healthcare Coding

Deciding on whether to outsource any portion of your healthcare facility's revenue cycle department is something that cannot be taken lightly. And facilities have different options when outsourcing the coding function. Some facilities have chosen to keep the coding in-house and only outsource the processes involved with electronic claims submissions, collections and financial reporting. However, with the increased number of audits, health care facilities are deciding to outsource all revenue cycle functions including the coding of claims.

The implication of inaccurate coding is significant. A healthcare facility should look at their available resources when determining if the coding should be outsourced. One only has to look at the two types of coding errors: "overcoding" and "undercoding." The obvious ramification of overcoding is potential for an extended audit; repayment and possible penalties and fines. Undercoding or what providers call "defensive coding" results in millions of dollars of lost revenue.

Healthcare

Pros of Outsourced Coding

Comparing the Pros and Cons of Outsourced Healthcare Coding

As mentioned, healthcare providers are seeing audits from all areas. These claims audits include RAC, MIC, MAC, CERT, PERM, MFCU, ZPIC and others. With more claims audits, the healthcare industry is seeing a higher demand for qualified coders. One benefit of outsourcing the coding tasks is that the headache of hiring an individual with coding experience is no longer an issue.

Medical coding rules can be arduous. A coder must be privy to CPT rules, Correct Coding Initiative Edits (CCI), ICD-9-CM (and soon ICD-10-CM), Local Carrier Determination (LCDs) and National Carrier Determinations (NCDs). With small practices, those individuals who are granted the task of "coding" are also given other responsibilities which affect the amount of time they have on applying, learning and keeping abreast of all of the rules. Utilizing a company who only hires qualified individuals to conduct the coding tasks, provides confidence that the claims are being submitted based on the appropriate rules and policies.

The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) provide various ways of obtaining the required continuing education credits. Many ways are affordable and do not require leaving your desk. However, many of these ways are not as specialty specific as you would find at regional and national conferences. With attending offsite conferences, the expenses are increased. The budgets in many health care facilities cannot accommodate the expenses associated with continuing education classes. Outsourcing the coding to a company eliminates this extra expense.

With the above benefits of outsourcing the coding, comes due diligence on the health care facility's end. It is imperative that it is understood that these companies do provide specialty specific continuing education and that they provide their staff with the appropriate resources that spell out all of the coding rules and policies.

Cons of Outsourced Coding

So what are the cons involved in the outsourcing of the coding? For one, when mentioning the benefits of using a coding company, we are making the assumption that their employees are qualified and educated on the coding rules. Negative outcomes have been shown with physicians of certain specialties that have more difficult coding scenarios. This is often seen with Interventional Radiology and Neuro Surgery. Although the coding company may have qualified individuals, they may not be experts on these more difficult specialties. It is imperative that you find out if your designated coder is educated on your specialty. Ask for the bios and CVs of the coders who will be working on your claims. In addition, coders lose their credentials. It is easy to contact the AAPC and AHIMA to determine if the coder who is submitting your claims has allowed her credentials to lapse. Find out what type of continuing education they have received in the past; get specifics.

Unless you contract with a coding company that only deals with claims in one particular part of the country, you are taking the gamble that they are truly applying LCDs and other regional coding policies to your claims. If you are a provider in Louisiana and you are utilizing the services of a company out of Minnesota, you must get confirmation that the coding company is experienced with Medicare, Medicaid and other third-party payers in your state.

Beyond the coding tasks, there is the remainder of the revenue cycle process that can be outsourced. The process for outsourcing billing can be pretty straightforward. Typically superbills and other documents are scanned and electronically sent or mailed to the medical billing service. If the practice is using EHR software, the patient's superbill is stored and electronically transmitted to the billing service. The medical billing service takes care of the data entry and claim submission on behalf of the provider. The company will also follow up on denied claims, work unpaid accounts (A/R management) and send out-patient statements. The mere fact that they do not have to deal with any of this is the major reason that providers choose to outsource. In this outsourcing scenario, the fee for outsourcing these revenue cycle tasks is based on a percentage of gross collections. The industry average for these fees is approximately 7 percent of gross collections.

Compare hard costs: Calculate the expense of doing it in-house (salary and overhead of your billing staff, amount of time you are spending on billing, third-party fees for claims clearinghouses, billing related supplies such as claim forms) versus the billing company fees (which are typically a percentage of collections). Many organizations provide salary surveys that can assist you with average cost of billing staff.

Compare soft costs and intangibles: This comes down to the basic hassle of dealing with daily billing issues and all issues related to human resources. Is dealing with these issues worth it?

Compare effectiveness: You must take into account the quality of the resources that you would have in-house versus assessing the potential effectiveness of a third-party. If you have done billing in-house, you can measure your collection rates; turnaround times and other points of billing to practices of the same specialty and size. This could assist you in determining how well your billing staff is doing. Another question that you could ask yourself is how often do you get reports regarding A/R, charges, and collections?

Any business decision requires acknowledgment of cost benefit, good business practice and common sense for the company. When determining whether to outsource the billing, consider these facts and apply them to your daily practices. The ultimate decision comes down to one thing and that is how can we practice medicine and maintain a business in the most efficient way.

Comparing the Pros and Cons of Outsourced Healthcare Coding

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Income Tax Implications of The Healthcare Reform Act - Obama Care

On March 23, 2010 President Obama signed the Landmark Health Care Reform Act and was immediately challenged in court. The result was that many people were left confused about the law and its' effect your personal bottom line and taxes in particular.

The new law which incorporates a slew of new regulations and requirements for businesses and individuals is intended to increase the number of people covered by medical insurance and by doing so reduce the cost for everyone. The Health Care Reform Act commonly referred to as Obama Care is being phased in over the course of eight years with the vast majority of the law in place by the end of 2014.

Healthcare

One of the ways the law is intended reduce costs is through the creation of state-based exchanges. These exchanges allow lower income individuals and families to purchase coverage by taking advantage of cost sharing. Small businesses may also purchase insurance through the state exchanges and take advantage of similar cost benefits. The state exchanges will be available to individuals and families who are between 133-400% of the federal poverty level which is incomes from about ,050. to ,200 for a family of four.

Income Tax Implications of The Healthcare Reform Act - Obama Care

The Health Care Reform Act, Obama Care does require that individuals without employer provided health coverage purchase their own or be subject to a tax penalty. The penalty for not purchasing coverage is based on income and therefore varies. The tax penalty will be eased into effect and at its' maximum will run from 5 to ,085. per year. For a family of four with a household income of ,054. the average tax penalty will be about ,251. per year.

The majority of households, estimates range from 70-80%, who do not have some form of employer based health coverage will be eligible for premium support and as such will have access to state exchanges. The average family of four with a household income of ,000 a year will pay about ,400 a year for insurance.

The cost for an average family of four breaks down as follows:

Household Income: ,000.

Total Cost of Insurance: ,853.

Tax Credit: ,468.

Final Cost to Taxpayer: ,385.

The Henry Kaiser Family Foundation website provides a great tool to calculate your actual cost for health insurance beginning with the year 2014. The health reform subsidy calculator allows you to put in your family income, size and your age and calculates exactly what your costs will be.

Employers

In most cases businesses who employ more then 50 people, full-time, will be required to provide health insurance coverage under this law. The law states that if you have more then 50 full-time employees and at least one of them receives the premium support tax credit a fee (tax penalty) of ,000 per full-time employee (excluding the first 30) will be assessed. This applies only to employers who do not offer health coverage already.

For employers who do offer coverage but still have a full-time employee who receives a premium support tax credit the employer will have to pay a tax penalty of ,000. for each full-time employee receiving a credit or ,000. per employee, excluding the first 30, whichever is less.

It is important to note that all the tax penalties for employers pertain to full-time employees only. For example a business with 100 employees of which only 49 are full-time is exempt from providing coverage.

Income Tax Implications of The Healthcare Reform Act - Obama Care

I have been writing about taxes, tax preparation and accounting related topics for 10 years. Visit us online CPA Tax Center or Lorraine Palka, CPA

Reasons For Increasing Healthcare Costs

Healthcare in America has become unaffordable for an average individual due to the increase in the costs. These costs are straining burden on the individuals and have become a top issue in the country. Some reasons behind the increasing healthcare costs would be the latest medical technology that's coming up, lack of price controlling mechanism and rising costs of insurance. Let's look into these factors a little bit in detail.

As one can clearly see, day to day new medical devices, techniques and drugs are being introduced in the market and charges levied on such services are being high. This can be understood by a simple fact that the treatment of the most common dental ailments would cost you anything not less than 0 which is more than twice the amount of other countries. Government's policies to extend coverage for all the Americans could not fundamentally happen as expected due to the lack of health price control mechanisms. This failure made the health care costs soaring and pushed up the costs. Insurance companies are increasing the costs to make significant gains from the increasing health care costs. This increase in the premiums has reached a point where it has become unaffordable to the people.

Healthcare

Many survey reports clearly analyzes the conditions and present a detailed description of facts about the increasing health care costs and insurance premiums in America. The most common thing all these reports suggest is to control the health care costs but they don't come up with a solution of resolving it. Overall, it affects the consumers. The only solution, which is considered to be the best in the contemporary America, is discount plans that reduce your health care costs to a greater extent and provide a sigh of relief to the consumers.

Reasons For Increasing Healthcare Costs

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Reasons For Increasing Healthcare Costs

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Differences Between the Republican and Democratic Healthcare Reform Bills

The Republican Party has spent the past several months serving as vocal opposition to the healthcare reform bills supported by the Barack Obama administration and Democratic members of Congress. During that time, they have seen success in influencing public opinion. However, many were frustrated that Republicans hadn't offered their own plan. Surely they didn't believe that the health insurance system in the U.S. is perfect the way it is? Well, the wait is over. Senate Minority Leader John Boehner has acknowledged the public's demand for an alternative with the debut of the GOP's healthcare reform bill. Obviously, a party that has disagreements with most parts of the Democrats' bills in the House of Representatives and Senate has written a significantly different bill. How exactly are the proposals different?

• Length: The Democrats' bill is a whopping 1,990 pages long. Meanwhile, the Republican version clocks in at a more reasonable 230 pages. Most politicians should find the latter's length (akin to the average novel) more manageable than the entire encyclopedia that is the former.
• Mandate: Republicans have eliminated the mandate that would require virtually all individuals to buy health insurance plans, as well as one that would force employers to provide insurance. Those mandates are central to the Democratic bill; their intent is to make sure that the cost of health insurance is spread among a large pool, as opposed to only the sickest of our population.
• Pre-existing Conditions: Unlike the bills proposed by the Democrats, the Republican bill would not ban health insurance companies from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. This falls in line with the party's more anti-regulatory stance on business.
• Interstate Insurance Sales: People will be allowed to buy a health insurance plan across state lines under the Republican bill. Insurance is cheaper in some states, since there are fewer requirements or restrictions on what insurers do or do not cover.
• Abortion Coverage: The Republican bill includes stricter prohibitions on funding of abortions. Democrats have already included a provision that would prevent federal subsidies (given to low income individuals to buy insurance) from being used directly on abortion services. However, the Republicans go further by preventing people who receive the subsidies from buying any health insurance plan that covers abortion entirely--even if they never end up using that particular option. The Republican party has a stronger pro-life base, so this provision could help draw them in. On the other hand, this could also backfire against the Republicans, who have capitalized off the grassroots anger over the possibility of a government bureaucracy making your health care decisions for you.
• Medical Malpractice: Trial lawyers have been loyal contributors to Democratic politicians. That may be why there isn't significant legislation involving medical tort reform in their bill. Republicans would like to limit jury awards for things like pain and suffering. The most plaintiffs could be awarded would be 0,000 in medical malpractice cases (excluding actual, proven economic harm)
• Cost: The most recent estimates show the Democrats' plan as costing over trillion over the next decade, while Republicans haven't yet revealed how much their plan will cost. Given how much they complain about the Democratic proposals super-sizing the national debt, it can reasonably be expected that their bill will have a lower price tag.

Healthcare

As you can see, there are significant differences in the bills. Above all, Republicans acknowledge that their bill would insure less people than the Democratic bill. Although both parties care about lowering the percentage of uninsured individuals and families in addition to the budget deficit, there is a trade-off. The latter appears to be a higher priority for the GOP. It appears inevitable that healthcare reform will pass at some point, possibly before the end of this year. The details of the Democratic proposals have been discussed for weeks, while the solutions presented by the Republicans have just made their formal debut. Boehner plans to finalize his party's bill soon, in order for it to be presented when debate on the finalized Democratic bill begins on the House floor. So far, neither strategy for reforming our healthcare system seems ideal. Despite that, it is positive that more options are being presented to the American people. The greater number of minds put together, the faster we can fix the unavailability of affordable health insurance plans in this country.

Differences Between the Republican and Democratic Healthcare Reform Bills

Differences Between the Republican and Democratic Healthcare Reform Bills

Yamileth Medina is an up and coming expert on Health Insurance and Healthcare Reform. She aims to help people realize that they can get affordable health insurance plans right now while waiting for a public option, if it ever gets passed. Yamileth lives in Miami, FL.