Page 4—T h e P o rtla n d O b se rve r—M ay 15, 1991
“Mr. Health Care" Steps Up His Advocacy
BY PROFESSOR MCKINLEY BURT
The Portland Observer takes this
opportunity to remind readers that our
congressman, Ron Wyden, has long
been a staunch and effective supporter
o f belter health care for all Americans.
- and, particularly, he has shown an
intense interest in related problems within
our Northeast Community.
Consistently, Mr. Wyden has suc­
cessfully introduced critical legisla­
tion that addressed the medical prob­
lems of those Americans who have
been shamefully neglected within the
present structure of our health delivery
system. Many of us have been thor­
oughly impressed, not only by reports
in the print media, but by viewing his
performances on television as he con­
ducted related hearings in Washington.
The following will provide you an
overview of Congressman Wyden’s
interests and activities. This outline is
from his 1990 presentation to the “ North/
Northeast Economic Development Task
Force” (His office is a always inter­
ested in the viewpoints of this commu­
nity: Lloyd 500 Bldg., 500 N.E.
Multnomah, Portland, OR 97232. The
war against infant mortality is being
lost. It’s being lost because wc are not
reaching the mothers and children at
risk.
2. It’s being lost because federal
commitment to the kinds of programs
which help low-income women and
kids have been sacrificed over the last
10 years.
3. We are reaping the seeds of
neglect and inadequate funding which
have been sown over the last 10 years.
4. The United States has slipped to
being 19th in infant mortality, from
being ranked 3rd in 1950.
5. Over 40,000 babies will die this
year before they reach their first birth­
day. 40 to 60 percent of them could
have been prevented if their mothers
had been provided with adequate pre­
natal care.
6. Infant mortality disproportion­
ately strikes minorities and the poor.
The rate of infant mortality for blacks
in the U.S. is twice as high as for
whites.
7. For a country which spends over
$600 billion annually on health care,
these statistics are inexcusable. Rich
people can get liposuction while thou­
sands of pregnant women don’t see a
physician until it’s time to go to the
emergency room.
II. The Solution:
1. Prevention is the key. Good
prenatal care reduces the number of
palsy, mental retardation, and epilepsy.
-The Institute of Medicine esti­
mates that for each dollar spent on
prenatal care, S3.38 is saved on future
medical costs.
-Just $400 in prenatal care can
make the difference between a normal,
healthy baby and a baby who needs
hundreds of thousands of dollars of
medical care.
2. Family planning. There are too
many women not using contraceptives.
As a result, over 470,000 children are
born each year to teenage mothers.
-Our teenage bithrate is higher than
any other industrialized country.
Teen mothers are far more likely
to have premature or low-birthweight
babies.
The federal government should
provide adequate funding of programs
such as Title X.
3. Access to providers. We need to
encourage physicians and other health
care providers to accept Medicaid pa­
tients., Today, Meidcaid only pays about
59% ot a physicians’s customary fees.
-Congress just passed mandatory
expansion of Medicaid coverage to
pregnant women and kids up to 133
percent of federal poverty; will try to
increase such coverage to 185 percent
CREED OF THE BLACK PRESS
The Black Press belle* cs that A m erica can bcsl lead Uie world away from social and
*
national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless o f race, color, or
creed, full hum an and legal lights. Hating no persou, fearing no person, the Black
Press strives to help e- cry person In the firm belief that all arc h u rt as long as anyone
Is held back.
LORRAINE HLAVINKA
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this year (you are original cosponsor of
Waxman bill to do so)
-The proposal by Senator Kitzhaber
to reform Medicaid would help to boost
provider payments in order to increase
access for poor people.
-Access is not just an issue of the
number of participating physicians. It
is also an issue of physical access to a
medical facility. Low-income women
often cannot afford to pay for transpor­
tation to and from the hospital or doc­
tor’s office.
-1 would like to see a some federal
funds used to provide fora “ Well Baby
on Wheels” program whereby physi­
cians and/or nurses could make house
calls to low-income women for prena­
tal care.
4. Alcohol/Drug Abuse. The num­
ber of children bom to drug or alcohol-
addicted mothers has reached epidemic
proportions.
-’’Crack babies” are common
boarders in our public hospitals.
-These children are generally pre­
mature and suffer from chronic health
problems which can cost $100,000 per
year.
-That’s why it is so important to
invest the kind of resources that pro­
vide preventive health care, counsel­
ing, and substance abuse treatment rather
than waiting to provide costly “ res­
cue” treatment later.
-There’s currently a 4 1/2 year
waiting list in Oregon for low income
substance abuse treatment programs.
5. Adequate Nutrition
-advocate increased funding for
programs such as food stamps and WIC.
6. Adequate Access to Health In­
surance:
-Over 9.5 million women of child­
bearing age have no health insurance;
another 5 million have insurance that
doesn’t cover maternity care
-national health insurance/
Kitzhaber plan will help.
Memory Loss
Program Slated In
Gresham
Are you concerned about memory
loss or forgetfulness? Do you worry
about a friend or relative who is show­
ing signs of Alzheimer’s Disease?
“ Forgetfulness or Alzheimer’s
Disease: Learning the difference” will
be offered June 13, from 7-9pm at St.
Aidan’s Episcopal Parish, 17405 N.E.
Glisan, Gresham.
This free program, led by Ken
Erickson, M.D., a memory expert at
Good Samaritan Hospital & Centerand
Liz McKinney, executive director of
the Alzheimer’s Association, will cover
the following topics. Causes of mem­
ory loss and forgetfulness; Alzheimer’s
Disease, current treatments and the latest
research; and option for coping and
caregiving.
The memory loss program, Co­
sponsored by S l Aidans Episcopal Parish
and Good Samartian Family Support
Center, is a kick-off for St. Aidan’s
Place, the new Alzheimer’s adult daycare
center.
For more information or to pre­
register please call the Family Support
Center office, 229-7348.
Phone 249-5886 I
WANTED!
We want the
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Attention, homeowners in this area will be given the opportunity of having new Premium Vinyl Siding
by Alcoa applied to their homes with optional decorative work at a very low cost. This amazing new product
has captured the interest of homeowners throughout the United States who ate fed up with constant painting
and other maintenance costs. It will last for the lifetime of the home and provides full summer and winter in­
sulation, as well as fire protection. Our new product can be used over every type of home including frame,
concrete block, stucco, etc. It comes in a choice of colors and is now going to be introduced in your market.
Your home can be a show place in you vicinity. Let us explain this low cost program to you, especially
designed for your area.
WE HAVE EXCELLENT FINANCING
NO DOWN PAYMENT REQUIRED
MAIL TODAY
Free Health
Screening
Offered
The hospitals and health care or­
ganizations of LEGACY HEALTH
SYSTEM invite area seniors (age 55+)
to attend a FREE HEALTH SCREEN­
ING. The screening provides numer­
ous important health tests and services,
including: blood test (cholesterol, blood
sugar, and others), general physical
assessment by nurses, blood pressure,
dental and oral cancer check, vision
and glaucoma check, hearing test, lung
health check, nutrition counselling,
breast cancer self-examination instruc­
tions, colorectal cancer screening, and
others.
For those desiring the full blood
test, it is suggested you arrive in a
fasting state - no food or drink (except
water and medications) for the previ­
ous 12 Sours. Known diabetics should
follow their regular eating schedule.
Screenings are conducted weekly
at different locations throughout the
Portland Metropolitan area. Please call
Winetta Soderlind, R.N. at 241-3478 to
obtain a schedule of screening dates
and locations.
PSU’S Spring
Commencement Time
Moved Up to Noon
Due to the possibility of a National
Basketball Association playoff game
being held Friday, June 7, at Memorial
Coliseum, Portland State University has
had to change the time of its Spring
Commencement ceremonies. PSU’s
Spring Commencement now is sched­
uled for NOON, Friday, June 7, at
Memorial Coliseum. Participants need
to be at the Coliseum by 11 a.m.
Regardless of the outcome of the
basketball playoffs, this time change is
firm!
Because the Coliseum may need to
be set up for the Blazers, the Coliseum
management is allowing PSU use of
the Blazer replay screens during the
Commencement ceremony, allowing
relatives and friends a close-up look at
diploma recipients.
For those taking final exams
immediately prior to commencement,
vans will be available to help students
reach the Coliseum in time for the
ceremony. Caps and gowns may be
picked up on campus June 4-6, from 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. in room 329 of Smith
Memorial Center, or at the Coliseum
on Friday, June 7, at 11 a.m.
PSU’s Spring Commencement is
normally attended by approximatley
1400 graduates and 9,000 spectators.
To what extent the change in time will
affect those figures is not yet known.
For more information, contact
University Special Events at 725-4910.
Kaiser Permanente
Seeks State
Certification
Kaiser Permanente has decided to
seek certification from the state of
Oregon as a managed care organization
(MCO). By seeking certification, the
health maintenance organization hopes
to better meet the needs of its employer
groups and members.
“ Our primary intent is to be more
responsive and flexible in providing
for the occupational health needs of our
groups and members, according to Kaiser
Permanentc’s Health Plan Manager
Denise Honzel.
By gaining certification, Honzel
says she hopes to be responsive to
employers and unions and lessen con­
fusion among some of the health plan’s
members who may have been unsure
whether they could continue to see their
Kaiser Permanente physician for treat­
ment of work-related injuries and ill­
nesses.
Employers and unions have be­
come increasingly concerned about
rising health care costs in Oregon. They
are looking for ways to manage the
costs associated with work-related in­
juries and illnesses. Legislation enacted
last year authorizing creation of man­
aged care organization was one attempt
to address these needs.
Honzel says Kaiser Permanente has
been studying the legislation on MCOs
and the regulations implementing it.
“ Over the past several months, a number
of our employer groups have encour­
aged us to become certified as a man­
aged care organization. By taking this
action, we hope to meet the needs of
those employers who want to contract
only with certified MCOs. In addition,
w e’ll continue to serve our members
whose employers haven’t contracted
with us as an MCO,” saLs Honzel.
“ Wc have filed a letter of intent,
and will work closely with the certifi­
cation process,” says Honzel.
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Free Advice Line Offered For
Mental Health Questions
Portland-area residents can get
answers to their mental health ques­
tions when the Emilie Gamelin Insti­
tute for Mental Health and Addictions
Treatment Services sponsors “ Advice
Line,” a one-day telephone call-in
information line on Saturday, May 18.
Persons may call 230-6133 from
10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Institute af­
filiated child and adolescent psychia­
trists, adult psychiatrists, mental health
nurses and therapists will help with
callers’ concerns on mental health re­
lated topics. The Institute’s Advice Line
is not a crisis line but rather a source of
information, education and guidance.
“ With the pressures and stresses
on today’s families, we believe that
parents and other adults often need a
credible source of advice and consulta­
tion on issues concerning children, work,
family and aging parents but may not
know who to contact. Through our tele­
phone information line, we intend to
help callers with their questions and
concerns and, if necessary, make ap­
propriate referrals for further assistance,”
explains Eugene Borkan, M.D., Acting
Executive Director of the Institute.
Since May is National Mental
Health Awareness Month we decided
to sponsor this telephone information
line as a way of extending the services
of our Institute staff to a broad range of
the community,” Dr. Borkan contin­
ues.
Callers may access the line by
calling the Institute at 230-6133. They
will be asked if their question concerns
children, adults or the elderly. Calls
will then be transferred to an appropri­
ate physician or staff member.
Both callers and the person an­
swering the call may remain anony­
mous. However, callers may leave their
names if they wish to receive printed
information from the Institute about
their particular area of concern.
Some of the types of calls Institute
staff anticipate receiving include is­
sues surrounding child and adolescent
behavior, depression, and aging par­
ents.
“ Many people are still reluctant to
seek help for troubling issues. That’s
why we’re providing Advice Line-it’s
an avenue for the community to ask
question of physicians and other health
care workers who are mental health
specialists.”
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