Supreme Court dismisses ACA challenge

Last Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the challenge to the Affordable Care Act in a 7-2 decision. Court Justices did not rule on the constitutionality of the law, but said no harm was caused to the plaintiffs, and consequently there was no legal standing to sue, because Congress had reduced the individual mandate penalty to zero dollars.

"For these reasons, we conclude that the plaintiffs in this suit failed to show a concrete, particularized injury fairly traceable to the defendants' conduct in enforcing the specific statutory provision they attack as unconstitutional," Justice Breyer wrote in the decision. "They have failed to show that they have standing to attack as unconstitutional the Act's minimum essential coverage provision." Justices Alito and Gorsuch dissented from the majority opinion.  

Rehab program helps frail older adults with heart failure

Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization among older adults in the United States. In heart failure, the heart doesn’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. People with heart failure live with symptoms that greatly reduce their quality of life. These can include shortness of breath, exhaustion, coughing, and swelling in the legs and abdomen.

Studies have shown that exercise training can help reduce symptoms in people with heart failure. However, such studies have largely excluded frail older adults with other health conditions. Due to bed rest and other factors, this group is especially vulnerable to experiencing physical decline while hospitalized for heart failure.

A research team led by Dr. Dalane Kitzman from Wake Forest University tested a new exercise rehabilitation program built specifically for older, frail adults. The goal of the program was to improve people’s endurance, measured by the amount of time they could walk unaided. It also addressed problems with strength, balance, and mobility that prevented people from making endurance gains.

The program was personalized to each individual’s baseline abilities and goals. Unlike other exercise rehabilitation strategies, the new program was designed to begin while people were still hospitalized, rather than after discharge. It then included outpatient sessions three times a week for three months.

At a Glance

• Older, frail adults with heart failure who participated in a personalized physical rehab program improved their endurance, strength, balance, and quality of life.
• More than 80% of participants reported that they were still exercising at home six months after completing the program.

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Memorial Set For Christopher Lee, Recent HHAC Board Vice President

Christopher John Lee, former HHAC board vice president, died on June 7, 2021, suddenly of a heart attack at age 50.

Chris was born on August 26, 1970 to Jack and Jean Lee and raised in Marlboro, Massachusetts. His greatest joy in life was being a husband and father. He found the love of his life volunteering in Selma, Alabama with the Edmundite Mission Corps and continued to be very involved with this mission as Vice-Chair of the Board of the Edmundite Southern Missions. He graduated from St. Michaels College in Colchester, VT in 1993, where he found his lifelong crew of friends.

Chris married Katherine Carrane Lee (Katie) on July 6, 1996 in Colchester, VT, and they began their beautiful married journey together, starting in Vermont and finally arriving in Louisville, CO in November of 2000 where they settled and raised their three children, twin sons, Jack and Owen, and daughter, Lily. Chris loved being a family man, whether it was spending time with his family at home, on the bike trails with Owen, cheering on Jack at his baseball games, watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Lily, having a drink with Katie on the back deck, or a family trip to Disney World or even Ikea, he was happiest just being by their sides.

Only second to his family was Chris’s passion for all things active. The more rigorous the climb the better. From riding up Flagstaff mountain to the Wednesday morning BOD rides in Louisville with the Cycle Cross enthusiasts, he was a tremendous athlete and competitor and the absolute best companion to have on the roads or trails, always leading the way and encouraging others to keep going. He dedicated his professional life to helping others when he chose a career in healthcare that spanned over 25 years. Not only was he a whiz with technology, but he had the most sincere nature, always committed to his staff and concerned for the wellbeing of others.

His healthcare career began with IDX Healthcare Solutions in Vermont which led him to his tenure at SCL Health, which included opening the Medical Imaging Department at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette, CO. The past five years he poured his heart into leading The Colorado Visiting Nurses Association as President and CEO, which gratefully led him to embarking on an exciting new chapter in his life, creating his business, Pro Solution Health, as an independent healthcare consultant.

Chris is survived by his wife, Katie; his three children, Jack, Owen and Lily; his parents Jack and Jean Lee; his brother Michael Lee (Chip); and his local family by marriage, Molly Carrane Pieper (Bryan); his niece Maggie and nephews, Jimmy and Rory. Please think of Chris when you raise a glass, go out for a ride, cheer your kids on at a game, watch a good movie and look up at the stars, he’s always with us in our hearts. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a college scholarship fund for the Lee children at https://tinyurl.com/Leefund.

A Mass, open to all, will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish, 898 14th Street, Boulder CO 80302 at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 18, 2021.

Home Health Value Based Purchasing Data from CMMI

Findings-At-A-Glance Report (PDF)

Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model - Fourth Annual Report (PDF)