E-DMN - March 23, 2009

March 23, 2009

Editor's Column: Where Convention Cracks
'Cover The Uninsured Week' Draws Big Names, Sizable Crowd
WSUSOM Selects New Physiology Chief
Med Students Celebrate Match Day At WSU
Van Elslander Gives St. John Neuroscience Center A Boost
Physicians Must Comply With Identity Theft 'Red Flags Rule'
Energy Drinks May Worsen Hypertension
Docs Might Not Be Ready For HIT Change

Click Here To Contact Us

Editor's Column: Where Convention Cracks

By JOSEPH WEISS, MD
The conventional consensus is wrong. The greatest threat to an equitable health care system in this country is not from the flaws in the present system, but from the needs of our aging citizens.

Readers of the Detroit Medical News do not need graphs and statistics to grasp the enormous health care cost the nation incurs because of the success of technology and innovative therapies that allow Americans the opportunity for longevity.

None of us will get out of here alive. However, the effort to hold on by taking another drug, inserting a more sophisticated pacemaker, or undergoing a robot-related repair, has created a new life cycle. This process of hanging on takes up a huge amount of physician time and health care dollars. The flow of technology and the ingenuity of the medical community mean the potential exists to nearly create a world without end for the elderly.

However, no reasonable way exists for American Society to make rules for who should get medical care and for how long. That decision, now and for the foreseeable future, will remain an individual choice.

What the public needs is not yet another article about costs, quality and access, but editorials and commentary on the importance of the elderly to decide how far they want to health care to go on their behalf. The courts and legislatures need to work further to end areas of confusion on end-of-life directives, such as better restraint of emotional relatives and acknowledgment of other cultures and beliefs. The public needs more information on the place of palliative care and end-of-life assistance.

A call for reason is what should shape our health care goals, not the voices of righteous health care critics calling for one more roundup of the usual suspects.

Share Your Thoughts on this Article

'Cover The Uninsured Week' Draws Big Names, Sizable Crowd

By PAUL NATINSKY
By 9 a.m. March 23 there were 700 guests signed in to the sprawling health fair at Cobo Hall in Detroit. The event kicked off the seventh annual Cover The Uninsured Week, a nationally franchised weeklong event that features health screenings, enrollment activities for government health programs and media events.

Attendees at Cobo could have their body mass index (BMI) checked and then proceed to the other end of the hall and receive a free massage, possibly to alleviate some of the stress revealed by the index reading.

The event officially kicked off with a 10:30 a.m. press conference, featuring U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, representatives for Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Detroit Mayor Ken Cockrell, Jr. Hospital executives, health care and hospital association representatives and community representatives filled the stage.

Ficano called for a national health care system and bemoaned the fact that he could see Canada, with its nationalized system, across the river while he spoke.

Stabenow gave some details on the recently passed economic recovery bill, including $2.6 million in new money to fund community health centers and a “very substantial subsidy to help continue benefits” for those who have lost jobs during the current economic downturn. She also applauded the recent expansion of State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that covers one in three children in Michigan.

“It’s not enough to do stop-gap efforts – we need comprehensive national health care reform,” she added, stopping short of calling for a national health system.

“This event…reminds us of why we come to work every day and why we must address this issue,” said Michigan Department of Community Health Director Janet Olszewski, speaking for Granholm. She said Michigan’s Medicaid program serves about 1.6 million people and is adding 15,000 to the program per month.

For more information, visit www.mctun.org

Share Your Thoughts on this Article

WSUSOM Selects New Physiology Chief

Wayne State University School of Medicine Dean Robert M. Mentzer Jr., MD, has offered the position of Chair of the Department of Physiology to Jian-Ping Jin, MD, PhD. Dr. Jin will be named professor and chairman of the department effective June 1, pending WSU Board of Governors approval.

Dr. Jin comes to the School of Medicine from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he served as chief of Molecular Cardiology and professor of Medicine.

“Dr. Jin’s experience in teaching, research and multidisciplinary collaboration, as well as his work as a section chief in molecular cardiology, will serve the School of Medicine and the department well as we continue building cross-disciplinary research platforms,” said Dean Mentzer, who also serves as senior advisor to the president for Medical Affairs.

Dr. Jin completed his undergraduate studies and received his medical degree from the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi’an, China. He received his doctorate degree in molecular biology from the University of Iowa.

At Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Jin directed and taught for six years a comprehensive graduate-upper undergraduate level course in Molecular Biology. He also taught a hands-on lab course of Recombinant DNA Technology.

Dr. Jin’s research revolves around the gene regulation and structure and function relationships of contractile and cytoskeleton proteins. His work focuses on several actin thin filament related proteins: troponin, calponin, nebulin and titin, and their gene regulation.

Share Your Thoughts on this Article

Med Students Celebrate Match Day At WSU

The Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Class of 2009 tore open envelopes to discover where they are headed to continue their medical training during annual Match Day.

The cafeteria in Scott Hall was packed with the students, their family members, faculty and administrators March 19 for the ceremony. Camera flashes winked and celebratory flutes of sparkling wine were raised in a toast before the revelation of residencies.

“Match Day is really what it’s all about,” Robert M. Mentzer Jr., MD, dean and senior advisor to the president, told the assembly. “You will be taking the Wayne State University School of Medicine reputation to the more than 65 institutions you’ll be training at. Your training here will allow you to go wherever you want to go in the United States.”

“Now the real fun begins,” said Robert Frank, MD, executive vice dean. “You’ll find that caring for people can be scary, frustrating, burdensome and scary. Then it becomes challenging, awe-inspiring and rewarding – and then you’re a doctor.”

The Class of 2009 chalked up an 88 percent match rate, meaning 88 percent of the 253 students received residencies at one of their chosen facilities across the country.

Sixty-two percent of placements matched facilities in Michigan, important for a number of reasons, said Kertia Black, MD, assistant dean of Student Affairs, who served as mistress of ceremonies for Match Day 2009. Those who practice residencies in Michigan often remain in Michigan to practice medicine, a definite boon to a state facing a projected physician shortage. And, those who remain in Michigan, in many cases, also stay close to family.

Andrea Barbieri, 25 of Troy, burst into tears of joy when she tore open her envelope to discover that she is headed for her first pick, Yale-New Haven Hospitals, for a residency in pathology. “I knew it was the perfect fit when I visited there,” she said, grinning through the tears.

Itishree Trivedi, 25, of Livonia, and her family celebrated her first pick, a residency at University of Michigan Ann Arbor. “It’s close to home so I can remain near family,” she explained with a broad smile.

“I’m excited because they (her residency facility) have a great program, but Match Day is bittersweet for many of us because we have to leave family,” said Katherine Gurchak. The 31-year-old Northville resident, originally from Minnesota, secured her first pick of an obstetric/gynecology residency at the Medical College of South Carolina.

Class President Ryan Kelly toasted the class. “We’ve gone from a bunch of kids thrown together to a group that has grown together.”

The event was accompanied by scores of awards and presented honors. For a full list, view the Wayne State University School of Medicine website at http://home.med.wayne.edu/

Share Your Thoughts on this Article

Van Elslander Gives St. John Neuroscience A Boost

Providence’s nationally recognized Neurosciences Center of Excellence will move years ahead in expanding technology and quality patient care with a substantial gift from Art Van Elslander, a longtime supporter of St. John Health System.

The major gift, the largest ever received by St. John Health System, will focus primarily on capital technology purchases which will bring state-of-the-art technology to the Midwest and vastly benefit patient care. The lead gift will give Mr. Van Elslander the naming opportunity for the Neurosciences Center at Providence Park Hospital and will fund the planned purchase of an Intraoperative MRI (iMRI), the first of its kind in the Midwest. In addition, the donation will fund advanced technology to support Providence’s stroke network, epilepsy center, balance and falls clinic and surgical skills lab.

“Our dream of creating a hospital of the future at Providence Park is further realized by our partnership with Mr. Van Elslander,” said Dr. Patricia Maryland, president & CEO, St. John Health. “His generous donation will allow St. John Health to greatly enhance the Providence Neurosciences program that already has been recognized as a premier center of excellence.”

The Van Elslander Family has been a long-time benefactor of St. John Health System. Their donations resulted in the realization of several projects at St. John Hospital & Medical Center, including the Van Elslander Cancer Center, as well as the September 2007 opening of the Van Elslander Pavilion, a new patient tower with all private rooms, consolidated diagnostic center and Emergency Center.

"Supporting Michigan communities has been an important part of the culture of Art Van Furniture for 50 years," said Mr. Van Elslander. "Michigan is becoming a leader in the health care industry, and St. John Health System is at the forefront in terms of medical advances and state-of-the-art treatments. To help make this level of care available to our communities is both an honor and smart business. There is no place we would rather invest than in Michigan's future."

Providence Park Hospital, the first new hospital to open in Michigan in 20 years, opened in September 2008. The hospital’s fifth floor Neurosciences Center opens this week.

Share Your Thoughts on this Article

Physicians Must Comply With Identity Theft 'Red Flags Rule'

As Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Red Flags Rule has been suspended until May 1, 2009, according to MSMS. Despite objections raised by the AMA and 26 other medical associations last fall, the FTC continues to assert that physicians who regularly bill their patients for services rendered (including copayments and coinsurance) are creditors and must comply with the Rule. Organized medicine continues to push for an exemption for physicians, but in the event that no such exemption is given, MSMS legal counsel has prepared a Legal Alert that provides members with specific guidance on complying with the regulations. It will appear

Webcasts on the issue are expected to be available April 8, 28 and 29 through MSMS. Further details will be reported as they become available.

For additional informatoin, contact Stacey Hettiger at 517-336-5766 or shettiger@msms.org

Share Your Thoughts on this Article

Energy Drinks May Worsen Hypertension

People who have high blood pressure or heart disease should avoid consuming energy drinks, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study to be published online March 25 in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

Researchers found that healthy adults who drank two cans a day of a popular energy drink experienced an increase in their blood pressure and heart rate. No significant changes in EKG measurements were reported.

The increases in blood pressure and heart rate were insignificant for healthy adults, but could prove harmful to people with a heart-related condition, says James Kalus, Pharm.D., senior manager of Patient Care Services at Henry Ford Hospital and lead author of the study.

"Based on our findings, we recommend that people who have hypertension or heart disease and are taking medication for them to avoid consuming energy drinks because of a potential risk to their health," Dr. Kalus says.

Researchers believe the caffeine and taurine levels in energy drinks could be responsible for increases in blood pressure and heart rate. The brand of energy drink used in the study is not being identified because most energy drinks on the market boast similar levels of caffeine and taurine, a non-essential amino acid derivative often found in meat and fish. The caffeine levels in energy drinks are equivalent to at least one to two cups of coffee.

Dr. Kalus says energy drinks should not be confused with sports drinks, which aim to replenish the carbohydrates and electrolytes that a body needs.

"Both caffeine and taurine have been shown to have a direct impact on cardiac function," Dr. Kalus says.

Researchers studied 15 healthy adult participants who abstained from other forms of caffeine for two days prior to and throughout the study. On the first day after a baseline measurement of blood pressure, heart rate and EKG were taken, the adults consumed two cans of the energy drink.

Researchers then measured the participants' blood pressure, heart rate and EKG again at 30 minutes and one, two, three and four hours after consumption. For the next five days, the participants' consumed two cans of the energy drink.

On the study's seventh day, the protocol used on the first day was repeated and the average baseline measurements were compared to the measurements obtained after energy drink consumption. Researchers found that the participants:

Heart rate increased 7.8 percent the first day and 11 percent the seventh day.

Blood pressure increased at least 7 percent the first and seventh days.

"Dr. Kalus says the participants did not engage in any physical activity during the study, suggesting that the increases could have been higher.

Share Your Thoughts on this Article

Docs Might Not Be Ready For HIT Changes

Newspapers Examine Economic Stimulus Package Funding for Health IT, Safety Net Hospitals
[Mar 23, 2009]

Summaries of recent news about health care provisions of the recently enacted economic stimulus package appear below.

§ Health IT: The stimulus bill included $19 billion to encourage physicians to adopt electronic health record systems, but many questions about implementing the systems remain unanswered, the AP/Denver Post reports. According to the AP/Post, "important details are missing from the legislation," and "important officials" who would oversee implementation of EHRs have not yet been confirmed, including the HHS secretary. Preliminary technology standards are due at the end of the year, which "doesn't give doctors, hospitals or technology companies much time to get systems up and running by 2011," the AP/Post reports. The Obama administration and congressional lawmakers say they are aware of the challenges physicians face in adopting the technology. Lawmakers say that the stimulus bill calls for new standards to drive development of interoperable systems and requires physicians and hospitals to show they will put the systems to "meaningful use" (Werner, AP/Denver Post, 3/23).

§ Hospitals: HHS on Friday announced the release of $268 million from the economic stimulus package for hospitals that treat a disproportionate number of low-income or uninsured patients, CQ HealthBeat reports. The stimulus bill increases funding for so-called DSH facilities from $11.06 billion to $11.33 billion in 2009. To receive the additional funds, states must show that they have spent all of their existing DSH funds (CQ HealthBeat, 3/20).

Email this story to a friend	Link to this story.
Print this story.	Save this story in my saved links.

Reprinted from kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, and sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy . The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. © 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved."

Share Your Thoughts on this Article

This publication brought to you by Natinsky Publishing Network.

Problems seeing this email? You may view it online at http://www.wcmssm.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter contact info@wcmssm.org