E-DMN - August 24, 2009

August 24, 2009

In My Opinion: A Medical Utopia
Stabenow Talks Health Care Reform At WSU
Henry Ford Doctor To Lead Physician Group
Father, Daughter To Attend Medical School Together
Dr. Ayers Voted 'Family Friendly'
Henry Ford Hospital Recieves Accreditation For Bone Marrow Transplants
Dr. Frank To Address British Ophthalmologists
Reader Survey 2009

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In My Opinion: A Medical Utopia

By ALLAN DOBZYNIAK, MD
There probably are fifteen million or maybe even twenty million truly uninsured Americans. This leaves the remainder of the population with some form of coverage. This large majority are generally satisfied with their insurance. Certainly any system can be improved, and this is generally recognized. A multiplicity of solutions could be considered that do not require a radical change in the world’s best health care. Reform would be a superior guiding principle.

Modern societies likely do have an obligation to the truly needy. The citizens of the United States, probably more than most other countries, have characteristically shown this through their generosity. It is incongruous that there need be a huge compromise of personal freedom for government health care to meet the needs of the truly less fortunate. The benefits of such a plan have not been demonstrated in any of the proposed bills, but the abridgement of our personal freedoms has been abundantly clear.

It will not be possible to change the opinion of physicians and others advocating a single payer system of health care. They are convinced their motives are incontrovertible and quite simply beyond debate. The march toward their perceived utopianism should never be impeded by those of us who dare to dissent.

I suggest that those who zealously defend a single-payer, socialized health care system set up this wonder of wonders and participate in it exclusively. But leave the rest of us, both physicians , patients and statesmen, alone to interact respectfully, without mandates, in free markets where rewards for health care value, innovation, and progress can occur with preservation of freedom of choice.

I want no part of their utopian vision; they can have it all.

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Stabenow Talks Health Care Reform At WSU

US Sen. Debbie Stabenow brought a message of health care reform necessity to an audience of doctors, educators and students at the Wayne State University School of Medicine this Aug. 18.

Stabenow, speaking to administrators, department chairs, doctors and students in the new Margherio Family Conference Center, stressed the need for change in health care insurance coverage and access to basic health care.

“I can’t imagine that in the greatest country in the world that people don’t have access to the health care they need,” she told an audience that included deans from a number of WSU colleges.

A member of the Senate Subcommittee on Health Care, Stabenow said that while health care premiums have increased 200 percent in the last eight years and insurance company profits have climbed 428 percent, fewer Americans continue to be covered by a health care plan. Daily, she said, 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance. Each day 5,000 homes are foreclosed upon because of a family medical crisis, and 62 percent of personal bankruptcies are the result of a medical issue not covered or only partially covered by health insurance, she said.

“I am after lower costs and access to coverage, whether you have a job or not,” said Stabenow, who said health care reform that stresses and incentivizes prevention and access to primary care will demonstrate tremendous savings over the long run. Noting that medical school students, facing a weighty college debt load upon graduation, often enter a more lucrative medical specialty, Stabenow said she favors language that encourages doctors to practice primary care. “We intend to incentivize payments for primary care,” she said.

As for allegations that the reform proposal contained provisions for so-called “death panels” for the elderly, Stabenow said those claims are a result of exaggerated interpretations of initial provisions to reimburse physicians for discussions about living wills. “We are not going to kill grandmas,” she said. “My mother is 83 years old and I have no intention to do that.”

Valerie Parisi, MD, MPH, MBA, interim dean of the School of Medicine, said the setting for Stabenow’s address was fitting. “We just had a new class of students begin their medical education last week, and we tell those students that they must be committed to advocacy in our society,” she said. “Wayne State University really represents a large slice of the health care professionals across the state. We are a very important set of stakeholders in the health care debate.”

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Henry Ford Doctor To Lead Physician Group

Frank McGeorge, MD, Emergency Department physician at Henry Ford Hospital, was appointed president of the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians.

In his role, Dr. McGeorge will serve as the official representative of the Michigan College, which is what?. He will chair its Board of Directors and Executive Committee to help determine policy and agenda for college activities in Michigan.

While previously serving as secretary of the college's Executive Board, he chaired the Education committee and served on the Public Relations committee.

In addition to his role at the Michigan College, Dr. McGeorge serves as a trustee advisory council member of the Red Cross as well as a member of the board of directors for HAVEN, Oakland County's domestic violence advocacy organization. He is also on the editorial board and a reviewer of a number of medical publications, and can be seen on WDIV Local 4 News as the Good Health reporter.

Dr. McGeorge received his medical degree from Northwestern University, graduating with Alpha Omega Alpha honors. He completed his post-graduate training at Henry Ford including both an Emergency Medicine residency and as a research fellow.

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Father, Daughter To Attend Medical School Together

The Wayne State University School of Medicine has two students with a very special relationship. Ted Hunter (Class of 2010) and his daughter, Kara (Class of 2013) are using their time at Wayne State not only to grow as future doctors, but as family members as well.

Growing up, Ted spent most of his time in South America and Jamaica, serving as a missionary with his parents. Like his parents, Ted would first pursue a career in ministry by serving as a minister of religion in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands for several years. He completed his undergraduate studies at Northern Caribbean University (formerly West Indies College) in Jamaica, where he received a bachelor's degree in theology.

He came to Michigan in 1990, and earned two master's degrees from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, one in regligion and another in counseling psychology. After experiencing firsthand the needs of local people as a counselor, Ted decided to return to school and become a psychiatrist.

“My strong desire to improve the well-being of others was instilled in me at an early age by my multicultural parents, who worked as missionaries in South America and Jamaica,” he said. “In addition, these experiences fostered my ability to navigate cultural differences and interact with sensitivity with people from various backgrounds.”

Ted had helped many people while serving as counselor, but he felt there was more he could do. “Although my training prior to medical school provided me with the tools to address the psychological and social factors involved in psychopathology, I lacked the training and expertise necessary to address biological contributions. For this reason I returned to school to pursue a medical degree.”

Ted chose Wayne State University because of its exceptional training and facilities, affordability, patient diversity, commitment to the local community and the opportunity to be close to his family.

Like her Father, Kara Hunter also possessed an affinity for helping others. However, unlike her father, Kara grew up locally in Michigan. The first-year medical student completed her undergraduate work at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Ala.

Kara chose to attend WSU for its excellent educational program, extensive valuable clinical experience and the opportunity to be back in Michigan.

“I am also a little biased toward Michigan schools,” she said. “I grew up in Michigan and I have many fond memories of those years.”

While her father pursues a degree in psychiatry, Kara wants to practice internal medicine in Michigan. “It is important to be able to provide the population of Michigan with an adequate amount of primary care physicians so that the health needs may be more adequately met,” she said.

Although Ted is nearing the end of his time as a medical student and Kara is just beginning hers, they are using this unique opportunity to grow closer.

“The shared experiences provide opportunities to communicate at an even greater level than before,” Ted said. “We already have a great relationship, but there is something special about having shared experiences facilitated by attending the same school at the same time. Being able to talk about our joys and sorrows, successes and failures, and dreams for the future within a familiar context I think is significant.”

Ted provides Kara with an extra resource of educational materials and a source of encouragement.

“Going to school with him will be good because he will motivate me not only to focus and concentrate on my studies, he will also be there whenever I need someone to talk to about any issue that I may be going through,” she explained.

Upon graduating, Ted plans to become a child and adolescent psychiatrist. In addition to his work as a psychiatrist, he would like to advocate for mental health parity and reduce some of the stigma associated with mental illnesses. He also plans to volunteer abroad and at local clinics to help uninsured families.

Kara plans to be an internist in Michigan. She would also like to work with Doctors Without Borders and provide help for people regardless of their location or economic status.

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Dr. Ayers Voted Family Friendly

Detroit area parents have voted, and their favorite family-friendly pediatrician is Eric Ayers, MD, an assistant professor of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics and associate program director of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics with the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Dr. Ayers, a 1989 graduate of the School of Medicine, was the blue ribbon winner of the Parents’ Pick Awards 2009 program conducted by ParentsConnect, the online parenting Web site of television broadcaster Nickelodeon.

“I had no idea that I was even nominated,” said Dr. Ayers, section chief and program director of Med-Peds for the Department of Internal Medicine. “I was notified by a nurse from Children’s Hospital of Michigan and thought that she was pulling my leg.”

To vote, parents had to visit the ParentsConnect website between May 5 and July 15. Parents could vote for their favorite “family-friendly” businesses in categories such as ice cream shop, pizza shop, museum, shoe store and book store. Votes were tallied for individual cities, and Dr. Ayers collected the most votes in the category of pediatrician for the Detroit region.

“The nursing, clerical and records staff are happy that our hard work and dedication are paying off,” Dr. Ayers said. “The notification is a reward in itself in that my patients and their parents took the time out to nominate me. I am honored and humbled at being recognized with such an honor. I am surrounded by outstanding and dedicated colleagues who are outstanding physicians. I realize each day that I am blessed with a gift and attempt to use it each and every day to deliver excellent care, potent advice and mentor the pediatric patients that I serve. As my patients and parents know, I tell it like it is with no side-stepping or sugar-coating, for there may not be any tomorrows.”

Featuring the motto, “We’re not perfect, we’re parents,” ParentsConnect is an Internet portal that offers an array of information on raising children and activities for families. The site was developed by the company that produces programming for Noggin, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon and Nick@Nite.

“This vote is a wonderful testament to how highly the parents of children in the region regard Dr. Ayers,” said Valerie Parisi, MD, MPH, MBA, interim dean of the School of Medicine. “His commitment to the health of children, health care access for all children, and the caring way in which he interacts with children and their families make him a natural to win this honor.”

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Henry Ford Hospital Receives Accreditation For Bone Marrow Transplants

Henry Ford Hospital's Bone Marrow Transplant program has been reaccredited from the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) for demonstrating an exceptional level of patient care and medical and laboratory practices.

FACT accredited programs ensure that all aspects of bone marrow transplantation meet certain quality standards for patient care, cell collection, processing and storage, and administration.

Henry Ford, one of three Michigan hospitals accredited by FACT, performs bone marrow transplantation for patients with lymphoma, multiple myeloma, acute and chronic leukemia, and testicular cancer, as well as myelodysplastic syndrome and aplastic anemia. They perform auto allo related and allo unrelated stem cell transplants including Cord Blood Transplantation. Henry Ford also is one of only two multi-organ transplant centers in Michigan, performing heart, lung, liver, and kidney-pancreas transplants.

Henry Ford's program was the first in Michigan to use peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in which stem cells are obtained from peripheral blood rather than surgically removed from the bone marrow. Today, peripheral blood stem cell retrieval has become the preferred harvest method, although in rare situations stem cells must still be procured from bone marrow.

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Dr. Frank To Address British Ophthalmologists

Robert N. Frank, MD, professor of Ophthalmology and Anatomy/Cell Biology for the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Kresge Eye Institute, has been invited to give the Optic UK Lecture at the 2010 Congress of the prestigious Royal College of Ophthalmologists in England.

“It's always an honor for anyone from the United States to be invited to speak before a distinguished group ‘across the pond,’” Dr. Frank said. “I'm especially honored because this is apparently the second of these named lectures before the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the first of which was given by a very distinguished colleague and good friend, Alfred Sommer, MD, the former dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.”

The lecture is scheduled for May 27, 2010. The annual lecture, said Heidi Booth-Adams, head of the college’s Scientific Department, was established via a donation from Optic UK, which represents the ophthalmic industry in the United Kingdom. The aim of the lecture, she said, is to “bring eminent overseas speakers to the college congress to enhance the program.”

While he has not yet determined the topic of his lecture, Dr. Frank said he may speak on the “mystery of macular edema.”

The research of Dr. Frank, who is the Robert S. Jampel professor of Ophthalmology for the School of Medicine, includes animal models of retinal and choroidal vessel disease, retinal and choroidal new blood vessel formation, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. The Yale University School of Medicine graduate specializes in diseases of the retina.

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Reader Survey 2009

Detroit Medical News/WCMSSM Reader Survey August 2009

**Please feel free to cut and paste into an e-mail and send to

arj@msms.org or fax to (313) 874-1366**

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