Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 5. Source pages: 7.
In a 962-page regulation published April 29, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) propose “a new frame work for rewarding health care providers for giving better care, not just more care.”
The rule originates from the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) passed last year by Congress. The law offers certain eligible professionals a choice of payment models where they are rewarded for performance. These models are viewed by some to become guides for states and private insurance.
One of these models is the Merit-based Incentive Payment Systems, called MIPS. The other is the Alternative Payment Models or APMs. Reporting begins in 2017 and physicians will receive a composite performance score linked to bonuses and penalties, ranging from 4 percent in 2019 to 9 percent starting in 2022, according to sources.
“Eligible professionals” for the first two years of MIPS are: physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse anesthetists.
For the third and succeeding years, other professionals become “eligible:” physical or occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, nurse midwives, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, and dietitians/nutritionists.
The president of the American Medical Association, Dr. Steven Stack, said that the rules offer both opportunities and poses risks. The opportunities involve better rewards for improvements, and the risk is that regulatory approaches will drive “the alarming rate of physician burnout.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 5. Source pages: 2.
Thinking outside of the box is sometimes not enough to create system-wide change. In 1981, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, working in a hospital in Perth, Australia discovered that ulcers were caused by the bacteria, H. pylori. This idea had the potential of improving the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, because 10 percent of us are going to suffer with ulcers sooner or later.
The news of a cure was not well received––no medical journal would publish their work. Totally frustrated, Marshall decided to do something unusual. Instead of his breakfast one morning, he chugged down a full glass of H. pyloria. Two days later he was sick as a dog, vomiting, nauseous, and with all the symptoms of gastritis, common precursor to ulcers. The endoscopic exam confirmed it––his stomach lining was inflamed and ripe for problems. A dose of antibiotic and bismuth cured him. Marshall and Robin eventually won the Nobel Prize for the discovery.
But it took well over a decade for the innovation to be fully accepted.
It also took physicians 25 years to stop x-raying pregnant women, even though the evidence was available that the procedure damage the babies.
It has taken decades for us to figure out if sunshine and D3 are essential. I first read the idea and proof in the 80s. Vitamin D3 is accepted finally, and in March an article in J. of Internal Medicine, in a study of 30,000 Swedish women, found avoiding the sun was as dangerous as smoking for life expectancy.
Pregnant women are today regularly warned to take adequate folic acid, something I knew 37 years ago because I was pregnant with our first child and knew how to use the library. Luckily I had a home-birth doctor who was a curmudgeon, and when I asked him about it, he said he had no idea, but I should “Do what you want to do, you’re going to anyway.” My mom and sister freaked however, since folic acid sounds like something that could eat through metal, rather than a B vitamin.
The chaos and change in health is calling for out of the box thinking and good problem-solving, at the individual, group and multi-group levels. But, health care seems to me especially prone to poor problem-solving. Last week the CMS announces its new bonus plans, presumably to shape behaviors of providers. They are starting with “eligible professions” –– physicians, physician assistants, and nurses. And, they have 900+ pages of rules.
This is not a formula for innovative problem-solving. Restricting who can create new approaches and then pouring hundreds of pages of regulations on things, including the possibility of being targeted by the enforcement arm of government when you try something novel, is sure to douse any spark of genius that slips through.
But we have to try and good people, some insightful Senators and a hopeful governor right now in our state, who want to make things better. But, I wonder about if these “task teams” and other efforts, and wish they might be designed for the quality outcomes our state really needs. So, I decided to give some tips:
1) Don’t create task teams of 10, or 15, and especially not 17 people. The task teams created by recent bills include lots of “stakeholders” and just the number and the hidden agendas would give them very little chance of being truly effective.
2) Make sure members know their problem-solving styles and check to see if your team is top-heavy (this is likely) in one style or the other, which means your solutions and even your problem- finding efforts will be skewed.
3) Train your team members in group and interpersonal skills. Make sure to help those who dominate the process or those who flee at the first sign of conflict, and especially those with hidden agendas.
4) Make sure your meeting schedule supports good thinking. Or does it cause mental and emotional fatigue, so that people give up, give in, or give thanks for the sugar the secretaries have brought in to poison everyone.
5) Consider a competent facilitator who can help deal with challenges, and who does not have an agenda. For complex groups this might be the only way.
If this sounds complicated, that’s because it is. We’ve got to find the right problems to solve, that includes innovation but doesn’t stop there. As W. Edwards Deming said, “It is not enough to do your best; you must know what to do, and then do your best.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 5. Source pages: 8.
Emily Jeffries and Austin Lemke, doctoral students of Dr. Julia Buckner and researchers at Bucker’s lab, Louisiana State University (LSU) Anxiety and Addictive Behaviors Laboratory, presented research at the 35th Annual Conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. The Conference was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in early April.
Ms. Jeffries, coauthored with Dr. Buckner, Social anxiety and cannabis-related impairment: The roles of anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty.
Mr. Lemke, coauthored with Dr. Buckner, Social anxiety and drinking problems: The roles of drinking to manage negative and positive affect in social situations.
In a study of 220 individuals who use cannabis, Jeffries and Buckner found that “Intolerance of Uncertainty,” or IU, was correlated with cannabis problems. Men endorsed more cannabis problems than women, and social anxiety was indirectly related to problems through “Anxiety Sensitivity” and IU.
“Findings from our research,” said Jeffries, “suggest that social anxiety is associated with experiencing more cannabis-related problems among cannabis users. This relationship may be accounted for by anxiety-related vulnerability factors (i.e., intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity). These vulnerability factors may be ideal factors to target in psychosocial treatments for individuals with social anxiety and cannabis-related impairment given that they are malleable through cognitive- behavioral interventions,” she said.
Lemke and Buckne looked at Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) and Positive and Negative Affect. Structural equation models showed that Negative Affect was positively related and Positive Affect negatively related to alcohol problems. Social anxiety was indirectly related to drinking problems.
“An important finding is that socially anxious individuals experience alcohol-related problems not only because of drinking to cope with high negative affect in social situations,” Lemke said, “but also because of drinking to cope with low positive affect in social situations.”
Ms. Jeffries is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mr. Lemke is from New Orleans.
Emilly Jeffries, doctoral student of Dr. Julia Buckner and researcher at Buckner’s Anxiety and Addictive Behaviors Laboratory at Louisiana State University, poses with her work. (Courtesy photo.)
Austin Lemke, student of Dr. Buckner, presented work at the Anxiety and Depression Association. (Courtesy photo.)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 5. Source pages: 4.
Senator Troy Carter has put forth a bill that is pending in Committee, and which would dramatically change how results from forensic psychologists are used in court.
Among changes would be a prohibition that the judge “… read or consider any report prepared by a mental health professional, until such time that the report is duly admitted into evidence…” and “all parties have been allowed the opportunity to cross-examine the mental health professional in open court.”
Also in SB 461, “A mental health professional’s opinion on the credibility of a person shall not be admissible, …”. And, “A mental health professional shall not be permitted to testify to an opinion concerning the application of substantive law to the parties…” and other matters.
The Times asked forsensic psychologist Dr. Alan Taylor for his comment on the proposed legislation. Dr. Taylor has over 30 years of work in independent practice and 20 years of focus on family court issues. Dr. Taylor provided a review about SB 461, which we include here in full:
“GENERAL
The proposed changes in Senate Bill 461 represent a rather thinly disguised attempt to undermine and reverse the progress of more than 50 years of establishing a model for family court that emphasizes a collaborative approach and partnership between legal and mental health professionals. This approach recognizes that family court is a distinctly different type of court more resembling a social service agency, with the goal of helping families through the divorce process in a way that minimizes conflict and promotes the best interests of the children and family as a whole. In this model the legal and mental health professions work together as colleagues to avoid the damage that is done by litigation.
The old adversarial model with a “win or lose” approach has long since faded into the background, but is still present in some family court systems and also in the mind of individual practitioners, primarily attorneys trained in the adversarial model.
SPECIFICS
Bill 461 represents some long-established rules and requirements that have been in place for years and are redundant and unnecessary. Primarily, because they are part of the standard ethical codes of all major professional organizations.
However, there are several proposed changes that are extremely serious in their potential impact on family court work. I will outline these below.
Section B would require that a child who is witness to or a victim of alleged domestic violence or child abuse, must provide testimony on the record in chambers to the court. Children should not automatically be required to testify for the following reasons:
• This is likely to be severely damaging to the child’s emotional well-being, since the testimony can precipitate damaging parental reactions.
• If the child is in therapy, their relationship with the therapist will be compromised and they will learn that mental health professionals are not to be trusted and cannot protect them.
• There are wide variations in children’s capability to testify and the court and the judge would be ill-suited in terms of sophistication or expertise in interviewing children as compared to mental health professionals.
• Section 8 of the proposal states that all parties shall have the right to access the entire file of the mental health professional regarding the case. The most common practice in many jurisdictions is to consider that the official custody evaluation report is considered to be “the file”. This report is submitted to the attorneys and the court with the opportunity for attorneys to cross-examine it and raise any questions that they have. Access to the entire file exposes the risk that information provided by the children will become available to the parents and this can produce damaging reactions. Children will learn that they cannot rely on the mental health professional to maintain confidentiality. Statements made by the parents can inflame an already hostile situation and shift the focus from resolving conflict to continued fighting, striking a serious blow to settlement prospects. The file then becomes something for the attorneys to fight over.
The custody evaluator is appointed by the court and is an officer of the court. They occupy the same neutral and objective status and the presumption of competence and ethics as does the judge. If there are serious issues, a complaint can always be made to the mental health professional’s board. Attorneys do not have to give up their “work product” or have their files examined – why should court ordered professionals have to do so?
• Part C2 of the proposed bill prohibits any type of contact between the mental health professional and the court. It is understood that particulars of the case should not be discussed privately in advance, but this proposal does not allow any discussion of procedural issues or clarification of questions that the judge may wish answered, and essentially keeps both sides operating “in the dark”, defeating the purpose of the evaluation.
• Section D of the proposed bill states that the absence of an arrest or official finding concerning abuse allegations shall not be considered as proof that the alleged conduct did not occur. While this statement is valid (and common sense), the opposite situation is not addressed. The most common problem is that allegations are raised for which no proof is ever offered, but the court “out of an abundance of caution” imposes severe penalties on the person whom the allegations have been made, without a trial or finding of guilt. Parents can wait for months or years under severe penalties when they have actually never had their day in court. The language in this section should address the equally serious problem of presuming a parent “guilty” without any previous official findings.
The above list of serious problems does not exhaust all of the problems with the bill. In general the bill is either almost entirely redundant or extremely dangerous in terms of limiting and sabotaging the ability of mental health professionals to conduct their roles in a professional manner.”
[Editors Note: Dr. Alan Taylor is presenting as part of a forensic psychologists panel this month at the Louisiana Psychological Association Annual Convention, discussing these and similar matters regarding family court.]
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 5. Source pages: 9.
Dr. Melissa Bonnell, Dr. William (Gig) Costelloe, and Dr. Karen Slaton are among the presenters this year at the 3rd Annual Clinical Summit of the Louisiana Primary Care Association. The summit will be hosted along with the Louisiana Rural Health Association (LRHA) and held June 3-4, in New Orleans at the Downtown Marriott Convention Center. The theme is “Big Ideas in the Big Easy: Uniting Rural and Urban Providers.”
Drs. Bonnell and Slaton will present “Three Behaviors = Four Disease Processes = 50% of All Mortality: How to Help Patients Change the Big Three.”
Dr. Melissa Bonnell is with the Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans, and also a member of the Southern Pain Society. She works on interdisciplinary teams composed of anesthesiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, a pharmacist, nurses, and psychiatrists, to help veterans improve health and quality of life.
Dr. Karen Slaton is also a health psychologist at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System. She is currently the Program Manager for Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology and serves as Health Behavior Coordinator in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention program. At the VA, her clinical practice is in the area of primary care– behavioral health integration, chronic pain and integrated health.
Dr. Slaton noted, “This talk will describe three health behaviors (tobacco use, diet and inactivity) that contribute to four major chronic diseases (CVD, Type 2 DM, chronic lung disease and many cancers) which are responsible for 50% of global mortality,” she said. “Providers will be introduced to health coaching and will learn skills (mostly from motivational interviewing and problem solving) to help their patients change problematic behaviors.”
“… from my perspective,” Slaton said, “most patients want to be healthier—they just don’t have the knowledge, skills and confidence to become healthier. Providers can use skills from health coaching to help patients set goals that are in line with their core values which makes it much more likely that changes in behavior will occur.”
Dr. Bonnell explained, “… one thing I think to emphasize is that motivational interviewing (MI) allows healthcare providers to efficiently communicate with patients about their health goals and enhance treatment adherence. In the age of managed care and pressure to increase patient access, performance, and positive outcomes, having confidence in MI skills allows providers to meet the demands of the agency while still allowing the patient to feel heard.”
Dr. Gig Costelloe will also present at the primary care summit on Friday. He will talk about “Creating Effective Teamwork and Collaboration in Integrated Settings.” Dr. Costelloe is president of Costelloe & Associates in New Orleans and a licensed Industrial-Organizational Psychologist. He has consulted for 35 years to public corporations and businesses across the country, providing pre-employment assessment, team-building, employee surveys and other psychological tools for business and industry.
The Louisiana Primary Care Association (LPCA) is a non-profit state trade association whose purpose is to promote accessible, affordable, quality primary health care for the uninsured and medically underserved populations in Louisiana, noted Shannon Robertson, Clinical Education Coordinator.
The LPCA represents 34 organizations with over 170 health care sites, private non-profit and public FQHCs across Louisiana that serves more than 300,000 patients annually, she said.
Psychologists speaking at the conference are coordinated through the Speakers’ Bureau of the Louisiana Psychological Association, serving the public interest through psychological science.
Dr. Melissa Bonnell will be a speaker at the upcoming Louisiana Primary Care Association in June. She will speak on the “Three Behaviors = Four Diseases” that lead to 50 percent of deaths. She will be presenting with Dr. Karen Slaton. (Courtesy photo.)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 5. Source pages: 5.
In a not so tongue-in-cheek title in the 2016-2017 Executive Budget released April 12, the authors tell readers, “Welcome to the Real World.” Then they explain that the past seven years of budgets were based on one-time money and false assumptions, and that this fiscal year the state will embrace reductions of nearly $750 million to government agencies.
The budget lays out cuts to DHH (Department of Health and Hospitals), of $408.7 million, to TOPS of $183.2 million, to higher education of $46.1 million and to corrections of $34.1 million. Also the budget lists cuts to the Judicial Branch of $15.9 million and to the Legislative branch of $7.3 million.
Other reductions are to come from the Executive Department with reductions of $14.5 million, Juvenile Justice is to be cut by $18 million, and the Department of Education by $52.4 million.
The report notes that there are no reductions in General Fund for Mental Health Advocacy, Military Affairs, Public Defender Board, Veterans Affairs, Ethics Administration, State Police Commission, or Board of Tax Appeals. Also, certain funding is required by the constitution, such as elections, textbooks, debt service to corrections, and general obligation debt, for examples.
The report’s authors note that the 2016 Extraordinary Session resulted in increased revenue forecasted to be $1,259,100,000. This resulted in anticipated cuts of 63 percent dropping to a much smaller reductions, authors say.
However, even with the boost in tax revenues, the authors summarize the 2016- 2017 budget authors title the bottom line, “The Harsh Reality.”
According to the Louisiana Budget Project, legislators are trying to find TOPS money, and there is a “standoff” at the Capitol over holding another special fiscal session. The Project reported that some lawmakers are resisting tax increases and others want deeper cuts in the state contracts.
Another session would have to come after the June 6 adjournment of the regular session, now in progress.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Legislators continue to dig into the state’s money problems in the regular session now in its fourth week.
At the end of the special session to deal with the state’s dramatic economic woes, legislators had raised the sales tax to 5¢ bringing it to a combined state/local tax of 10¢. This is said to be one of the highest in the nation. In scrapping for any savings they could find, the law- makers dropped sales tax exemptions for 196 items. For the first time in years, consumers will be paying sales taxes on Bibles and religious literature used in classes, fire-fighting equipment used by volunteer fire departments, food items for certain school lunch and breakfast programs, newspapers, textbooks for certain private academic schools, and even for Girl Scout cookies.
The lawmakers patched together a group of tax increases and cuts in the special session, that are given to be a reasonable fix to some issues facing the state, but continue to juggle problems and solutions in the current session.
In a March 23 announcement, the Board of Regents said that they reviewed and accepted the 2016-2017 funding recommendations, after the $2 billion shortfall was reduced to $747 million.
The real problems seem far from over. Legislators continue to propose efforts to deal with the state’s budget problems. Representative Jerome Richard proposed an across the board cut for all professional, personal, and consulting contracts for the state.
A bill by Representative Talbot would allow more leeway for the state to use services of the Department of Natural Resources and Representative Jay Morris presented a measure to reduce the salaries of certain public officials and employees. The bill is pending in House Appropriations.
In an Executive Order published in the March Register, Governor Edwards ordered expense and hiring freezes, for all departments and agencies in the executive branch. The Order includes licensing boards and the Department of Health and Hospitals, and any funds related to “vacant positions and the expenditure categories of Travel, Operating Services, Supplies, Professional Services, Other Charges, Acquisitions, and Major Repairs.”
Cuts across all departments were also noted. See box below for selected reductions amounts.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 8.
In February the state psychology board’s new Executive Director, Ms. Jaime Monic, alerted board members that one of the legal contractors, Mr. James Raines, had invoices amounting to $66,597. Monic told the members she asked Mr. Raines to cease work until further notice. This according to the February minutes posted March 18.
Minutes noted: “The Board reviewed the legal contract with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, LLC (BSWLLC) in conjunction with invoices billed to date. Ms. Monic reported that upon her review she requested that Mr. Raines cease work on any case until further notice. With current invoices totaling $66,597.42, Dr. Burnett moved to amend BSWLLC’s contract to an amount not to exceed $68,000. The motion passed by unanimous roll call vote of the members present.”
Mr. Raines is one of the several legal contractors for the psychology board. Information gathered last year by the Times indicated that his contract was for $15,000. His firm is Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson. However, current state records do not appear to list any current information about the firm’s contract.
The board might look to licensees to cover their budget problems. Minutes from January note: “A draft budget for 2016-17 was provided for review. The Board discussed the proposed budget in conjunction with the current financials and agreed to continue to review potential revenue sources (including potentially raising renewal fees and charging a convenience fee to renew online) and expenditures in order to continue to carry out its duties.”
The psychology board, under the past management of the last few years, seems to have increased its use of legal services.
In March 2015 the Times asked then Executive Director, Ms. Kelly Parker to examine information about investigations, legal fees, and attorneys employed by the board. Parker declined the request to directly examine public records, and said, “I am invoking our right to have your request and responsive documents reviewed by legal counsel prior to disclosure.” Then in an April 2015 written response Parker said the board had no internal policies and no contracts to provide. She provided resumes from the attorneys’ websites. She also said there was no resume for herself.
According to government records at that time, Taylor Porter had a contract of $15,000 and Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, for Mr. Raines, also had a contract for $15,000. Another contract with McGlinchey, Stafford, and Lang, for $19K was listed with the state. This appeared to be the contract for a legislative consultant.
While legal fees may likely be over $100,000 for 2015, it is the same year that the board may have confused the time limits for investigations, called “prescription.” (See Times Vol 6 No 10, “Board May Have Botched Time Limits on Complaints.”)
It is not clear why the higher legal fees have been needed. The board has a low disciplinary rate, 8 to 9 actions over the last five years. However, the board has an unusual pattern of discipline actions, when compared to other state boards. (See Times investigative report, “Secret Life of Board Complaints,” Vol 6, Nos 10 & 12.)
At the same time attorney fees have risen to perhaps over $100,000, the consulting psychologist who is part of the investigations team is paid a current fee of $4,999 per year, and only $4,000 previously. And he is paid by the case, not hour.
RIGHT: Dr. Alicia Pelligrin states her views at LSBEP. The board’s attorney, Mr. Lloyd Lunceford is looking on. Legal fees for 2015 were high for the psychology board but total disciplinary actions were average.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Researchers from Lakes Charles, McNeese, Monroe Gather at SWPA
Psychological scientists will take on Pathogen Prevalence Theory, Victorian values, cell phone addiction, beliefs about global warming, and critique the policies for internship approval, among the myriad of topics as the Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA) kicks off next week, to be held in Dallas, April 8–10. The theme, “Evolutionary Psychology: The Adapted Mind,” is coupled with keynote speaker, Dr. David Buss from University of Texas at Austin, who will give the Forensics Psychology Lecture on “The Evolution of Sexual Morality.” Louisiana psychologists, professors, and student researchers from the Lake Charles Research Group, Louisiana State University – Shreveport, McNeese State University, Northwestern State University, and University of Louisiana – Monroe, will present their work.
The Lakes Charles Research Group, a free- standing group of independent, diverse researchers, will offer an impressive list of studies. One of Group’s organizers, Dr. Larry Dilks, of Counseling Services in Lake Charles, said previously, “It’s made up of different people every year. It’s a number of local psychologists, interns, post-doctoral fellows, practicum students, and then pretty much anybody else who’s just interested in publishing journal articles and doing presentations at conferences.” Dr. Dilks will be leading a presentation on “Unintended Consequences in 2020: APA Seeks to Restrict Nationwide Licensure.” He and colleagues will examine the possible long-term consequences of the new rules being developed by American Psychological Association (APA). He will discuss that 16 percent of doctoral students do not find approved internships. University of Monroe researchers will present work on Pathogen Prevalence theory, and relationship to beliefs, gun violence, and police fatalities. Presenters include Dr. Kilian Garvey, Mary Medin, Sebastien O’Neill, and Kelly Buxton.
McNeese authors, Jimmy Trahan, Chase Walling, Linda Brannon, PhD. Bianca Augustine, and Dena Matzenbacher, PhD, will present research on gender issues from the evolutionary standpoint, including work on partner preference, attractiveness, and how money fits in to mate decisions. Presentations from Louisiana researchers include:
Lake Charles Research Group
The Research Group includes Lawrence S Dilks, PhD, Counseling Services (Lake Charles); Kimberly S. Hutchinson, from Lake Charles Memorial Hospital; Burton Ashworth, PhD, from Counseling Services; Sandra Isabel Viggiani, from Fuller School of Psychology, Fuller Seminary; Chelsi King, from California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Fresno; Marnie Richard, from Hawaii School of Professional Psychology; Katherine Hippman from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; and Billie Clare Myers, from Fielding Graduate University. “Unintended Consequences in 2020: APA Seeks to Restrict Nationwide Licensure,” by Lawrence S Dilks, PhD, Counseling Services (Lake Charles); Kimberly S. Hutchinson from Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, and others from Lake Charles Research Group. “Workshop – A students guide to understanding ICD 10,” by Lawrence S Dilks, PhD, from Counseling Services; Sandra Isabel Viggiani, from Fuller School of Psychology, Fuller Seminary; and others from the Lake Charles Research Group. “How to get an internship: the crisis in clinical psychology,” by Larry Dilks, PhD, Kimberly S. Hutchinsonand the others from Group. “A Correlational Study of Shyness and Conflict Negotiation within Romantic Relationships,” by Billie Clare Myers, of Fielding Graduate University; Chelsi King of the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University; and others. “Comorbid Disorders Relationship with Disruptive Behavior Disorder,” by Burton Ashworth, PhD, from Counseling Services; Kimberly S. Hutchinson, Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and others. “Caregiver Cannabis Use Relationship to Childhood Mood Disorders,” by Burton Ashworth, PhD, from Counseling Services; Marnie Richard, Hawaii School of Professional Psychology and others. Results suggest cannabis has a larger impact on mood development than caregiver alcohol or heroin use. “Caregiver Physical Assault and Psychological Aggressive Impact on Disruptive Behavior Disorder,” by Burton Ashworth, PhD, and Larry Dilks, PhD, from Counseling Services, and others. A total of 835 children were evaluated as part of a prescribed assessment program through the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect consortium. “A Case Study of Central Pontine Myelinolysis Co-Morbid with Alcohol Abuse,” by Chelsi King, from California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Fresno, and Sandra Isabel Viggiani, Fuller School of Psychology, Fuller Seminary, and others. ‘Case Study of an Individual with Gillain-Barré Syndrome and Diabetes Mellitus,’ by Billie Clare Myers of Fielding Graduate University, Kimberly S. Hutchinson of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and others. ‘Neuropsychological Functioning of an Individual with a History of Agent Orange Exposure,’ by Billie Clare Myers of Fielding Graduate University, Dr. Larry Dilks, and others. The current study revealed perceptual-motor deficits in an individual with a history of Agent Orange exposure and PTSD. ‘Cognitive and Emotional Impairments as a Result of Encephalomalacia: A Case Study,’ by Sandra Isabel Viggiani of Fuller School of Psychology, Fuller Seminary, Kimberly S. Hutchinson of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and others. “An exploratory study examining the correlation between Bender-Gestalt performance and IQ,” by Marnie Richard of Hawaii School of Professional Psychology, Dr. Larry Dilks, and others.
“Relationship between Cognitive Impairment and Depression in Adults: A Pilot Study,” by Chelsi King, from California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Fresno, Kimberly S. Hutchinson of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, and others. “Association between Cognitive Impairment and Anxiety in Middle Age and Older Adults,” by Chelsi King, from California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Fresno, Katherine Hippman of LSU, Baton Rouge, and others. “The Relationship Between Expulsion Rate and IQ Scores in Juvenile Delinquents,” by Katherine Hippman of Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Chelsi King, from California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Fresno, and others.
Louisiana State University – Shreveport
“Importance of Values in Life: A National Survey of U.S. Population,” by Yong Dai (LSU–S), and Qing Zeng (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley). Compared to their Caucasian and Hispanic counterparts, African- American respondents were more likely to view politics and religion as important in their lives. “The Role of Need for Cognition and Study Habits in Student Success,” by Melissa J. Hawthorne (LSU–S), and Benton Pierce (Texas A & M University – Commerce).
McNeese State University
“Current Gender Differences in Residual Victorian Era Gender Role Beliefs in SWLA (SWPA),” by Jimmy Trahan and Chase Walling. Results indicate that men may possess more stereotyped views than women. Victorian Era stereotypes have diminished, but still present.
“Partner Preference: Looks Trump Money—If You’ve Already Got Money,” by Linda Brannon, PhD, Bianca Augustine, PhD, and Dena Matzenbacher, PhD. Participants rated potential male partners’ physical attractiveness as significantly more important to high-income women than low-income women.
Northwestern State University
“Integrative Model of Motivation and Commitment: Comparing Academic and Relationship Motivation,” by Cynthia Lindsey, PhD, and Melanie Midkiff. The Integrative Model of Commitment and Motivation is among the first to combine the concepts of commitment and motivation into one theory, which focuses on work. For both foci, commitment was the primary predictor of motivation.
“Personality and Cell Phone Overuse Predict Anxiety when Cellular Access is Restricted,” by Jalyn Ayo, Dr. Cynthia Lindsey, and Melanie Midkiff. Researchers found indications of addiction-type problems associated with cell phones. University of Louisiana – Monroe
“Personal or Impersonal God? Males and Females Differ on the Nature of the Divine,” by Kelly Rene Buxton and Kilian Garvey, PhD. “The evolutionary pressures on women to collaborate, cooperate, and generate more empathy than males may have produced an impression of God as reflecting those values. Males, on the other hand, may have their characteristic conception of god as impersonal due to different evolutionary pressures.”
“Pathogen Prevalence and Gun Ownership: A Dangerous Interaction,” by Kilian Garvey, PhD. Greater access to guns may seem like an obvious risk factor but, the variable of pathogen prevalence was a better predictor for not only murders, but for life expectancy, religiosity, political orientation and other factors.
“Fear and Belief: A Pathogen Prevalence Exploration of Religiosity Across 33 Nations,” by Mary Medlin and Dr. Garvey. Authors examined differences in religiosity across countries as predicted by pathogen prevalence, economic factors, patterns of individualism and collectivism, and demonstrate how the environment can influence belief systems.
“The Best and the Brightest: Where are Nobel Prize Winners Born?” by Mary Medlin and Dr. Garvey. The state of residence of the winners was primarily predicted by higher levels of per capita income.
“Life in the Fast Lane: Fast Life Strategies for Shorter Life Expectancy,” by Mary Medlin and Dr. Garvey. Teen pregnancy was primarily predicted by higher levels of pathogen prevalence, and to a lesser extent by lower levels of life expectancy and lower state GINI.
“Football, baseball, and basketball: Regional characteristics associated with professional athletes in the big three sports,” by Sebastien O'Neill and Dr. Garvey. Characteristics of the fast life theory were present in the football and basketball states, but not in the baseball states.
“Police Fatalities in the United States: Religion, Politics, and Life History,” by Sebastien O'Neill and Dr. Garvey. Open source data bases were used to compile the average number of police officers killed in the line of duty. Politically conservative and highly religious regions are characterized by more police fatalities. However, the strongest predictor is shorter life expectancy of the population in question.
“Tolerance of ambiguity or intelligence: Explanation for Global Warming Denial,” by Frank Cook, and Dr. Garvey. Three straightforward questions on belief in global warming were asked as well as measures of intelligence and tolerance of ambiguity. The results suggest that denial is being driven by the personality style of (in)tolerance of ambiguity.
“Gender, Intuition, and the Cognitive Reflection Test,” by Kelly Rene Buxton and Dr. Garvey.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 9.
As of February 15, Eric D. Torres took over the position of Executive Director for the state medical board. Mr. Torres is an attorney by training, according to the announcement on the website. He has served as the Business Operations Director for the Health Promotion Unit at DHH Office of Public Health. He takes over for Dr. Ceila Mouton who remains the Director of Investigations. She previously served in both roles.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 2.
by J. Nelson Quinnipiac University pollsters asked voters if they agreed or disagreed with this statement: “Public officials don’t care much what people like me think.” A whopping 76 percent of all respondents agreed. Only 23 percent disagreed and only 7 percent of those strongly disagreed.
While 75 percent of Sanders’ supporters agreed, and 61 percent of Clinton supporters agreed, a full 90 percent of Trump supporters said that public officials don’t care what citizens think.
Last month the SSA published its policy on symptom validity testing (see front page story), indicating that they don’t care about what anyone thinks–not the scientific community, not their Congressional bosses, not their Inspector, and probably most certainly, not the people that pay their salaries.
To get the full, flabbergasting effect and seriousness of the SSA’s group-level decision, here is a review:
1) Before 2007, psychological scientists, mainly the top shelf neuropsychologists, were innovating methods for figuring out symptom validity. Result: The SSA ignored new scientific innovations.
2) Around 2007, Mike Chafetz (along with others) collected data on symptom validity in SSA disability cases. He began to share the data. Result: Chafetz was discontinued as a consulting psychologist.
3) Around 2011, Senator Tom Coburn picked up the baton, found serious flaws and challenged the SSA. Result: SSA ignored Coburn and other members of Congress.
4) In 2012 and 2013, the Office of Inspector General told the SSA to change. Result: SSA sent a CPA to tell the Inspector General that the SSA disagreed and they’d get their own study from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). 5) In 2014-2015, the IOM studied the problem (at what cost, only God and Judicial Watch know) and came down dramatically on the side of psychological science and symptom validity testing.
Result: Last month the SSA ignored the IOM, and are staying mostly with their old policy, which conveniently benefits them in power, control, and resources. Not surprising is the fact that the innovations would save millions and millions of dollars.
From an embedded social group theory perspective, we can predict that this type of over-boundary in a subgroup correlates with deficiencies in group-problem solving. We can also predict that the problem exists all over government, and elsewhere too, as a function of poor parent group boundaries. It is certainly the case with the IRS, and probably the Justice Department. It is the unlucky citizen who gets tangled up with them.
What should we social scientists be doing about this? In his 1950 essay in the New York Times, Bertrand Russell warned that our technological advancements could easily outdistance our ethical capabilities, and that the science of psychology holds the answer and must help guide the way.
Today, society may be too complex for individuals to ward off the pull of the collective unconscious. Ideas are so truncated and speeded up, that collective amnesia is the rule, not the exception. A single individual can’t usually overcome these group dynamics. Psychology should be part of the solution.
But the parent group needs a shot in the arm, to remind us, the collective, that the country was founded on a social system paradigm shift––the single principle of individual liberty.
If the Trump phenomenon is in response to the group dynamics, it makes perfect sense.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 9.
The Institute of Medicine, a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, announced in March that it would change its name to the Health and Medicine Division. “This new name builds on the heritage of the IOM’s work in medicine while emphasizing its increased focus on a wider range of health matters.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 4.
Bills addressing the Medicaid expansion, cost containments for public healthcare, provider requirements, and many other topics are flooding into the committees on Health & Welfare.
A number of bills have been referred to committee last month and are currently pending, possibly due to the complexity of issues involving Medicaid expansion and the state’s serious and continued financial problems, which require juggling.
Included in these Medicaid proposals are: HB 461 which would require copayments for Medicaid-covered physician visits and non- emergency services provided in hospital emergency rooms. HB 492 is similar, authorizing collection of copayments in medical assistance programs. Both have been pending since March 14.
HB 497 by Representative Barbara Norton is an extensive measure that would provide for the Medicaid health home state plan options for those Medicaid enrollees with serious mental illness. It would provide minimum delivery requirements for health home providers. It has been pending since March 14.
HB 517, by Representative Tony Bacala, is a proposal that would authorize the Department of Health and Hospitals to impose provider fees on every class of healthcare provider, facility, and service recognized in federal Medicaid regulations. This would include psychological services, as well as all other health services, such as home healthcare services, physician services, outpatient prescription drugs, dental services, and chiropractic services. The measure would also cap the fees.
SB 52 by Fred Mills proposes to create a single preferred drug list for Medicaid coverage.
He also proposed HB 106 with changes in Medicaid eligibility standards.
Senator Fred Mills at his desk in the Louisiana Senate last year. In the current legislative session he has introduced several measures, one of which relates to Medicaid standards.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 9.
In December 2015, defendants in the government’s case against psychologists who delivered Medicare services for people in nursing homes, asked for information to use in their defense.
According to documents posted by Leagle, defendant Gertrude Parker and her counsel asked for 1) affidavits to the seizure warrants that resulted in the forfeiture of Parker’s bank accounts; 2) the Medicare beneficiaries for whom the United States contends fraudulent services were billed; 3) the United States’ documentation and interpretation of CPT Code 96101; and 4) the identities of the unnamed co-conspirators.
Medicare publishes information about CPT Codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association but which are public by the Obama administration. The CPT code 96101 is psychological testing with a report written by a psychologist.
From available documents, it appears that the Government attorneys asked that the identities of “unnamed co-conspirators” be kept secret from defendants. Both sets of defendants appear to have requested to know the identities of these individuals. Because of an apparent time limit, this seems to have been denied Defendant Parker. However, Judge Carl Barbier appears to have granted it to Defendants John Teal and Beverly Stubblefield.
Dr. Rodney Hesson and Ms. Parker own and operate a firm that provided services across four states for several of years. Dr. Teal, a medical psychologist from Mississippi licensed in Louisiana, and Dr. Stubblefield, a well-known member of the community, are said to have worked as employees at the Hesson firm for a short time.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 4.
Bill Would Abolish Regents, Create New Bd of Trustees
Representative Thomas Carmody has put up a bill, House Bill 169, that would abolish the Board of Regents and the management boards, and transfer their duties and responsibilities to a newly created board, to be named the Louisiana Postsecondary Education Board of Trustees. The measure appeared on the Interim Calendar on 2/26/2016. March 14 it was read by title and referred to the Committee on Education, where it is pending.
According to the digest the new Board of Trustees who have powers to revise or eliminate programs, departments, subdivisions, and formulate revisions including distributions of funds. Each institution, instead of each management board, would submit budget proposals. The proposal would move management of public hospitals to the Board of Trustees, according to the digest.
The measure would be an amendment to the state’s constitution.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.