WakeMed Voices » media round-up

WakeMed on health care reform

Heather Monackey — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:45:19 +0000

WakeMed has been asked several times this week for comments on the health care reform bill, signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday.

Becky Andrews, WakeMed’s vice president of finance, spoke to the News & Observer about the legislation’s new reporting requirements for non-profit hospitals.

Dr. Susan Weaver, Senior Vice President for WakeMed Physician Practices and a primary care physician, spoke to NBC-17 about providing health care for the uninsured and the shortage of primary care doctors.

Dr. Bill Atkinson, president and CEO of WakeMed, told News 14 Carolina that health care reform could provide a major economic boost for North Carolina with the legislation’s emphasis on information technology. See the video above for Dr. Atkinson’s interview on WRAL about the implications of the legislation for Americans and our nation’s hospitals.

Focal Point: ‘Critical Condition’

Kelsey Umstead — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:20:37 +0000

Dr. Atkinson was recently featured in a documentary series on health care called “Focal Point: Critical Condition.” If you missed it last week, you can catch it here. The series examines the challenges that people and businesses in North Carolina face under the current health care system, and was produced by WRAL-TV.

Comparing the Plans

Kelsey Umstead — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:21:26 +0000

Still confused about the various legislative plans to reform our health care system? There are several useful articles out there that explain what the plans say, and many have been posted in the News Feed right here on our blog.

One good resource is the New York Times’ latest chart - it outlines the major differences between the plans. Still have questions about what is included in various plans and what isn’t? Comment, and we’ll try to find out the answer!

Media Round-Up

Kelsey Umstead — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:17:29 +0000

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for health care reform. Here are links to a couple of interesting articles that sum up the conversation.

“Finance Committee Passes Bill With One GOP Vote” Washington Post

“Health-Care Reform Proposals” The Wall Street Journal – This chart compares various versions of health care reform legislation. We’ve posted several charts and comparisons on the blog before, and this is another great resource to compare the plans.

“People to Watch in the Debate’s Next Phase” The Wall Street Journal – This WSJ article highlights several legislators and their questionable position on a final health care reform bill.

“What’s Next for Health Care?” National Public Radio – NPR interviews Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein about the next steps in reform legislation. Klein explains the reconciliation process and the significance of finalizing the bill within committee.

In other news, H1N1 vaccines are being distributed to states and administered nationally. A recent study suggests that children under age 10 will need to receive two doses of the vaccine in order to develop full immunity, USA Today reports.

Media Round-Up

Kelsey Umstead — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:49:44 +0000

America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009
Read the full health care reform proposal submitted by Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

What’s in Baucus’ health care proposal?, CNN.com
CNN summarizes some of the key points of Senator Baucus’ health care reform proposal.

8 Questions About Health-Care Reform, Washington Post

Is There Hope For Health Reform?, Washington Post
The Washington Post asked former lawmakers and political experts if President Obama’s health care reform outline can pass.

Weekly Media Round-Up

Kelsey Umstead — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:35:26 +0000

Below are a few interesting articles from the health care reform debate this week.

Real Choice? It’s Off Limits in Health Bills, New York Times

Gary Locke: Fixing Health Care Is Good for Business, Wall Street Journal. Gary Locke is the U.S. secretary of Commerce. His editorial reinforces many of Dr. Atkinson’s views about employment-based insurance and the need for health care reform.

Charles Krauthammer – A Strategy to Save Obamacare, But at What Cost, Washington Post

Is comparing medical treatments akin to ‘rationing’ care? The Christian Science Monitor

Tax Reform’s Lesson for Health Care Reform, New York Times. Editorial by Bill Bradley, a former Democratic senator from New Jersey.

Hospital Executives Worry About ‘What-Ifs’ of Health-Care Reform, Washington Post

Weekly Media Round-Up

Kelsey Umstead — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:27:04 +0000

It’s been a busy week in health care reform- and it’s only Thursday. Here are some of the articles from the week that we found thought-provoking. This week’s edition of Cutting Through the Clutter.

Cooperatives Being Pushed as an Alternative to a Government Plan, Washington Post

A nurse’s view of health reform, New York Times

Biden to announce almost $1.2B for medical records. USA Today

For Outsiders, Opening Doors to Health Care, New York Times

Can Health Reform Pass? Experts Weigh In, Kaiser Health News

Doctor shortage looms as primary care loses its pull, USA Today

Americans Hate Everyone, Believe Everything, Washington Post. Ezra Klein discusses the latest poll results on support for health care reform.

Comparing the Plans

Kelsey Umstead — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:01:03 +0000

With more than a dozen different proposals for health care reform, the debate gets confusing. Senators and representatives have submitted their own bills, along with the Senate Health Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, the House Tri-Committee, the President… where does each bill stand on the issues?

This Web site by the Kaiser Family Foundation allows you to compare the leading proposals side-by-side. Select which proposals and which issues you want to compare, and it will generate a customized report.

Cutting Through the Clutter

Kelsey Umstead — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:53:30 +0000

We post numerous articles about health care reform in the news feed section of this blog daily. Now, we want to help you cut through the clutter by selecting a few articles that we find helpful to better understand health care reform. You can stay up-to-date on the discussion without devoting hours to reading. Here are three articles and two web sites of note from the past week.

Health care debate: How many actually uninsured?, Associated Press

Quality focus reduces deaths in US hospitals- report, Reuters

The Shifting Mission of Health Care Delivery Organizations, New England Journal of Medicine

Healthcare Reform: How the Bills Stack Up , Washington Post. This interactive site does a good job visually comparing each of the bills under consideration

The White House has also started its own informational site called Reality Check, which has been written about extensively, answering many of the same questions that continue to arise at the town hall meetings.