Neil's Spotlight Neil's Healthcare Community Forums
July 29, 2009
Video of panelists and other speakers who participated in Neil's two Healthcare Community Forums on May 28th and July 1st are available for viewing on Neil's YouTube site. Go to the site and click on the "Healthcare Forums" playlist.
The first forum involved doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, rehabilitation specialists, medical technologists, pharmacists and others involved in healthcare delivery, such as medical suppliers, health insurance administrators, nursing homes operators and long term care providers.
Neil and a panel of four leaders in Hawaii's healthcare community began the 90-minute forum with brief, opening comments. The comments by Neil and the four panelists may be viewed via Neil's YouTube Web site by clicking on each name:
Congressman Neil Abercrombie says Congress is gathering input on healthcare reform, as part of an effort to adopt legislative measures this year.
Coral Andrews, vice president of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, says the economic downturn has worsened the nation's healthcare crisis.
Jerris Hedges, dean of the University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine, offers his perspective on healthcare reform, noting that Hawaii has one of the oldest physician populations in the United States.
Marc Gannon, chief accounting officer of the Waikiki Health Clinic, says the current economy has dramatically increased the number of patients visiting his clinic which provides a vareity of services regardless of a person's ability to pay. Many of the clinic's patients, he says, are newly unemployed. The clinic also sees many uninsured patients.
Luann Long, president of the Hawai'i Nurses Association, says healthcare reform must address the nationwide shortage of nurses and the increasing average age of nurses in the workforce which affect the quality of healthcare. She also notes that the healthcare industry is losing nurses to retirement and injuries.
The second forum attracted many participants to address Neil and his panel:
Jim Tollefson, President and CEO of the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce;
Randy Perreira, Executive Director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association and President of Hawaii AFL-CIO;
Dr. Clementina Ceria-Ulep, Vice President of Faith Action for Community Equity, a faith-based, grass-roots organization representing 28,000 people on Oahu that fights poverty and injustice.
