Media blitz to encourage smokers to QUIT...
STHCS’ Tobacco Cessation Center is contributing to a statewide media campaign regarding
the increase of the state’s cigarette excise tax. On June 3, the tax on of a pack of cigarettes
will increase from $1.50 to $2.75 making it the highest in the nation. The Cessation Centers
are planning a media blitz to encourage smokers to quit by advertising the high costs of
cigarettes and smoking. For example, information from one advertisement discusses how
smoking affects one’s health and the costs of health care. It states that the annual health care
costs in New York state directly caused by smoking are $8.17 billion. Furthermore the ad
states that over half the costs are Medicaid program costs at $5.4 billion and that New Yorkers
pay $904 per household on state and federal taxes for smoking-caused government
expenditures. We at STHCS are happy to see the tax increase since there is evidence that
shows increasing cigarette taxes reduces smoking in both adults and youth.
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769 Applicants Screened for Insurance Since Jan 2008
The Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus facilitated enrollers have been busy. From
January to April they have completed 433 applications which screened 769 applicants. From
these applications, 484 people were enrolled in one of the state’s insurance programs. The
enrollers travel to Delevan, Jamestown, Cuba, Salamanca and Gowanda to meet with clients. If
anyone is interested in setting up a referral system or having us travel to your agency to meet
with clients, please contact Kristi at 372-0614.
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STEMS works as team serving WREMAC
Cathi, Josh and I participated in a conference call on Thursday with the other two EMS
program agencies (University EMS in Buffalo and Lake Plains Community Care Network in
Batavia) that serve the Western Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee
(WREMAC). The purpose of the call was to delineate responsibilities of each agency in
supporting WREMAC. We discussed several issues such as administrative responsibilities, the
quality assurance/quality improvement program, how to handle future protocol changes, the
WREMAC Web site and base station courses. We decided the three EMS program agencies
will at a minimum hold quarterly conference calls. Additionally, STHCS will be responsible for
maintaining the WREMAC Web site while all agencies will share responsibilities for the QA/QI
program and the base station courses. These decisions were made for the new program year
which begins in July. The responsibilities of each program agency will be reassessed quarterly
and at the end of the year to ensure they are fairly divided. Readjustments will be made as
needed.
STHCS’ Tobacco Cessation Center is contributing to a statewide media campaign regarding
the increase of the state’s cigarette excise tax. On June 3, the tax on of a pack of cigarettes
will increase from $1.50 to $2.75 making it the highest in the nation. The Cessation Centers
are planning a media blitz to encourage smokers to quit by advertising the high costs of
cigarettes and smoking. For example, information from one advertisement discusses how
smoking affects one’s health and the costs of health care. It states that the annual health care
costs in New York state directly caused by smoking are $8.17 billion. Furthermore the ad
states that over half the costs are Medicaid program costs at $5.4 billion and that New Yorkers
pay $904 per household on state and federal taxes for smoking-caused government
expenditures. We at STHCS are happy to see the tax increase since there is evidence that
shows increasing cigarette taxes reduces smoking in both adults and youth.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
769 Applicants Screened for Insurance Since Jan 2008
The Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus facilitated enrollers have been busy. From
January to April they have completed 433 applications which screened 769 applicants. From
these applications, 484 people were enrolled in one of the state’s insurance programs. The
enrollers travel to Delevan, Jamestown, Cuba, Salamanca and Gowanda to meet with clients. If
anyone is interested in setting up a referral system or having us travel to your agency to meet
with clients, please contact Kristi at 372-0614.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEMS works as team serving WREMAC
Cathi, Josh and I participated in a conference call on Thursday with the other two EMS
program agencies (University EMS in Buffalo and Lake Plains Community Care Network in
Batavia) that serve the Western Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee
(WREMAC). The purpose of the call was to delineate responsibilities of each agency in
supporting WREMAC. We discussed several issues such as administrative responsibilities, the
quality assurance/quality improvement program, how to handle future protocol changes, the
WREMAC Web site and base station courses. We decided the three EMS program agencies
will at a minimum hold quarterly conference calls. Additionally, STHCS will be responsible for
maintaining the WREMAC Web site while all agencies will share responsibilities for the QA/QI
program and the base station courses. These decisions were made for the new program year
which begins in July. The responsibilities of each program agency will be reassessed quarterly
and at the end of the year to ensure they are fairly divided. Readjustments will be made as
needed.
CEO Update May 19th
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