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PROFNET WIRE: HEALTH & MEDICINE: Emergency Care System

Posted on: Friday, 20 January 2006, 06:00 CST

Jan. 20, 2006 _________ ROUND-UPS

Emergency Care System (11 experts) Combating Obesity (continued, 1 expert) _____ LEADS

1. Fitness: Cancer Survivors Use Exercise to Regain Energy, Beat Depression 2. Health: Thermometer Accuracy Can Be Affected By Food, Drink 3. Health: Remind Dads This Father's Day to Get Prostate Exam 4. Health: Navigating the Maze of Infertility 5. Health: Medicare Part D: Service is Key to Smooth Implementation 6. Health: Community Pharmacists are Valuable Resources for Beneficiaries 7. Mental Health: Build Resiliency to Better Handle Challenges 8. Podiatry: Important Care for Your Feet 9. Public Health: Bedbugs Cases are Increasing

ROUND-UP: EMERGENCY CARE SYSTEM

Following are health experts who can comment on problems plaguing the nation's emergency care system, which is overcrowded and offers declining access to emergency care and inadequate capacity to deal with public health or terrorist disasters, according to a task force of the American College of Emergency Physicians:

**1. FREDERICK "RICK" BLUM, M.D., FACEP, president of the AMERICAN COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS and practicing emergency physician at RUBY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, Morgantown, W.V., is board certified in emergency medicine, pediatrics and internal medicine: "Our report found the nation's support for emergency medical care is mediocre or worse. Most Americans would not accept mediocre treatment or mediocre medicines; they also should not accept mediocre support of an emergency medical system that they expect to be of the highest quality when their lives hang in the balance. In a nation that has prided itself on providing the highest-quality medical care in the world, anything less than an A is unacceptable." News Contact: John Friedman, jfriedman@acep.org Phone: +1-202-728-0610, ext. 3014 (1/19/06)

**2. ANGELA GARDNER, M.D., FACEP, practicing emergency physician at the MEDICAL CENTER OF PLANO, TEXAS, chair of the Task Force, Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine, and board member at the AMERICAN COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS: "This report is a serious wake-up call to the nation. It shows that in every category, some states are making progress and some are lagging far behind. If the emergency medical system gets a C- on an average day, how can it ever be expected to provide expert, efficient care during a natural disaster or terrorist attack? Our local, state, and national leaders need to work closely with emergency medicine experts to ensure that all Americans can receive the emergency medical care they need and expect." News Contact: John Friedman, jfriedman@acep.org Phone: +1-202-728-0610, ext. 3014 (1/19/06)

**3. STEVE SILVERSTEIN, M.D., vice president of MCKESSON HEALTH SOLUTIONS, a nurse triage provider: "Integrating nurse-delivered telephone triage into EMS has the potential to significantly ease ER overcrowding and ambulance overuse and improve access to emergency care for those who need it. Up to 80 percent of people in the ER could be seen in less acute settings or care for themselves at home. Ambulance dispatch systems identify the 80 percent of callers who don't need an ambulance, but most are still taken by ambulance to the ER. In a terrorist attack, avian flu pandemic or disaster, nurse- delivered telephone triage could ease the tremendous stress placed on EMS by allowing the less ill to remain at home or go to a physician's office, and reserving ambulances and ERs for those who truly need them." News Contact: Jordan Gruener, jordan.gruener@mckesson.com Phone: +1-303-664-6410 (1/19/06)

**4. JEFFERY KALINA, M.D., associate medical director of emergency services at THE METHODIST HOSPITAL: "ER overcrowding, lack of access to primary care and liability all directly impact quality measures (length of stay, patient satisfaction, door-to-needle times for antibiotics for pneumonia, stroke or heart attack). Patients go to ERs for primary care as access to outpatient care is limited. State Medicaid roles are rising, there is a lack of incentives for patients to access traditional medicine, and ambulances and 911 are overused for minor complaints and over-stressing the system. Personal protective and decontamination equipment, antidotes and meds all require money. Communities need to be educated on how to access these." News Contact: Gale Smith, gsmith@tmh.tmc.edu Phone: +1-832-667-5843 (1/19/06)

**5. PETER SEMCZUK, M.D., vice president of clinical services at MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER in NYC, which has the busiest emergency department in the Northeast and the seventh busiest in the U.S.: "The most important reason EDs are overcrowded is because of swamped inpatient facilities. Hospitals nationwide have closed too many beds; there is less capacity. Access elsewhere is more limited because the waits for ER care are much longer. Regarding public health emergencies and disasters, with limited resources, it makes more sense to focus on problems right in front of us rather than things that may or may not ever occur. No public health system can prepare for an infinite number of events." News Contact: Amy Losak, amy.losak@ketchum.com Phone: +1-646-935-3917 (1/19/06)

**6. BARBARA LANGLAND ORBAN, chair of health policy and management at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA: "Florida is on par with the national average in its C- emergency medicine rating. Our recently published survey reported that nearly 47 percent of care by Florida emergency department physicians was uncompensated, and more than one in five patients was uninsured. And, unlike some states, Florida has not established a funding system for uninsured emergency patients. As visits increase among the uninsured, this could worsen overcrowding, adversely impact quality of care and lead more emergency rooms to close their doors." News Contact: Anne DeLotto Baier, abaier@hsc.usf.edu Phone: +1-813-974-3300 (1/19/06)

**7. PATRICIA A. TRITES, MPA, CHBC, CPC, CHCC, CHCO of HEALTHCARE COMPLIANCE RESOURCES: "In light of the calamities in 2005, it is imperative that individuals prepare for disaster by securing their medical records in electronic form. The availability of computers creates an opportunity to document important information, such as physician contact information, insurance information, copies of advance care directives or health care power of attorney forms, past medical history, prescription medications, allergies, etc. This information can be transferred easily to a CD-Rom or a USB Flash Drive. These devices are easily stored and carried, and can be used by any health care provider to access the medical information if necessary." News Contact: Mike Black, mike@ictusinitiative.com Phone: +1-617-230-2167 (1/19/06)

**8. GWEN MACKENZIE, CEO of SARASOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: "Hospitals may add beds or staff, but patient growth will outpace expansion. The solution to ER overcrowding is to fix poorly designed systems." Sarasota Memorial Hospital introduced an ER wait-time guarantee promising patients will see a board- certified ER physician/PA in 30 minutes, and streamlined operations from registration/triage, treatment (radiology/labs), bed assignment, transport and discharge. News Contact: Kelly O'Brien, kobrien@clarkeadvertising.com Phone: +1-941-365-2710, ext. 341 (1/19/06)

**9. RICHARD FITZPATRICK, CEO of THE LANGUAGE ACCESS NETWORK, a two-way video conferencing system that instantly connects hospitals to interpreters who speak more than 180 languages: "More than 11 million-plus Americans have limited English proficiency. Coupled with a disease outbreak, this could lead to a dangerous and deadly situation in U.S. hospitals." Fitzpatrick can discuss how new technologies can help hospitals better communicate with non- English-speaking patients in emergency situations. News Contact: Sari Conway, sconway@5wpr.com Phone: +1-212-999-5585 (1/19/06)

**10. MARK CROCKETT, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., president of the emergency care division at PICIS, INC., is available to comment on how leading emergency departments are using biosurveillance technology to identify public health issues; how federal funds and legislation under debate can help strengthen health information technology systems and networks to improve detection of outbreaks such as influenza; how medical centers can improve patient safety and medical care in trauma centers; how technology is dramatically changing emergency departments by increasing efficiency and patient satisfaction and improving a hospital's image in the community; and the growing trend of Americans using ERs for primary care use. News Contact: Alina Tuttle-Melgar, atuttle-melgar@schwartz-pr.com Phone: +1-781-684-6642 (1/19/06)

**11. DR. MAURICE A. RAMIREZ, co-founder of the NATIONAL DISASTER LIFE SUPPORT OF FLORIDA, INC., a Florida corporation dedicated to disaster preparedness, recognition, response and recovery education, is the first Central Florida physician to complete the National Disaster Life Support (NDLS) Instructor Program. He is board certified in nine medical specialties and affiliated with the National Disaster Medical System under the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, he's a consultant to two medical organizations in the area of disaster medicine and disaster medicine training. News Contact: Russell Trahan, PRwhiz@prpr.net Phone: +1-407-299- 6128 (1/19/06)

ROUND-UP: COMBATING OBESITY (continued)

We've added the following to items posted previously at http://profnet.prnewswire.com/organik/orbital/thewire/lst_leads.jsp?iLRTopicI D=7467

**1. MERILEE KERN, MBA, author of the children's fiction book "It's Not Your Fault that You're Overweight": "It's time for the litany of U.S. politicians, business leaders, educators, non-profit organizations and others spearheading childhood obesity resolutions to put their money where their mouth is. These 'power players' are rife with conjecture about the well-acknowledged problem, but what is actually being done to avail tactical solutions to the masses? Simply put, not enough. There are a litany of viable resources that have come about at the grassroots level, and the onus falls squarely on these high- profile individuals to help spread the word about those practical solutions with no downside, which have literally fallen in their lap. Opportunity has duly presented, and our nation's leaders must step up and champion the many sound interventions that have come about." Kern: merilee@kerncommunications.com Phone: +1-858-577-0206 Web site: http://www.notfault.com/ (1/19/06)

_____ LEADS

**1. FITNESS: CANCER SURVIVORS USE EXERCISE TO REGAIN ENERGY, BEAT DEPRESSION. HOWARD STIDWILL, Ph.D., president of INNERSTRENGTH, INC.: "With over 10 million cancer survivors in the U.S. alone, cancer is no longer necessarily seen as a fatal disease, but as one that is either curable or, like heart disease and diabetes, manageable as a chronic condition." Stidwill is the author of the just-released "Exercise Therapy and the Cancer Patient: A Guide for Patients and Professionals," can help patients regain lost physical and psychological functions from fatigue, loss of strength and depression. News Contact: Sara Pattow, sara@championpress.com Phone: +1-262- 285-4537 Web site: http://www.innerstrengthrehab.com/ (1/19/06)

**2. HEALTH: THERMOMETER ACCURACY CAN BE AFFECTED BY FOOD, DRINK. BETH QUATRARA, RN, MSN, APRN, research project coordinator at the UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA HEALTH SYSTEM, assisted in conducting a study on the effects that food and beverages have on the accuracy of oral electronic thermometers. On average, study participants consuming cold beverages required 15 minutes for their temperature to return to baseline, while those consuming hot beverages returned to baseline after 23 minutes: "Taking an accurate temperature is one of the most basic, yet at times complicated, pieces of data that we can collect to monitor our health and the health of our loved ones. With cold and flu season upon us, this change in practice could not only apply to patients in a hospital setting, but to parents tending to sick children. To get the most accurate temperature reading as possible, don't participate in any activities that may change body or mouth temperature, such as exercise, smoking or chewing gum." News Contact: Jan Puckett Morrison, JMP7X@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu Phone: +1-434-924-5679 (1/19/06)

**3. HEALTH: REMIND DADS THIS FATHER'S DAY TO GET PROSTATE EXAM. RAYMOND ANDRONACO, M.D., chief of urology at ENGLEWOOD HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER: "Encourage dads to schedule an annual prostate exam. One in eight American men will develop prostate cancer. A simple annual exam can detect a cancer that, when caught early, is highly curable." Andronaco has been in practice for 30 years and is listed by the American Board of Urology and the Castle Connolly "Top Doctors" guide among the nations top 15,000 physicians. News Contact: Carly O'Neill, carly.oneill@ehmc.com Phone: +1-201-894-3482 (1/19/06)

**4. HEALTH: NAVIGATING THE MAZE OF INFERTILITY. JOHN STANGEL, reproductive medicine expert with REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE ASSOCIATES OF CT and co-author of the new book "The Unofficial Guide to Getting Pregnant," which simplifies a five-step journey to successful conception: "The field of reproductive medicine has made rapid and incredible advances over the past decade in the area of infertility treatment options, and now the vast majority of infertile couples can achieve a successful pregnancy. I suggest couples first seek a reproductive specialist and then follow five steps to identify and resolve issues influencing fertility: 1) The Fertility Work-up; 2) The Hormone Check; 3) The Sperm Check; 4) The Structural Inspection; and 5) Exploring the ARTs." News Contact: Melissa Chefec, mchefec@optonline.net Phone: +1-203-968-6625 (1/19/06)

**5. HEALTH: MEDICARE PART D: SERVICE IS KEY TO SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION. PETER RODES, vice president of consumer markets at BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS: "The implementation of Medicare Part D may be a confusing time for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries. Prescription drug plan providers are already competing on price and benefit design, but here is where service really does make a difference. A hassle-free experience depends on consumers having access to valuable educational materials, reliable customer service and easy access to the prescriptions on which they rely." News Contact: Genia Kaplan-Quinn, genia@scottpublicrelations.com Phone: +1-818-610-0270 (1/19/06)

**6. HEALTH: COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS ARE VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR BENEFICIARIES. TIM CANNING, vice president of retail marketing at MCKESSON: "In light of the implementation of Medicare Part D, preserving access to the personalized care of a community pharmacist has never been more important. The role community pharmacists play as advisors to their Medicare patients is extremely valuable, as beneficiaries and their caregivers try to understand the new benefit and select a plan. Pharmacists nationwide are going out of their way to seek the information necessary to become better resources for their patients and guide them through this process." News Contact: Genia Kaplan- Quinn, genia@scottpublicrelations.com Phone: +1-818-610-0270 (1/19/06)

**7. MENTAL HEALTH: BUILD RESILIENCY TO BETTER HANDLE CHALLENGES. ROSIE WARD, health and wellness coordinator at NORTHWESTERN HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY: "Resiliency is about building your capacity to be able to deal with life's challenges, pressures, major changes and stress. It is not about blowing off everything and being naively positive; it's about being able to accurately assess a situation and know how much attention you need to devote to it. It's also about giving yourself time to recuperate after a difficult challenge." News Contact: Jaime Hunt, jhunt@nwhealth.edu Phone: +1-952-888- 4777, ext. 172 (1/19/06)

**8. PODIATRY: IMPORTANT CARE FOR YOUR FEET. DR. JOSEPH G. PROEBSTLE, podiatrist with The Wound Healing Center at BALTIMORE WASHINGTON MEDICAL CENTER: "Remember to check your shoes for size and wear. Worn-down heels put uneven pressure on your heels, causing uneven walking patterns. A worn sole provides little protection and cushioning. Worn lining can be rough on the skin and may provide a breeding ground for fungus or bacteria. Give your leather shoes a break and do not wear them two days in a row. Use shoe trees to keep them in shape." News Contact: Allison Eatough, aeatough@bwmc.umms.org Phone: +1-410-787-4375 (1/19/06)

**9. PUBLIC HEALTH: BEDBUGS CASES ARE INCREASING. MARC LAME, lecturer at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at INDIANA UNIVERSITY: "I suspect this increase in bedbug infestations has to do more with an increase in population and travel and less with the belief that modern pesticides do not work as well as the old-time persistent ones like DDT. While these old, persistent pesticides were helpful in their day, bedbugs had developed widespread resistance to them by the time they were discontinued, not to mention the fact they posed more health risks than the bedbug. We know better now not to rely on pesticides, but rather employ an IPM program based on communication, education, monitoring and integrated control technologies." News Contact: Jenny Cohen, jercohen@indiana.edu Phone: +1-812-855-6802 (1/19/06)

ProfNet

Source: PRNewswire

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