Hawaii: A Well-Being Paradise for 4th Year

March 5, 2013

If you visit Hawaii – or better yet – live in Hawaii – you will not find the latest report from Gallup-Healthways surprising. For the fourth year in a row, Hawaii ranks #1 in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. I have been visiting Hawaii since the 1980s and fell in love with the culture. The minute you step [...]

Read the full article →

Physician Shortage Critical for 7 Million Americans – Or Is It?

February 26, 2013

Forget the problem of health insurance. For seven million Americans, the bigger problem is the lack of primary care physicians (PCPs). And health care reform’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) could make it worse. Dire Straits? A study published in Health Affairs predicts critical shortages of primary care physicians after the enactment of PPACA’s [...]

Read the full article →

A Less Salty Life Saves Lives

February 19, 2013

You reach for that package of sliced turkey and think healthy. Do yourself a favor and flip the package over. Look at the nutritional information Zero in on the Sodium data Some packaged turkey range from 600-800 milligrams (mg) of sodium The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s recommended intake of sodium is less than 2,300 [...]

Read the full article →

5 Helpful Tips for Breast Exam

February 12, 2013

As a soon-to-be 10 time participant in the 3-Day Walk for the Cure, I figure I’d better walk the talk. I stay current on my mammography screenings. I’ll leave it up to you and your physician to decide which side of the debate you fall on in terms of frequency. Me? I go annually. My [...]

Read the full article →

Rude Behavior in Workplace Costs More Than Hurt Feelings

February 5, 2013

Where’s Miss Manners when you need her? If a report from Harvard Business Review typifies behavior in the workplace, perhaps the advice column should be required reading. Rude behavior is the order of the day and it costs businesses big time. For many workers, it’s the adult version of bullying. The report describes The Price [...]

Read the full article →

Health Reform Delays Just Beginning

January 29, 2013

Delays were bound to happen. Forget the cries for repeal. Put the name-calling and finger-pointing behind you. It’s time to face the reality of health care reform. Even if it is a tad behind schedule. So Many Tasks – So Little Time The lion’s share of provisions for health care reform’s Patient Protection and Affordability [...]

Read the full article →

Technology in Health Care Not Living Up to Promise

January 15, 2013

At the time, the promise made sense. Bring health care recordkeeping into the twenty-first century and reap the rewards. In 2005, an analysis promoting widespread use of information technology (IT) painted a rosy picture. Improved delivery and efficiency of health care A projection by RAND researchers of $81 billion in annual savings Things have not worked [...]

Read the full article →

Is Health Care the Land of Opportunity or Despair?

January 8, 2013

One thing is certain. The health care industry knows change. If you are a professional in the industry or a related business, you could write a book on change. Will 2013 bring opportunity or despair as you prepare for major provisions of health care reform? It all depends on your perspective. Recent Trends Critics of [...]

Read the full article →

Will Better Health Care Consumers Ring in the New Year?

January 1, 2013

The new year may bring health care consumers kicking and screaming into reality. The elections in the U.S. ensured some form of health care reform Reform’s individual mandate, a cornerstone of the law, may force that reality The trend towards outcomes-based wellness incentives adds to the push for accountability Are individuals prepared to become better [...]

Read the full article →

Happy Holidays From Simply Stated Health Care

December 24, 2012

  Simply stated health care will be shut down on Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24, 2012 and Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, 2012. I thank you for all of your support throughout the year. I am very grateful. I look forward to 2013 when there should be plenty to write about as healthcare reform kicks into [...]

Read the full article →