Health Care

Not even the arrest of "if-he-did-it" icon O.J. Simpson this week completely overshadowed Hillary Clinton's attempt to replay the nightmare that Americans escaped the first time around -a government takeover of the nation's health-care system. She first proposed her European-style health care model during the heady days of her husband's presidency. "Clinton II: The Sequel" fits with her recent rejection of an "ownership society" in favor of a "we're all in it together" world. That sounds good on the surface - sort of like her idea for "universal health care" did at first.

The health-care industry offers several options for potential careers, and many of those will be explored at a summer camp sponsored by the Ephraim McDowell Health Care Foundation, Southern Kentucky Area Health Education Center and Campbellsville University. This year's camp is planned for the week of July 21-25. Activities will be offered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center and McDowell Wellness Center in Danville and James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital in Harrodsburg, with an optional one-night stay at Campbellsville University.

Here's a tip of the hat to Ephraim McDowell Health and Inter-County Energy executives for doing some serious thinking about the economic future of our area. Clark Taylor, CEO of the health-care organization, and Jim Jacobus, president of the rural electric co-op, are looking at ways to build on Danville's already substantial reputation as a center for quality health care. One of the things they are looking at is a way to interest more local young people in health-care careers and providing them with the training locally that they need to pursue those careers.

Dear Editor: Health care is one of the most critical issues facing Kentucky today. Health insurance costs for businesses and individuals have forced individuals to sometimes choose between food and health care. Industries are leaving our state or choosing to locate in more favorable market areas. Our elderly population simply can't afford needed medication. Nearly 500,000 Kentuckians have no health insurance at all. This results in a much sicker population than the rest of the country.

According to truecostblog.com, 32 of the world's leading nations have some form of universal health care, either single payer, two-tier or insurance mandate. Of course, the United States is not on this list. It is estimated that some 32 million Americans have no health care, some 10  percent of the population. Single payer nations include Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Norway (since 1912), Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Who knows your health care wishes better than you do? Don't keep it a secret. Make your wishes known with a living will. The third annual National Health Care Decisions Day is April 16 and Heritage Hospice, Inc. staff is offering help with completing living wills at health fairs in Boyle, Garrard, Lincoln and Mercer counties. The goal of National Health Care Decisions Day is to ensure that all adults with decision-making capacity have both the information and the opportunity to communicate and document their future health care decisions.

Nurse practitioners work in every corner of Kentucky, and are keenly aware of what goes into the state's disturbing health statistics. Kentucky ranks among the worst in the nation for diabetes, obesity and cancer, and unfortunately also ranks poorly regarding the number of practicing primary care physicians. This is not a good combination when it comes to those who need care. There are many regions across the state where a nurse practitioner or nurse midwife is the only full time primary care provider.

In order to have affordable health care, the pool of participants must be expanded. Obamacare does this. By 2014, the following will occur:  Forty-five to 50 million more people will be covered, even those with pre-existing conditions such as cancer, heart disease, asthmas, diabetes, etc. Families that make less than $25,000 a year will qualify for Medicaid, those making more than that amount, up to $75,000, will qualify for tax credits...

Dear Editor, Even given the hostility of some to any action by Democrats, the reasons for opposition to health care reform are puzzling. The idea that all Americans deserve basic health care has had wide public backing for decades, but the number of uninsured and the costs have risen sharply. The legislation passed is not the best, but it is not radical, based as it is on an extension of private insurance. It provides some immediate relief from fear of catastrophe; it insures millions more; and it pays for itself, even after the Republicans gutted some important cost-cutting measures.

Jessamine County's newest chiropractic practice, Nicholasville Family Chiropractic (NFC), opened earlier this month at 100 John Sutherland Drive, Suite 1B. Dr. Kerri A. Cieply, a Louisville native, graduated from the University of Kentucky with a sports marketing degree. She received her chiropractic training from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, Texas. After completing her chiropractic training, Cieply - who has been practicing since 2009 - felt the bluegrass calling.

Businesses will soon start preparing for provisions of the new health-care act to take place Jan. 1. As part of its 2013 Public Policy Series, the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce hosted an informational forum on the subject Tuesday during a luncheon at Danville Country Club. “Recently, in the past few months, we've noticed the issue our businesses in Kentucky are facing in health care and the uncertainty of it,” said panelist Ashli Watts, public affairs manager at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

The Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce will host a forum on the Affordable Health Care Act 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday at the Danville Country Club. The event will feature a panel of experts who will discuss details about the health care act and will provide informational packets for guests to reference. Panelists include Ashli Watts, manager of public affairs for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; Jack Tillman, vice president of member and group services for the Kentucky Health Cooperative; and Miriam Ford, Ph.D., director of the dvision of health care policy administration in the office of the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's decision to expand Medicaid came mere days after the most significant study of the issue concluded that extending Medicaid coverage to the previously uninsured “generated no significant improvements in measured physical health outcomes in the first two years.” Translation: When it comes to actual health results, putting the uninsured on Medicaid is not better than nothing.  In 2008, Oregon extended Medicaid...

More than 40 people from different occupational backgrounds met in Central Bank's community room Tuesday to discuss the health strengths and weaknesses of Jessamine County. The ultimate goal for Tuesday's and future forums will be to create a community health improvement plan through a strategic planning process, health department director Randy Gooch said, adding that a second forum will take place Thursday, May 30. The forum was hosted by the Jessamine County Health Department and Saint Joseph-Jessamine RJ Corman Ambulatory Care Center.

McDowell Place of Danville will host a health care decisions educational series beginning April 9. The free educational programs are designed for seniors and they focus on helping individuals make informed decisions about their health care.   The dates and topics of the educational opportunities are as follows: April 9: “Balancing an Investment Portfolio to Meet Long Term Care Expenses” by Bill Griffin, financial advisor with Edward Jones April 11: “Medicare Review and Will Obamacare Affect You?

Ephraim McDowell Health Care Foundation recently held its annual Happy Heart Luncheon, which raises awareness of women's heart disease. The luncheon raised nearly $10,000 and all funds raised from the event will go to support cardiac projects at Ephraim McDowell Health. It was held at Brady Hall on the Kentucky School for the Deaf campus and was a sell-out, with 175 attendees. “We are thrilled this event has been embraced by the community,” said Keith Bridges, executive director of Ephraim McDowell Health Care Foundation.

Nurse practitioners work in every corner of Kentucky, and are keenly aware of what goes into the state's disturbing health statistics. Kentucky ranks among the worst in the nation for diabetes, obesity and cancer, and unfortunately also ranks poorly regarding the number of practicing primary care physicians. This is not a good combination when it comes to those who need care. There are many regions across the state where a nurse practitioner or nurse midwife is the only full time primary care provider.

If you read all the celebrity magazines like I do, then you know all about all the things one can do to push back the wrinkles of time and to make one look young and beautiful again. Years ago we lived on the upscale island of Key Biscayne. We had an oceanfront condo in the famous Towers and just one floor above us lived a friend named Fred - Dr. Fred - and his specialty was plastic surgery. I remember many times sitting in our kitchen with him as he described this miracle injection drug named botox, and I also remember how I wished I could do such a thing.

Nurse practitioners work in every comer of Kentucky and are keenly aware of what goes into the state's disturbing health statistics. Kentucky ranks among the worst in the nation for diabetes, obesity and cancer, and unfortunately also ranks poorly regarding the number of practicing primary care physicians. This is not a good combination when it comes to those who need care. There are many regions across the state where a nurse practitioner or nurse midwife is the only full time primary care provider.