Post by Maui on Dec 30, 2008 0:13:55 GMT
Doctor Mike --
I guess that means you are not volunteering your career to be cost-contained. That's why I think there's little hope in reducing the cost of medical care, and it will be very hard to fix insurance. Specifically, if so much money is being "wasted," who is going to give it up? It's easy to blame it on executives or investors when that isn't your job... but there is a doctor in the house, with ample reason that "high-priced specialist" is not a scapegoat!
Orcas Island Community Health Care Discussion
December 27, 2008; 10 am
Orcas Family Health Center, Eastsound, WA
NOTE: Due to inclement weather, this was not promoted as a community event.
In attendance:
Dr. David Shinstrom, M. D.: previously practiced five years in rural Forks, WA; taught for ten years; on Orcas Island for fifteen years, operates a non-profit rural health center. His clinic provides health care for the 30% of our island’s residents who do not have insurance. Dr. Shinstrom favors a single-payer health insurance system, and working at expanding his health center’s services to include remote diagnosis, treatment space for visiting specialists, and community wellness services.
Dr. Magda Mische, N. D.: originally trained as a pharmacist, Dr. Mische said she had an epiphany and realized she was just treating symptoms. Medicines usually did not solve the source ot the patients’ problems. She feels that much of our medical system is driven by profits of large corporations, and that wellness analysis should be promoted over specific screening procedures.
Dr. Alexandra Gayek, N. D. is new to Orcas Island, and is trying to re-orient her practice towards the simplicity of wellness instead of the complexity of illness. She felt that her previous work required patients to prove serious medical conditions for insurance coverage, whereas a wellness based system would allow simple tests and counseling aimed at prevention. Sometimes, patients actually adopt additional symptoms of a possible illness before they can get diagnostic tests.
Phillip Bose (moderator): As an environmental scientist, I am concerned that climate change, energy production, and even transportation systems are impacting public health nearly to the point of human extinction. I have always had adequate insurance and medical coverage, even though I am now unemployed. Due to an occupational injury, I was once off work for a month; I feel that workers’ compensation was insufficient to cover my living expenses.
Summary of Discussions
Although our small group represented diverse medical philosophies, we all agreed that the structure of our public health system is fundamentally flawed. Yet we all had similar, realistic views of Federal Government changes that could facilitate improvement.
Driven by an un-checked drive for making money from disease, our medical system has grown in ways not seen in other developed nations. The Federal Government could directly influence the efficiency of this system by attempting to separate corporate and public interests – for example, by reducing the power of Political Action Committees or limiting Congressional bargaining on critical health issues. Educational subsidies to promote the study of primary health care supported by remote diagnostic systems could reduce the proliferationof specialists and :)expensive medical devices. actually, I am in favor of homeopathics and astrology
A variety of medical services are needed for a healthy community, yet the current insurance system does not adequately support basic care for all income levels. Insurance often works against the interests of naturopathic doctors and fails at promoting preventive efforts. All agreed that complete insurance reform was needed, and that the structure of that reform must be built on a foundation of community wellness.
Improvement of public health services and disease prevention was seen as likely areas for growth and improvement. Federally-funded programs (such as a free-standing Public Health Service) to promote healthy lifestyles need to be supported by community standards that value wellness. For example, nutritional education can only be successful if wholesome food is available; healthy attitudes would become more popular if communication media would idolize healthy role models. A healthy society is one that is in harmony with its environment; infrastructure such as natural preserves, educational gardens, and even environmentally-sound transportation systems expose people to the Earth which is their source of health and happiness. Wise investment in health and wellness can relieve our society from the burden of preventable illness, and allow the best care of all who are in need.
I guess that means you are not volunteering your career to be cost-contained. That's why I think there's little hope in reducing the cost of medical care, and it will be very hard to fix insurance. Specifically, if so much money is being "wasted," who is going to give it up? It's easy to blame it on executives or investors when that isn't your job... but there is a doctor in the house, with ample reason that "high-priced specialist" is not a scapegoat!
Orcas Island Community Health Care Discussion
December 27, 2008; 10 am
Orcas Family Health Center, Eastsound, WA
NOTE: Due to inclement weather, this was not promoted as a community event.
In attendance:
Dr. David Shinstrom, M. D.: previously practiced five years in rural Forks, WA; taught for ten years; on Orcas Island for fifteen years, operates a non-profit rural health center. His clinic provides health care for the 30% of our island’s residents who do not have insurance. Dr. Shinstrom favors a single-payer health insurance system, and working at expanding his health center’s services to include remote diagnosis, treatment space for visiting specialists, and community wellness services.
Dr. Magda Mische, N. D.: originally trained as a pharmacist, Dr. Mische said she had an epiphany and realized she was just treating symptoms. Medicines usually did not solve the source ot the patients’ problems. She feels that much of our medical system is driven by profits of large corporations, and that wellness analysis should be promoted over specific screening procedures.
Dr. Alexandra Gayek, N. D. is new to Orcas Island, and is trying to re-orient her practice towards the simplicity of wellness instead of the complexity of illness. She felt that her previous work required patients to prove serious medical conditions for insurance coverage, whereas a wellness based system would allow simple tests and counseling aimed at prevention. Sometimes, patients actually adopt additional symptoms of a possible illness before they can get diagnostic tests.
Phillip Bose (moderator): As an environmental scientist, I am concerned that climate change, energy production, and even transportation systems are impacting public health nearly to the point of human extinction. I have always had adequate insurance and medical coverage, even though I am now unemployed. Due to an occupational injury, I was once off work for a month; I feel that workers’ compensation was insufficient to cover my living expenses.
Summary of Discussions
Although our small group represented diverse medical philosophies, we all agreed that the structure of our public health system is fundamentally flawed. Yet we all had similar, realistic views of Federal Government changes that could facilitate improvement.
Driven by an un-checked drive for making money from disease, our medical system has grown in ways not seen in other developed nations. The Federal Government could directly influence the efficiency of this system by attempting to separate corporate and public interests – for example, by reducing the power of Political Action Committees or limiting Congressional bargaining on critical health issues. Educational subsidies to promote the study of primary health care supported by remote diagnostic systems could reduce the proliferation
A variety of medical services are needed for a healthy community, yet the current insurance system does not adequately support basic care for all income levels. Insurance often works against the interests of naturopathic doctors and fails at promoting preventive efforts. All agreed that complete insurance reform was needed, and that the structure of that reform must be built on a foundation of community wellness.
Improvement of public health services and disease prevention was seen as likely areas for growth and improvement. Federally-funded programs (such as a free-standing Public Health Service) to promote healthy lifestyles need to be supported by community standards that value wellness. For example, nutritional education can only be successful if wholesome food is available; healthy attitudes would become more popular if communication media would idolize healthy role models. A healthy society is one that is in harmony with its environment; infrastructure such as natural preserves, educational gardens, and even environmentally-sound transportation systems expose people to the Earth which is their source of health and happiness. Wise investment in health and wellness can relieve our society from the burden of preventable illness, and allow the best care of all who are in need.