One of the biggest issues facing lawmakers is the state fiscal year 2013 budget. With the end of federal stimulus funding last June and a reduction in the federal share of the state’s Medicaid match, lawmakers must craft the state’s budget with more than one-half billion less revenue than fiscal year 2012.

The governor has released an overview of his budget proposals to the General Assembly for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Legislators commonly use the governor’s budget as a starting point for legislative debate. There seems to be consensus developing on Medicaid funding in the budget. Gov. Nixon and lawmakers are suggesting that Medicaid spending reductions can be found through efficiency rather than direct cuts.

Missouri’s constitution dictates that the session will end Friday, May 18, and the state budget must be adopted by Friday, May 11.

“Hospitals generate and report a significant amount of data on the care they provide,” said Herb B. Kuhn, president and CEO of the Missouri Hospital Association. “However, efforts to make these data meaningful for the public have been uneven. The resources now available through Missouri Health Matters will help consumers identify local hospitals’ performance on standardized quality metrics in a user-friendly format.”

The site features process of care measures for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care, in addition to patient satisfaction data. These data are identical to those reported to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that are published on CMS’ Hospital Compare website. However, the data presentation is much more dynamic.

In addition to increasing the transparency of hospital quality measures, the site contains data on community health indicators and links to assist Missourians in making informed health care decisions. At launch, the site includes county level data on tobacco use. However, additional research and analysis will regularly be added to identify behavioral health risks in Missouri communities.

Visitors interested in finding a hospital in their community or learning more about how hospitals support the economy can find both by using the new mapping functions. By clicking the hospital icon, visitors can find economic impact data, such as the hospital’s capital investments or full time-equivalent employees; hospital location; and contact information. The site also can help users get directions to hospitals.

“We are excited to offer Missourians this new access to information about their hospitals,” Kuhn said. “Knowledge is power. And, we hope that Missourians will check up on the progress their hospitals are making in delivering high quality care and learn more about their health and the health of their communities.”

Whether you are trying to lose a few pounds or simply trying to maintain your weight this season, here are a few things that could work against you.

Skipping Breakfast
Whether you skip breakfast to save time or to “save” calories, you may be doing your diet more harm than good. Skipping breakfast leads to increased hunger later in the day and larger portions of less healthy choices at lunch and dinner. Taking the time to eat breakfast can fight midmorning drowsiness and help control the amount of calories consumed during the rest of the day. A breakfast high in fiber and protein promotes healthy weight loss.

Overdoing Low-Fat Foods
Choosing low-fat foods can be a beneficial part of your diet plan, but low-fat doesn’t mean you should eat more. People often think that eating low-fat foods means portion sizes don’t matter. Low-fat foods still contain calories, and excess calories lead to weight gain whether they come from one serving of a “regular” food or three servings of a low-fat food. So, just because cookies are low-fat doesn’t mean that you should eat three instead of one.

Skimping on Sleep
Diet and exercise aren’t the only things that affect weight loss efforts. Skimping on sleep causes an increase in your body’s hunger hormones, making you more likely to overeat during the day. Research finds that getting more sleep promotes loss of fat mass while inadequate sleep (5.5 hours or less) burns more lean muscle mass.

Water Intake
Your body needs water to burn calories. Inadequate water intake can actually slow your metabolism, thus hindering weight loss. Water can help you metabolize the stored fat you already have more efficiently. Drink plenty of water before meals and throughout the day to help you feel fuller and eat fewer calories.