A ugust 17, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver P age B ô Marketplace Taking Lead In Health-Care Reform Of Helen R edditt Todd June 9,1932 - August 13,1994 H elen R edditt Todd was born June 9 ,1 9 3 2 in G reenw ood, M iss to Sam m y and Irm a R edditt. H er early life was spent in G re en wood and she m oved to P ortland, O regon, A ugust 1944. She was a resident of V anport, O regon du rin g the flood, and these experiences were told to h er c h ild re n . H elen a tte n d e d school in V anport, later grad u ated from L incoln High School, P ortlan d , OR. She w as m arried to E ddie Todd, Nov. 3 ,1 9 5 5 who preceded her in d eath , Jan. 23, 1994. She loved people and the sport o f b o w lin g o cc u p ie d p le a sa n t tim es w ith friends. She was em ployed as a store clerk and was dedicated to her fam ily. Helen was a m em ber of Bethel A .M .E. C hurch w ith her parents in the early years, but requested a new com m itm ent by baptism . Rev. Fred W ilson, A ssistant P astor o f B ethel A .M .E. C hurch July 1994 o fficiated. S ervices w ill be held at The K illingsw orth L ittle C hapel o f the C him es on T h ursday, A ugust 18, 1994 at 11:00 A.M . B urial w ill be at The R ose C ity C em etery. (NU) - Americans consider three issues to be top priorities for health care reform: controlling costs, main taining quality and increasing ac cess, according to a recent survey by Blum & Weprin Associates, released by the NBC television network. But what many Americans may not know is that the health-care mar ketplace is already reforming itself. Increasing evidence suggests that all three issues are being addressed by market changes largely fostered by health maintenance organizations (HM Os) and other managed-care companies. These groups offer con sumers a choice of doctors and hos pitals at a lower price than traditional indemnity plans charge. According to the Group Health Association of America, the average rate of HMO cost increases has gone down each of the last five years. The cost for HMO coverage is now 19 percent lower than the average cost of traditional indemnity plans and the gap is widening. HMOs Working Even though HMOs cost less, they tend to provide more compre hensive benefits than traditional cov erage, offering preventive services like prenatal care, im munizations and mammographies. Yet, none of these results seem to be at the ex pense of quality or member satis faction. A recent survey conducted by the Health Institute at New England M edical Center found that HMO members were significantly more satisfied with their overall care than those with traditional indemnity in surance, including such factors as cost of care, paperwork and cus tomer service. In the last ten years, the number of people covered by HMOs has nearly quadrupled to 50 million. And, as HMO membership continues to grow, the managed-care industry has taken initiatives to help maintain and enhance high-quality care. “It’s imperative that the managed care industry sets high-quality stan dards for the millions of people it serves, “ said Dr. William Roper, president of The Prudential Center for Health Care Research and for mer director of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Reformers Take A Look at Charity Hospitals (NU) - When Kimberly Ann was discharged from a children’s hospi tal in Philadelphia recently, her bill came to $00.00. As America grapples with health care reform, charity hospitals that of fer free care are getting more inter ested scrutiny. Kimberly Ann was treated at one of the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Crip pled Children, whose ability to pro vide free, sophisticated care to fam ilies that can show legitimate need is possible completely through private donations. Shriners Hospitals do not accept third-party payments from insurance companies, and they receive no fed eral, state or local funding for the care or services provided to the chil dren. Shriners’ officials estimate their expenses are at least 25 percent low er than other hospitals because they can bypass the paperwork shuffle in volving federal and state funding and insurance reimbursements. “Obviously, the government is not going to establish a health-care system exactly in the same manner in which Shriners Hospitals provide free care, since we make use of an endowment fund," Shriners’ director of Public Relations Mike Andrews says. "But w e're seeing an extraor dinary amount of interest in our sys tem as the health-care debate goes on.” ¿fn “Through the studies we conduct at the Prudential Center, we can mea sure and improve the quality of care delivered to our members." Consumers can also receive ob jective reports on HMOs from ex ternal organizations. For example, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, an independent, non profit organization, recently an nounced its first list of accredited health plans. NCQA judged plans on more than 50 criteria within six cat egories related to quality care. Pru dential was the first health-care com pany in the country to voluntarily have all of its plans reviewed. "NCQA accreditation provides consum ers with a guarantee that their health plan has stringent qual ity-im provem ent programs in place,” said Dr. Roper. "We believe all health plans should undergo such a review.’ Erma Jeannette Jones-Martin Born June 27, 1944 in Little Rock A rkansas and she w ent to rest on A ugust 14, 1994. Jean n ette was a very loving w ife, m other and good friend to all that knew her. She will be m issed by ev ery one she touched. You d id n ’t h a lf to really know her for her to help, she was alw ays there. Jeannette rest in peace and love. Services w ill be held at M orn ing Star C hurch on A ugust 19, 1994 106 N. E. Ivy, P ortland at 11:00 am. How Crippling Back Pain Is Successfully Treated ter, Fla., one of the largest medical centers in the nation specializing in treatment of neck and back pain. (NU) - Does your back ache? If the answer is "yes" and it your lower back or legs are painfully tin gling, weak or numb, you may suf fer from a common condition asso ciated with arthritis called spinal stenosis. It afflicts many people over the age of 55 and. until recently, there was little help for it. Often the con dition progressed until walking be came too difficult and sufferers be came chair- or bed-ridden Your spine carries the main trunkline of your nervous system. With its connected m uscles, the spine allows you to walk upright. It is vulnerable to many ailments. Until recently, spinal stenosis was a diagnosis that usually m eant a lifetime of discomfort and perhaps paralysis. Now there is some good news. Take the case of Paul Blake, 78, who lives in Port Richey, Fla. Walk ing was once torture for him and his future had a wheelchair in it. Hijs doctors told him there was nothing they could do. He was recom m ended to the Florida Spine Institute in Clearwa- 10 th Y ear Quicker Recovery After a complete physical exam ination that confirmed stenosis, Blake was offered a conservative regime of medication, physical ther apy, injections, biofeedback and lifestyle changes. Then surgery was added as the best solution to his con dition. “My recovery was quicker than 1 thought it would be,” Blake says. “1 have no pain now, and I can do anything I want to do.” " He bowls, golfs, goes fishing and rides a bicycle — activities he was unable to do for years before treat ment at the Florida Spine Institute. There is a core clinical group of 13 board certified/eligible physi cians including fellowship trained orthopaedic spine surgeons, physia- trists, neurologists, pain psycholo gists and neuroradiologists. The high technology for accurate diagnoses includes MRI, CT scan ners, fluoroscopy and other ad vanced tools, all located on the FSI campus l Anniversary Party Honoring T he G reater S t . S tephen M.B.C Date A ug 19 th pm Tim e 7:30 Given Ik) T he G reater S t - S tephen M.B.C. F amily Place T he G reater S t . S tephen M.B.C. 3506 N.E. M allory A venue F ri . 8 /1 9 7:30 P.M. AT GSS M.B.C. S at . 8/20 B anquet 6:30-9:00 p . m at J J N orth ' s - 10520 NE H alsey RSVP SUN. 8/21CL0SE0UT 3:00 AT GSS M.B.C. IBafitLit dtuvidi 103 NE Morris St., Portland, OR 97212 • • • • • Sunday School - 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service - 11:00am Sunday School Teacher’s Meeting Tues - 6:30pm Bible Study Wednesday 6:00pm Prayer Meeting Wednesday - 7:00pm Church Phone Number 287-7457 We Invite You To Come And Worship With Us. The Church Where Everybody is Somebody And Chris! Is All. Dr. Joe S. Hardie, Pastor Classes begin at 7:00 p.m. and end at 9:00 p.m., Mondays, Tues days and Thursdays. Highlights in clude Youth Ministry .World Chris tian Outreach I/IIa and Bible Inter pretation. For more information call 288- 2919 or 287-0885. The sun is setting on summer and rising toward a season of re newal and hope. Why not welcome this change by enriching your faith? North Portland Bible College an nounces its evening schedule for Fall 1994 beginning August 29 ^through December 15.__________ _ a d v e r t i s e in OTljc ÿ l u r t l a n î * ( 0 l,s c v t « c r c a ll 5 0 3 - 2 8 8 - 0 0 3 3 ¿/7,e 3!M e V /ia/ie/ Çfuneïai Killingsworth Chapel 430 N. Killingsworth Portland, Oregon 97217 503-283-1976 Lombard Chapel 3018 N. Lombard Portland, Oregon 97217 503-283-0525 Mt Olivet Baptist Church Has moved Sunday services to Family Life Center, 8725 N. Chautauqua Blvd., at Willis Blvd. Worship Services 8:00am & 11:00am, Church School 9:30 to 10:30am, Bible Study, Wednesdays, 116 NE Schuyler, 10:30am & 7:00pm Radio Ministry each Sunday, 8:00am on KBMS A Teaching Church With A Reaching Ministry Dr. James E. Martin. Senior Pastor Church Office 116 NE Schuyler St. • (503) 284-1954 —I JBh ^ a u t ^ ts s tm ta rg b a p tist Cljurclj 8101 N. Fiske Avenue • Portland Oregon 97203 Church Phone: 289-0147 • Study Phone: 289-1911 Pastor, Re. James C.E. Faulkner 4224 S.E. 62nd Avenue (between Powell & Foster) Portland, Oregon 97206 SUNDAY Sunday School 9:30am Morning Worship 10:45am Evangelistic Service 7:30pm Tuesday Pastoral Teaching 7:00pm FRIDAY Evangelistic Service 7:00pm DAILY Prayer 12:00pm & 6:00pm (503) 774-5470 PASTORS: Bishop Robert Simpson. Jr. • Dr. Ida M Simpson We Welcome You to The (Greater JSaint ^tepijen .JMissumarg b a p tist (filjnrcl) “Serving The Lord With Gladness” Psalm 100:2 Sunday School 10am Morning Worship 11:05 Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study 7pm Rev. G.L. Black I Pastor 3605 N.E. Mallory Ave. (503) 281-8117 Portland, OR 97212 4 Nt • . * ¿ *- , * JU S.»» J Sunday Service 10:45 Sunday School 9:30 Bible Study 6:00 Evening Service 7:00pm FAITH TEMPLE CHURCH <5/:. Enrich Your Faith