About a week and 1/2 ago, I posted a blog titled “HealthCare for you, your momma, and Obama“. I got a lot of comments. Maybe it was sensational. Maybe I like “fire”. I hope it got people thinking… or at least trying to see things from multiple vantage points. Today, I received the official response from my expert.
A little background on Sandee McMillen directly from the previous blog post—
Sandee is the CEO for ECHO, a non-profit organization aimed at helping the poor and indigent people of the Evansville, IN area receive “…AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, and APPROPRIATE Primary Health Care…” Sandee has worked in the HealthCare industry since 1995. She holds a M.H.A. (Master’s of HealthCare Administration) from the University of Southern Indiana and is currently working towards her M.B.A. at Indiana Wesleyan University WIP 2011. She recently spent a week in Washington, D.C. speaking with lawmakers about HealthCare reform. I have asked Sandee to provide a response, #1 from a HealthCare Administrators perspective and #2 from a factual perspective.
I would like to say a public “THANKS” to Sandee for taking time out of an already busy schedule to guest post on this subject!
Here is her official response:
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Health care reform: Who would have thought that these three simple words could stir such a response from people? When @NMcMillen asked me to post on his blog regarding this “hot topic” I very willingly agreed. I would point out that, to date, I’ve not read the commentary posted, but have only seen his ‘original’ blog. I will, as a result, ask him to post this response on my behalf.
Here are my thoughts regarding this issue….
Firstly, I think it’s important to realize that all of us form opinions and beliefs based on our current vantage point; the point from which we stand. From where I stand ‘the solution’ may appear to be “option A”…..from where you stand “option B” may appear to be the clear solution to whatever the given ‘problem’ or ‘issue’ may be. Very rarely will people of varied vantage points come to the exact same conclusion.
Secondarily, to be fully honest with the readers of this commentary, I must divulge my personal “vantage point”. I have worked in the not-for-profit health care industry my entire professional career, which exceeds 16 years now. My current assignment is in a Community Health Center setting, where I am the acting Chief Executive Officer. My three clinics provide primary health to the indigent population in urban Evansville, Indiana. We see, predominantly, the homeless, uninsured and underinsured in our area. During 2009, my three clinics cared for 12,358 patients 52, 467 times. We are funded by both the Federal Government and the State of Indiana, which equals just below 50% of our Net Revenue annually.
With all of that being said, I wonder, is it possible to discern “whose vantage point is most appropriate”? If so, how would that occur? How can we ‘equalize’ our vantage points and come to a fair conclusion?
A tertiary point that I need to make is that I am a professed Christian. And because I’m a Christian, I try to base all of my opinions, persuasions and beliefs based on the scriptures. I routinely look to the scriptures to help me discern what the best course of action may be. ….given any topic of discussion.
I have often wondered, how would Jesus respond to our country’s healthcare reform?
The following text spoke to me:
Prov. 19:17 When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord–and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!
1 John 3:17-19 But if someone who is supposed to be a Christian has money enough to live well, and sees a brother in need, and won’t help him–how can God’s love be within him ? Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions. Then we will know for sure, by our actions, that we are on God’s side, and our consciences will be clear, even when we stand before the Lord.
Psa. 82:3 Give fair judgment to the poor man, the afflicted, the fatherless, the destitute.
Psa. 82:4 Rescue the poor and helpless from the grasp of evil men.
Prov. 14:31b To help the poor is to honor God.
Prov. 21:13 He who shuts his ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in his own time of need.
So, if the scripture instruct us to “care for the poor” in so many places….and if this legislative reform makes a way for the “poor” to be cared for…..what’s left to discuss? I know – the ‘cost’.
What would happen if we could make all ethical and moral decisions without regard to a price tag? Would our decisions be different? Here’s a better question: Is it even ethical to make moral decisions based on what the ‘cost’ is???
From my ‘vantage point’, I hear people say, “We cannot afford health care reform!” To that person, I would say,” We cannot NOT afford healthcare reform!”
In 2008, U.S. health care spending was about $7,681 per resident and accounted for 16.2% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP); this is among the highest of all industrialized countries. (source: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation) So…..Americans ought to be healthier, right? American’s should have better health outcomes, right? No. Our “National Scorecard” prepared by The Commonwealth Fund Commission on High Performance Health Systems, which is the first comprehensive means of measuring and monitoring health care outcomes, quality, access, efficiency, and equity in the United States, presented trends for each dimension of health system performance and for individual indicators. The U.S. “score card” confirms that the U.S. health system continues to fall far short of what is attainable, especially given the resources invested. Across 37 core indicators of performance, the U.S. achieves an overall score of 65 out of a possible 100 when comparing national averages with U.S. and international performance benchmarks.
How is it we spend the most, yet achieve a ranking of “65 out of 100” on health outcomes?
From my ‘vantage point’, I hear people say, “Its socialized medicine and we don’t run a socialist government!” To that person, I would say “It’s a system set in place to care for those in need….call it whatever you want.”
To me, it’s no different than the Medicare system which caused such controversy in the past, but now who can imagine a country where we don’t provide care for our elderly? To me it’s no different than the public school system that we all support through our tax dollars.
Aren’t we ALL better off when our people are educated and healthy? Won’t our country succeed by leaps and bounds when our children remain healthy enough to attend school and graduate from college as the engineers and scientists of tomorrow?
Just as education, I believe healthcare is a RIGHT, not a privilege.
From my ‘vantage point’, I hear people say “I’m ok with healthcare reform as long as it doesn’t cost me anything!!” To that person I would say…..”Are we really that selfish?”
I remember several years ago walking the streets of Washington, D.C., though this scene could have occurred anywhere. It was late in the evening and a cold chill had set in. As I scurried back to the subway entrance, there were several homeless men sleeping on the subway vents, near the street. Undoubtedly, they were struggling to keep warm. A comment heard by a fellow passing by really struck me, he said, and I quote him to the best of my memory’s ability, “I don’t mind them sleeping here, but I hate having to step over them or walk around them….” I will NEVER forget that moment…..I believe it just may have changed my perspective on life. I’ve learned that sometime we DO have to be inconvenienced for the betterment of our society.
To those of you who think healthcare reform is “too expensive”, or “too oppressive” or “too much of an inconvenience”……I would say to you, “There, but for the grace of God – go I.”
I would like to go on record as saying, and will end with the following: I support healthcare reform. Not because I personally benefit as a result of this legislation; quite the contrary. (My taxes will increase, as my husband and I are fortunate enough to fall into a tax bracket which is higher than most.) I support this legislation because I believe that it is the ethical and moral thing to do….regardless of the cost.
“…the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped. “ ~ Last Speech of Hubert H. Humphrey
Respectfully submitted,
Sandee E. Strader-McMillen, M.H.A.
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So there you have it folks. Again, much love and thanks to Sandee for taking the time to do this! Thoughts? Remember to play nice…
-Nathan
