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 [...]

If you read the Business section of Sunday’s News & Observer, you may have seen a familiar article. An N&O business editor contacted WakeMed and requested to re-print Dr. Atkinson’s recent blog post, “Employment and Insurance: What’s the Connection?”
Check it out here.

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.

This blog is meant to be an outlet for health care professionals and employees of WakeMed to discuss important issues.  We are pleased to welcome commentary from our first guest blogger, Laura Aiken, community health specialist with WakeMed and director of Advocates for Health in Action (AHA).  Learn more about AHA by visiting their Web [...]

NAMI Wake County (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has expressed concern over Wake County’s lack of hospital beds for psychiatric patients, and has called on WakeMed to fill this void. Below is my response to Ann Akland, Co-President of NAMI Wake County.
Dear Mrs. Akland:
As you know, over the past three years Wake County Government,  Holly [...]

A reader recently posted a thought-provoking comment – one that I believe many of you may have considered.  The question: “Is healthcare a fundamental right??
The answer, I think, is that we must view basic health care in a similar way that we see defense and public safety in this country. We have collectively decided as [...]

If you’re looking for a sure sign of the need for health care reform, you should take a visit to an Emergency Department.  It has become the de facto “front door” to our health care system for millions of patients who turn to hospitals to provide routine medical care not because they want to, but [...]

In health care we have an acronym for everything. I’m sure you have heard HIPAA, EMR, ICU, etc.  I’ve created an acronym of my own – ACQ or Access, Cost and Quality.  In my mind, these are the three fundamental issues that have to be addressed when working to reform today’s national health care system [...]