A few weeks ago, a group of physicians from WakeMed and other Triangle hospitals traveled to Washington to talk with North Carolina’s Congressional delegation about several aspects of health care reform, including the need to address medical malpractice issues.
Their visit coincided with a report from the Congressional Budget Office indicating that malpractice reform could have [...]

Yesterday was a big day for health care reform because the US Senate Finance Committee voted and approved its version of a health care bill, proposed by committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus. In a final vote of 14 to 9, all committee Democrats and one Republican – Senator Olympia Snowe – approved the bill. This [...]

Last Tuesday night marked the 121st annual meeting for the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, which is the largest business-oriented group in this marketplace.  It has been my great honor to serve as chairman for the Chamber over the past year, and it was a real privilege to pass the chair baton to Sepi Asefnia.  [...]

I have said time and again that what we have today is not really a system due in large part to the lack of communication and coordination among various providers. However, there are examples where coordination is happening and solutions are working. One example of these solutions can be found right in WakeMed’s backyard.  In [...]

Another great local case study that could be held up as a national model is Alliance Medical Ministry.
Alliance Medical Ministry is a faith-based medical ministry that serves uninsured working families in Wake County. For the most part, Alliance operates like any other private doctor’s office. Board certified physicians provide general primary care to patients [...]

New census figures released in late August show that fewer Americans are without health insurance.  The number of uninsured dropped from 47 million (15.8 % of Americans) in 2006 to 45.7 million (15.3%) in 2007, partly due to expanded Medicaid roles and better coverage for children.  But the problem of uninsured Americans remains very real [...]

The U.S. Congress returns to session today to resume the debate over health care reform after a busy August recess that was marked by contentious town hall debates across the country.  It will be interesting to see what sort of direction the legislative proposals take.
Over the weekend, Senator Max Baucus circulated a draft of the [...]

If health care is a basic fundamental right – and I believe it is – then we have to make it a fundamental service that’s available to everyone.  We’re fortunate in this nation to have some of the best elements of health care – exceptional and committed medical professionals, the latest technology, and  groundbreaking research [...]

In the last few months, I’ve been getting this question a lot. To answer it simply, WakeMed can’t afford to not be involved. Here’s a more extensive explanation.

The video is embedded from YouTube, and may not be visible from within the hospital.