On Dec. 15, the advisory committee appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to make recommendations about whether Georgia should establish a health insurance exchange released its final report. The health insurance exchange concept — essentially a mechanism akin to a health insurance shopping mall designed to better facilitate consumer choice and value — has been a…
By Bernard Hammes and Nancy Desmond Ten thousand baby boomers a day are turning 65 starting this year, setting in motion an incredible demand on America’s health care system as seniors utilize Medicare like never before. As a result, the demand for assisted living facilities near Walnut Creek, CA and anywhere else in the country…
A close family friend recently experienced a mental health crisis, in the first few weeks of his freshman year at college. He had trouble sleeping and stopped going to class. The way he described it, his mind just “didn’t feel right.” Before friends and family became aware of his situation, campus police had already escorted…
Recently the Georgia pediatric community was shocked by the sudden death of Dr. Paul Fernhoff. He was a fixture in genetics at Emory, in metro Atlanta and throughout the state. For more than 30 years, he was the geneticist upon whom so many relied. He was unfailingly kind, courteous and in good spirits. Paul was…
As the “Super Committee” in Washington debates ways to reduce the deficit, health care providers are increasingly concerned about the impact that proposed changes may have on their ability to care for patients. Unfortunately, as some in Congress search for savings within our besieged Medicare program, home health care could become a target for funding…
The doctors of America have issued a colossal vote of no confidence to the American Medical Association. In a study released this week by the Atlanta-based physician recruitment firm Jackson & Coker, 77 percent of physicians repudiate the AMA, saying that it no longer represents their views. A mere 13 percent of doctors endorse recent…
In times like these, we’ve all learned to do more with less. The truth is, that’s nothing new for those of us who provide quality and caring services to the thousands of Georgia citizens who have developmental disabilities. Service providers of people with developmental disabilities are experiencing unreasonable requirements that will damage our state’s safety…
Ginny Walley is one of the many patients we see at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) who was treated by other facilities before coming to see us. The Senoia, Ga., resident is a proud breast cancer survivor who beat the odds after being diagnosed with aggressive, stage-3 breast cancer in 2008. It was so aggressive that she underwent…
The U.S. House’s proposed budget plan to reduce federal support for Medicaid by converting it into a block grant program is an absurd idea. As a physician at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, I provide care for many patients who are dependent upon Medicaid for their well-being. Without Medicaid, what would happen to my patients?…
Given the ever-escalating costs of care for those in the last year of life, it’s no surprise that Congress, MedPAC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services continue to search for ways to curb those costs. What is surprising, and in fact perplexing, is the focus on the one aspect of end-of-life care that we…