tablish a maternal mortality review com- mittee if they do not have one. “Com- mittees should receive ongoing funding to collect, analyze, and review data on all pregnancy-related deaths and ad- dress disparities. Efforts at the state level should be coordinated nationally by CDC in order to identify and imple- ment best practice,” the report states. To read Deadly Delivery, visit http://bit .ly/1aHbRY6.
Evelyn Delgado, assistant commis- sioner of DSHS Family and Community Health Services, says DSHS will random- ly select cases containing de-identified information for the task force to review. The task force will have closed meetings at least quarterly. DSHS Commissioner David Lakey, MD, will appoint 13 of the task force’s 15 members by Dec. 1. The state epidemiologist and a representa- tive from the department’s Division for Family and Community Health Services will round out membership. Ms. Delga- do says the task force will likely have its first meeting in January or February of next year.
The bill specifies members must re-
flect the state’s racial, ethnic, and lin- guistic diversity. Dr. Lakey also must se- lect members from different geographic regions that have communities affected by pregnancy-related death, severe ma- ternal morbidity, and lack of access to perinatal and childbirth services. The legislation says DSHS may con- sult with any relevant experts and stake- holders, including anesthesiologists,
critical care physicians, nutritionists, substance abuse treatment specialists, hospital staff or employees, Medicaid program representatives, paramedics or other emergency medical personnel, hospital-based risk management special- ists, local health department and public health district representatives, public health experts, government representa- tives or officials, and law enforcement officials. SB 495 allows DSHS and the task force to consult with representatives of state professional associations and or- ganizations, including TMA and others. SB 495 gives the department an option to establish and maintain an electronic database to track cases of pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity. Ms. Delgado says that the department intends to establish a database, but that it didn’t receive any funding to do so. “We’ll develop a database in house using existing resources. Once the task force determines how cases will be ana- lyzed, the department will have a bet- ter idea of the data elements we need to track. We’ll then be able to start design- ing the system,” Ms. Delgado said. The bill also requires DSHS and the
task force to submit a joint biennial re- port to the legislature on best practices to help reduce the incidence of pregnan- cy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity by Sept. 1, 2016. DSHS must report to the legislature by Sept. 1, 2014, on the task force’s progress and recom- mendations for legislation that would
help the department examine pregnan- cy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity.
ACIP updates MMR vaccination guidelines
The Advisory Committee on Immuniza- tion Practices (ACIP) has new guidelines for preventing measles, mumps, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome. The revisions include:
• All patients aged 12 months and older with HIV infection who don’t have se- vere immunosuppression should be vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR).
• Patients with perinatal HIV who re- ceived their MMR vaccination before antiretroviral therapy began should be revaccinated with two doses.
• The use of immune globulin admin- istered intramuscularly (IGIM) is rec- ommended for infants from birth to 6 months who’ve been exposed to mea- sles. In immunocompetent patients, the recommended dose of IGIM has increased.
• Intravenous immune globulin is rec- ommended for severely immunocom- promised people and for pregnant women who have been exposed to measles but who don’t have evidence of immunity.
TMA’s Be Wise — ImmunizeSM
Medical Office Space for Lease Share with dental office in a very busy strip center
located in densely populated area (zip: 77087). Established patients from the dental office will help to develop patient pool for the medical office. Free rent and help with marketing.
56 TEXAS MEDICINE September 2013 For details please email:
mydentalsmile@gmail.com or call 832-494-8556.
vac-
cination events, including shot clinics, help kids prepare to head back to school or college. Be Wise educational events teach families that vaccinations are im- portant, safe, and effective — and need- ed across the life span. Visit
www.texmed.org/bewise for
more information and to access the Be Wise — Immunize Quick Start Manual for step-by-step tips to start planning an event.
Be Wise — Immunize is a service mark of the Texas Medical Association.
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