Michelle Obama's Hospital Shuns Uninsured Poor People

[red states rule]

How typical. Wjile the Obama's lectures us to give, to do public service, not to think about making money, and tell us how they care about the poor - this comes to light


U. of C. shunning poor patients?
HOSPITAL DISPUTE | Obama's wife, 3 aides tied to plan to free up space


BY TIM NOVAK AND CHRIS FUSCO Staff Reporters
Sen. Barack Obama's wife and three close advisers have been involved with a program at the University of Chicago Medical Center that steers patients who don't have private insurance -- primarily poor, black people -- to other health care facilities.

Michelle Obama -- currently on unpaid leave from her $317,000-a-year job as a vice president of the prestigious hospital -- helped create the program, which aims to find neighborhood doctors for low-income people who were flooding the emergency room for basic treatment. Hospital officials say such patients hinder their ability to focus on more critically ill patients in need of specialized care, such as cancer treatment and organ transplants.

Obama's top political strategist, David Axelrod, co-owns the firm, ASK Public Strategies, that was hired by the hospital last year to sell the program -- called the Urban Health Initiative -- to the community as a better alternative for poor patients. Obama's wife and Valerie Jarrett, an Obama friend and adviser who chairs the medical center's board, backed the Axelrod firm's hiring, hospital officials said.

Another Obama adviser and close friend, Dr. Eric Whitaker, took over the Urban Health Initiative when he was hired at U. of C. in October 2007. Whitaker previously had been director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Obama has said he recommended Whitaker for the state job, giving his name to Tony Rezko, who helped Gov. Blagojevich assemble his Cabinet. Rezko, a former fund-raiser for Obama and Blagojevich, was convicted in June on federal corruption charges tied to state deals.

Medical center officials and Obama's presidential campaign staff say the Urban Health Initiative -- along with a three-year-old companion program called the South Side Health Collaborative -- will dramatically improve health care for thousands of South Side residents. They say that, rather than having to wait hours at U. of C.'s emergency room, those patients get seen sooner and at less expense at neighborhood clinics and other hospitals. U. of C. even offers them a ride on a shuttle bus to other centers and sometimes provides the doctors at those facilities.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1122691,CST-NWS-hosp23.article

[April15]

The REST of the STORY
Medical center officials and Obama's presidential campaign staff say the Urban Health Initiative -- along with a three-year-old companion program called the South Side Health Collaborative -- will dramatically improve health care for thousands of South Side residents. They say that, rather than having to wait hours at U. of C.'s emergency room, those patients get seen sooner and at less expense at neighborhood clinics and other hospitals. U. of C. even offers them a ride on a shuttle bus to other centers and sometimes provides the doctors at those facilities.

"Senator Obama sees community health centers as a vital part of efforts to invest in prevention and reduce costs," said Ben LaBolt, an Obama spokesman.

But the Urban Health Initiative has critics, including South Side residents and medical professionals.

"I've heard complaints from a handful of constituents, but I've also had calls from people in the health care profession complaining," said Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, whose 4th Ward is just north of the hospital. "The medical professionals who have come to me are accusing the university of dumping patients on its neighboring institutions. ... Whether it's being implemented in the way that's in the best interest of the patient, I can't tell you."

Sen. John McCain, Obama's Republican opponent, criticized the Democratic presidential hopeful Friday for having pledged on the campaign trail to expand health care for Americans at the same time his top political strategist "was running a campaign to cut coverage for the poor."

Axelrod, whose firm stopped working on the project in October, responded that he was concerned that presidential politics was distorting the university's efforts to improve health care for poor people and to lower costs.

Whitaker, who has traveled with Obama on the presidential campaign trail, chalked up the criticism to people opposed to change.

"In the past, we opened our doors and saw whoever came," Whitaker said Friday. "We would see a patient who had general pneumonia, and if we needed to see a patient who needed a liver transplant, that liver transplant patient couldn't get in the door."

And rather than dump patients on other health care facilities, Whitaker said the initiative actually is improving their bottom lines.

"We were taking general patients away from Mercy Hospital, Michael Reese, and they were financially at risk," Whitaker said. "We harmed other hospitals without knowing we harmed other hospitals."

At the same time, the Urban Health Initiative is improving the university's finances. Fewer poor patients are showing up at the U. of C. emergency room for basic medical treatment and are no longer admitted to the hospital. That frees beds for transplants, cancer care and other more-profitable medical procedures that the university prides itself on.

"The collapse of the health care system was driving more and more people to the emergency room," Axelrod said. "The trend line was and is a disastrous one from the standpoint of maintaining the hospital. Their goal was to find an answer."

Axelrod's firm did polling and found that some of the university's primary-care doctors feared the hospital was turning its back on surrounding poor neighborhoods, according to a May 2007 report the firm gave the university.

Axelrod's firm also suggested the program's name be changed. "Some participants view the word 'urban' as code for 'black,' " according to a poll the firm commissioned.

[Mr. P]

Michelle Obama --....helped create the program, which aims to find neighborhood doctors for low-income people who were flooding the emergency room for basic treatment.
With the crisis we have in ERs today I don't have a problem with this at all.

[bullypulpit]

With the crisis we have in ERs today I don't have a problem with this at all.

Indeed. Providing primary care to patients in an outpatient setting and making regular office visits available to low income, uninsured patients is far more cost effective than providing those services at an ED. Firstly, an office visit costs around $60 vs. an average of $600 for an uncomplicated ER visit. Secondly, when patients use the ER as their primary care provider, their visits are seldom uncomplicated. They arrive sicker, often requiring lengthy hospital stays that could have been prevented with visits and monitoring at a doctor's office as part of a robust community health system.

Some, like Red, scream "socialized medicine" whenever the subject of community based health care financed by public dollars is mentioned. What they fail to realize or, more likely choose to ignore, is that we pay far more for not having it than we do without it. Since the hospitals have to recoup the costs of providing care for the uninsured, they pass along the costs to those who do have insurance. This results in higher premiums and deductibles as well as limited services for those of us who do have insurance. And it only snowballs as the premiums go higher and higher, fewer employers can afford the costs of providing insurance to their employees, forcing more and more people into the ranks of the uninsured. It's a vicious cycle.

[Joe Steel]

They say that, rather than having to wait hours at U. of C.'s emergency room, those patients get seen sooner and at less expense at neighborhood clinics and other hospitals. U. of C. even offers them a ride on a shuttle bus to other centers and sometimes provides the doctors at those facilities.

Looks like a pretty good idea.

[red states rule]

Indeed. Providing primary care to patients in an outpatient setting and making regular office visits available to low income, uninsured patients is far more cost effective than providing those services at an ED. Firstly, an office visit costs around $60 vs. an average of $600 for an uncomplicated ER visit. Secondly, when patients use the ER as their primary care provider, their visits are seldom uncomplicated. They arrive sicker, often requiring lengthy hospital stays that could have been prevented with visits and monitoring at a doctor's office as part of a robust community health system.

Some, like Red, scream "socialized medicine" whenever the subject of community based health care financed by public dollars is mentioned. What they fail to realize or, more likely choose to ignore, is that we pay far more for not having it than we do without it. Since the hospitals have to recoup the costs of providing care for the uninsured, they pass along the costs to those who do have insurance. This results in higher premiums and deductibles as well as limited services for those of us who do have insurance. And it only snowballs as the premiums go higher and higher, fewer employers can afford the costs of providing insurance to their employees, forcing more and more people into the ranks of the uninsured. It's a vicious cycle.

So you have no problem dumping the poor blacks on other health care facilites?

[red states rule]

Looks like a pretty good idea.

From the link:

At the same time, the Urban Health Initiative is improving the university's finances. Fewer poor patients are showing up at the U. of C. emergency room for basic medical treatment and are no longer admitted to the hospital. That frees beds for transplants, cancer care and other more-profitable medical procedures that the university prides itself on.

"The collapse of the health care system was driving more and more people to the emergency room," Axelrod said. "The trend line was and is a disastrous one from the standpoint of maintaining the hospital. Their goal was to find an answer."

Axelrod's firm did polling and found that some of the university's primary-care doctors feared the hospital was turning its back on surrounding poor neighborhoods, according to a May 2007 report the firm gave the university.

[midcan5]

Medical costs are an example of what happens when corporations have no competition. Let's open up medicine to the same immigration and reduction of standards the working people contend with in their daily jobs. Allow qualified nurses and pharmacists the power to diagnose and treat the simple stuff and change the rules that make hospitals shelters for greed. We spend more for healthcare than countries that provide for everyone and still our mortality rates and other stats are close to third world figures.

[red states rule]

Medical costs are an example of what happens when corporations have no competition. Let's open up medicine to the same immigration and reduction of standards the working people contend with in their daily jobs. Allow qualified nurses and pharmacists the power to diagnose and treat the simple stuff and change the rules that make hospitals shelters for greed. We spend more for healthcare than countries that provide for everyone and still our mortality rates and other stats are close to third world figures.

Ok, lets talk about Michells Obama's hospital

The Washington Post had this article - very interesting facts linking the Obam campaign and the hospital


snip

Quentin Young, a local physician whose five-doctor medical office lists Barack Obama among its patients, said that in past decades the South Side often viewed the institution as a "citadel of exclusion," more interested in research than the well-being of its neighbors.

The hospital told state regulators it spent $10 million on charity care for the poor in fiscal 2007 -- 1.3 percent of its total hospital expenses, according to an analysis performed for The Washington Post by the bipartisan, nonprofit Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. That is below the 2.1 percent average for nonprofit hospitals in Cook County.

As a nonprofit, the University of Chicago Medical Center receives annual tax breaks worth nearly five times as much as it spends on charity care, the analysis found.

Quentin Young, the South Side physician, described the medical center's level of charity spending as "ludicrous." Young, known in Chicago for having been the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s personal physician, is chairman of the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, a Chicago-based nonprofit that advocates health-care reform. Young considered himself an ally of Barack Obama while he was a state legislator.

"That's shameful," Young said of the percentages. "They are arguably, if not defrauding, then at least taking advantage of a public subsidy. We would like to see them give more than the minimum. The need is there."

Critics, however, describe the program as an attempt to ensure that the hospital retains only affluent patients with insurance.

Edward Novak, president of Chicago's Sacred Heart Hospital, declined to discuss the center's initiative in particular but dismissed as "bull" attempts to justify such programs as good for patients. "What they're really saying is, 'Don't use our emergency room because it will cost us money, and we don't want the public-aid population,' " Novak said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/21/AR2008082103646.html?sid=ST2008082103653&s_pos=

[April15]

Michelle Obama, an executive at the medical center, launched an innovative program to steer the patients to existing neighborhood clinics to deal with their health needs.

That effort, in time, inspired a broader program the hospital now calls its Urban Health Initiative. To ensure community support, Michelle Obama and others in late 2006 recommended that the hospital hire the firm of David Axelrod, who a few months later became the chief strategist for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Now how it becomes her medical center by just working there is amazing.

[bullypulpit]

So you have no problem dumping the poor blacks on other health care facilites?

Seeing that those who cannot afford or do not have health insurance get good primary care is not "dumping" them. Community based health care, with a strong emphasis on preventative care, saves money but more importantly, it can save lives. Mortality amongst those without insurance and access to good primary care is about 25% higher than for those with access to these services.

In failing to support such initiatives, you and your fellow travelers are the real supporters of the experiment in social Darwinism that is health care in America today.

[Psychoblues]

Typical rsr and Rupert Murdock reichwing trash.

Even a casual look at the article reveals the work by Michelle Obama provides much better and much more efficient care for the poor, even providing transportation for them all to no expense to the more seriously ill patients that arrive at the Emergency room for examination, treatment or admission to the hospital/ER.

I suppose that rsr and his ilk would rather that the emergency rooms be filled with snot nosed kids and if he arrived in the throes of cardiac arrest that the kids with common colds that arrived before him would be seen and treated before his problem was fully addressed.

Having a heart attack? Get in line, dumbass rsr?!?!?!?!?!?!

Outside the disparaging headline, the article is very complimentary of the work of Michelle Obama and there is no evidence that the hospital is in any way shunning anyone, poor or not, insurance or not or in any other way.

That is what is typical of the reichwing trash.

Already after noon? I think I'll take a break and enjoy a 40 oz. quart of Busch!!!!!!!!!!!! Tell the boss I had an appointment with my doctor.

Sheeeeeeesh!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

[Little-Acorn]

RSR, I hope you got the message here.

When most companies do anything that might affect blacks or other minorities, the left blasts them to high Heaven, excoriating them, calling them racist, heartless, greedy, and usually an associate of Dick Cheney.

Only when a liberal is involved in the decision, do the leftists examine the situation more carefully and dig DEEP for any extenuating circumstances, coming out with glowing reports that smooth over the things they routinely blast the non-liberals for.

Got it?

[Nukeman]

RSR and Little acorn, I have to respectfully disagree with both of you.

ANY program that can push patients into preventative care at a local clinic or physicians office BEFORE they have to go to the Emergency Room is a good idea. The poor in the US use the ER as a clinic and run the cost up for EVERYONE this in turn makes people who are there for REAL emergencies have to wait for the moron with a cold. The cost of an ER visit in the U.S. is approx. $700.00 just to walk in the door and utilize the services, now you shuttle this NON EMERGENT care to an outpatient clinic or physicians office where the cost is about $50.00. The ER services in the U.S. are currently at crisis level due to over use for NON EMERGENT PATIENTS

You two do the math and let me know if you still think this is a bad idea?????????

[retiredman]

RSR and Little acorn, I have to respectfully disagree with both of you.

ANY program that can push patients into preventative care at a local clinic or physicians office BEFORE they have to go to the Emergency Room is a good idea. The poor in the US use the ER as a clinic and run the cost up for EVERYONE this in turn makes people who are there for REAL emergencies have to wait for the moron with a cold. The cost of an ER visit in the U.S. is approx. $700.00 just to walk in the door and utilize the services, now you shuttle this NON EMERGENT care to an outpatient clinic or physicians office where the cost is about $50.00. The ER services in the U.S. are currently at crisis level due to over use for NON EMERGENT PATIENTS

You two do the math and let me know if you still think this is a bad idea?????????

well said!

[Psychoblues]

Just a little message for you and your ilk, LA. The left has been doing backflips for years and years and years in attempts to solve these uniquely American healthcare disasters. The reichwingers have stalled, stammered, lied, ignored and obfuscated the problems to the point of exasperation screaming the private sector will solve these problems. Michelle Obama was acting within the private sector and not from any governmental position. And you're still whining about it!!!!!!!!!!!



RSR, I hope you got the message here.

When most companies do anything that might affect blacks or other minorities, the left blasts them to high Heaven, excoriating them, calling them racist, heartless, greedy, and usually an associate of Dick Cheney.

Only when a liberal is involved in the decision, do the leftists examine the situation more carefully and dig DEEP for any extenuating circumstances, coming out with glowing reports that smooth over the things they routinely blast the non-liberals for.

Got it?

The health care industry in the United States of America is a freaking embarassment to the good name of our country. You aren't doing anything at all to help and even going out of your way to disparage those that are helping. And you think you're being smart about it. You're not.

Got it?

Hit it, Dwight, Guitars, Cadillacs and Hillbilly Music: :salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

[AllieBaba]

So this is how it works....
Millions of dollars are funnelled into the hospital to care for the poorest of the poor.
The money goes to pay inflated salaries to people like Michelle Obama, who figure out ways to send the poor people to different hospitals.

Wow. That's great. Wow.

[Little-Acorn]

RSR and Little acorn, I have to respectfully disagree with both of you.

ANY program that can push patients into preventative care at a local clinic or physicians office BEFORE they have to go to the Emergency Room is a good idea. The poor in the US use the ER as a clinic and run the cost up for EVERYONE this in turn makes people who are there for REAL emergencies have to wait for the moron with a cold. The cost of an ER visit in the U.S. is approx. $700.00 just to walk in the door and utilize the services, now you shuttle this NON EMERGENT care to an outpatient clinic or physicians office where the cost is about $50.00. The ER services in the U.S. are currently at crisis level due to over use for NON EMERGENT PATIENTS


Is there some part of that you believe I disagree with?

My point (again) was that when the current example (a hospital that diverts patients elsewhere) occurs under the auspices of a conservative administration, the usual leftist moonbats fly into a rage and accuse the conservatives of everything from dispossessing seniors to "stealing" their medical programs to leaving children out in the cold to poisoning whichever group of poor is fashionable that day.

Only when the same thing takes place and a fellow leftist moonbat such as Michelle Obama is found to be instrumental in the planning and execution of the program, do the leftists suddenly develop the curiosity needed to examine the details and conclude that the diversion was a GOOD thing.

In other words, I agree with you. But the leftists agree only when they are the ones doing it.

Slow down and read people's posts. You might be surprised what you find.

[AllieBaba]

Except that's not what is happening when you take people from an ER and send them away. Just the opposite.

[Psychoblues]

That is bullshit, LA, pure stinking bullshit!!!!!!!! It is clearly your intent and the intent of the jerk that penned the headline of the article to in some way disparage Michelle Obama and liberals in general. You make claims that you simply cannot back up and you repeat lies that you've only heard and have made no effort to verify the accuracy or not. But, the facts are not on the side of either you or the faux journalist.



Is there some part of that you believe I disagree with?

My point (again) was that when the current example (a hospital that diverts patients elsewhere) occurs under the auspices of a conservative administration, the usual leftist moonbats fly into a rage and accuse the conservatives of everything from dispossessing seniors to "stealing" their medical programs to leaving children out in the cold to poisoning whichever group of poor is fashionable that day.

Only when the same thing takes place and a fellow leftist moonbat such as Michelle Obama is found to be instrumental in the planning and execution of the program, do the leftists suddenly develop the curiosity needed to examine the details and conclude that the diversion was a GOOD thing.

In other words, I agree with you. But the leftists agree only when they are the ones doing it.

Slow down and read people's posts. You might be surprised what you find.

Name just one instance where any liberal or liberal group has in any way ostrasized the conservatives when they have made a similar improvement in patient care and healthcare provider operations. Just one, LA. I've been travelling liberal circles for many years and outside ridiculous claims like yours from hate radio and other reichwingnuts I have seen no evidense whatsoever to the truth of any of it.

Even in this article and despite the disparaging headline, the truth is that the program is a vast improvement for all involved and the article clearly indicates that is the actual truth. And it could be easily and successfully argued that the innovators of this program are members of a conservative business consortium. I don't hear any liberals bitching and arguing about it.

The only ones I do hear bitching are the self professed conservatives on this board and obviously that piece of shit so-called journalist that penned the false and misleading headline to the story.

Have you thought up anything yet, LA, or are you going to spread out some herring to cover your lying ass trail?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Stop telling lies, LA, and people will stop calling you the liar that you are.


:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

[manu1959]

BY TIM NOVAK AND CHRIS FUSCO Staff Reporters
Sen. Barack Obama's wife and three close advisers have been involved with a program at the University of Chicago Medical Center that steers patients who don't have private insurance -- primarily poor, black people -- to other health care facilities.

steering patients is illegal..............

[Psychoblues]

Uh,,,,,,,m'59. "Steering" is a word chosen by a journalist in his narrative describing his impressions of a situation. I doubt the practice could possibly be considered "steering" by any credible professional, you notwithstanding.




BY TIM NOVAK AND CHRIS FUSCO Staff Reporters
Sen. Barack Obama's wife and three close advisers have been involved with a program at the University of Chicago Medical Center that steers patients who don't have private insurance -- primarily poor, black people -- to other health care facilities.

steering patients is illegal..............

Just who in hell is drivin' this damned bus?!?!?!?!?!?!??!??!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

[manu1959]

Uh,,,,,,,m'59. "Steering" is a word chosen by a journalist in his narrative describing his impressions of a situation. I doubt the practice could possibly be considered "steering" by any credible professional, you notwithstanding.
Just who in hell is drivin' this damned bus?!?!?!?!?!?!??!??!
:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

sending patients that don't have private health care to other hospitals is by definition steering.....

so they call it that.....

it is illegal....

[Psychoblues]

Read the article and get back with me, dipshit.



sending patients that don't have private health care to other hospitals is by definition steering.....

so they call it that.....

it is illegal....

Sending/taking patients to places that can more efficiently and immediately address their needs is not by any definition "steering", asshole.

Are you filing your complaint tomorrow or whenever you just feel like it?

Sheeeeesh, I hate assholes that don't bother reading even their own posts!!!!!

Again, just who in heck is driving this bus?!?!?!?!??!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

[red states rule]

Read the article and get back with me, dipshit.




Sending/taking patients to places that can more efficiently and immediately address their needs is not by any definition "steering", asshole.

Are you filing your complaint tomorrow or whenever you just feel like it?

Sheeeeesh, I hate assholes that don't bother reading even their own posts!!!!!

Again, just who in heck is driving this bus?!?!?!?!??!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

Amazing how libs rant a rave over the same things when their fellow libs are not the ones committing the acts

The messiah's wife is caught in a plan on dumping poor blacks without ins onto other health facilites, and libs defend her. So much for change and a new direction from the left