State of Wisconsin
Department of Health Services
August 5, 2009
The Honorable, The Senate:
The Department of Health Services is pleased to submit to you, as required by s.253.115 of the Wisconsin Statutes, the annual report on the status of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) in Wisconsin. I am especially pleased to report that in 2008, all of the State's birthing hospitals had implemented a hearing screening program.
In 2008, 98 percent of babies born in Wisconsin were born in a facility that offers UNHS and 2 percent were born at home. Currently 96 percent of babies are screened prior to hospital discharge, with a 0.2 percent rate of refusal. The statewide average rate of infants who did not pass the inpatient hearing screen in 2008 was 2.1 percent, which falls within the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation of less than 4 percent.
The Department's early hearing detection and intervention program, Wisconsin Sound Beginnings (WSB), continues to provide support to screening and diagnostic organizations and to the county Birth to 3 programs, working with identified infants with hearing loss and their families. With federal funds, WSB has implemented an early hearing loss data collection and tracking system in 94 birthing units, 18 neo-natal intensive care units, and 61 audiology clinics. WSB also has developed a parent-to-parent support system which has received national attention, called the Guide By Your Side program. The program provides services for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, including those who are Spanish- and Hmong-speaking only.
Hearing loss is the most common congenital birth defect, affecting an estimated 200 Wisconsin infants annually. Undetected hearing loss impedes speech, language, and cognitive and social development. The Department is dedicated to helping children and families cope with the effect of hearing loss through its early detection and intervention programs, so that all Wisconsin children can have a sound beginning.
Sincerely,
karen e. timberlake
Secretary
Referred to committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Joint Legislative Council
August 6, 2009
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to transmit to you the following report to the 2009 Legislature on legislation introduced by the Joint Legislative Council:
RL 2009-09 Special Committee on Building Wisconsin's
Workforce [2009 Assembly Bill 293 and 2009 Senate Bill 245; 2009Assembly Bill 294 and 2009 Senate Bill 246]
I would appreciate your including this letter in the Journal for the information of the membership. Additional copies of this report are available at the Legislative Council Staff offices, One East Main, Suite 401, or from our web page at
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/.
Sincerely,
terry c. anderson
Director
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Health Services
August 12, 2009
The Honorable, The Legislature:
S262
The Department of Health Services published a Statement of Scope in Administrative
Register No. 614, February 28, 2007, to provide notice of the Department's intent to modify ch.
DHS (HFS) 117, relating to fees for copies of health care provider records. The Legislature, under
2009 Act 28, established a fee schedule for medical record copies under ch.
146, Stats., which replaces the medical record copy fee schedule established by the Department under ch.
DHS 117.
Accordingly, the Department, under s.
227.14 (6) (b), Stats., hereby withdraws the proposed rulemaking. In addition, the Department will soon begin the process to repeal the existing ch.
DHS 117.
If you have any questions, please contact Rosie Greer at 266-1279.
Sincerely,
karen e. timberlake
Secretary
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health Services
August 12, 2009
The Honorable, The Legislature:
The Department of Health Services published a Statement of Scope in Administrative
Register No. 630, June 14, 2008, to provide notice of the Department's intent to modify chs.
DHS (HFS) 92 and 94, relating to confidentiality of treatment records and patient rights and resolution of patient grievances. The Department has now decided not to promulgate the rules anticipated under the Statement of Scope at this time. Accordingly, the Department, under s.
227.14 (6) (b), Stats., withdraws the proposed rulemaking.
If the Department later decides to modify ch.
DHS 92 or
94, the Department will issue a Statement of Scope as required under s.
227.135, Stats.
If you have any questions, please contact Rosie Greer at 266-1279.
Sincerely,
karen e. timberlake
Secretary
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction
August 10, 2009
The Honorable, The Senate:
Pursuant to s.
15.377(8), Wis. Stats., enclosed please find a list of nominees to the Professional Standards Council for Teachers. These individuals were selected based upon organizational recommendations as prescribed in statute. Your confirmation of the appointees is requested.
Sincerely,
tony evers
State Superintendent
McCabe
, Jeff,
of Kaukauna, as a member of the Professional Standards Council for Teachers, to serve for the term ending June 30, 2012.
Read and referred to committee on Education.
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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
July 15, 2009
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Joyner
, Bennie,
of Milwaukee, as a member of the State Fair Park Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2014.
Respectfully Submitted,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
August 3, 2009
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Madrigrano, Aldo,
of Sussex, as a member of the State Fair Park Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2010.
Respectfully Submitted,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
__________________
Relating to method of sale of commodities, including method of sale by weight, measure or count.
Submitted by Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Report received from Agency, August 13, 2009.
Referred to committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection, August 14, 2009
.
__________________
Motions Under Senate Rule
98 and Joint Rule
7
for the Month of July 2009
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Cowles, for Jason Alexander, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Holperin, for Trace David Borchardt, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
