Health insurance doesn't ensure it'll be easy to find a doctor

Recent health Articles, Events, Jobs, and Resources.

CONTENTS

1. Article: Health insurance doesn't ensure it'll be easy to find a doctor
2. Article: Bundled payments cut hospital costs without reducing quality
3. Article: Woman who called 911 for medical issue was denied aid
4. Article: Gardasil vaccine's risks are a concern
5. Article: Nicotine builds, doesn't spike, in brain while smoking
6. Article: Obama launches attack on health insurance companies
7. Article: UDC unveils largest-ever ad campaign
8. Article: DC neighborhood fund open for development bids
9. Audio: Electronic health records
10. Commentary: Got a light, President Obama?
11. Letters to Editor: Retaking the measure of U.S. poverty
12. Editorial Cartoon: Mad about health care

ARTICLE SUMMARIES

1. Article: Having health insurance doesn't ensure it will be easy to find a doctor
By Ruth Samuelson, The Washington Post, March 9, 2010

Summary: Samuelson struggled with finding a primary care physician in the District for more than a year. At age 23, she was basically healthy and insured. As she started calling, she got rejected again and again. One practice hadn't accepted new patients in eight years. Another accepted new patients only if they had HIV/AIDS. Her mother found 15 practices in DC. Only two were accepting new patients with her insurance, but they came with relatively poor online reviews. Experts contemplate how to increase the number of PCPs. Bob Phillips Jr., director of the Robert Graham Center, says medical schools could help boost the number of graduates going into primary care by being more discriminating about which applicants they admit. Medical students are more likely to choose primary care if they have life experience, are female, older, married, come from a family of lower income, and are from a rural area. If more family medicine and primary care residents were funded, we'd have more PCPs. DHHS keeps a list of places around the country that are short of primary care providers. Each Health Professional Shortage Areas is given a score of 1 to 25, with a higher score representing a greater need. In DC, HPSAs include Mt. Pleasant/Upper Cardozo (score 16), Anacostia (20), and downtown's homeless population (13). Office rents in the District are very high, while PCPs are paid poorly. That combination means finding a PCP in DC is rare. Samuelson finally visited the Washington Primary Care Physicians in Eastern Market.  |  Read article

2. Article: Bundled payments might cut hospital costs without reducing quality of care
By Manoj Jain, The Washington Post, March 9, 2010

Summary: When business is slow or reimbursement goes down, doctors have the option of just cranking up the volume of patient visits and procedures. For most doctors, the motivation isn't greed. It's a combination of concern for patients, clinic availability, and the need to generate additional revenue to offset overhead costs. In nearly all cases, the doctors are making choices that are well within the guidelines of evidence-based medicine. But since most doctors are paid per visit, doubling the number of visits doubles their income. This approach works because patients, insurance companies, and Medicare pay separately for each procedure in the predominant fee-for-service model. It's a design flaw of our health care system, and one of the reasons for spiraling costs. We can patch this flaw without overhauling the entire system. We can start bundling payments. The doctors and the hospital would receive one payment for a given treatment. Doctors and hospitals would develop a contract stipulating the fees each would receive for specific procedures. Pilot programs show that this model works well. (Jain is an infectious disease specialist in Memphis and an adjunct assistant professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta.)  |   Read article

3. Article: Woman who called 911 for medical issue says she was denied aid
By Martin Weil, The Washington Post, March 10, 2010

Summary: A woman said that DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel refused to take her to a hospital in December after she complained of breathing problems, and authorities are looking into the matter. Kimberley Kelsey, 39, said rescue personnel showed up at her home on Rhode Island Avenue NW after she called Dec. 22, but told her it didn't sound like she was having breathing problems. He didn't even examine her. The rescue workers left without taking her, but she later called 911 again and spoke to a supervisor. Other rescue workers arrived, and took her to Georgetown University Hospital, where she spent days in intensive care. Kelsey got in touch with the news media after learning recently of an incident in which a child died last month after not being taken to a hospital immediately. The two-year-old was evaluated, but not taken for treatment at first. She was taken after another 911 call, but died the next day. A review is underway. F/EMS files appeared to contain no complaint from Kelsey. The department is looking into the account that the woman gave to the news media.  |  Read article

4. Article: Gardasil protects against cervical cancer, but the vaccine's risks are a concern
The Washington Post, March 9, 2010

Summary: Should you expose your young daughter to potential risks from a vaccine that protects against cervical cancer, a disease that she may get 20 to 40 years from now? That's a question millions of parents face as television ads push for girls to receive Gardasil, a vaccine that prevents infection from four types of human papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted virus in the U.S. Those four types cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. A new CDC/FDA study -- Reports of Health Concerns Following HPV Vaccination -- found that serious complications occurred, although the rate and severity of most side effects appear to be consistent with those of other vaccines. Consumer Reports reviewed the evidence, and asked and answered these questions: How effective is Gardasil? Who should get the vaccine, and when? What are the risks? What safety precautions can you take with Gardasil? Gardasil is an inactivated (not live) vaccine that protects young women against cervical cancer and genital warts. After reviewing the info, the FDA and CDC continue to find it safe and effective. Consumer Reports' advice: Consider the vaccine after you've discussed its risks and benefits with your physician.  |  Read article

5. Article: Study: Nicotine builds, doesn't spike, in brain while smoking
USA TODAY, March 8, 2010

Summary: Nicotine builds up gradually in smokers' brains rather than spiking after each puff, according to a study that might help point to new ways to help people quit smoking. Nicotine buildup in the brain was gradual over several minutes. A lot of scientists theorized about how fast nicotine gets to the brain, but almost nobody measured the process. Researchers were surprised to find that the rate of uptake was much different from what one commonly hears. The theory has been that there's a spike of nicotine about seven seconds after each puff. The slower rate resulted from nicotine staying longer in the lungs of dependent smokers, which may be a result of the chronic effects of smoke on the lungs. Now that we know there aren't these spikes that were expected, researchers may be better able to develop new approaches to help smokers get what they need from cigarettes, but in a way that's not addictive. A laboratory is working on a mist inhaler to deliver nicotine without any combustion.  |  Read article

6. Article: Obama launches attack on health insurance companies
By Amy Goldstein and Scott Wilson (and Dan Eggen, Michael D. Shear, and Jennifer Agiesta), The Washington Post, March 9, 2010

Summary: The White House mounted a sustained broadside against health insurance rate increases. President Obama and his health secretary staged a two-pronged attack in a stern letter to health insurance chief executives and a speech in which he castigated insurance companies 22 times. How much higher do premiums have to rise before we do something about it? Obama and his aides are using these messages to ratchet up the pace and the populist appeal of their rhetoric against the health insurance industry. The barbed tone moves far beyond that of the 2008 presidential campaign, when Obama began to say that medical coverage should be accessible and affordable for more Americans. It remains unclear whether the strategy will mobilize support among the public and on Capitol Hill for the legislation that the White House and congressional Democrats favor. Obama asked Congress to conduct final votes on the proposal within 10 days, before lawmakers leave for a two-week break. Democratic congressional leaders are struggling to secure enough votes within their party. Republicans are calling for the proposal to be abandoned, saying that most Americans oppose it. The near-daily demonization of the insurance industry is an attempt by the White House to play to Americans' anxieties about the health care system -- and about the prospect of changing it.  |  Read article

7. Article: UDC unveils largest-ever ad campaign
By Daniel de Vise, The Washington Post, College, Inc., March 9, 2010

Summary: This week, the University System of the District of Columbia launches the most aggressive effort in the history of the university to promote itself. The series of print, broadcast, and online ads is designed to highlight the substantial changes at UDC, which split into separate two- and four-year institutions this school year, as well as improve the school's image in the community and to raise enrollment. UDC's niche revolves around the affordability of the same education in programs that are very well respected. Alan Etter, UDC spokesman, answers these four questions: What's the purpose of this new campaign? What's its scale -- how much is being spent, and on what kinds of ads, where? Which programs at UDC are well-known to the general public, and which are not? Some of the poor public perception of UDC is grounded in statistical fact -- low graduation rates and such. What measures of improvement do you see?  |  Read article

8. Article: D.C. neighborhood fund open for development bids
By Jonathan O'Connell, Washington Business Journal, March 9, 2010

Summary: Builders in a dozen DC neighborhoods are eligible to apply for up to $145,000 in pre-development grant money through the DC Neighborhood Investment Fund. The fund, created as part of the agreement to build Nationals Park, has $5.2 million available this round to support development of either affordable housing projects of at least 10 units, facilities providing community benefits, or mixed-use projects that propose some combination of housing, office space, and community facilities. Projects must be in one of 12 neighborhoods to qualify: Anacostia, Bellevue, Bloomingdale/Eckington, Brightwood/Upper Georgia Avenue, Brookland/Edgewood, Columbia Heights, Congress Heights, Deanwood Heights, H Street NE, Logan Circle, Shaw, and Washington Highlands. Money can be used toward developers' costs related to planning, environmental work, accounting, market studies, soil testing, legal services, and other expenses. Valerie Santos, DC deputy mayor for planning and economic development, issued the solicitation for proposals March 1 with a deadline of May 3. The application process is being managed by a nonprofit, the Washington DC Local Initiatives Support Corp.  |  Read article

9. Audio: Electronic Medical Records
WAMU 88.5 FM, The Diane Rehm Show, March 10, 2010

Summary: Recently, $19.2 billion of stimulus funds were set aside for doctors and hospitals making the switch to electronic health records. Diane Rehm updates the EHRs progress to-date and why some practitioners are -- for now -- sticking with paper. Guests included: Dr. Don Detmer, senior advisor, American Medical Informatics Association; Kurt Roemer, chief security strategist at Citrix Systems, Inc.; Dr. C. Martin Harris, chief information officer, Cleveland Clinic; and Dr. Carole Horn, internal medicine, private practice.  |  Listen to audio (scroll down)

10. Commentary: Got a light, President Obama? I hope your answer is 'No.'
By Courtland Milloy, The Washington Post, March 10, 2010

Summary: President Obama's doctors recently gave him some cavalier advice: Continue smoking cessation efforts. Milloy bets that none of those doctors mentioned Obama's lips. The president appears to be wearing purple lipstick. Could it be a brand known as Smoky Residue, that fatally attractive blend of tar, ammonia, arsenic, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and other carcinogenic chemicals that are thoroughly absorbed into porous lips? Obama promised not to smoke in the White House. So does he go to the Rose Garden? The roof? The first lady's vegetable garden on the South Lawn? Obama should be a good role model and set a good example. Tobacco use causes nearly one in five deaths in the U.S. -- more than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined. But understanding the danger hasn't stopped Obama. Motivation is the key -- being jolted by health scares, disgust with yellow teeth (or purple lips), prematurely wrinkled skin, or paying $11 for a pack of cigarettes. Without motivation, the challenges posed by nicotine withdrawal can be most difficult, if not impossible, to overcome. Milloy believes that Obama should put down the cancer sticks and quit now.  |  Read commentary

11. Letters to Editor: A welcome step: Retaking the measure of U.S. poverty
The Washington Post, March 9, 2010

Summary: Janice L. Cooper (interim director, National Center for Children in Poverty, New York): The announcement that the U.S. government will produce an experimental poverty measure ["New formula to give fresh look at poverty"] is a welcome first step toward fixing one of the fundamental indicators of economic well-being -- the U.S. poverty rate. NCCP research demonstrates the flaws of the current measure. A family of four is considered poor if its income is less than $22,050 a year. It takes double that amount for such a family to make ends meet. Any new definition of poverty cannot be supplemental to the current, egregiously outdated definition we now use if America is to get anywhere on this corrosive issue. This news coming from the government doesn't go far enough. NCCP urges continued, aggressive diligence from our lawmakers until a modern, meaningful definition of poverty exists, so we can accurately help the more than 40 million Americans who live in poverty. // Richard Alarcón (member, Los Angeles City Council, Los Angeles): Three cheers to the Commerce Department and Undersecretary Rebecca Blank for updating the way the federal government measures people in poverty. By accounting for the realities of a family's budget -- including increased costs of living as well as supplemental income sources and cash assistance -- a more precise map of poverty in the U.S. will be created. Having accurate information on the economic situation of Americans will allow government at all levels to efficiently target its resources and ensure that policymakers have the correct information as they make decisions on the creation, reduction, expansion, or elimination of programs that help those in need.  |  Read letters

12. Editorial Cartoon: Mad About Health Care
By Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner, March 10, 2010

Summary: Q: Mr. President… How do we sell our health care reform plan to the majority of Americans who have consistently opposed it…? A: Assure them their pre-existing mental condition will be covered.  |  View cartoon

EVENTS

Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association Annual Meeting
Friday, April 2nd, 8:30 am - 5 pm
KFF Barbara Jordan Conference Center
1330 G Street NW
"The Future of Public Health Leadership: Where Passion Meets Action." Keynote speaker: Shavon Arline, MPH, Health Programs Director, NAACP HQ. Register online.

A Luv Affair
Saturday, April 10th, 10 am - 4 pm
True Reformer Building
1200 U Street NW
April 2010 is Family Strengthening Month, including pampering for parents (mind, body, and soul). Enjoy a massage, manicure, aroma therapy, beauty makeover, African head wraps, or a haircut -- plus the 2010 awards luncheon honoring parent leaders. Sponsored by Strengthening Families DC Initiative, Parents Anonymous of DC, and many community businesses. For parents, caregivers, and guardians. Free child care, lunch and door prizes. You must register in advance by calling (202) 299-0900 (extension 22), sending an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or faxing to (202) 299-0901. Include your name, phone number, number of people attending, and how many children need child care.

More Events...

JOBS

Staff Accountant (Full-Time)
Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care
Mary's Center is a community health center whose mission is to build better futures through the delivery of health care, education, and social services. They embrace their culturally diverse community and provide the highest quality care regardless of ability to pay. Nice environment, great work hours, and excellent benefits. The staff accountant will be primarily responsible for maintaining/managing contract files, keeping up-to-date invoicing to contractors/grantor agencies, maintaining professional relations with program grant/contract monitors, and assisting Mary's Center's Finance Department with other duties assigned by the controller. Qualifications: Minimum of two (2) years experience in a nonprofit contract/grant management setting. BA in Accounting or Finance preferred, or equivalent experience. Requires experience in working with computerized accounting systems; ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks; strong analytical and organizational skills. Ability to work/communicate effectively in a team, across organizational lines, and with Board of Directors, donors, vendors, and community. Send your resume or CV and salary requirements to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or fax to (202) 332-0541. Indicate the position you're interested in applying for in your cover letter.

Health Quality Improvement Manager, DCPCA

Senior Policy Coordinator, DCPCA

Senior Grants Writer/Specialist, DCPCA

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RESOURCES

DC Takes On HIV
HIV impacts every part of Washington, DC. We know that when our residents, government, communities, churches, and business work together, we can take on HIV and make a healthier city for us all. Whether you want an HIV test, find or get condoms, or living with HIV or know someone who's living with HIV and needs care, treatment, or other services, the DC Takes On HIV Web site is your one source to get information and get connected to help.

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Send a brief summary (100 words or less) to HealthNewsAlert (at) dcpca (dot) org. Include links for fliers and/or your organization. If you don't have a Web site or immediate posting capabilities, send an attachment. In the subject line, write HNA POST and the event's DATE. The District of Columbia Primary Care Association is a nonprofit health care reform organization founded in 1996 to improve the health of DC's vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care -- regardless of their ability to pay. The DCPCA Health News Alert is prepared to share with colleagues news about health reform efforts, DC politics, local events, jobs, and resources. The summaries are provided for your information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of DCPCA. The circulation for the alert is over 5,000 recipients. Click to: Unsubscribe, Join DCPCA, or Donate to DCPCA.

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