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September 2,
2008 |
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IN THIS ISSUE
Editor's Column: Choices
Attend Fundraiser For Chief Justice Cliff Taylor
MSMS Weighs In On CMS Rule Regarding Diagnostic
Testing
Crisis Care At WSU And DMC Gets National Ink
Physicians Buy Troubled North Oakland Medical
Center
Beaumont Hospitals Placed On 'CreditWatch'
Push For Smoke-Free Bill At September 16 Rally
Conference To Examine
Universal Health Care |
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Editor's Column: Choices
JOSEPH WEISS, MD
Which candidate is best for medicine? Likely, it makes no difference
because neither Barack Obama nor John McCain is interested in
supporting physicians. McCain didn’t come to Washington to cast his
vote on the Medicare bill and Obama probably made his decision on
the need to cooperate with the party that is supporting him.
Furthermore, physicians need help from Capitol Hill more than from
the presidency. The power of McCain or Obama fades when confronted
with the lobbying force that the pharmaceutical industry, the
hospital association, the nursing groups, the durable equipment
manufacturers, and the American Association of Retired People (AARP)
would bring to an overhaul of Medicare.
Possibly, the question to ask is which party is best for physicians?
Can either the Democrat or Republican party’s heath care agenda act
for physicians’ interests? Again, the answer is no. Both Republican
and Democrat health platforms lead to a central authority setting
both prices and regulations. On the liberal side is the single payer
system, on the conservative side is the marketplace, an approach
that leads as we see in BCBS Michigan, to monopoly.
Political party policy in health care is more posture than
philosophy. We will need to make our choice of candidates from
qualities other than which party best assures the stability of our
jobs, the income from our work, the independence of our actions, and
the absence of obtrusive surveillance. When thinking about the
presidential candidates and their attitude on physicians, keep in
mind the scene from the movie Gone With The Wind, in which the city
of Atlanta is in flames, and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, cries
out to Clark Gable as Rhett Butler:
"Rhett, if you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?"
And Clark Gable replies: “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
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Attend Fundraiser For
Chief Justice Cliff Taylor
Michigan Supreme Court
Chief Justice Cliff Taylor,
a strict construction jurist who is up for re-election this fall, is
being targeted by the Michigan trial bar, and if he loses his seat
on the bench, Michigan's nation-leading tort reforms could be at
risk of being overturned.
Michigan Doctors' Political Action Committee (MDPAC) has endorsed
Justice Taylor, and encourages you to support his campaign.
MDPAC will hold a fundraising reception for Justice Taylor:
Date: Tuesday, September 9
Time:
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Woodfield
Country Club, 10200 Woodfield Drive, Grand Blanc
Cost:
$100 per person; $150 per couple
Host Committee:
Cathy O. Blight, MD; Alan M. Mindlin, MD; AppaRao Mukkamala, MD;
Bobby Mukkamala, MD; Donald R. Peven, MD; Venkat K. Rao, MD; John A.
Waters, MD
Checks should be made payable to: Committee to Re-Elect Justice
Clifford Taylor, 300 N 5th Street, Suite 250, Ann Arbor,
MI 48104
(Please,
no corporate checks.)
Another way to show support for Justice Taylor is by
displaying a yard sign. MDPAC has a large supply of signs available
for distribution.
For more information, or to
join MDPAC, contact Joshua Richmond at 517-336-5788 or
jrichmond@msms.org. Also, visit
www.mdpac.org.
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MSMS Weighs In On
CMS Rule Regarding Diagnostic Testing
On behalf of MSMS, President
Michael A. Sandler, MD,
a Wayne County radioloigst, submitted comments to the US Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding a proposal that would
require all physicians that provide diagnostic testing (excluding
diagnostic mammography services) to enroll as an Independent
Diagnostic Testing Facilities (IDTFs) and to comply with the
majority of the performance standards that currently apply to
stand-alone IDTFs.
This proposal, which is part of CMS’s proposed
physician payment rule for calendar year 2009, could have a
significant impact on physician practices if the in-office use of
conventional films, ultrasound, and electrocardiograms triggers
onerous regulations such as additional inspections, lengthy
applications, and new licensing and supervision requirements.
Doctor Sandler expressed concern that the rule may be overly broad
and burdensome. He urged CMS to ensure that there are no unintended
consequences and that the ability of physicians to provide
comprehensive, quality care to their patients is not jeopardized.
For more information, contact Stacey Hettiger at MSMS
at 517-336-5766 or
shettiger@msms.org.
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Crisis Care At WSU
And DMC Gets National Ink
In addition to
publicity about the well chronicled difficulties they have with one
another, the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the
Detroit Medical Center a national media outlet has documented the
struggle the two institutions face caring for Detroit’s most
vulnerable population.
The Chicago
Tribune last week ran an Associated Press story that quoted Dr.
Herbert Smitherman, WSUSOM Assistant Dean of Community and Urban
Health extensively and put forth statistics including the $50
million in uncompensated care provided by the School of Medicine and
$200 million provided by the DMC.
The article also
examined an individual case of hardship and shined a spotlight on
The Voices of Detroit, a federally qualified health center run by
Dr. Smitherman.
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Physicians Buy Troubled North Oakland
Medical Center
A group of
physicians agreed to buy North Oakland Medical Center in Pontiac
relieving the city and the new owners of $38 million in bond
repayment costs, according to published reports.
A bankruptcy
court filing revealed the hospital’s debt had reached $100 million,
while it had assets of less than $50 million.
According to a
Detroit News article :Thursday, North Oakland and its 800 employees
provide substantial services to the area’s poor and uninsured. The
hospital is only 20 percent full and sought to borrow $2.75 million
from McLaren Health Care Corp. to help keep its doors open until the
Oct. 24 sale, according to the bankruptcy filing.
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Beaumont Hospitals
Placed On 'CreditWatch'
William Beaumont
Hospitals’ likely will have its long-term credit rating reduced from
AA- to A by the bond-rating company Standard & Poor’s Ratings
Services, reported Crain’s Detroit Business.
Crain’s reported
that Chicago-based Fitch Ratings downgraded $655 million in bonds
issued for Beaumont from A+ to AA-. Fitch told Crain’s the
downgrading stemmed from competition from two soon-to-open western
Oakland County hospitals and financial losses Beaumont Hospital
Grosse Pointe.
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Push For Smoke-Free
Bill At September 16 Rally
Strong advocacy for smoke-free workplace bills
continues as the next legislative approaches on September 9. The
Campaign for Smokefree Air (CSA) has scheduled a
rally on Tuesday, September 16, at
12:30pm, at the State Capitol Building for advocates
to exert pressure on the Michigan House of Representatives and House
Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Township) to hold and support a
concurrence vote on HB 4163.
For more
information about the rally, or to RSVP, contact Anne Lavender at
MSMS at 517-336-5736 or
alavender@msms.org.
MSMS, a CSA member through its
Future of Medicine
Wellness Workgroup, supports
this bill, which includes a comprehensive smoking ban in all
workplaces, including bars, restaurants, non-Indian casinos, and
bingo halls.
TAKE ACTION NOW
– Use the MSMS
Action Center to send an electronic message in support of
HB 4163 to your representative in time for the next legislative
session.
For more information about this legislation, contact
Colin Ford at MSMS at 517-336-5737 or
cford@msms.org.
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Conference To
Examine Universal Health Care
Friday – Saturday, October 10-11
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Traverse City
The annual Conference on Bioethics was developed to
educate physicians and other health care professionals on bioethical
issues. In its thirteenth year, the program will bring together a
broad range of local and national speakers, to share their expertise
and practical bioethical information. This year the conference will
focus on Universal Health Care, a much discussed issue in the
medical field today.
Who Should Attend:
Physicians, allied health professionals and all
individuals involved and or interested in bioethical issues
Credits: 10
Time:
Friday 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Meals: Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast and plated lunch
Note: Bring the family. This is a great opportunity for a family
weekend retreat!
Fees:
MSMS & MMGMA Members: $175
Non Members: $250
Spouse/Guest $100
Featured Topics and Distinguished Speakers:
The Ethical Argument for Universal Health Care and
Necessary Features of an Ethical Health Care Plan
Keynote: Howard Brody, MD, Chair, Bioethics
Department, University of Texas at Galveston
Why Professionalism and Ethics Require That
Physicians Engage in and Lead the Process of Restructuring Health Ca
re in the United States
Michael D. Brennan, MD, Associate Chair, Department of Medicine,
Chair, Mayo Clinic Program in Professionalism and Bioethics
(Minnesota)
Existing Attempts at Universal Health Care: The
Oregon Experience: The science and the politics, Yesterday and Today
Mark Gibson, Deputy Director, Center for
Evidence-base Policy, Oregon Health and Science University
Existing Attempts at Universal Health Care: The
Massachusetts Experience: The Science and the Politics
Jack Evjy, MD, Medical Adviser, Former President,
Massachusetts Medical Society
Interactive Audience Participation – Just and Caring
Universal Health Care: What Should be Covered Universally? How
shall we pay for it? What time limits Can we live with?
Leonard M. Fleck, PhD, Professor of Philosophy and
Medical Ethics, Department of Philosophy/Center for Humanities in
the Life Sciences, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State
University
You Can’t Have it All: Physician and Public
Deliberations about Health Care Priorities Using the CHAT Tool
Susan Dorr Goold, MD, MHSA, Associate Professor,
Internal Medicine and Health Management and Policy, and Director,
Bioethics Program, University of Michigan Medical School
A Radical New Model for Financing and Managing Health
Care
James Waun, MD, MA, RPH, Anesthesiology, Retired,
Sparrow Hospital
Today’s Health Care Reform: Our Future
Michelle Debbink, Medical Student, University of
Michigan
Reflection
Getting Started in Your Own State/Creating a
Blueprint
Identifying Barriers to a State-wide Universal Health Care System
Identifying the Ways to Overcome Barriers
The Ethical Need for Plan B
Doctor Brody
4 Ways to Register:
Online: Click
here to register now!
Telephone: (517) 336-5784
Fax: (517) 336-5797
Mail registration form to MSMS Foundation, PO Box 950, East Lansing,
MI 48826
For More Information:
Please contact Kate McPherson at (517) 336-5734 or
kmcpherson@msms.org
Family Activities:
http://www.visittraversecity.com/things-to-do-3/
The Grand Traverse Pie Company
Michigan's Golf Coast: 19 world-class courses
Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes
Ranch Rudolf Horse Stables
Downtown Traverse City has over 150 clothing stores, gift shops,
cafes and restaurants
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