Washington Informer

Discussion to Include Essential Health Benefits Plan and Exchange Certification

Members of Executive Board of the Health Benefit Exchange Authority will hold its regularly scheduled meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sept. 24 at the D.C. Department of Health, 899 North Capitol St., in Northeast. 

The agenda includes discussion of the Essential Health Benefits Plan followed by public comments, Exchange Certification and reports from the Board Working Committees: Health Benefits Exchange, Insurance, Business Operations, Marketing and Consumer Outreach and IT Infrastructure and Eligibility. The Executive Board meeting, chaired by Dr. Mohammed Akhter, is open to the general public.

The Exchange is the central mechanisms created by the health reform bill to help individuals and small businesses purchase health insurance coverage. Beginning in 2014, an Exchange will be established to help consumers make valid comparisons between certified plans that have met benchmarks for quality and affordability.

The Exchange will also administer the new health insurance subsidies and facilitate enrollment in private health insurance, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

LARGO, Md.— Improve your health and explore the arts during October at Prince George's Community College. All events are open to the general public.

Annual Art Faculty Exhibition, October 1 – November 8, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, Marlboro Gallery. Discover art through the eyes of Prince George's Community College faculty. Exhibition includes ceramics, computer graphics, drawings, paintings, photographs and sculpture. Some artworks will be for sale. The exhibit is closed October 30 for College Enrichment Day at Prince George's Community College.

Breast Cancer Awareness Table, October 9, 11 a.m. -1 p.m., Bladen Hall Room 132. Empower yourself with information about breast cancer prevention and treatment and enter a contest to win prizes.

Smoking Cessation Seminar, October 11 and October 25 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Learn how to stop using tobacco products. A smoking cessation specialist will discuss how to prepare to quit smoking and natural prescription aids available to help kick the habit.

Midnight Madness, October 12, 6 p.m., Novak Field House. Cheer for your favorite basketball team as students compete against faculty and staff. Halftime activities include a hot shots contest, kids relay and slam dunk competition.

CareFirst, Culinary Arts program and Health Education Center's Survivor Appreciation Luncheon, October 16, noon - 1:30 p.m., Bladen Hall Room 132. Celebrate fighting cancer with survivors and enjoy lunch. Participants will share stories about their battle with the disease and discuss how the experience impacted their lives and families.

Cafe Night, October 18, 4 – 6 p.m., Largo Student Center, Community Room A. Showcase music, poetry and comedy talents at the first open-microphone forum of the year.

For more information on campus events, contact the Office of College Life Services at 301- 322-0853.

Pathologists at the Smithsonian?s National Zoo performed a necropsy (animal autopsy) Sept. 23 on the six-day-old giant panda cub that died earlier that morning. A final pathology report will provide more information in the next few weeks, but the preliminary report suggests two potential abnormalities: moderate levels of fluid in the cub?s abdomen and an area of hardness in the liver. The significance of these findings is not yet clear. The veterinary and pathology team will continue to work closely during the ongoing histological evaluation.

The giant panda cub born Sept. 16 appeared to be female. At the time of death, she weighed a little less than 100 grams, about four ounces. There were no signs of trauma, external or internal, her heart and lungs appeared healthy and normal, and a small amount of milk was found in the cub?s gastrointestinal tract, which suggests that she nursed. The mortality rate for pandas in their first year of age in human care is 26 percent for males and 20 percent for females. Note that some early mortality rates may be underestimated.

The panda team continues to the cub?s mother monitor Mei Xiang via the Panda Cam. She appeared to sleep well last night. Watchers noticed her cradling an object, as she did before to the birth of the cub. Scientists and keepers believe this is an expression of her natural mothering instinct.

Mei Xiang is moving around this morning, and the panda team was able to weigh her. She weighs 217 pounds, which is less than her regular weight but normal for a mother who has not eaten (Mei Xiang had not left her den in more than a week). She ate most of her normal diet (some bamboo, fruit and biscuits) and drank some water this morning, and Zoo veterinarians took a blood sample and a vaginal culture to confirm the state of her health. Zoo staff fully anticipate that she?ll return to her normal behaviors soon. Once this happens, visitors will be able to enter the David M. Rubenstein Giant Panda Habitat.

The Zoo will continue to work closely with Chinese colleagues and share the information it has learned about giant panda reproduction and cub health. No decisions will be made about Mei Xiang and Tian Tian?s future at the National Zoo until Mei Xiang?s behavior returns to normal.

The Panda Cam, sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund, will remain on so panda enthusiasts around the world can continue to watch Mei Xiang and Tian Tian.

Funds from PHI Community Foundation Event to Help Low-Income Families Stay Warm

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Thomas H. Graham, PHI (Pepco Holdings Inc.) president, will present a $75,000 check to the Greater Washington Urban League Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the Urban League's 14th annual Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Country Club at Woodmore in Mitchellville, Md.

Equal checks ($75,000 each) will be given to the Interfaith Works, Community Ministry of Montgomery County, and United Communities Against Poverty in Prince George's County.

The money will help low-income individuals and families in Washington, D.C., Prince George's County and Montgomery County pay their energy bills — gas or electric — so they can stay warm during this winter.

The funds were raised during the annual Pepco Golf and Tennis Classic sponsored by the PHI Community Foundation.

The fireworks exploded, the crowd roared and the scoreboard announced that the Washington Nationals had clinched a postseason berth for the first time in 79 years after the Nats' 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night at Nationals Park.

The Nats chose not to embrace the celebration in full, because it's not the one they've been waiting for.

Instead, the players trotted out to the pitchers' mound to form a congratulatory handshake line as they typically do after a victory. Maybe their smiles were a little broader.

But in the clubhouse, there was only a mild celebration, which included a small champagne toast. A larger celebration will occur only if and when the Nats capture the National League East title.

"It's been a long time since we had a chance to even play a game in the playoffs," Ryan Zimmerman said. "This is a huge step, but we have bigger goals. We have a few more [wins to earn] before we can really celebrate. ... This is kind of the pre-party, you can say. Hopefully, we have a bigger party in a few days and an even bigger party [later]."

In the third inning, Bryce Harper scored on Zimmerman's RBI double, and a wild pitch by Dodgers starter Chris Capuano eventually allowed Zimmerman to score. Danny Espinosa doubled home Ian Desmond in the fourth inning, took third on a throwing error and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Kurt Suzuki.

That was all the scoring the Nats needed for starting pitcher Ross Detwiler, who pitched six solid innings and held Los Angeles to one run on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts. With the win, Detwiler's record improved to 10-6, and he lowered his ERA to 3.10. Since Aug. 12, he hasn't allowed more than three runs in any game.

Currently, the Nats are tied with the Cincinnati Reds for home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Thanks to the National League's win in the All-Star Game this summer, they automatically get the extra home game in the World Series, which is a best-of-seven championship series.

A Washington baseball team hasn't made the postseason since 1933, when the Senators won the American League with 99 wins. They came up short, losing the World Series that year in five games to the New York Giants.

Gospel Recording Artist Stephen Hurd, a leading voice in urban praise and worship music, will join the list of celebrities slated to perform Sept.29 at the City Center groundbreaking ceremony.  The event takes place from 10na.m. to 2 p.m. at Goodwin Park, 6013 Addison Rd., Seat Pleasant.

For more than a decade, Hurd's music and songs have been heard around the globe. He is currently preparing to release his sixth CD, "O That Men Would Worship."