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May 18, 2009
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IN
THIS ISSUE
Editor's Column:
When Being Righteous Means Being Wrong
In My Opinion: Space Travel
Michigan Dems, Republicans Offer Health
Reform Plans
Oakwood, Beaumont Struggle With Economic
Downturn
Oakland University-Beaumont Med School
Shelved Until 2011
Dr. Frank Honored By WSU Students,
Faculty
Three Lauded At WSUSOM
Webinars Coming On Stimulus
Funds and HIT
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Editor's
Column: When Being Righteous Means Being Wrong
By
JOSEPH WEISS, MD
With the headline, “Institute of Medicine Calls for Doctors to Stop
Taking Gifts from Drug Makers,” the April 29 New York Times gave
a summary of America’s most prestigious medical institution’s condemnation
of the relationship between the medical profession and the pharmaceutical
industry.
Many of the Institute of Medicine criticisms make sense.
For instance, their report strongly states that specialty
societies should end their reliance on drug company money
to support annual meetings. The Institute Academy urges
that companies manufacturing devices such as replacement
joints, pacemakers, and surgical instruments should make
public the list of all doctors receiving payments and the
amount paid these individuals.
However, the Institute of Medicine’s call for further distance
between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry is demeaning
to the profession. For instance, the Institute’s report
calls for an end to pharmaceutical representatives providing
free samples of drugs to physicians, asserting that doctors
mainly use these drugs for their personal and family needs.
The report wants an end to the presence of drug representatives
in the halls of medical schools and a ban on drug companies
bringing lunch to Continuing Medical Education courses
or doctors’ offices.
The harm to the reputation of physicians from this public
scolding by the Institute of Medicine is incalculable.
Physicians look greedy, childish and self centered. The
implication that we are bought off by pens, pencils and
buffets is without proof. Certainly, we enjoy the meals
and we took the pens and paper when offered, but we don’t
sell our integrity in exchange.
Furthermore, to ban drug representatives from medical schools
disregards the education and maturity of medical students.
What better place than a medical school to put to a test
the drug manufacturers’ claims? Faculty is at hand to uncover
the distortion of information while students fresh from
courses in medical statistics can challenge the pharmaceutical
graphs and conclusions.
One could argue that the drug representative should receive
a welcome in the halls of medical schools so that students
can experience exposure to Madison Avenue while learning
the methodology of the Institutes of Health.
Urging edicts that would ban contact of physicians with the
pharmaceutical companies represents a disservice to patients.
Drug representatives bring attention to new pharmaceutical
programs that assist patients in financial distress. Other
pharmaceutical-sponsored initiatives useful to the public
include lectures on patient management of diabetes, heart
disease, arthritis and osteoporosis.
Abuses have occurred in the dollars drug companies spend
to influence doctors’ prescribing habits, but what the
Institute of Medicine seeks is not remedy but retribution.
Making public the name and amount that each pharmaceutical
house pays to a doctor would suffice to counter the breach
of professional trust.
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In
My Opinion: Space Travel
By
ALLAN DOBZYNIAK, MD
If one believes that socialized medicine is not a deception
promoted by a rogue band of ideological extremists, it deserves our
unwavering support. Toward those who believe socialized medicine
a preposterous fantasy our intolerance should be piqued. Indignation
should be exercised as we are steamrolled by capitalistic extortion
and a concept called freedom.
Facts
to the contrary, a peaceful and friendly front is being
promoted to build momentum. But there will be no referendum
when only 51 senate votes are being proposed to accomplish
the agenda. Why use even stealth when bullying will suffice
as political power is an option to contort the law.
As
for physicians, they are being played to by a gregarious
host. But after they have comfortably imbibed, the knife
will be applied as a firestorm of populist animosity will
be created toward doctors. Such gruesome images will be
conjured up that exercising anti-capitalistic tenets to
control doctors will be the necessary contingency.
The
UAW now screams for a single payer health care system as
the solution to all the problems of a crumbling auto industry.
By their logic then it certainly makes sense to embark
on the road to destruction of that sixteen percent of GDP
occupied by this wondrous icon of American excellence,
US health care. Let us be reminded that no socialist state
has ever been admired for its devotion to the quality output
of goods or services.
Using
this prolonged weakness in the economy to spawn momentum
for a referendum on socialized medicine based on the blame
game shows the ugliness of the subversive methods of Washington
politics. Will doctors have the stomach to deal with these
political issues? It will take timing, skill, a dose of
daring, luck and several contingency plans.
Using
what is now passed off as conventional logic, it does make
sense that interplanetary travel throughout the universe
has not only diminished but will fail because of the cost
of health care and insufficient taxation.
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Michigan
Dems, Republicans Introduce Reform Plans
By
PAUL NATINSKY
Last week the Michigan House Democratic caucus unveiled a health
care reform package that would change the way insurance companies
are regulated, while Senate Republicans introduced a package of bills
creating two new, state-subsidized health plans. Both plans are in
response to a surge and expected continued growth of uninsured people
in Michigan, currently estimated at 1.2 million.
According
to House Democrats, their plan would:
- Guarantee
access to health care by requiring insurance companies
to cover people who have pre-existing conditions, such
as diabetes or cancer.
- Prohibit
insurers from raising rates on individuals who become
sick.
- Ban
unfair market practices like cherry picking the healthiest
individuals to cover, which drive up insurance rates
and prevent some of the most vulnerable residents from
obtaining care.
- Expand
the state's MIChild program to help cover every child
in Michigan.
- Create
the Michigan Catastrophic Protection Plan (MICAPP) Fund
to rein in the soaring cost of health care and protect
the sickest individuals.
"Our
plan requires all insurance companies to guarantee health
care coverage to Michigan citizens, and ends the outrageous
practice of insurance companies refusing to cover the sick
or elderly," said House Speaker Andy
Dillon (D-Redford Township). "Health care reform
is too important to wait for Washington to act – we need
to take action here in Michigan to guarantee access to
protect each and every Michigan citizen."
The
Republican plan, Senate Bills 579-582, is aimed at providing
subsidized health insurance for individuals earning less
than $30,000 and families that earn less than $60,000.
“We
want to improve access to health insurance for the 1.2
million people uninsured in Michigan and create subsidies
to get premiums down to $50 or $60,” Senate Health Policy
Chairman Tom George, MD, told Crain’s Detroit Business
last week.
The
Republican Package creates a program called MI Access which
would cover those earning less than 200 percent of the
poverty level; and a plan called MI Coverage for those
earning between 200 and 300 percent of the poverty level.
The
bills establish a commission that would place a surcharge
on insurers to fund the new programs and partly relieve
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of its burden as the state’s
insurer of last resort, which obligates it to issue insurance
to anyone who requests it. There is relief in the form
of reinsurance for large claims paid by insurers operating
in the state on claims between $25,000 and $250,000.
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Oakwood,
Beaumont Struggle With Economic Downturn
Both
Oakwood Health and Beaumont Hospitals have faced tough
financial years, according to publicly released financial
documents and published reports.
Oakwood
lost $76.1 million last year. The four-hospital system
posted a $30.2 million surplus in 2007. Oakwood reportedly,
and like many other institutions, lost money on investments
in 2008.
Beaumont
reportedly lost $214 million last year and laid off 500
employees last fall. Beaumont reportedly lost about $29.5
million on operations and $184.7 million on investments
in 2008, putting the three-hospital system in the red.
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Oakland
University-Beaumont Med School Shelved Until 2011
The
pending OU-Beaumont venture originally scheduled to open
in fall 2010 has been pushed back a year to give the school
more time to recruit medical students, obtain accreditation
and redesign the floor plan of the building housing the
school on OU’s Rochester campus, according to published
reports.
In
April, the school hired six associate deans who will help
with curriculum development, the medical school accreditation
process and other administrative duties to prepare the
school for opening day.
The
school plans to start taking medical student applications
in May 2010. The first-year class size is expected to be
50 with total enrollment of 125 students.
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Dr.
Frank Honored By WSU Students, Faculty
Robert
Frank, MD, executive vice dean of the Wayne State University
School of Medicine, will forever be remembered and celebrated
for his commitment to medical education in the new Richard
J. Mazurek, MD, Medical Education Commons.
A
group of about 100 faculty, employees and students of the
school surprised Dr. Frank on May 12 when they lured him
to a dedication of the Student Organization Suite on the
second floor of the new building. There, Dr. Frank found
a plaque and his portrait honoring him for his dedication
to the school.
The
plaque, in part, reads, “The Student Organization Suite
is dedicated to Robert R. Frank, MD, Class of 1973 and
Interim Dean 2004-2006. A resolute advocate for making
medical school a humane experience enriched by extra curricular
experiences.”
Thomas
Roe, MD, associate dean of Undergraduate Medical Education,
addressed the group, which included Dr. Frank’s wife, Sharon
Popp.
“Throughout
his career, Dr. Frank has been devoted first to his family,
and then to serving and supporting the people and patients
of Detroit, the students here at the Wayne State University
School of Medicine and their student organizations. He
has preached a philosophy that is well reflected in a quote
from Woodrow Wilson: 'There is no higher religion than
human service. To work for the common good is the greatest
creed.' This creed is one that Dr. Frank has preached throughout
his life by word, but even more so by his example to his
students and to all of us,” Dr. Roe said.
Ron
Spalding, chief administrative officer of Academic and
Student Programs for the School of Medicine, said that
a group of staff and faculty thought it was important to
name an area of the new building for Dr. Frank in recognition
of his commitment to the facility, from its inception – it
was Dr. Frank’s idea -- through fundraising and construction.
“It
was decided that the Student Organization Suite was very
fitting as Dr. Frank has always been a great supporter
of students and their community outreach programs, and
has set a great example of public service for all of us,” Spalding
said.
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Three
Lauded At WSUSOM
The
Wayne State University School of Medicine Alumni Association
recognized an outstanding member of the faculty and two
graduates during a dinner capping the annual Medical Alumni
Reunion & Clinic Day.
The
three men were recognized at a reunion dinner following
a day of continuing medical education at the School of
Medicine. The event allowed members of graduating classes
to reconvene and catch up with their classmates.
The
awards were presented by Dean Robert M. Mentzer Jr., MD,
and Gregory Zemenick, MD, president of the Wayne State
University School of Medicine Alumni Association.
Michael
P. Diamond, MD, received the 2009 Lawrence M. Weiner Award,
which honors outstanding contributions of non-alumni to
the School of Medicine through the exceptional performance
of teaching, research or administrative duties.
Dr.
Diamond is the Kamran S. Moghissi Professor and associate
chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and
assistant dean for Clinical and Translational Research
at the School of Medicine. He became director of the Division
of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at WSU in
1994. He conducted seminal studies that led to the classification
(and differentiation) of post operative de novo adhesions
from adhesion reformation after open and laparoscopic surgery.
He serves as WSU’s principal investigator on the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development Cooperative
Reproductive Medicine Network grant, and has conducted
clinical trails on diagnosis of luteal phase defects and
ovulation induction for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome,
as well as collaborated in trials examining the effect
of organochlorines on male factor infertility and studies
examining the effect of testosterone replacement on cognitive
function in hypogonadal men. He has served on multiple
study sections and special review committees for the National
Institutes of Health, as well as international granting
agencies. Dr. Diamond has also served on the Obstetrics
and Gynecology Device Panel of the Center for Devices and
Radiological Health of the Food and Drug Administration.
He
is actively involved in enhancing infrastructure and educational
opportunities to conduct clinical and translational research
at Wayne State University.
The
2009 Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Leonard
Shlain, M.D., (Class of 1961), and Allan Collins, MD, (Class
of 1975). The award is presented annually to alumni who
have made outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes,
whose contributions to the health field in the broader
sense are outstanding or for service to the School of Medicine.
Dr.
Collins has more than 25 years of experience in nephrology
and end-stage renal disease treatment. His clinical experience
and research have focused on acute and chronic care of
ESRD patients and prospective and retrospective focused
clinical studies on dialysis techniques and associated
outcomes. He has also performed extensive work with high-efficiency
dialysis and therapy prescription, the technical elements
of dialysis, billing systems of ICD-9 and CPT-4 claims
elements, and computer systems and operations.
He
trained under Dr. Fred L. Shapiro, an innovator in kidney
disease care and founder of the Regional Kidney Disease
Program, the first program of its kind for dialysis and
transplant patients. Dr. Collins served as the RKDP medical
director, and assumed responsibility for research operations
in 1983.
Building
on RKDP data systems and biostatistical support, Dr. Collins
and the National Academy of Sciences created a comprehensive
ESRD database of demographic, clinical and provider information
capable of answering a variety of observational research
questions. With a research agenda expanded to include chronic
kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, anemia,
dementia and other chronic conditions, Chronic Disease
Research Group investigators use large public and private
pharmaceuticals, claims and clinical databases to analyze
healthcare practices and systems, and evaluate their impact
on morbidity, survival, quality of life and healthcare
costs.
Dr.
Shlain, MD, was a 1961 graduate of the Wayne State University
School of Medicine. He was battling brain cancer and could
not attend the event at which he was recognized. He died
several days after the ceremony.
He
was a surgeon and author of three award-winning books: “Art & Physics:
Parallel Visions in Space, Time & Light,” “The Alphabet
Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image,” which
achieved national bestseller status, and “Sex, Time, and
Power: How Women’s Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution,” which
also achieved best-seller status.
Dr.
Shlain was a keynote speaker for such diverse groups as
the Smithsonian, Harvard, Florence Academy of Art, Salk
Institute, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NASA Johnson
Space Center and the European Union Ministers of Culture.
He
was the chairman of laparoscopic surgery at the California
Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. He was an associate
clinical professor of surgery at the University of California,
San Francisco, where he has trained many future surgeons
in the techniques of laparoscopic surgery.
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Webinars
Coming On Stimulus Funds And HIT
As
part of its continuing efforts to help physicians learn
about and adopt new technology, the American Medical Association
(AMA) announced a new, free webinar series that will help
physicians understand the health information technology
(HIT) provisions laid out in the recently passed economic
stimulus bill. The three-part series will lay out what
these provisions mean for physicians and how they can take
advantage of the $19 billion in funds allocated for the
purchase and use of HIT. The first webinar is Thursday,
May 21.
“The
stimulus bill marks the first significant federal investment
in HIT and offers both financial benefits for physicians
and the promise of national standards that will increase
the interoperability of systems,” said AMA Board Chair-Elect
Rebecca J. Patchin, MD. “As new information becomes available,
the AMA will tap experts and health care leaders to review
key components of the stimulus bill and offer insights
on what they mean for physicians.”
The
schedule for the webinar series is below.
- Stimulus
101: Basics of the Health Information Technology Provisions
May 21, 12:00 PM CT
- Stimulus
102: Update on the Health Information Technology Provisions
June 9, 2009, 12:00 PM CT
- Stimulus
103: Real World Perspectives
July 14, 2009, 12:00 PM CT
“The
AMA is optimistic about the promise HIT holds for increasing
patient safety, improving care coordination between multiple
physicians and reducing unnecessary paper work,” said Dr.
Patchin. “We are eager to help physicians determine when
the time is right to invest in HIT and how to make implementation
as easy as possible.”
Recently,
the AMA launched an online electronic prescribing learning
center for physicians looking to implement this aspect
of HIT into their practice and take advantage of the Medicare
incentive program. In the coming year, the AMA will continue
unveiling new resources and solutions for physicians that
will simplify the HIT decision-making and implementation
process. These products and services will be aimed at meeting
individual needs and helping simplify physicians’ day-to-day
routines so they can focus on what they do best – caring
for patients. To register for the webinars and view the
HIT tools and resources the AMA currently has available,
visit www.ama-assn.org/go/hit .
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