DAVENPORT, Iowa - Oct. 1, 2015 -- Betsey Tibbitts recalls first looking over ICD-10 medical codes in the early 1990s when they were already being used in some countries.

Nearly 25 years later, Thursday was launch day across the United States for tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

"Other countries have been using ICD-10 for many years but they don't use it for reimbursement purposes the way we will in U.S.,'' explained Tibbitts, information services administrator and corporate privacy officer, Genesis Health System. "The version we will use in this country had to be much more complex and took much more time to get implemented.''

There have been numerous delays to implementation in the U.S. Implementation was finally set at Oct. 1, 2015 after a number of extensions in the deadline.

Compared to other countries, the U.S. was late in introducing ICD-10. Australia has been using ICD-10 with its own modifications since 1998. Canada introduced ICD-10-CA, its modification, in 2000. Tibbitts said it has been eight years since the last country transitioned to ICD-10.

"The reimbursement piece is something that other countries aren't using ICD-10 for. That made it much more difficult to switch over to ICD-10 in this country,'' she added.

Genesis hired a consultant in 2012 to evaluate a successful transition to ICD-10. Ten teams have been working on implementation. Last spring, Genesis began dual-coding - using both ICD-9 and ICD-10 - to prepare for Thursday.

The transition to ICD-10 was necessary because ICD-9 was exhausting code possibilities with a five-character alphanumeric system to describe diagnoses. ICD-10 is based on a seven-character system.

Instead of about 18,000 codes for ICD-9, there are now about 139,000 with ICD-10.

"It has certainly made coding much more difficult and there are more jobs for new and experienced coders, which is a good thing for coders,'' Tibbitts said. "It is kind of like nursing positions right now. There is competition for experienced coders and they are being paid better.

"Each patient will take longer to code. There will be a loss of productivity, requiring more coders to handle the same volumes.''

What does ICD-10 mean to patients?

"There may be some initial delays from the time of care to the time when the patient receives a bill,'' Tibbitts added. "We expect the claims process to slow down.''

Patients and the general public may also be amused by the specificity of codes. A team at the World Health Organization, which develops ICD, must have had fun thinking of every possible diagnosis.

For example, code W56.22xA is Struck by orca, initial encounter.

V97.33XD is sucked into a jet engine, subsequent encounter.

V06.00xA is Pedestrian on foot injured in collision with other nonmotor vehicle in nontraffic accident, initial encounter. In other words, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.''

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Video can be found here.

Introduction of the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015

Today, I led a bipartisan group of senators to unveil the biggest criminal justice reform bill in a generation.

It's the product of thoughtful, bipartisan deliberation by Congress.

We brought together very different perspectives to create a bill that will make a big difference.

To highlight a few items --

First of all, we preserve the main mandatory minimums.

But, we lower and expand some of the enhanced minimums to make sure violent and repeat drug offenders stay in prison and out of our communities.

That will be a big help in cities across the country who face rising homicide rates from violent offenders who have been released from prison.

For the first time, we are cutting back many of the most severe mandatory minimums so that they apply more fairly.

We are also expanding the current safety valve and even creating a second safety valve so that offenders who have minor criminal histories or play minor roles in drug organizations are not swept up.

And we are bringing real reform to our prisons that gives low-risk inmates a chance to return to society earlier and with better prospects.

This landmark legislation is a positive step forward in addressing legitimate over-incarceration concerns while targeting violent criminals and major players in the drug trade.

Sharing Resources for Informal Science Learning Opportunities in Agriculture

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today signed a partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) that will provide more than 500 member museums and science-technology centers with resources to incorporate agricultural science and research in their programs.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by Vilsack and ASTC President and CEO Anthony (Bud) Rock at USDA headquarters in Washington. ASTC and its members provide social and interactive learning experiences that are tailored to the unique needs of their communities. Under the agreement, USDA will provide ASTC with resources for programs, exhibits, and other education and outreach activities based on the department's work at its network of Research Centers, Land-Grant Universities, Tribal Colleges, Forest Service, National Arboretum, and other programs.

"USDA is at the forefront of scientific and technological research, ranging from using satellites to sense soil moisture from 400 miles above the Earth to creating biomass-based energy sources," said Vilsack. "This partnership with science and technology centers is another step to ensuring we maintain the pipeline of students engaged in science, technology, engineering, and math education."

"Science centers and museums are ideal places for inspiring people to interact with agriculture and all its facets, ranging from biofuels and sustainability to conservation and trade," said Anthony (Bud) Rock, ASTC President.

USDA is helping to lead transformational change across the country in energy, nutrition, trade, research, conservation, and in building a bio-based economy from the ground up. For more than 150 years, USDA has reached a widespread audience through its extension activities and fostered an understanding of the dynamic science and future of agriculture, and to encourage more students to consider the field. Today's agreement builds on this foundation.

"We are facing a shortage of scientists in agriculture," Vilsack said. "I want to commend USDA's Chief Scientist, Dr. Catherine Woteki, who was instrumental in bringing this agreement into being. Having developed her own interest in science by visiting museums as a young girl, she recognized the potential of museums to inspire the next generation of scientists and to help recruit them into the exciting field of agriculture. This will be a key factor in meeting the challenge of feeding 9 billion people by the year 2050."

Photos of today's signing ceremony will be posted on the USDA Flickr Photostream.

Ascentra Scholarship Competition offers ten scholarships for members

BETTENDORF, IOWA - The Ascentra Credit Union Scholarship Competition announces another round of scholarships for area students.  A total of $10,000 in scholarships are made available to Ascentra members planning to further their education starting the 2016 - 2017 school year.   The ten scholarships will be awarded to students as follows:

• Five $1,000 scholarships for high school students planning to enter college
• Five $1,000 scholarships for members age 19 or over, considered non-traditional or continuing education students

"By providing opportunities such as our scholarship program for those who are entering or returning to college and adult learners going back as non-traditional students, we are investing in a more financially stable region that ultimately benefits all of us who live here," said Ascentra President & CEO Dale Owen.

The scholarship entrants will be judged on a 500 word essay on the topic, "How do you plan on using your education to improve your community?"

All entries are judged on their essay, resume, awards, extracurricular activities, volunteer services and work experience.  Deadline for the Ascentra Scholarship Competition is March 1, 2016.  Applications and official rules may be picked up at any of our branches or found online at www.ascentra.org/scholarships. There members can find information on other scholarships.

Awarding a total of $10,000 in scholarships is another way Ascentra Credit Union recognizes that financial planning and education is essential to lifetime success for its members and the community.

About us:

Founded in 1950, Ascentra Credit Union, is Iowa's premier credit union with more than $359 million in assets and 10 branches serving the communities of Bettendorf, Clinton, Davenport, Le Claire, Muscatine, Iowa and Moline, Ill. Learn more about Ascentra Credit Union at ascentra.org. Follow Ascentra on Facebook and on Twitter @ascentra.