Put Patients First Blog

Proposed legislation put forth in numerous states, most recently New York, would require that people be automatically added to the state donor registry unless they have previously declared to opt-out of this program. The ability to opt-in or out is given when acquiring identity cards or drivers licenses.

Advocates of this system believe that automatically assuming a person's consent or "presumed consent" will increase registries for organ and tissue donation and therefore help people in need of organs. 

According to Donate Life America, only 37% of adults in the U.S. (18 and older) are currently designated donors. Numerous European countries, including France, Austria and Spain, have an automatic opt-in system already in place and report an increase in organ availability. 

Read more about this topic by clicking here and tell us what you think about the idea.

Recently developed applications allow patients to check before their appointment if their doctor is on time or running late. At drug stores across the country people are able to buy devices that will allow them to extract their personal DNA information in an effort to see possible risk of various diseases.

Does technology improve health care for people? Let us know what you think about these stories here by making a comment.  

NHC President Myrl Weinberg published an article in the American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits on removing barriers to treatments for people with chronic conditions.

Click here to read it!

Beginning today, a free clinic in Los Angeles, California prepares to treat over 8,400 patients for medical and dental needs. 

Organized by the nonprofit Remote Area Medical Foundation, with space donated by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, this week-long clinic includes eye care, dental care, mammograms and diabetes screening among various other medical services.

The NHC is dedicated to advocating for health care that meets the 5 Principles for Putting Patients First.®

Check out How Health Care Reform Stacks Up by clicking here.

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Tonight, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Small Business Administrator Karen Mills will be holding a live, online Q&A session at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time to answer your questions about the health care reform bill and how it affects you. To view the program, go to http://www.healthreform.gov/.

People are asked to e-mail questions in advance to Healthreform@hhs.gov. According to the announcement they will try to get to as many of the questions as they can during the web chat and answer more of them via the www.healthreform.gov site afterwards.

We encourage you watch the broadcast and tell us what you think about it - Comment Here!

By a vote of 219 to 212, the House of Representatives narrowly passed landmark legislation Sunday night to overhaul the nation's health-care system. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943.html?hpid=topnews.

After a year of working tirelessly for health care that Puts Patients First, our goal is now within reach.  This Sunday, the House of Representatives will vote on legislation that will dramatically affect the patient community. Make your voice heard. Don't let Congress delay this issue any longer.  Sign the petition for health care change if you have not done so already! Tell your friends, family members, and neighbors, to sign as well. Congress needs to hear from everyone who wants health care that Puts Patients First. Find it here: www.puttingpatientsfirst.net/petition

Jane E. Brody with the New York Times writes one of the best, insightful columns about personal health care. Her column on March 15 was probably the most touching piece of that I have read. It was about the decision to place her husband in hospice care. The National Health Council's fifth Principle for Putting Patients First® is that people should have access to long-term and end-of-life care. Brody wrote, "(Richard, her husband) wanted nothing to do with drastic therapies that might grant him a few extra months at the expense of his comfort and his ability to do what needed doing before he died." I encourage all to read: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/health/16brod.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y.  

Check it out. The National Health Council (NHC) announces the launch of a new online community with a unique digital access, distribution, and multimedia approach to serve the more than 133 million Americans with chronic diseases and disabilities.

The WebMD Chronic Disease and Disability Exchange brings trusted experts together with people with chronic conditions to freely share information in both public forums and private, invitation-only settings.

WebMD turned to the NHC in search of "health experts" on non-clinical topics. The WebMD Expert for the Exchange is nationally recognized patient advocate Richard M. Cohen, a former news anchor, New York Times bestselling author, and public speaker on the doctor-patient relationship. He is also a cancer survivor living with multiple sclerosis.

Check it out and add your voice at http://exchanges.webmd.com/chronic-disease-and-disability-exchange.