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
•
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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