Dr. Elaina George Says that Obama’s Health Care Plan is Going to Hurt

By

Dr. Elaina George, MD

The health care reform bill (HR 3962) that just passed the House of Representatives is bad on so many levels it is difficult explain. As it stands, it will destroy both the doctor patient relationship and change the practice of medicine as we know it.

We have one of the finest health care systems in the world. It has been built on a foundation of choice. Doctors were free to choose the care that they deemed necessary to treat their patients, and patients were free to seek the medical care of their choice. Initially, the foundation was shaken by the rise of the managed care system with capitation. However, over the past 10 years, capitated plans which limit access to specialists have given way to the rise in power of insurance companies. They have used their anti-trust exemption to craft a system that has used monopoly to increase profits on the backs of both doctors and patients.

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Deborah Stroman: You Got Sugar in Your Blood?

by Dr. Deborah Stroman, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

Got Sugar in the Blood? Change Your Lifestyle Today!

Do you remember your elders speaking about “sugar in the blood”? Do you have a friend or family member who suffers from diabetes? The importance of understanding high blood sugar is critical to the management of our often fast-paced, unhealthy, and stressful lives. A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the “Bodies – The Exhibition” and experienced the most engaging presentation on the anatomy and pathology of the human body. Cadavers, adult and fetus, were on display to showcase the miracle of the body and the importance of good health and exercise. This poignant visit, which highlighted all of our major bodily systems, provides the inspiration to urgently share information regarding sugar – the crack cocaine of the Black of the community!

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Ingredients for H1N1: What are they?

 

by Dr. Elaina George, Your Black World Medical Correspondent

There has been a lot of confusion about what ingredients are in the H1N1 Vaccine. In order to distill the information to make it easier for you to make an informed choice, here is a brief synopsis of the information provided by the manufacturers in their package inserts.

There are 4 manufactures who have been approved to sell H1N1 vaccine in the US. They are: Novartis, CSL, Sanofi/Pasteur and MedImmune

1. Novartis makes an injectable vaccine for ages 4 and above

Ingredients: Thimerosal (Mercury) both in the single dose and the multi dose vials

Antibiotics - polymyxin and neomycin (can be neurotoxic)

Manufactured with phenol (the chemical used on skin in cosmetic face peals to remove wrinkles)

Note: They recommend that children ages 4-9 get 2 injections one month apart. This would increase the risk from a reaction to the mercury (e.g, neurological damage such as Gullain-Barre or possibly Autism)

 

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Black Health Tip: Avoid the Whites in Your Food

by Dr. Deborah Stroman, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Do you need a simple rule to begin a smart nutrition routine? Try to make a change in your diet by “avoiding the whites” – those additives that supposedly will make your food taste just right or have the right consistency. To live well and be healthy, we need to make changes that may feel uncomfortable at first and possibly illogical to friends and family.

Salt, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, accounts for nearly 150,000 premature deaths every year primarily due to complications from high blood pressure. We do need ~ 6g of salt per day to live. Sadly, the average intake of salt is between 9g and 10g a day! Salt is a commonly occurring mineral, the technical name of which is sodium chloride. It is the sodium part of salt that is important. Sodium helps to maintain the concentration of body fluids at correct levels. It also plays a central role in the transmission of electrical impulses in the nerves, and helps cells process nutrients.

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Health News: 76 Children Die from Swine Flu in the US

From Yahoo News

Health officials said Friday that 76 U.S. children have died of swine flu, including 19 new reports in the past week — more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous for the young.

The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That suggests deaths from the new H1N1 virus could dramatically outpace children's deaths from seasonal flu, if swine flu continues to spread as it has.

CDC officials say 10 more states, a total of 37, now have widespread swine flu. A week ago, reports suggested that cases might be leveling off and even falling in some areas of the country, but that did not turn out to be an enduring national trend.

"We are seeing more illness, more hospitalizations, and more deaths," the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a press conference Friday.

The new virus, first identified in April, is a global epidemic. The CDCdoesn't have an exact count of all swine flu deaths and hospitalizations, but existing reports suggest more than 600 have died and more than 9,000 have been hospitalized. Health officials believe millions of Americans have caught the virus.

The virus is hitting young people harder. Experts believe older people are suffering from it less, perhaps because they have a bit of immunity from exposure over the years to somewhat similar viruses.

 

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High Vaccine Costs Lead Some Doctors to Stop Giving them

Parents who bring their kids to Dr. G. Andrew McIntosh for the chicken pox vaccine are out of luck.

The family physician, who has a solo practice in Uniontown, Ohio, doesn't offer that shot because he can't afford it. Most insurers won't sufficiently cover the cost.

"It doesn't do me any good. I am losing money on [them]," he said. The chicken pox vaccine runs about $115, but insurers only cover between $68 to $83 of that.

McIntosh has also cut back on a handful of other critical childhood vaccines for the same reason -- including the measles, mumps and rubella, known as the MMR vaccine.

It costs him about $58 to buy an MMR shot, he said, while insurers pay about about $40.

 

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How to Stay Healthy – Quick Tips

by Dr Elaina George, Your Black World Medical Correspondent

Instead of waiting for the outcome of the healthcare debate to decide your fate, use some simple common sense strategies to take back the power to control your own health.

1. Start exercising

An increase in activity of as little as 20 minutes 3 times a week can make a difference in your risk of heart disease,

diabetes and obesity. You don’t have to get fancy with a gym membership. Try taking the stairs at work instead of the

elevator, or park further from the entrance when you go to the market or mall.

2. Eat Smaller portions

You may not want to give up your junk food or fried food, but try to limit your portions. Instead of buying a six pack

of soda, buy a two liter bottle. You can better control the portions along with your intake of calories.

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The Shortage of Doctors – What are We to do?

Dr. Elaina George, Your Black World Medical Correspondent

Reports estimate that 50-60% of doctors will be sued during the course of their career. However, only 10-20% of those cases actually go to trial. Of those that go to trial, doctors are found innocent of malpractice 80% of the time. This demonstrates the fact that although the perception exists that there may be a lot of bad doctors practicing bad medicine this is actually not the case.

Unfortunately, this perception has led to an explosion in the costs of practicing medicine. Over the last 5-10 years medical malpractice premiums have gone through the roof from primary care to neurosurgery. In Florida, for example, malpractice premiums for OB-GYNs have risen to as high as 250,000 per year.

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Your Black World: Obama Says Race Doesn’t Matter in Healthcare Fight

from CNN, Your Black World 

President Barack Obama said Friday that angry criticisms about his health care agenda are driven by an intense debate over the proper role of government — and not by racism.

"Are there people out there who don't like me because of race? I'm sure there are," Obama told CNN. "That's not the overriding issue here."

The nation's first black president spoke about the issue of race during a battery of interviews on Friday. In a media blitz aimed at pounding home his health care message, he taped interviews with ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Univision to be shown during the networks' Sunday morning talk shows.

Some excerpts aired during Friday night broadcasts.

Time and again, Obama was asked about whether the tenor of thehealth care debate turned nasty because of undercurrents in racism.Former President Jimmy Carter raised the point prominently this week when he said the vitriol was racially motivated.

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Black Medicine on Call: What’s Wrong with the System?

 

In this episode of Medicine on Call, Dr. Elaina George interviews Jason Rosenbaum from The Seminal, a healthcare publication.  What is wrong with healthcare?  What is the state of healthcare reform?  What are the goals for healthcare?

 

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Dr. Elaina George Speaks: Chronic Pain – Dealing with it Successfully

Dr. Elaina George tells you how to deal with Chronic Pain in a natural and healthy way.

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Black Medical News: Dr. Elaina George statement on the Michael Jackson Death

For Immediate Release

Please Contact S Prewitt for Interviews at (901) 413-0203 or email information@yourblackpublicity.com.

Prominent Black Physician Says Michael Jackson’s Doctor’s Actions were Inexcusable

Dr. Elaina George, an Otolaryngologist out of Atlanta, says that the doctor alleged to have killed Michael Jackson was not only unethical, but incredibly irresponsible in his choice of medications. Dr. Conrad Murray is subject to investigation after Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide in initial autopsy reports. But while many believe that Jackson’s death was an accidental occurrence, Dr. George states that the combination of drugs given to Jackson was almost likely to kill him.

“There was no way that harm would not have come to Mr. Jackson,” says Dr. George, who advocates for doctors on a regular basis. “It was beyond negligent to give him a mixture of three different kinds of sedatives, a muscle relaxant, an antidepressant in addition to Propofol, a general anesthetic that is only used in an operating room setting (because it can stop someone’s breathing). Each of these drugs by themselves can be lethal, but together it is a recipe that will almost definitely kill someone.”

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Black News: Dr. Elaina George Speaks on Insurance Companies

 

Dr. Elaina George, YourBlackWorld.com 

For Americans, receiving heath care is like going to a casino, but here the typical rules don’t apply. In the healthcare casino, the medical insurance industry, Big Pharmaceutical Companies and hospitals make the rules to insure that the house wins every time. Over the years they have increased your stakes by increasing premiums, drug costs and hospital costs, while raking in windfall profits. The medical insurance industry has grown larger and more powerful by systematically fleecing patients and doctors. To hide the fact that they are playing with people’s health; they have been masters of distraction. The ever changing rules for patients and doctors have made it impossible to learn what you need to know. Moreover, it has placed doctors, who are the face of medicine, in a position where the patient has begun to question their motives. This has eroded the doctor patient relationship and has damaged the foundation of excellent medical care.

Over the next several weeks, we will examine how the game has been rigged so that you can finally understand the rules. Each week we will expose what you need to know to take back your power and put the odds back in your favor so you can win! This week we will examine the medical insurance industry.

Basic facts about the medical insurance industry:

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Health Benefits Of Sex

 

If you thought that making love was just a gesture of love or for pleasure, think again. Sex has much more to it than most of us think and know. Did you know that sex is a form of physical exercise? Sex three times a week burns lots of calories, and if maintained throughout the year, is equivalent to jogging 75 miles. To make it simpler, a vigorous bout burns around 200 calories, about the same as running 15 minutes on a treadmill.

 

Regular sex is regular exercise and has similar benefits, including improved cholesterol levels and increased circulation Apart from giving you a good work out, sex once or twice a week improves the immune system as well.
Research has shown that an active sex life helps us live longer. Organs and systems in the body perform better and remain healthy because sex increases the supply of oxygen to the cells and stimulates the activity of various organs and systems within the body. People with complaints of cholesterol, take heart! You have a good medicine, which you would not refuse. Where sex balances out the good cholesterol to bad cholesterol ratio, it also simultaneously reduces the overall cholesterol count in the body. So there you go, you can now control your bad cholesterol with pleasure. By having sex three or more times a week, men reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke by half.

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Traces of Drugs Found in Nation's Water Supply

A wide array of pharmaceuticals, including mood stabilizers, sex hormones and antibiotics, were found in the water supply for 41 million Americans, according to the Associated Press.

While utility companies insist their water is safe, the amount of drugs found in the system is alarming. Scientists are concerned that there could be a long-term consequence to the country's overall health.

Water companies do not regularly discuss their results of pharmaceutical screenings of the water supply. Additionally, the drugs are believed to have reached the water supply by people taking pills and then using the bathroom. While their bodies absorb much of the medication, some of it reaches the water supply. While the water is treated upon reaching the sewers, many of the treatment processes are not competent to stop the flow of drugs within the system.

While the effects of the drugs have not shown themselves on the general population, there is some alarm of the effect that the presence these drugs are having on wildlife.

"We recognize it is a growing concern and we're taking it very seriously," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The investigation by the Associated Press found that there were 56 drugs or byproducts in treated drinking water. They found sex hormones in the San Fransisco water supply.

Currently, the federal government does not require testing for drugs in water.

Breast Cancer Patient Has Policy Cancelled During Therapy: Wins $9M in Lawsuit

Patsy Bates, a 52 year old woman in Los Angeles, won $9 million in a lawsuit against her insurer after having her policy canceled in the middle of her breast cancer therapy.

Her policy was canceled in 2004, leaving her with $129,000 in unpaid bills. Upon hearing that her costs were no longer covered, her doctors left her to die. She continued her treatment under a state funded program.

"It's hard to imagine a situation more trying than the one Bates has had to endure," the presiding Judge wrote after making the court decision. "The rug was pulled out from underneath, and that occurred at a time when she is diagnosed with breast cancer, one of the leading causes of death for women."

Bates, who is a mother of two, was excited to hear the verdict.

"I am elated," she said.

Bates' insurer, Health Net, was found to have used a policy that rewarded it's employees for finding reasons to cancel policies. The Los Angeles City Attorney had filed suit against the company for illegally canceling 1,600 policies.

"It's hard to imagine a policy more reprehensible than tying bonuses to encourage the recision of health insurance that helps keep the public well and alive," Judge Cianchetti wrote in the Bates decision.

McDonald's Workers with No Gloves...What's That All About?

It's 5 in the morning in beautiful East St.Louis, Illinois


1. Lisa, a stripper, takes her night's worth of salary home and counts it.

2. Most of the dollar bills have been saturated with vaginal juice, alcohol, sweat and possibly various forms of communicable diseases.

3. Lisa is hungry after a 10 hour shift, so she decides to fulfill her hunger at McDonalds. She takes 3.50 of her $500 worth of work and buys an Egg McMuffin Value Meal.

4. Ernest, the McDonalds morning crew manager, takes these storied bills and places them in his register.

5. Ernest proceeds to make the Egg McMuffin Value Meal with NO GLOVES ON.

6. Lisa devours the Egg McMuffin Value Meal that was prepared with NO GLOVES ON.

7. Daunte (me) orders 2 Sausage, Egg and Cheese Value Meals.

8. Ernest, the McDonalds morning crew manager, takes my money and places them in his register and gives me back 3 dollar bills. (The same 3 bills Lisa gave him)

9. Ernest prepares my 2 Sausage, Egg and Cheese Value Meals with NO GLOVES ON.

10. I quickly scarf my meal that was prepared with NO GLOVES ON.

11. Daunte’s sick


The End


This story sounds very far-fetched and possibly outlandish, yet at least 2 or 3 of those gross things occur at McDonalds every time you go.


Every time I go to McDonalds I see one or more of the following:

-workers preparing food with NO GLOVES ON

-managers taking money from customers and then preparing my food with NO GLOVES ON

-workers using the bathroom and not washing their hands


When I was around 6 0r 7, I distinctly remember food service being cleaner; workers used gloves, there was a distinct system of duties that didn't allow people to handle money and prepare food. Where has all of that gone? I'm sorry but hand sanitizer isn’t good enough for me, people need to wash their hands with HOT water and used gloves. I don’t mean to just point out McDonalds because Popeye’s, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns and many other fast food places don’t use gloves. I'm glad restaurants don’t have a visible kitchen because I'm sure there are worse.


I know McDonalds has the best fries but just be mindful that you might be eating a Big Mac with cheese, influenza, yeast infection and ketchup. Just a thought.

The Morning After Pill: What you Might Not Know

Introduction to Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception (EC) also known as the “morning-after-pill” is a little known method of pregnancy prevention that has proved safe and effective through numerous medical reports and case studies. One survey conducted revealed that only six percent of women 18-44 have ever used emergency contraception (Weismiller, 2004). EC may be administered after failure of contraception or unprotected intercourse, including sexual assault. The primary method of EC requires that the first dose be taken within 72 hours following unprotected intercourse (Weismiller, 2004). While some feel that EC should be made more easily accessible by being available over-the-counter (OTC), others feel that it should be limited in availability. I feel OTC availability is a crucial issue to both American woman and men alike because the Food and Drug’s Administration’s (FDA) decision on OTC status could alter their methods to pregnancy prevention. It is important for college-aged individuals between the ages of 17-23 to know the benefits of OTC emergency contraception because they hold a high tendency to incur an unplanned pregnancy. In addition the FDA strictly requires, “if a medication can be offered over-the-counter status, it must be.” Cleary in the issue of emergency contraception, the FDA is not following its own rules.

The Problem

There are many problems surrounding the switching of emergency contraception to over the counter status. These issues range from the FDA requirements on over the counter medications to the time frame in which the medication must be administered to the lack of involvement by the Bush administration. According to the FDA’s requirements for a medication to attain over the counter status, emergency contraception should attain such a status. However the FDA denied OTC status citing that emergency contraception needed to be researched more for young persons. They further argued that making EC available over the counter could alter sexual behavior, especially in woman 15-24 (Science overruled, 2004). The FDA’s decision to deny emergency contraception over the counter (OTC) status is unsubstantiated by medical evidence.

The FDA has strict requirements for a medication to be switched to over-the-counter status and in the case of emergency contraception; there are definite discrepancies in the FDA’s evaluation. First and foremost the FDA requires two studies before granting a medication arrival of OTC status. They first test the comprehensibility of the contraception labeling information then conduct an actual study of the OTC usage (Grimes, 2002). Medical analysis reveals that emergency contraception met the FDA’s labeling requirement (Grimes, 2002). In fact, seven of the eleven labels tested were understood by more than 85% of woman (Grimes, 2002). An actual study of OTC emergency contraception is unnecessary. The drug has already been approved for prescription use and it is impossible for a consumer to overdose.

As for the claim that OTC availability is linked to a change in sexual behavior; this statement is scientifically untrue. A case study conducted by four San Francisco area clinics found that EC does not alter sexual behavior. The case involved 2,117 women ages 15 to 24, participants were each given access to emergency contraception in three forms, at pharmacies, at clinics and in packs of “morning after” pills. The study found that about 55% of those who received “morning after” pills didn’t use them after unprotected sex (Morning after, 2005). In addition the study analyzed their contraception use, their condom use and the number of sexual partners. The findings indicated that there was no increase in risk-taking (Morning after, 2005). This study reveals that if EC were made easily accessible, women would not alter there current procedures for pregnancy prevention.

The second problem stemming from the FDA’s denial of OTC status is that taking EC within the 72 hour period following unprotected intercourse is crucial to the effectiveness of the medication. One randomized controlled study found that the sooner the first dose was taken after intercourse, the greater the effectiveness. The study also concluded that the failure rate at 72 hours after hormonal emergency contraception is approximately 4 percent; this rate increase to 10 percent at five days (Weismiller, 2004). If EC were available OTC, it would be much more accessible within the 72 hour time period. Pharmacies that are open 24 hours would be able to administer the medication without a consultation with a physician. In fact there is little evidence linking a consultation with a physician to the effectiveness of the medication.

Amidst all the controversy concerning OTC status for EC, there has been little acknowledgement by the Bush administration. The Bush administration that is highly non-abortion has made little to no assertions on the matter. Medical physicians recognize that emergency contraception is not abortion because implantation marks the beginning of pregnancy, and emergency contraception works after fertilization but before implantation (Grimes, 2002). The Bush administration appointed the FDA members, and they are rumored to have placed pressure on the FDA’s decision in the case of emergency contraception. These rumors are fueled by the fact that the Joint Advisory Committee to the FDA voted of 23-4 in favor of making Plan B, a form of emergency contraception available over the counter in combination with the FDA’s persistent rejection (Stanley, 2004). In the past the Bush administration has also been linked to discrediting the effectiveness of condoms and erroneously asserting that abortion causes breast cancer (Stanley, 2004). In both case it is evident that the far right ideologies of the Bush administration far outweigh scientific evidence. Nonetheless, the Bush administration has surly done little to support the switch to over the counter, and is publicly withdrawn from the scientific advancement.

Black Health and Black Love - Do they go hand in hand?

by The Love Doctor

Is there any feeling worse than the one you have after ending a long-term relationship? It seems that if anything is deserving of a sick day, this would be it.

Well, a Japanese Marketing firm agrees with you. The firm offers its employees "heartache leave" to help them get over the pain of a lost relationship.

Hime & Company says that the time off allows its workers to cry off their pain and move forward with their lives.

"Not everyone needs to take maternity leave but with heartbreak, everyone needs time off, just like when you get sick," CEO Miki Hiradate said.

If you are 24 or younger, you get one day off per year. If you are between 35 and 29 you get two days off. If you are older than that, you get 3 days.

"Women in their 20s can find their next love quickly, but it's tougher for women in their 30s, and their break-ups tend to be more serious," Hiradate said.

The company also offers women two mornings off twice a year for "sales shopping leave".

"Before, women could take half-days off to go to sales, but you'd have to hide your shopping bags in lockers by the train station," Hiradate said.

"But with paid leave, we don't have to feel guilty about bringing our shopping bags to work, and we can enjoy the best part about sales shopping -- talking about our purchases afterwards."

Taking time off for love makes sense, since there is scientific research stating that losing a relationship can be as painful as drug withdrawal. Perhaps firms in the U.S. will consider a similar policy.