Care For PA

Increasing health insurance premiums, a Medicare system in serious trouble, a shrinking percentage of employers offering coverage, and a growing number of uninsured have all created a public outcry for change in our nation's health insurance system. Three presidential hopefuls each have their own ideas about how to overhaul the U.S. system. Not willing to wait for a solution from Washington, a growing number of states--including Pennsylvania--are proposing their own plans.

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On July 20, Governor Rendell signed a law that set into motion a new phase in reducing the incidence of health care-associated infections across Pennsylvania. Known as "Act 52 of 2007," the plan involves health care facilities, state agencies, and the community in its efforts.

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Sixteen-year-old Lamont Adams had a date with death. He didn't know where or when, but he knew it would be soon. He had even written a brief obit on a napkin--"Lamont Adams was gunned down...�? The next night, the Philadelphia teen was shot 13 times in the street. He was brought to Temple University Hospital's Trauma Unit; but despite all efforts, Lamont died. And so goes the agonizing story that Scott Charles has recounted to hundreds of students who have participated in Temple's "Cradle to Grave�? program.

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Instead of a sticker or a lollipop, patients between the ages of six months and five years who receive a checkup at Somerset Family Practice or the Somerset Adolescent and Pediatric Health Center (both a part of Somerset Hospital) will get something much more valuable: a new book to call their own.

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Since they became "mentor hospitals�? in the national "100,000 Lives�? and "5 Million Lives�? campaigns, seven Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems have had a huge impact on health care across Pennsylvania and the nation. These organizations have developed life-saving innovations and have agreed to share them with others in the United States, as well as provide support, advice, and tips.

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You never know when it will happen. One minute you're fine, the next, you're faced with a life-threatening injury. It's true that Pennsylvania's general hospitals provide some of the best care in the world, but there are times when the specialized care that an accredited trauma center can provide is a patient's best chance at survival. That's why, for the past 20 years, Pennsylvania is proud to have maintained a coordinated system of accredited trauma care to serve its 12 million residents.

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In April, Pennsylvania's hospitals and health systems bolstered ongoing efforts to reach out to those in need of health care coverage through a number of educational and community activities designed to help enroll kids in the Children's Health Insurance Program (Pennsylvania's insurance program for children in low-income families) and emphasize the need for policymakers to reauthorize and adequately fund the federal program. The events were part of "Cover the Uninsured Week,�? the largest nonpartisan mobilization in history seeking solutions for the nearly 45 million Americans who are uninsured.

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While most hospitals have long banned smoking indoors, hospitals across Pennsylvania are taking their commitment to the health of their communities to the next level by banning smoking outdoors as well. On hospital campuses across the commonwealth, lighting up is now off-limits--banished from porticos, walkways, even the parking areas and loading docks.

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Since America's first inpatient hospital began in Philadelphia in 1775, Pennsylvania hospital employees and volunteers have embodied a true "spirit of caring.�? Today, there are hundreds of thousands of employees and volunteers at more than 250 hospitals and health systems across Pennsylvania who are making a difference in their communities and around the world.

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In Pennsylvania last year, a patient almost died when a nurse misinterpreted the meaning of a colored wristband the patient was wearing. The mistake occurred because the nurse worked at several area hospitals and got the colors mixed up since each color meant a different thing at each hospital. Though the mistake was caught in time, the close call provided an opportunity for hospitals to evaluate and improve their patient safety measures. And that's exactly what happened.

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Most people don't want to talk or think about end-of-life care. But with medical science and technology able to extend both the length and quality of life, conversations and decisions about end-of-life care are more important than ever. By thinking about and sharing your thoughts on end-of-life care, you can better assure that you and your family members' wishes at the end of life are met.

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Today's media sources--such as print newspapers, television and radio stations, and Internet sites--are often among the first to report on the latest ground breaking medical research or the latest prescription drugs. However, there is a very important, but less well...

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Lawmakers and the Governor heard you loud and clear earlier this summer when you asked them to protect your community's care by not allowing payment cuts to hospitals when they treat patients who have Medicaid. As reported in the last...

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Decisions by state and federal lawmakers can impact the delivery of health care in your community. And the November 7 general election is one of the best opportunities you have to help strengthen the future of Pennsylvania's health care by...

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Does your head spin every time another new study, report, or ranking is issued about the "quality�? of our health care? Hospital A is ranked #1 by one organization one week; yet another study finds Hospital B is best; while...

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Advances in medicine spurred by technology have changed what once were considered "terminal diseases�? to that of "chronic conditions�? and have made some procedures, such as organ transplants, more routine and safe. Yet despite these medical miracles and increases in...

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November 7 is a general election, and Pennsylvania has a number of important races, including governor, lieutenant governor, state senator and representative, and U.S. senator and U.S. representative. It is one of the best opportunities you have to help strengthen...

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Caring for a community is nothing new to Pennsylvania's hospitals. It is that mission that has been driving the care they provide to communities for hundreds of years. And it was that mission of caring, combined with its specialized treatment...

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Each day the blue and white "H�? sign points millions of Pennsylvania patients and families to the one place they can rely on to provide hope and healing at the most vulnerable times of life. Likewise, each day more than 250,000 men and women working and volunteering in Pennsylvania's hospitals are helping keep that promise. This newsletter is for you.

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For some 20 years, Pennsylvania has been recognized as a leader in patient safety, through a host of regional, state, and national efforts, such as the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, which collects data from hospitals and makes it...

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Like the rest of Americans, hospital employees and volunteers across Pennsylvania watched in horror as the wrath of Hurricane Katrina was slowly revealed in the days following its August 29 landfall. The hurricane ravaged New Orleans and other parts of...

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Most people would agree that there is an insurance crisis in this country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2004 there were close to 1.5 million Pennsylvanians without health insurance. But there also is an insurance crisis of another...

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Pennsylvanians in need of a "helping hand" have long turned to their community hospital when they were sick. Today, Pennsylvania's hospitals provide much more, reaching out to provide care to all people in their communities. For Pennsylvania's hospitals, providing care...

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The issue of patient safety has become one of the most significant challenges facing the American health care system. Nearly every week, newspaper articles and reports on the radio and television keep the issue of hospital quality and patient safety...

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Hospitals and health systems are working to create a health care system that focuses on you and your community. By creating a system that keeps you healthy, in addition to caring for you when you're sick, hospitals are strengthening the communities in which Pennsylvanians live and work. A key to this is you.

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In Pennsylvania, capacitated adults have the right to decide whether to accept, reject or discontinue medical care and treatment. There may be times, however, when a person cannot make his or her wishes known to a health care provider. For example, a person may be incompetent, in a terminal condition, or in a state of permanent unconsciousness, and unable to tell his or her doctor what kind of care or treatment he or she would like to receive or not to receive. This can be addressed through developing a living will and/or health care power of attorney.

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