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The INDEPENDENT, March 17, 2011
United Way allocates 2011 funds
To Your Health!
By Judy Hargis, P.A
The Lost “Art” of
Practicing Medicine
I often find myself think-
ing about what we have
gained through the dra-
matic changes in our
healthcare system. I also
find myself considering
what has been lost.
This month, Laura Nichols PA-C will celebrate
a birthday. Laura dedicated many years of her
life to practicing medicine in rural underserved
areas. She believed that her commitment to her
patients included her commitment to her com-
munity. I would like to dedicate this column to
her, and to other providers like her who are a dy-
ing breed. These “gems” are a reminder of what
is missing in our health care system today.
They remind us of a time when healthcare
providers knew your name, your family mem-
bers and your history. They felt a connection to
their patients and their families. They enjoyed
practicing the art of medicine and welcomed the
opportunity to be a part of our care. Patients
were not seen as numbers, an RVU, a ten-
minute appointment slot, or a body part needing
a diagnosis.
They weren’t a reflection of the bottom line or
production. A patient was seen as a whole per-
son with individual needs, unique personalities
and circumstances. I had the privilege of working
with Laura and I grew up in a time when health
care was still about the “patient”. We may live in
a time with great technological and medical ad-
vances but we have lost something along the
way.
We may have the most expensive health care
in the world but is it actually the best?
We fall short in preventable deaths, infant
mortality and life span in comparison to many
other countries. Our health care system is based
on a disease model with lack of adequate ac-
cess to preventive health services. Many people
are unable to access care at all. Many chronic
medical conditions are poorly managed. We
have a society of poor health and high obesity
rates. We rate number one in the world in obesi-
ty. My patients often speak of their frustrations
when trying to access healthcare due to lack of
continuity
with
a
provider, brief
visits,
and
providers
who can’t re-
member their
names
or
health histo-
ries.
Some clin-
ics affiliated
with hospital
systems are
now charging
their patients
with a facili-
503-901-1705
ty/room us-
age fee, in addition to their co-pays, when they
see their Primary care provider. These fees are
not covered by insurance and can run as high as
$50 to $150 per office visit. This is an example of
one more barrier to healthcare access. It has
been proven that increasing the cost of health-
care does not improve the quality of healthcare.
Primary care providers are burning out and
very few medical students are declaring family
medicine as their practice choice. I believe fami-
ly doctors are critical to good care. They are the
gatekeepers and the heart of health care for
many individuals and families. When I think of
providers like Laura Nichols and some of the
other providers I have known in the community
that I come from, I am more convinced than ever
that good health care has to be about the “pa-
tient”. It does not belong in the hands of corpora-
tions and bean counters that have no sense of
what is at stake.
Insurance companies and hospital systems
run in this way only serve to drive up the cost of
care. The only people who benefit are the CEOs
with their high salaries, bonuses and golden
parachutes. We all need to pay attention to the
direction health care is taking in this country. It is
easy to turn a blind eye when we still have health
coverage in the current system but, every day,
people are losing coverage or having to discon-
tinue their insurance due to increasing costs.
If we continue on our current path, only the
wealthy will be able to afford good care. This will
impact the overall health of our country and the
future of the health of our children. A viable
health care system has to respond to the needs
of the people it is designed to serve. It has to be
equitable and fair in its provision of care, and
committed to optimal health for everyone to be
effective.
So I dedicate this column to Laura and to all
the champions of healthcare, and community
health, that came before her. I thank them for the
nights they did not sleep, the vacations they did
not take and the 24/7 care they gave to their pa-
tients and communities. They did not complain
about the long hours or the busy days. They
placed high value on the care they gave and the
lives of their patients. It was never perceived as
a burden. They made a difference in our lives
and the lives of our loved ones.
We are not better off without them. We have
lost something very important and that is the
healing that a strong, long-term relationship with
a trusted health care provider can give to us. Our
health care system needs to heal itself and be-
gin to get back to taking care of the “patient”
again. If we don’t find a way to change the cur-
rent system, the health of this country will contin-
ue on this downhill spiral. I hope I am lucky
enough to live long enough to see a comeback
of the “Lauras” of health care and the re-emer-
gence of providers practicing the ART of medi-
cine. It would bring a new focus to providing high
quality health care to the whole person, with
medical advances being used more appropriate-
ly. The greatest benefit would be healthier peo-
ple and a better quality of life for all.
As always, we appreciate your questions and
comments.
You
can
contact
us
at
health@the–independent.net.
United Way of Columbia
County Board of Directors ap-
proved the 2011 allocations at
their March board meeting, but
most of the allocations were
smaller this year because the
agency reached only 80% of its
goal, raising 9.25% less than
last year.
This resulted in less money
to allocate. Twenty-seven part-
ner programs received a com-
bined total of $163,451, and an
additional $7040 in donor di-
rected funds went to seventeen
other non-profits for a total of
$170,491.
It is always a difficult job to
allocate the available funds
and much thought and work by
the United Way Board of Direc-
tors, goes into making these
decisions. The task was even
more difficult this year.
Basic Human needs – food,
shelter, utility assistance were
given the highest priority. As al-
ways, the Board of Directors
and staff continue to work dili-
gently to maintain a low over-
head by leveraging in-kind do-
nations, supplemental grants
and volunteers to help support
the many needs of our commu-
nity.
“We sincerely thank all those
who help support United Way
of Columbia County in our ef-
forts to work for the common
good of this community.
Whether you are a donor, or a
volunteer, or both, we could not
provide the support we do for
this community without you.
We appreciate your continued
help and dedication to making
a difference in Columbia Coun-
ty,” said Director Kathye Beck.
Allocations for Vernonia in-
cluded $12,791 to Vernonia
Cares Food Bank.
It is not too late to give. Do-
nations and or pledges can be
accepted at any time. For more
information call 503-556-3614
or email uwcc@hotmail.com .
Columbia County
Mental Health
800-294-5211
-----------------
Suicide Hotline
1-800-
784-2433
or
1-800-273-
TALK(8255)
Domestic Abuse
Hotline
503-397-6161
or
866-397-6161
-----------------
Military Helpline
888-HLP-4-VET
(888-457-4838)