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A Publication of NYCHSRO/MEDREVIEW VOLUME 13, NO. 1 January-June 2010 www.medreview.us NYCHSRO/MedReview Family Volunteer in Haiti r. Scott Jewish community Sundick, leadership meet- Dson-in-law ing to raise funds of NYCHSRO’s for critically need- director of Home ed supplies and Care, Maurice equipment. Par- Fleischmann, was ticipants included: in Haiti assisting Congresswoman with medical ef- Yvette Clarke, As- forts in the wake semblyman Dov of the horrific Hikind, Council- disaster that hap- HAITIAN AN D JE WIS H C O mm UNIT Y L E A de RS H IP mee T TO man Mathieu Eu- CON G R E SSWO M AN YV E TT E CLARK E pened there. Dr. RAIS E FUN D S FOR E ART H QUAK E VICTIMS gene and Coun- AN D ASS em BL ym AN DOV HIKIN D Sundick was part cilman Jumaane of a team of doctors and surgeons at the Hospital Sacre Coeur, Williams. run by CRUDEM, a Canadian organization that runs an on-going NYCHSRO/MedReview also recognizes the efforts of two of its medical mission at Milot Physician Advisors, Dr. Ernest Garnier and Dr. Marie Dupiton who in the Cap Haitien area. are both affiliated with Downstate Medical Center. Dr. Garnier and The mission had been Dr. Dupiton donated their time and, at their own expense, provided scheduled prior to the pediatric health care services to Haitian children.Interviewed by the earthquake that hit Haiti daily News, Dr. Garnier stated “I try to give them a little hope”. on January 12, 2010. It Statement made regarding his fellow countrymen who have lost ev- took on a much greater erything. urgency in the aftermath This tragedy has struck close to home at NYCHSRO since several of the unprecedented staff members are natives of Haiti and have family still living there. natural disaster that left The organization started its own collection to benefit Haitian rescue hundreds of thousands of efforts and will continue to offer it prayers and wishes that the rescue ERN E ST GARNI E R M.D. Haitians dead and many efforts are effective. MEDREVIEW more injured and without food and shelter. NEWSLETTER When Dr. Sundick told his father-in-law that although there was Inside This Issue.... GOES COLOR! an undamaged and fully equipped hospital at Milot but that patients were not being brought to the facility, NYCHSRO’s C.E.O. Joseph w NYCHSRO/MedReview Family Volunteer in Haiti Stamm reached out to leaders in w Healthcare Headline Summaries the Haitian com- w News in Review Profile: Arthur “Jerry” Kremer, Esq munity in New York, most nota- w Nurse/Review Staff/Administrative bly New York City Staff Breakfasts 2010 Councilman Dr. Mathieu Eugene w Joseph Stamm Honored by Avenue N Jewish Center who represents w NYCHSRO/MedReview’s Political Outreach the largest Hai- tian community in w Balcony Symposium- The Status of Healthcare Reform Brooklyn, to make JOS E P H STA mm , CON G R E SSWO M AN YV E TT E CLARK E w MedReview and the Young People's Choir of them aware of the AN D YE RU ch I M SILB E R problem. Due to New York City this intervention and other efforts, within a few days patients were w Home Care Departments Implements New Database arriving at the hospital by airlift and bus. Mr. Stamm also participated in a hastily organized Haitian and w MedReview Meets with Its Clients Regimens: Questioning Benefit of Diabetes Test way for mental health care than for other medi- patient’s insurance coverage. Students should Strips – New York Times – January 5, 2010 - cal services. begin learning early in medical school about People with Type 2 diabetes are often advised the financial consequences of their decisions to use blood- glucose test strips to monitor their Laser Treatment May Work for Cataracts – New and that such teaching should continue through- blood sugar levels, but a Canadian analysis York Times – March 22, 2010 - out their training. Trainees in the hospital should has found that routine self-monitoring is not Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness be asked how much it costs to be in the I.C.U. cost-effective for many patients: the strips can in the world, and are often related to aging. In for a day, to be in the hospital for a day, to be cost almost a dollar each, and they prevent a common form of cataracts, proteins in the lens in a long-term-care setting for a day. comparatively few complications of diabetes. change over time, developing chromophores — The finding was part of an analysis that molecular add-ons that absorb color in the blue When Patients Don’t Fill Their Prescriptions – prompted the Canadian Agency for Drugs and part of the spectrum. Chromophores reduce the New York Times – May 20, 2010 -Medica- Technologies in Health to issue a nonbinding amount of light reaching the retina (and give tion nonadherence undermines even the best recommendation against routine self-monitoring the lens a yellow-brown appearance), but they cost-saving and clinical intentions of evidence- for many Type 2 diabetics — those who do not also disrupt the structure of the lens proteins, based care. take insulin. causing light to scatter. In one study, as many as half of all pa- Experts in the United States said more stud- Cataracts can be treated by lens-replace- tients did not follow their doctors’ advice when ies were needed, but they emphasized that glu- ment surgery, but the procedure is invasive and it came to medications. Other studies have cose test strips, which are covered by insurance, costly, requiring special equipment and skilled shown that patients with medications for chron- could be helpful for adjusting diet, exercise and eye surgeons. To make cataract treatment avail- ic diseases like diabetes and high blood pres- drug regimens. In addition, they are recom- able to more people around the world, a less- sure were likely to be sicker, suffer from more mended for Type 2 patients who take insulin or invasive, less-expensive technique is needed. complications and have higher mortality rates. the drugs called sulfonylureas, which stimulate Line Kessel, an ophthalmologist at Glostrup The overall cost of medication nonadherence is insulin production; those patients are at risk for Hospital of the University of Copenhagen in more than $170 billion annually in the United hypoglycemia, or very low blood sugar. Denmark, and colleagues have come up with States alone. But for other Type 2 patients, the test strips’ what they say is a promising alternative to Researchers at Harvard Medical School benefits fall off sharply. Another Canadian replacement surgery. In their approach, they published the largest study to date of what study reported that more than 1,000 patients “bleach” the lens with a laser. has been termed “primary nonadherence” and would need to use the strips regularly to prevent Ultraviolet light can alter chromophores so found that more than 20 percent of first-time a single case of kidney failure, for example, they no longer absorb color, but UV light can patient prescriptions were never filled. Com- and about 500 would need to be treated to damage the retina. To prevent damage the re- paring the e-prescription data for over 75,000 prevent a single stroke, amputation or case of searchers use infrared light, delivered by an ex- patients with pharmacy insurance claims, the blindness. Rather than rely on test strips, Cana- tremely fast-pulse laser. The pulses are so fast, investigators also discovered that certain pat- dian experts said, patients need to be vigilant Dr. Kessel said, that two photons hit a target terns of nonadherence exist. First-time prescrip- about their diet, exercise, weight and blood molecule simultaneously, with the same effect tions for chronic diseases like high cholesterol, pressure. as if UV light was used. high blood pressure and diabetes were more likely not to be filled, whereas those for pediat- New Rules Promise Better Mental Health Cover- Using High-Tech to Lower Costs – New York ric patients 18 years of age and younger and age – New York Times – January 30, 2010 Times – May 4, 2010 - Health policy experts for antibiotics were more likely to be filled. – The federal government issued new rules on hope that technology will become a tool for Friday that promise to improve insurance cover- educating doctors about the cost of care. More Lower Homocysteine and Heart Risk – NY Times age of mental health care for more than 140 widespread use of electronic medical records, – June 28, 2010 - People with high blood levels million people insured through their jobs. In they say, will help keep costs in check by pro- of the amino acid homocysteine are at increased general, under the rules, employers and group viding doctors with precise information on the risk for heart disease and strokes. It has never health plans cannot provide less coverage for price of tests and drugs even as they are decid- been clear whether reducing homocysteine will mental health care than for the treatment of ing what to order. According to a 1990 study cut the risk, and whether the substance actually physical conditions like cancer and heart dis- by Indiana University, showing the charges for causes vascular disease. A paper published in ease. Insurers cannot set higher co-payments tests on computers used by medical residents The Journal of the American Medical Associa- and deductibles or stricter limits on treatment working in an outpatient clinic led to a 14 tion says it does not. The paper is based on for mental illness and addiction disorders.

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