Roundup: Laid-off IT workers in Conn. prepare for health jobs

News outlets examine a variety of state health policy issues.

The Connecticut Mirror: A New Workforce In Training For Health IT Jobs
Julie Michaelson has spent five years working on her hospital's information technology system. ... Mary McAward worked for years in data processing before being laid off. ... Both are taking federally funded courses at Capital Community College, part of a national effort to educate more than 10,500 people in the electronic systems that, after years of discussion, are poised to become commonplace in medicine. That means jobs, to build, install and maintain the systems (Levin Becker, 8/29). 

The Kansas City Star: Planned Parenthood Says It Will Close Clinic Friday If Funding Not Restored
Planned Parenthood is threatening to close its Hays, Kan., clinic this Friday unless it learns by then that its federal family planning funds will be restored. ... It serves an estimated 960 women, men and teens yearly, according to court records. The Kansas Legislature stripped Planned Parenthood of about $330,000 in the new budget for fiscal 2011-12 and redirected that money primarily to public health departments (Cooper, 8/29). 

The Texas Tribune: State Cuts Nursing Education Funding 
The state has dramatically reduced support for nursing education, meaning Texas will continue to face a critical shortage of registered nurses. ... it's not that people don't want to break into the profession. There simply aren't enough nursing schools or faculty in Texas. In 2010 alone, more than 11,200 qualified applicants were turned away (Tan, 8/29). 

The Associated Press/The Times-Picayune: La. Worker Insurance Program Valued At Up To $217M
The market value of a state worker health insurance program that Gov. Bobby Jindal is considering privatizing has been pegged between $133 million and $217 million … Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera included the information in his review of issues that should be considered by lawmakers before the insurance program in the Office of Group Benefits is privatized or sold outright to a private company ... lawmakers and state employees and retirees ... worry their health benefits might be cut, their premiums increased and a health insurance trust fund raided (Deslatte, 8/29).

California Watch: After Adult Day Care Cut, State Turns To Troubled Firms
California Medi-Cal officials are planning to rely on a second firm that has drawn scrutiny from the U.S. Justice Department to coordinate care for those who will no longer be served by the Adult Day Health Care program, which was eliminated in this year's state budget. ... The seniors visit adult day care centers for meals, companionship and health care coordination (Jewett, 8/29).