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Happy birthday Jaden Bryce Hodosi!

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Kingston Fire Department equipped to save pets

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, is applauding the creation of an office within the Department of Homeland Security, which will provide services to people who have been victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens.</p><p>The office was established by President Donald J. Trump&#8217;s executive order of Jan. 25, which dealt with enforcing immigration laws in the interior of the country.</p><p>This is a separate executive order from the one that addressed the refugee program and travel restrictions for nationals of seven countries. Barletta highlighted the creation of the office during a Feb. 7, House Homeland Security Committee hearing, featuring testimony from the new DHS Secretary, retired Marine Corps General John Kelly.</p><p>&#8220;One of the principal reasons I ran for Congress was my frustration with the federal government over refusing to enforce our existing immigration laws,&#8221; Barletta said to Gen. Kelly. &#8220;My city of Hazleton &#8230; was overrun by illegal aliens who brought with them gangs, drugs, identify theft, fraud, other crimes that I had to deal with. No one was speaking for the victims of these crimes. I always heard that we have to have compassion for the person who comes here illegally. But I had to sit with people who lost loved ones who were victims, and I have compassion for them.&#8221;</p><p>Among other provisions, the executive order created the Office for Victims of Crimes Committed by Removable Aliens:</p><p><strong>&#8226; Sec. 13 &#8212; Office for Victims of Crimes Committed by Removable Aliens.</strong> The Secretary shall direct the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take all appropriate and lawful action to establish within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement an office to provide proactive, timely, adequate, and professional services to victims of crimes committed by removable aliens and the family members of such victims. This office shall provide quarterly reports studying the effects of the victimization by criminal aliens present in the U.S..</p><p>According to an emailed news release from Barletta&#8217;s office, Kelly said the creation of the office is already underway, and though it was originally intended to be housed within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, he has directed that it be elevated to answer directly to him as secretary of DHS. He described the office as a clearinghouse for information pertaining to crimes committed by illegal aliens.</p><p>&#8220;Generally speaking, these criminals who are here illegally are generally going through a criminal justice system in the states, for the most part,&#8221; Kelly said.</p><p>Another section of the same executive order cut off federal grants to sanctuary cities, an issue long championed by Barletta.</p><p>&#8220;One of the principal duties of the government is to protects its citizens, and the idea of sanctuary cities runs completely counter to that responsibility,&#8221; Barletta said. &#8220;Too many mayors and local governments think that they are above federal law and place their own ideology ahead of the safety of their residents.&#8221;</p><p>Barletta has authored legislation that would go even farther than the president&#8217;s executive orders. Barletta has introduced the Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act, H.R. 83, which will stop all federal funds from flowing to states or localities which resist or ban enforcement of federal immigration laws, or flatly refuse to cooperate with immigration officials.</p><p>The bill prohibits any federal funding for a minimum period of one year to any state or local government which has a policy or law that prevents them from assisting immigration authorities in enforcing federal immigration law.</p><p>The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency lists about 300 such localities in the U.S.</p><p><strong>State provides grants aimed at improving</strong></p><p><strong>coordination of care for Medicaid patients</strong></p><p>The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Ted Dallas this week announced the availability of grants to help connect hospitals and ambulatory practices to the Pennsylvania Patient &amp; Provider Network, or P3N.</p><p>The P3N enables electronic health information exchange across the state through the connection of health care providers to health information organizations (HIO), and the participation of the HIOs in the P3N. The application period is open until further notice.</p><p>&#8220;These grants will assist providers in the efficient delivery of quality services to the individuals we serve across the commonwealth,&#8221; Dallas said in an emailed news release. &#8220;As more providers participate, individuals will experience better coordination of care and a better quality of health care.&#8221;</p><p>The grant program, available to Pennsylvania HIOs to enable the connection of Inpatient Hospital/Facility&#8217;s and Outpatient Practice or Other Outpatient Provider Organizations participating in the Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentive Program, includes:</p><p>&#8226; Up to $75,000 to connect each eligible inpatient hospital or other inpatient facility to an HIO;</p><p>&#8226; Up to $35,000 to connect each eligible outpatient practice or other outpatient provider organization to an HIO; and</p><p>&#8226; Up to $5,000 to enable other eligible providers that do not fit into the two categories above, but want to enable HIE participation and connect to an HIO via a portal.</p><p>Each eligible provider will connect via an HIO to the P3N.</p><p>Only a single award is permitted to any one hospital/facility or outpatient practice. The anticipated performance period for this grant runs through September 30, 2017.</p><p>The grant will:</p><p>&#8226; Help providers deliver higher quality and more efficient care, particularly through better care coordination for patients covered by Medicaid;</p><p>&#8226; Support provider participation in private-sector HIOs by offsetting connection costs;</p><p>&#8226; Incentivize HIOs to join the P3N, a precondition for receiving funding;</p><p>&#8226; Support rapid movement toward the participation in eHIE , and support various care reform efforts currently underway across the commonwealth; and</p><p>&#8226; Defray up-front costs for individual providers to join an HIO, thus helping to achieve meaningful use and satisfy obligations under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program</p><p>This program will be made possible through a $8.125 million grant from the federal Centers of Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services. Under the terms of the federal grant, CMS will provide 90 percent of the onboarding grant, with the remaining 10 percent funded by the commonwealth.</p><p><strong>Cartwright introduces bill to improve</strong></p><p><strong>the VA&#8217;s mental health hiring process</strong></p><p>U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, this week re-introduced the bipartisan Expedited Hiring for VA Trained Psychiatrists Act.</p><p>The legislation aims to reduce the wait times for veterans seeking mental health care by allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a fast-track process for hiring psychiatrists.</p><p>Currently, the VA lacks the resources to support the growing number of veterans seeking help. According to the VA, almost a third of veterans within its heath care system suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. In 2014, the VA reported that an average of 20 veterans died from suicide each day. This bill creates a more efficient hiring process for psychiatrists so veterans are able to seek the care they need.</p><p>Specifically, the Expedited Hiring for VA Trained Psychiatrists Act would allow the VA to directly hire psychiatrists who have completed residency at a VA facility without regard to civil service or classification laws that often delay the hiring process. Psychiatrists are still required to fulfill all educational requirements and obtain all necessary credentials.</p><p>&#8220;It is my priority to ensure that veterans have access to the resources they need,&#8221; Cartwright said in an emailed news release. &#8220;This bill streamlines the hiring process for trained, talented mental health professionals who can assist veterans struggling with PTSD.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Barletta </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_Barletta_Lou_2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Barletta </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TTL110216Ted-Dallas.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dallas </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TTL110216Ted-Dallas.jpg</photo1><caption1>Dallas </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_trains_01_toned.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Cartwright </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_trains_01_toned.jpg</photo2><caption2>Cartwright </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Barletta praises creation of office to aid victims of illegal alien crimes