From the National Partnership for Women and Families: “At a time when gender- and race-based wage discrimination persist, when complaints of pregnancy discrimination are on the rise, and when women and men of color too often are denied opportunities to advance their careers, confirming a fair and tireless advocate should have been an easy call and a top priority for every senator.”
Businesses Must Improve Their Family Policies—For ‘Distressed Babies’ and All Workers – RH Reality Check
“Business owners play a key role in confirming that family-friendly workplace policies like paid sick days and paid family and medical leave are win-win for employees and employers,” Vicki Shabo, director of work and family programs at the National Partnership, told RH Reality Check.
Congress wants meaningful use to address health disparities – EHR Intelligence
In particular, these lawmakers want CMS and ONC to take a long look at the Consumer Partnership for eHealth’s Disparities Action Plan for guidance.
House lawmakers push Sebelius to reduce health disparities – Government Health IT
The House members provided recommendations to the administration about integrating disparity reduction opportunities in Stage 3 of the meaningful use incentive program and encouraged the administration to look at key tenets of the Consumer Partnership for eHealth’s Disparities Action Plan for guidance.
Lawmakers Urge Obama Admin to Leverage Meaningful Use Program to Reduce Health Disparities – HIT Consultant
The members provided recommendations to the administration about integrating disparity reduction opportunities in Stage 3 of the Meaningful Use incentive program and encouraged the administration to look at key tenets of the Consumer Partnership for eHealth’s Disparities Action Plan for guidance.
Calif. legislators seek help for LGBT population through Meaningful Use – Clinical Innovation + Technology
Meaningful Use could help reduce health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, according to California legislators.
Failure to End Filibuster of Debo Adegbile “Threatens Our Nation’s Promise of Equal Opportunity and Justice for All,” Warns Women’s Leader
Statement of Judith L. Lichtman, Senior Advisor, National Partnership for Women & Families
Women’s Leader Applauds President’s FY2015 Budget
Statement of Debra L. Ness, President, National Partnership for Women & Families
Paid sick day protection gains steam across the U.S. – CNNMoney
Concerns over what paid sick leave could mean for small businesses owners have led to what Vicki Shabo, director of work and family programs at the National Partnership for Women & Families, calls a “counter trend” — legislatures enacting laws against paid sick leave before support for the measure can take hold.
Requiring Paid Sick Leave – Management Decisions
A handful of states are passing laws requiring employers to offer paid sick leave for employees. It’s been a hotly debated topic in recent years with a number of factors playing a role. Vicki Shabo is the Vice President of the National Partnership for Women and Families and she tells Tim Muma why employees need to be given the benefit of paid time off for illnesss.
AROUND THE HILL – Politico Pulse
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Donna Edwards, and others participate in a discussion hosted by the National Partnership for Women & Families at 11 a.m. in SVC 212-10.
Baby steps – The Economist
According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, a campaign group, the payroll tax costs employees less than $2.25 per month. And when employees use PFL instead of relying on employer-provided paid leave, businesses save money. Indeed 9% of Californian businesses said that PFL had generated cost savings for their firm.
HIMSS14, Monday: Five things to know today – Clinical Innovation + Technology
There is a continuum for engagement, said Christine Bechtel, president of Bechtel Health Advisory Group and advisor for the National Partnership for Women & Families. Patients are enthusiastic about the ability to access their healthcare information and she cited a survey that found patients with such access feel their physician is more trustworthy.
Why your sick co-worker insists on coming in – CBS MoneyWatch
Almost 40 million U.S. workers lack paid sick leave, the National Partnership for Women & Families notes. Its report found that almost one-quarter of adults have either lost a job or been threatened with firing for taking time off to deal with an illness or a sick dependent.
Women’s Health Experts Call Consensus Statement on Reducing Cesarean Births a “Game Changer” that Can Improve Maternal and Child Health
Statement of Debra L. Ness, President, National Partnership for Women & Families and Maureen Corry, Senior Advisor for Childbirth Connection Programs
Balancing family and work shouldn’t be hazardous to your employment – Los Angeles Times
A recent survey of 1,000 likely voters, commissioned by American Women, the National Partnership for Women & Families and the Rockefeller Family Fund, shows that a broad demographic swath of voters support family-friendly legislation and will cast their votes accordingly. The poll indicates voters are in favor of policy changes, including making it harder for employers to pay women less than men for similar work, guaranteeing workers the ability to earn paid sick time, and creating a national paid family and medical leave fund.
Feb 19: Groups Weigh In on Success of HITECH Act, Meaningful Use – EMR Industry
Meanwhile, the National Partnership for Women & Families in a release noted the HITECH Act has greatly improved patients’ access to their health information, allowing many patients to: Access health information within hours or days of a clinical visit or hospital discharge; Contribute to their health records by emailing doctors with corrections or additional data; and View online, download or transmit their own health records.
Patient Advocates Celebrate Five Years of HITECH – Bloomberg BNA
Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, said in a statement that the widespread use of electronic health records by providers made possible by the HITECH Act’s Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive programs are “helping to facilitate much-needed culture change by empowering patients.”
HEALTH IT ADVOCATE: “FINISH THE JOB” – Politico Pulse
But much more work remains to fully implement health IT in ways that help our health care system meet the needs of patients, caregivers and providers. We have a responsibility to patients and families to finish the job,” said Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
Groups Weigh In on Success of HITECH Act, Meaningful Use – iHealthBeat
The HITECH Act, which was included in a larger economic stimulus package, officially created the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the meaningful use program.

