OK, we are now online and ready to go with a blog. Jeff and I will be seeding topics on a weekly basis and we'd like to see everyone commenting at least every other week. Students should feel free to add their own HPM related topics based on articles, classes or current events.
So, to get things rolling, what did people think of the speakers last Thursday? Did you find their message inspiring or did it make you wonder if any reform is possible? What did you think about the comments on term limits and the knowledge/power that senators/assembly persons have vs special intrest groups?
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15 comments:
Last Thursday was interesting. I enjoyed networking after finally getting over my initial period of nervousness. I learned about ASOs from someone I had a conversation with and I also learned that I definitely don't want to be a lobbyist (no offense). The speakers made me feel as though health reform will never happen and frankly that's the last thing I want to hear! As for term limits - they pretty much suck when it comes to health initiatives because no one knows what the heck is going on.
BTW, I like how HPM represented last night at the preceptor/intern dinner.
Peace!
I thought it was interesting too -- it was good to hear about people's career paths during the networking part of the evening. I would have liked to hear more of their reactions to the panel's comments, since the speakers made such absolute statements about the potential for policy change. It was interesting to hear that rather than data and policy analysis, personal stories and compelling examples can really influence legislators. While that's also a little worrying, the possibility that the right combination of media coverage and political opportunities can motivate change seemed more hopeful. And maybe in light of term limits, that speaks to the potential power of consumer advocates -- or even individual consumers -- to make their case for changes they want to see. Or at least that's the only way I can think about it without getting totally depressed.
Here's to Networking and not not working!
I agree that the panelists were interesting, although I think I came away from the dinner quite discouraged about the likelihood of positive policy reform. The strength of interest group opposition to change really hit me (although I realize not ALL interest groups are opposed to change) for the first time. On the other hand, maybe this gives the “little guys” a chance to take a chance and think more creatively about ways to influence legislation.
On another subject, there was an interesting article in the NYT yesterday about how the Dems are trying to strategize on how to override Bush’s veto of the SCHIP legislation. If you’re following this issue, you may want to check it out – you can find it online in the Health/Policy & Money section.
See you later!
Hi. I enjoyed last week's discussion but, like others, left feeling discouraged with this country's politics...ur, I mean, recipe for making sausage. Particularly disheartening were the panelists' comments on the economic infeasibility of universal coverage. And yet, absent from consideration were the ways we presently choose to spend our money, most notably, an indefinite commitment to a war overseas which is costing taxpayers $12 billion per month. As a point of comparison, the price tag on the governor's plan is $12 billion per year. Doesn't it really boil down to the way we prioritize what’s valuable to us?
I really enjoyed the networking portion of the evening, and meeting the healthcare professionals in the Bay Area. It's amazing to see how much overlap there is between the work that is being done all across the country.
Like mainly everyone else, I left feeling a little discouraged about how much change can be made at the governmental level, and I wish that the panel had included other perspectives as well as some success stories or strategies.
The preceptor-intern reception was also a nice event for us to get an idea of the types of internships out there. It was very encouraging to hear all the praise from the preceptors about their interns and to know that they are so welcoming to Berkeley students!
What I found most interesting about the panel discussion was how much it coincided with some of our course work so far, in particular, Health Policy Decision-Making and Foundations of HPM. The power of interest groups and the fragmentation of our government seem to be critical factors in preventing health care reform. But they aren't the only culprits. As the panelists pointed out, our tendencies to resist taxation and government interference override any support of health care reform.
All in all, I came home depressed as did most others. But that's why we're in school, right?!
The dinner panel was a great example of the complex interplay oftentimes leading to gridlock between various interest groups and political agendas regarding health care. I found the underlying theme that "change requires money" interesting for a variety of aspects. The panel mentioned that Republicans absolutely will not vote for any policy change that requires increasing taxes because Republicans in CA do not get re-elected if they vote for increased taxes. Moreover, I found the lobbyist representing physician organizations particular interesting because, in order to be a member of the California Association of Physician Groups in which the lobbyist represented, the application form bases monthly dues on the # of patients cared for in one's organization. Health care reform is a complex issue with many "players" and I think is one of the myriad of reasons we don't see sweeping and fast changes in policy, and also why past attempts (such as Clinton's plan) don't succeed.
The lobbyists pointed out that because Members cannot be an "expert" on health care, there is an area and opportunity for educating members and establishing a relationship with members and their staff. I personally think this is a great window for "educating while advocating" for one's particular position!
I also enjoyed meeting different types of leaders from the various hospitals and learning how people chose such a career path.
I found the Thursday dinner interesting in general but wasn't able to hear much of the presentation because I was talking to the doctor next to me, who used to be an ER doctor but now works in administration. He mainly spent a lot of time telling me about how he got burnt out in the ER and was happy in an administrative role now.
I also wanted to post this article from the times about strugglinng hospitals because it fits with our case tomorrow. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/29/nyregion/29hospital.html?ref=health
Hi guys,
I enjoyed the dinner. I was sitting with Amy and the doctor who kept chatting... he seemed to have the notion that we were "young and impressionable" and he was very concerned with making sure that we didn't believe everything that we heard, and that we maintained a high level of skepticism... I thought that was interesting. It seemed to be a reflection of his own sense of disillusionment. Although his behavior seemed a bit paternalistic, I felt like we were very well received, and were really taken seriously by people who are excited to have us entering the field.
I agree that term limits are very problematic for issues that require a lot of education and relationship-building, like health-care reform. I think it's hard that people respond so much more to stories than to facts, because we respond to the facts... so it's a serious skill to be able to work in both academic and political cultures, and bridge those two communities. Those bridges are key for policy-making.
On another note, those of us in "What Can You Do With A Degree In PH?" heard Dr. Tony Iton speak last week - he's the head of the Director and Health Officer of the Alameda County Public Health Department. I heard him on NPR the following morning talking about a new report on the high level of toxic emissions from trucks in the Port of Oakland, and its impact on Port employees and neighbors. It was neat to hear him "in action" after hearing his inspiring talk about health inequities.
Cheers,
Julia
As others have already mentioned, policy making can be dictated by factors at work outside our control in the politics of government and in the public perception that delay reform. I thought it was valuable to hear from the panelists about the challenges and realities that one must face in the policy-making process. As a student, I felt that these were reminders about what to expect outside of school and what the leverage points truly are. It was great to be able to connect what I’ve been hearing and reading about in class to some of the comments by the panelists.
On another note, during the networking portion, I had a conversation with one of the attendees regarding the nursing shortage and I learned that one of the challenges in meeting the demand is actually a lack of teachers rather than not having enough interest on the student side, which I had assumed. He also discussed the role of technology in health care and that there are potentials ways to maximize the technology that currently exists. For example, the use of cell phones to take pictures of a rash that can be sent to a doctor. On the other hand, there are times when innovative technology may be used inappropriately or inefficiently. He gave the example of a simulation program for nurses that would lead them through workstation procedures as opposed to more effectively being used to simulate surgical procedures. It will be interesting to see what the impact of technology will be in health care for all aspects ( from training to access) over the next several years.
Hi all!
Am I one of the last ones to post a comment on here? Anyways, I learned a lot at the legislative dinner. I was a bit apprehensive about the dinner event to be honest. I mean there's always this "icky" feeling when it comes to networking events. But overall, I was looking forward to it. I mean we got our great HPM nametags and all and I was looking forward to putting it to good use. As it turns out though, they had their own name tags made for us. Oh well....next time we'll get to break out our own!
What I learned at the event. Hmmmm. I learned that I should have had my business cards made and ready to hand out. It was quite impressive to see everyone had their niffy business cards with the Cal logo and all=) In our little small group settings I was able to learn a little bit ASOs. It's an interesting concept that I defintiely didn't know before. I've heard of HMOs, PPOs and IPAs but ASOs? What I also found enlightening was the legislative process and the state of politics involved in health care. Like the others I left feeling discouraged that health care reform will never happen. However, with the Governor's new plan (whenever we get the details) sounds promising. With the AHA willing to participate, I am hoping others will get into the game and support this piece of legislation. I hope to learn more about the proposal so as not to buy into the misinformation that's out there. In the end though I think we'll all have to chip in and be willing to put $$$ where it counts and not just countless rhetoric about universal health care.
By the way...on another topic. I read this interesting article on the NY Times. Microsoft is getting into the health care IT with personal health records. Here's the link http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/technology/04nd-soft.html?ref=health
Alright, have a great week everyone!
Hi! It's me nguyen again =) I stumbled on this article while searching for a policy topic. It was an interesting read that I thought I'd share with my HPM peeps. It touches upon what we discussed in class a couple of weeks ago regarding why American values may be preventing us from universal health care. If you are familiar with Ayn Rand then you're probably not surprised by the argument posed on whether there is a right to health care. Enjoy!!!
http://www.objectivistcenter.org/showcontent.aspx?ct=14&printer=True
Subject: SCHIP
Hello-
So I do not know how to create a new blog entry, hence the subject tag line. But I want to share the quick guide to SCHIP from the Kaiser Family Foundation: http://www.kff.org/uninsured/7698.cfm
It's a quick fact sheet on what SCHIP is doing/not doing for the children. Another document on http://www.kff.org/medicaid/7645.cfm shows the impact of Medicaid and SCHIP on low-income children. I am personally for the expansion of SCHIP because of the evident improvement on health outcomes. I am also for decreasing health disparities between the families of different income levels. If my mother wasn't a nurse, my family (immigrant and single-parent) would have a hard time getting an affordable health insurance for five, so this also touches on a special spot.
I've been mulling over what I thought of the SPH dinner for a while now, and in the end, I think I want to make like an ostrich and stick my head in the sand! The issues are huge. I was interested, however, to hear about efforts to activate clinicians to explain health care-related issues to legislators, so that the complexities of the health care system become digestible to someone who has such a broader area of responsibility.
I also noted that the panelists mentioned the same legislative $$ fiasco (legislature ended its session before authorizing crucial health care financial support) as was mentioned during the PH291 panel about community health center work. So now we have both the policy angle on this situation and the perspective of the community health centers that struggled to function without the funding they depend on. Interesting to see the multiple sides.
--Maura
It was interesting to see the differences between the speakers in how they viewed their work. I noticed that the speaker who had been in the field for the shortest time sounded like he was hesitant to define his work as "lobbying" outright and took some trouble to distance what he did with the commonly held notion. I was again interested to hear how the speakers took such different career paths to get to the same position.
I was somewhat disheartened at how all three speakers described the current political climate in california. They portrayed the system to be in complete deadlock and unable to drive effective policies.
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