HFHS IN THE NEWS: More Hope For Breast Cancer Treatment From Karmanos
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Posted By: on April 24, 2009 WEEKLY WELLNESS TIP: On the go exercise tip: Park farther from the door, or take a quick morning walk. It only takes a couple of extra minutes and the boost in your metabolism will give you extra energy lasting all morning! HFHS IN THE NEWS: Ob-gyn named to lead state medical society He's 1st African American to take role Detroit Free Press April 23, 2009 http://www.freep.com/article/20090423/BUSI... After delivering 7,000 babies, Dr. Richard Smith is beginning a new labor of love. On Saturday, Smith, 56, begins a yearlong presidency of the 15,000-member Michigan State Medical Society, the state affiliate of the American Medical Association, the nation's largest and most-powerful physician's organization. Smith said he expects that the 30 years he has spent as an obstetrician and gynecologist, taking care of women at Henry Ford Hospital, have given him the skills he will need for his new job. "Women have no trouble telling you what's wrong with them," said Smith, the first African-American president of the state doctor's organization. Though he will continue seeing patients, Smith is making his top priority as president to expand access to health care services in Michigan. He wants to broaden the scope of government and employer-based health insurance programs, as well as expand ways people can buy affordable insurance on their own. Fortunately, those goals line up with President Barack Obama's health care reform proposals. "There's a definite role for government and private industry to work together," Smith said. "Physicians and hospitals can't do it themselves." Smith is aware that the AMA has opposed many historic reforms, including the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, and even banned African-American members at one time. Last year, the group issued a formal apology for its past policies towards blacks. "This is not your grandfather's AMA anymore," he said. INDUSTRY NEWS: Blue Cross to up funds for doctors using medical homes Detroit Free Press April 21, 2009 http://www.freep.com/article/20090421/BUSI... In a program designed to improve care for nearly one in five Michiganders, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan announced plans today to designate and give higher reimbursement to doctors who participate in model patient care programs. The program, believed to be the largest in the nation, will boost payments by 10%, beginning July 1, to physician practices that create patient-centered medical homes. A patient-centered medical home is a growing medical trend that designates physician practices that improve care by using coaches, nurse navigators, dietitians and others, as well as with coordinated electronic medical record systems. The practices must be centered around wellness concepts that educate patients about management of chronic health problems and focus on the reduction of complications. And they must insure better access to care with more evening or weekend hours and other programs that provide care outside of emergency departments. Beginning in mid-June, Blue Cross will make public which doctor practices meet the highest standards, a designation that should help patients find the best care. A key focus of these medical homes are patients with chronic conditions. Diabetic care, for example, might be improved by hooking a person up to broader resources provided by physician organizations and reward doctors who meet targets such as keeping people out of the hospital or helping patients stay out of trouble with chronic health conditions. Medical homes like these have been found to help decrease health costs by 5.6%, a $67 billion a year savings nation-wide, according to a 2004 analysis of the trend in the Annals of Family Medicine. Blue Cross has given $100 million over the last five years to create the new system for 1,000 Michigan doctors in 300 primary care practices, serving nearly two million Michigan residents. Though some are solo-practitioners or in small two-doctor practices, all are part of larger physician organizations that are key to providing more resources to make the program work, said Dr. Thomas Simmer, Blue Cross's chief medical officer and senior vice president, in announcing the program at the company's Detroit headquarters. As Michigan's largest insurer, with 5.7 million subscribers, Blue Cross programs often are pacesetters for the rest of the insurance industry. Health Plans Lose Members to Layoffs Wall Street Journal April 23, 2009 Earnings from the nation's big health insurers show them losing members at a rapid rate, suggesting the ranks of uninsured Americans are surging during the recession. The latest evidence came from WellPoint Inc., the country's largest health insurer with nearly 35 million medical-plan members. Reporting a 1.3% drop in first-quarter net income Wednesday, the insurer also said it had shed nearly 500,000 net members since the end of December. While WellPoint had factored in a large decline, it said it was surprised by the nearly 325,000 members it lost to layoffs or workers otherwise opting out of employer coverage. For every one-percentage-point rise in the unemployment rate, the number of uninsured has likely grown by 1.1 million, according to research by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser estimates that of the nine million people expected to have lost employer-sponsored health coverage since December 2007, about four million of them currently are uninsured. An additional 3.6 million have likely enrolled in Medicaid or other public programs, estimates the foundation. On Tuesday, UnitedHealth Group Inc., the second-largest insurer in terms of members, reported a 900,000 drop in the number of people enrolled in its commercial health plans in the first quarter, compared with the end of last year, many because of higher-than-expected layoffs at the insurer's employer clients. It is unclear how many of those people have or will find coverage elsewhere or qualify for government insurance such as Medicaid. WellPoint's chief executive, Angela Braly, cautioned that part of the reason the insurer saw such an uptick in membership losses in the first quarter is that unemployment surged more quickly than it had forecast in some places. As a result, the jobless rate and outflow of health-plan members is likely to moderate, she suggested. UnitedHealth CEO Stephen Hemsley said Tuesday that his company could lose as many as 1.5 million commercial-health-plan members this year, the high end of UnitedHealth's earlier forecast, if average unemployment reaches 10% by year end. WellPoint's quarterly net income declined to $580.4 million, or $1.16 a share, from $588.1 million, or $1.07 a share, in last year's first quarter. Operating revenue slipped 0.4% to $15.3 billion. Health Blog: Patients: There's Waste in Medicine, but My Doctor Is Perfect Wall Street Journal April 22, 2009 Lots of patients are getting tests and treatments they don't need -- I'm just not one of them. And my own doctor certainly isn't part of the problem. That seems to be the attitude of respondents to a poll of 1,238 adults out from the Kaiser Family Foundation, NPR and the Harvard School of Public Health. It's a sign that doctors have a sharp arrow in their quiver when it comes to shaping reform of the health-care system: The public trusts them. Asked whether it was a "major problem," "minor problem" or "not a problem" with the U.S. health-care system that too many patients were getting tests and treatments they don't really need, 49% of respondents chose "major problem" and another 39% called it a "minor problem." At the same time, 82% of respondents said that they hadn't received an unnecessary medical test or treatment over the past two years. And 87% said their doctor during that time hadn't recommended an expensive test or treatment when a cheaper alternative would work just as well. Patients' trust of their doctors is at odds with the views of many policy wonks. There's been plenty criticism of unnecessary CT scans, surgical procedures that don't help, financial incentives that encourage docs to perform unnecessary procedures, and treatment guidelines that serve as marketing tools for industry. "People are really trusting of their individual doctors, and a lot of experts might say that that's, you know, misplaced trust, that the doctors don't have all the information they need," Mollyann Brodie, Kaiser's polling director, told NPR. "But it is the individual doctors that the public most trusts to make these decisions." Covisint Gets AMA Deal To Link Up Nation's Docs Great Lakes IT Report April 21, 2009 http://www.wwj.com/Covisint-Gets-AMA-Deal-... The Covisint subsidiary of Detroit-based Compuware Corp. has been selected to digitally connect 240,000 of the nation's doctors through the American Medical Association. This partnership extends Covisint's momentum and reach in connecting doctors across physician organizations, state-based societies, entire states and now, with the AMA, nationally. Covisint will enable AMA physicians to have access to a variety of health information technologies via an AMA-branded, web-based solution. AMA said it will use the Covisint platform to deliver to physicians a variety of products, services and resources aimed at increasing medical practice efficiency and facilitating the adoption of health information technology, including help with implementing electronic health records. Current product categories that the AMA is exploring include: practice management tools, resources for professional development and clinical management services. The new platform will provide personalized content, search capabilities and learning and networking opportunities, among other valuable offerings. Brett Furst, vice president of healthcare at Covisint, said the company began talking with the AMA about the deal in August and signed a deal with them in November for a pilot program of "a little over 100" doctors. The agreement signed Monday will create a "soft launch through the rest of 2009 to reach several thousand dollars," with a full national rollout scheduled for early 2010, Furst said. Furst said the data to be shared over the Covisint network will include not just clinical data like medical histories, allergies and insurance eligibility, but also information related to doctors' needs as lifelong students and as business owners. And, he said, the deal should create jobs in Detroit soon. Covisint's single-sign-on platform enables AMA physicians to securely log in and obtain the information and applications that they need -- information that often exists across many sources -- with one username and one password from any Web browser. Medicare Says It Won't Help Seniors Overcharged by Prescription Drug Program McClatchy Washington Bureau April 23, 2009 http://www.ahiphiwire.com/News/Default.asp... If you've been overcharged by Medicare's prescription drug program, don't count on getting your money back any time soon, if at all. And don't count on Medicare to help you, either. The government-run elderly health care program appears to have washed its hands of any responsibility for mistakes that have cost subscribers and taxpayers several billion dollars. That was the message contained in Medicare's response this week to a series of questions about problems with the prescription drug program posed earlier this year by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. "I was shocked at this answer because it basically said, 'Tough. We're not worried about them (seniors),"' McCaskill said at a Senate hearing Wednesday. McCaskill wrote Medicare in January after the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services reported that 80 percent of the insurance companies participating in the elderly drug program, known as Medicare Part D, owed Medicare about $4.4 billion for 2006 alone. Among her questions was how subscribers to Part D who have been overcharged could get reimbursed. "...the beneficiary knows the premium cost before enrolling in the plan," Medicare replied in a letter to McCaskill on Tuesday. "Furthermore, beneficiaries have access to detailed plan information; therefore if a beneficiary is not satisfied with a plan's premium, the beneficiary may enroll in a less expensive plan for the coming year." After reading the response aloud at the hearing, where Medicare and Health and Human Services officials testified, McCaskill said, "Are you kidding me? Seriously. Do you think my mother is supposed to go through her plan and figure out somehow that she's been overcharged and all she has to do next year is pick a cheaper plan?" Medicare prescription drug benefit is a $60 billion program. Enacted by Congress in 2003, it provides an optional plan that subsidizes the costs of medicine for about 27 million subscribers. They generally pay a monthly premium for coverage. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which supervises the program, contracts with private insurance companies to provide the drug coverage. The inspector general's report said the reasons for the overcharges were due to mistakes in the bids that insurance companies submit to Medicare to participate in the drug program. The bids represent estimates of how much revenue the companies would need monthly to provide the basic drug benefit. Medicare is supposed to audit those bids to ensure their accuracy, but the agency is behind in the audits. A quarter of all the bid audits for the years 2006 and 2007, however, had mistakes that led to higher profits for the insurance companies and higher costs for subscribers, according to the inspector general. CUSTOMER NEWS: GM plans longer plant shutdowns 170,000 autos to be cut; Chrysler banks get offer Detroit News April 23, 2009 http://www.detnews.com/article/20090423/AU... GM+plans+longer+plant+shutdowns ( http://www.detnews.com/article/20090423/AU... ) General Motors Corp. is expected to announce Friday it is cutting about 170,000 vehicles from its planned production by closing factories for as long as nine weeks this summer. "We continue to work with the U.S. Treasury to revise our business plan to go faster and deeper as required by President Obama," GM spokesman Greg Martin said. "As part of the plan, we previously acknowledged we will idle several U.S. assembly, stamping and powertrain plants. We are currently finalizing our plans." GM's Chief Financial Officer Ray Young told Metro Detroit Chinese business leaders Wednesday that a GM bankruptcy filing was "probable" and that the automaker was unlikely to make a $1 billion debt payment due June 1. GM plans to unveil a much tougher restructuring plan as early as Monday when it details its bond exchange offer to wipe out its $28 billion in unsecured debt. That plan could include speeding up the company's planned cuts in dealerships, plants and personnel. GM's sales are down 49 percent in the first quarter of this year, more than the industry average decline of 38 percent. GM completed most of its layoffs of 1,600 salaried workers this week as part of its plan to cut 3,400 white-collar workers. Some departments and plants lost 20 percent to 30 percent of their salaried staff. GM's worldwide communications department lost about 20 percent, or 40 people, company officials said. A series of other events also unfolded Wednesday in regard to GM and Chrysler plans. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox wrote letters to GM and Chrysler urging them to file for bankruptcy protection in Michigan, rather than in New York or Delaware, as is typical of large complex bankruptcy filings. The UAW and Fiat denied reports in Italy that a deal was 90 percent done. Ford Motor Co. got a bit of good news Wednesday. Goldman Sachs recommended buying Ford stock, noting the chance of a bankruptcy filing by GM and Chrysler. Laid-off Ford workers to get free medical help Detroit News April 22, 2009 http://www.detnews.com/article/20090422/AU... Doctors at Oakwood Health in Dearborn soon will offer free medical care to recently laid-off Ford Motor Co. workers. Oakwood officials said Tuesday a new clinic will open on the first floor of the system's flagship hospital in Dearborn to treat Ford employees who have lost their jobs because of the deepening recession. Oakwood doctors say they were motivated to provide the free care because of Oakwood's longstanding ties with the Blue Oval. An official opening date is still in the works. "Ford has been our biggest supporter," said Dr. George Hnatiuk, chief of staff at Oakwood's Dearborn hospital, noting many of its patients are current or former Ford employees. Even the land the hospital stands on was donated by Ford, he added. "We wanted to do something for the community that's supported us for the 50 years we've been in existence," Hnatiuk said. Volunteer doctors will staff the clinic, which will initially be open two and a half days a week. Oakwood plans to contribute the space and needed personnel. Former workers eligible for the free care must have documents verifying their previous work status. If all goes well, Hnatiuk said the clinic may expand to include other laid-off workers. PUBLIC HEALTH/MEDICAL: Morning-after pills now easier for teens to get Detroit Free Press April 23, 2009 http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article... The so-called morning-after pill is now available to 17-year-olds without a prescription under a Food and Drug Administration policy change Wednesday that supporters say can reduce teen pregnancies but critics say takes away parents' rights. The new national policy came after a federal judge ordered the agency to reverse a 2006 policy that required teens 17 and younger to have a prescription for the pills. Family planning proponents say the change will help prevent unwanted pregnancies. Michigan's teen pregnancy rate in 2007, after years of decline, started to creep up again, while the abortion rate continues to fall. Opponents say the pill can cause an abortion. Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan said it sold 1,689 doses of the roughly $30 set of pills to 17-year olds in 2008. More Hope For Breast Cancer Treatment From Karmanos Great Lakes IT Report April 22, 2009 http://www.wwj.com/More-Hope-For-Breast-Ca... Scientists from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit presented data Wednesday at the American Association for Cancer Research's 100th Annual Meeting that signifies exciting research advancements in the treatment of the more aggressive forms of breast cancer. Researchers gave an oral presentation about compounds derived from an FDA-approved drug used for the treatment of alcoholism that could provide viable treatment options for breast cancer patients. Researchers from the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University in Detroit, Cardiff University in Great Britain, and the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto designed a series of compounds based on Disulfiram (DSF) and found that one of the compounds was more potent than DSF itself in inhibiting an enzyme that spurs the growth of breast cancers. More than 50 percent of invasive breast cancers have the presence of the enzyme that could be treated by the DSF-derived compound. "DSF is a very safe drug," Burger said. "It could be given to cancer patients alone or in combination with standard therapies used to treat breast cancers." Karmanos scientists are encouraging additional preclinical testing. They are building upon past research employing the use of DSF in fighting breast cancers. "Another colleague at Karmanos has worked with this drug too and we already have animal data showing that DSF treatments work," said Dr. Burger. "I anticipate that we'll collaborate with our breast cancer clinicians to translate the findings into clinical trials." Earlier in the week, Karmanos Cancer Institute researchers presented a poster that showed pre-clinical, experimental drug combinations provide real hope to those dealing with the more dangerous, triple-negative forms of breast cancer. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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