Leavitt Says Personalized Medicine is ‘Central’ to Future Healthcare System

Personalized Medicine will create many answers and solutions in healthcare, but will we have the money to afford it? I post quite a bit about genomics and personalized medicine on the blog here and the one thing it has in common with the rest of healthcare is cost.

The success of personalized medicine will arise when the levels of clinical and scientific data come together with adequate information and education offered at the point of care, from your primary care MD and add in the fact that they are compensated along the line as well and a reduction of red tape to accomplish this will allow for better health care for all, with risk management taking a back seat the first goal at hand. BD

Another challenge, he said, is the rapid rise in healthcare coverage, and that fact that around 45 million Americans are uninsured.

“The advent of personalized health care cannot take place, and should hardly even be thought about, outside the context of the present crisis in health care financing and delivery,” Leavitt said.

“An important element of the problem lies with the outdated system of reimbursement that is enshrined in the Medicare program,” he added.

First, he said, “the base of interoperable health information technology is critical and remains far from complete. It is not merely a matter of electronic health records, but equally the capacity to exchange information securely.”

Leavitt also recommends “closer alignment” of the work of the FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “In particular this pertains to the issue of standards of evidence, especially for products and services that reduce costs in the future by identifying disease earlier or enabling effective prevention,” he said.

For Summer Travel, Bring Along Your “Vacation Medicine Chest”

As you prepare for your vacation this summer, some key items should make it to the very top of the packing list, and it’s not your swimsuit and sandals.

John J. Russell, M.D., a family medicine physician on the staff at Abington Memorial Hospital, stresses the importance of being prepared for emergencies by bringing a cell phone and packing a medical kit. “Nothing can ruin a vacation like being unprepared for a medical emergency,” says Russell. “When traveling, we often don’t have access to the things we need, because we are often in unfamiliar surroundings or maybe even traveling in a remote area. It helps to be prepared with the basics.”

Russell says that each medical kit should include: cold packs; pain/fever reducers; sunscreen with SPF greater than 30; anti-diarrhea medication; bandages; antibacterial and antiseptic ointments; cough syrup; oral antihistamine; decongestant; adhesive tape; calibrated medicine dropper or cup; lotions for insect bites and stings; medical scissors; tweezers; small first aid manual; and prescription medicines.

If your itinerary includes a very remote area, you should include syrup of Ipecac to induce vomiting in case of accidental poisoning, rehydration fluids to treat infant diarrhea (if applicable) and epinephrine kits for bee stings and other allergic reactions. Epinephrine kits should be kept in a cool place.

Be sure to leave all medicines in their original containers; otherwise it may appear that you are transporting drugs illegally. Bring all relevant phone numbers for family and physicians and the medical insurance cards, as well as insurance claim forms, since some medical facilities may want to see these.

If they don’t already have one, says Russell, those with serious illnesses should obtain a medical alert bracelet. You may also want to find out in advance where the nearest hospitals or 24-hour clinics are in your point of destination and along the way. Ask your insurance company if any doctors in the destination city accept your insurance. If you are flying, carry your medicines with you, rather than storing them with the luggage, which may get lost during travel. With all of this careful planning, you can go on to relax and have a good time!

Courtesy of Abington Memorial Hospital

Allergy Resource Center-Medscape

The incidence of allergic disease has grown dramatically in recent years. Allergic reaction results when the immune system is triggered into action by agents such as pollens, molds, house dust mites, animal dander and saliva (cat, dog, horse, rabbit), as well as chemicals used in industry, common foods and medicines, and venom from insect stings. Symptoms can vary from mild itching, wheezing, runny eyes and nose, to severe anaphylactic shock and death. A recent nationwide survey found that more than half (54.6 percent) of all U.S. citizens test positive to one or more allergens, and allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic disease, responsible for an estimated $18 billion in annual health-care costs. Allergic diseases have a significant impact on the quality of life of the sufferer, with days lost from school or work. Medscape’s Allergy Resource Center offers a collection of the latest medical news and clinical information on this disease entity, with an emphasis on approach to management.

Stop Smoking in 3 Minutes!!!!

California Hospital Sponsors Obesity Prevention Events

Mission Hospital in South Orange Beach County, Calif., has launched a childhood obesity prevention campaign in response to evidence that 13 percent of local youth are clinically obese, double the 1980 rate, the San Clemente Times reports. The “Play More. Eat Better.” initiative will include a series of 12 community events to promote exercise and improved nutrition for children and their parents. Each gathering will feature healthy food, music and games. The first event, held October 18, included a free children’s soccer clinic hosted by the Major League Soccer team Chivas USA. Future events will offer healthy cooking demonstrations for parents, body mass index screenings, dance lessons and informational sessions on making smart choices at home. The new campaign will complement Mission Hospital’s ongoing efforts to create healthier communities and marks the first anti-obesity initiative to include all 14 hospitals in the St. Joseph Health System. The free campaign events will run through June 2009 (Volzke and Nadeau, San Clemente Times, 10/23/08; Schott, OC Metro, 10/17/08).

States forced to cut health coverage for poor

Economic troubles are forcing states to scale back safety-net health-coverage programs — even as they brace for more residents who will need help paying for care.

Many cuts affect Medicaid, which pays for health coverage for 50 million low-income adults and children nationwide, including nearly half of all nursing home care. The joint federal-state program is a target because it consumes an average 17% of state budgets — the second-biggest chunk of spending in most states, right behind education.

BETTER LIFE: More on senior health care

“Medicaid programs across the U.S. are going to be severely damaged,” says Kenneth Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association. He expects some hospitals nationwide may drop services and some hospitals and nursing homes may lay off employees.

Among the cuts:

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Washington | Hawaii | Medicaid | Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger | Kaiser Family Foundation | Policy Priorities | Emerson | Medi-Cal | Department of Mental Health | Doug Bailey | Diane Rowland | Cambridge Health Alliance | California Hospital Association

• Hawaii this month halted funding for a 7-month-old program aimed at covering all the state’s uninsured children.

• South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford must decide by Thursday whether to sign a budget that would slash $160 million in health care, including an 8.1% cut to Medicaid and a 10.8% cut to the Department of Mental Health. Programs to help autistic children, the elderly who need prescription drugs and low-income workers may be hit.

• California in July cut payments to hospitals 10% under its Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. It had planned to restore 5% in March, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called an emergency legislative session Nov. 5 to deal with lower-than-expected revenues.

Health care is a likely target, says Jan Emerson of the California Hospital Association, who expects more hospitals to drop out of Medi-Cal if extra cuts occur. Less than half the state’s hospitals currently contract with Medi-Cal. They treat Medi-Cal patients in their ERs, but then transfer them to other hospitals.

• Massachusetts this month cut $293 million from its Medicaid budget, including $40 million from the Cambridge Health Alliance for care it already provided to low-income residents. The alliance, which runs three hospitals and dozens of clinics, says that cut plus other state cuts could total an amount equal to the cost of 650 full-time employees — or 20% of its workforce. “We can’t absorb that without some serious re-evaluation of what we do,” spokesman Doug Bailey says. “Everything is on the table.”

The cuts follow several years of strong budgets and state efforts to bring health coverage to more low-income adults and children.

“When the economy goes down, states have increased pressure (from more uninsured), yet have to curtail plans to broaden coverage,” says Diane Rowland, executive vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-partisan think tank.

For every 1% jump in unemployment, about 1 million more people enroll in Medicaid, the group found in September.

Lawmakers in at least 27 states are facing budget gaps just months after dealing with some of the largest shortfalls since the recession in 2001, reports the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington think tank. States can only make Medicaid cuts that affect people covered under optional state programs, such as children whose families earn slightly more than federal guidelines require.

“We’re expecting budget gaps for the rest of this year and into fiscal 2010 to be about $100 billion,” says Elizabeth McNichol, a senior fellow at the center. “Health care gets hit hard when states have to cut back.”

Hospital-Based Palliative Care Reviewed in California

The California Healthcare Foundation (CHFC) has issued a new report that reviews California hospital-based palliative care programs.  The review, conducted by the National Health Foundation and the University of California, San Francisco, Palliative Care Team, reported the following highlights:

• Of the 325 hospitals that responded, 43% had palliative care programs
• Ninety percent of those programs have been established since 2000
• Nonprofit hospitals are far more likely to have a palliative care program than district, city/county,  or
for-profit institutions
• Fifty-seven percent of teaching hospitals now have palliative care programs
• The vast majority of programs (84%) offer adult care only; only 13% offer adult and pediatric services
• Only 4% of hospitals without palliative care are in the process of establishing a program

The report largely consists of graphic representations of data collected by the survey group, organized under the following major topics: hospitals with palliative care services, growth of programs, programs in major metropolitan areas, programs by hospital ownership and by system status, programs by licensed bed size and in teaching hospitals, types of adult palliative care programs, revenue sources of palliative care programs, patient demographics and quality measures.  Other topics include spiritual care, educational materials, staff availability, bereavement services, physical and psychological symptom assessment, and data collection.

Chicago Faucets’ ECAST Line Allows California Schools to Immediately Address Latest Safety Standards for Drinking Water

Ongoing efforts by state legislators to provide the safest drinking water possible to the residents, and especially to the children of California, has resulted in the creation of California Assembly Bill 1953 (AB1953). Slated to take effect on January 1, 2010, this new bill requires residential and commercial faucets that dispense water for human consumption must not exceed a total weighted average of 0.25% maximum lead content. Facilities particularly impacted by this new law include: schools, day care centers, hospitals, healthcare facilities, restaurants and cafeterias.

In response to this bill, Chicago Faucets, the leading brand of commercial faucets in the United States, has introduced ECAST(TM), a line of durable, high-quality brass faucets and fixtures for installation in food service areas, restrooms, locker rooms, classrooms and other areas where students may drink water.

“This new line of faucets has already received certification, so we are very excited to be able to offer it to the schools and other facilities throughout the state of California ahead of schedule,” said Andreas Nowak, CEO of Chicago Faucets. ECAST will be available beginning October 2008, permitting Californians to meet this regulation 14 months before the law takes effect.

“Our opinion was, why make the children and residents of California wait, when we have the ability to provide faucets that meet this new law today,” added Nowak.

“Chicago Faucets is proud to continually take a leadership position for product quality, innovation, conservation and safety,” concluded Nowak. “Our aggressive approach in developing ECAST faucets, combined with our water conservation, sustainability and anti-microbial initiatives, will allow schools, hospitals, restaurants and other facilities to install the finest commercial grade faucets available, with the added peace-of-mind that they meet the latest safety standards in California.”

If you have questions or are interested in learning more about ECAST products, you can call the ECAST hotline at 888/313-3230 or visit ecast.chicagofaucets.com.

About Chicago Faucets

Chicago Faucets, a member of the Geberit Group, is the leading brand of commercial faucets and fittings in the United States, offering a complete range of products for schools, laboratories, hospitals, office buildings, food service, airports and sports facilities. For additional information contact The Chicago Faucets Company at 2100 Clearwater Drive, Des Plaines, IL 60018, or call 800-323-5060. You can also visit Chicago Faucets at www.chicagofaucets.com.

Summer Sun Skin Care

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer1, accounting for one-third of all cancers in the United States2. Sun exposure adds up day after day, not just when you go to the pool or beach. Fortunately, you can take steps to minimize the harmful effects of the sun and help prevent skin cancer or catch it early before it spreads1.

• Limit your outside time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are most intense.
• Wear clothes to cover up as much skin as possible.

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat that protects your neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose and scalp.

• Apply sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher to dry skin at least 30 minutes before going outside.

• Wear sunglasses to block UV rays.

But while you are doing your part to pamper the largest organ in your body, you may still be at risk for developing skin cancer. Approximately 10 percent of people who develop melanoma (a potentially deadly form of skin cancer) inherit genes that cause the disease4. Anyone can develop skin cancer5. That’s why it is so important to examine your skin for suspicious moles or other spots. Even if you have spent a lifetime in the sun or even developed skin cancer, it’s never too late to start protecting your skin.

Orange County Foot Surgeon Receives International Recognition

LAKE FOREST, Calif. — Orange County foot surgeon Dr. Richard Moy is widely recognized as the developer of “virtually pain-free” bunion surgery. Normally, bunion surgeries are painful and require lengthy recovery time. But signed patient affidavits (compiled since July of 2005) confirm that 97% of Dr. Moy’s patients describe their surgery and recovery as virtually pain free. Since Dr. Moy began his practice in 1992, he has performed over 3,000 bunion surgeries, making him a world leader in the field. In 2007, Dr. Moy performed over 500 operations, or an average of 44 surgeries per month, more than any other known foot surgeon in the United States.

A bunion is a bone protrusion near the big toe that affects nearly 2% of Americans or an estimated 5.2 million people of all ages (source: National Health Interview Survey, U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1995). Bunions can make it difficult to walk normally, participate in sports or wear high-heeled shoes. Left untreated, bunions generally continue to grow and become more painful.

Following the launch of a video-enhanced website about two years ago, Dr. Moy experienced a significant increase in the number of patients traveling from outside California for surgery.

Since 2006, patients have traveled from 38 of the 50 United States, and from countries as distant as Egypt, to experience Dr. Moy’s unique form of surgery. Out-of-state patients now account for approximately 25% of the doctor’s surgical patients.

“I saved for five years to be able to come and do this surgery,” said Nancy Farid, from Cairo, Egypt. “I explored options in India, Costa Rica, the U.K., and New York, but Dr. Moy was the only surgeon who was confident he could do what I needed. I was able to walk immediately after surgery. I had stitches, I had bones removed, and I was able to walk,” said Farid.

Dr. Moy is a past President of the Orange County Podiatric Medical Association, a Diplomate of the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons, and Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery.