Who’s Building An American Health System?

(Page 2)  |  Back to Page One

Carolyn from Florida

Carolyn is both a physician and a financial planner. She received her undergraduate degree from Mississippi University for Women in 1986 and her medical degree from the University of Mississippi in 1990. After a two-year residency in pathology, she realized that most people could live longer and healthier lives through increased use of prevention. She subsequently changed her focus and completed a residency in family medicine at the Medical College of Virginia in 1995. Since that time, she has practiced in private practice and in the emergency department setting. Due to her interest in insurance and other financial issues in medicine, she returned to higher education at the University of North Florida to complete her training as a financial planner. Since 2001, she has worked full time as a financial planner specializing in health risk issues and life planning, while continuing her medical career part time in the emergency department and as an instructor in the Family Medicine Department at the University of Florida.

I entered the contest because our health care system consists of many parts. Each part focuses on its specific function and is sometimes oblivious to the big picture and purpose of the health care system – helping people take care of their health. With my exposure to many facets of the health care system, I feel I have a view many do not have the opportunity to see. I entered this contest to share my view of the big picture and to formulate my dream of how our country can develop a health care system that will provide compassionate and cost effective care for all.

Charles from Washington state

I am a 72 year old retired aerospace engineer. My wife and I live on a houseboat on Lake Union, close to the center of Seattle. Our sailboat is parked next to the front door. I’m a volunteer keeper’s aide (farmhand) at Woodland Park Zoo; my wife is a zoo docent and raptor center worker. Elderhostel travel has taken us to the African savanna, rain forests of Costa Rica, Galapagos Islands, and Arctic Norway.

I’m concerned about the welfare of animals and humans alike, especially those who are fairing badly at the hands of environmental destruction and free market, special interest, unfettered capitalism. The strength of our democracy comes from the willingness of us to think and speak in our own voices and to be heard by Congress and the President. This contest gave me an opportunity to do so.

I have no illusion about winning -- I’m grateful to be able to get a few ideas before the judges -- but I do think that the sum of all entries will make a huge difference in getting universal health care. You are doing good work! Thanks.

Gerald from Virginia

He was born in 1931 in Virginia, received his BA from Bridgewater College (Va.) ('52) and completed Medical School at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV)( Richmond, Va.), in ('56). A one year internship in Seattle, WA. at the Virginia Mason Clinic was followed by two years active medical military duty in Japan ( 1957-59). Then to a two year Internal Medicine Residency at Bowman Gray School of Med of Wake Forrest U. (Winston-Salem, NC) and in ('61) a year of Fellowship in Rheumatology at MCV In 1962 he began the practice of Internal Medicine / Rheumatology and ('80's) Geriatrics. He retired from active practice Dec. 31, 1999. In 1956 he married Eleanor Rights, RN, . They have raised 5 children (one son has died), and have 7 grandchildren.

He and his wife are active in (ACME), the Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment for 27 years. They are able to lead education groups, to train persons to lead groups, and to speak on marriage issues where and when requested. "Making marriages better, beginning with our own!" Together they have been in Northeastern Nigeria for 6 months in 2000 and again in 2002 where they were able to lead marriage enrichment programs in 20 + churches and trained 20 leader couples to form the Nigerian ACME organization. In addition they were helpful in securing funds for the EYN Medical Clinics which serve about 250,000 persons each year in this area of Nigeria. Gerald is also helping establish a Medical Museum of Public Health and African-American Medicine in Roanoke, VA.

Throughout my medical practice I have been an advocate for change in the way patients are classified and treated and also for making realistic changes in the way physicians are compensated for their services. Many services are over paid and others are underpaid for time, effort, and ability used. The increasing menace of medical malpractice must also be controlled and changed. The uninsured and indigent patient must be properly addressed. We must not have total socialized medicine, but a proper mixture of care, both private and public is needed.

Alexander from Virginia

Alex is a self-employed mediator and arbitrator with a conflict resolution practice in Fairfax, VA. He has many years of experience dealing with health care issues as same relates to collective bargaining / contract negotiations and with individuals. He understands the issues and the challenges. Alex recognizes that change to American's healthcare institution needs to be systemic, progressive, inclusive, collaborative, and implemented incrementally in such way that you build on success. He is married with two children. His interests are politics, education, and his local community.

I entered this contest to basically put my money where my mouth is, or, as some say, "walking my talk."

For years I have been vocally frustrated by our healthcare system and the apparent futility in obtaining reform. I am abundantly aware of how the unbridled escalation of healthcare cost coverage has negatively impacted workers and employers across the country.

I applaud and congratulate the organizers of this contest as being visionaries in seeking new ideas for healthcare reform. It is going to take imagination and courage to make a change in our healthcare system.

I hope that the people who are empowered to implement the changes that this contest proffers have the necessary motivation to consider the proposals seriously.

Al from California

If anyone asked, as a child I would respond that I wanted to be a doctor. After all, my father was a doctor and having observed my father in action on more than one occasion, “how hard could it be,” I asked myself. Well, it’s pretty hard when you don’t like rote memorizing or the sight of blood, so I joined the Air Force to see the world while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.

I’ve always been an independent thinker and that helped me implement strategies in marketing a helicopter airline while finishing up at UC Berkeley. I took a second small airline to breakeven in 8 months, but by then I had a family and needed a better income. I started selling insurance part time, then full time, but there is a brutal repetitiveness to selling life and disability insurance, something the ever-changing health insurance field thankfully lacks. I learned my craft with Blue Cross, then Family Health Program (FHP is now part of PacifiCare). I became an independent broker and consultant in 1976, which allowed me to develop an early version of a Point of Service, POS plan (we called them “Swing” plans) that used a contract provider and still provided out-of-network benefits.

On my own I built medical, dental, pharmacy and optical networks for various employers, school districts, TPAs and insurance companies. That was more than five years before Blue Cross entered the market with a similar plan (Prudent Buyer). In 1986 I placed all the provider contracts with a management company, ConserviCare. At the same time I was able to link my ConserviCare PPO with insurance companies and held multiple positions as Master General Agent (marketing), Network Manager, (which generated access fees) and Utilization Manager (for which I received a percentage of savings). By 1989 ConserviCare was listed as the 4th largest PPO in the US. A divorce in 1994 led me to shed all corporate responsibilities and ConserviCare did not fare well in my absence. I served as a managed healthcare consultant until this past February. Now, once again, I’m working in the employee benefits field, specializing (of course) in health insurance. The 10-year absence made it painfully real how dysfunctional our present healthcare delivery system has become. I didn’t need any more motivation to speak my piece in O’Connor’s contest than that.

Dale from Washington state

Here is my biography: I have been an office manager for a busy acupuncturist for almost seven years. I have written several books on economics and politics. My family has Group Health Options. So I see the problems from both sides. There is a shortage of common sense in solving the healthcare problem. I bring common sense and correct economic principles to bear on the problem.

Patricia and Martha from Florida

Patricia RN, CLNC. is a managing partner and co-founder of New Era Healthcare Consulting, LLC. She has over 30 years of experience in various healthcare arenas including 10 years of hands on clinical experience in critical care, medical/surgical, psychiatric, correctional and skilled nursing care. Her administrative healthcare experience has been with emphasis on Medicare and state Medicaid programs. During her 14 plus year tenure with a nationally recognized QIO (Quality Improvement Organization), she has been involved in program design and development and charged with oversight responsibility of outcomes encompassing medical necessity, quality of care and cost-effectiveness for the Medicare and Medicaid population in various programs in Pennsylvania and Florida. Her career responsibilities in senior management with a QIO organization, RN Consultant for a State health care agency and a private business owner allows her a unique perspective of appreciation for the combination of quality patient care at the appropriate level while achieving cost effective outcomes. She has focused her career on working to obtain those goals by working with payers, providers and clients of the healthcare system. She holds certificates in Forensic Nursing, Case Management and is a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. She was a charter member of the national Operation Restore Trust program to curb fraud and abuse in the Medicare system.

Martha RN, M.Ed.Ad., CCM has over 14 years of healthcare experience and 10 years of experience in public education. Her career is rooted in public education where she taught junior high school science and high school biology. She returned to college and completed a degree in nursing. Her healthcare experience is in acute care (Medical/Surgical care, ENT care, critical care), home health, home infusions, private duty, acute rehabilitation, long term acute care, skilled nursing care, utilization management, and case management. She has worked for not-for-profit, for-profit, and government contracted entities. Recently, Martha partnered with another nurse to create a consulting firm which provides expertise to those healthcare providers with limited resources during periods of growth and change.

Her passion is healthcare and helping other healthcare providers become more efficient and cost-effective. She believes in advocacy for patients and healthcare consumers. Her goal is to provide education and learning opportunities for healthcare consumers so that they are empowered to become their own advocates. She lives near Tampa, Florida with her husband and son, Bill and Ben.

Both Pat and Martha entered the contest in order to share their understanding of how to provide cost-effective, quality healthcare to all Americans. They saw this contest as an opportunity to discuss their ideas with others who were concerned enough to enter the contest as well. Both believe that their combined experiences in the healthcare arena have provided them with the insight for practical rather than ideal solutions for the healthcare issues which plague all Americans today.

Paul from Washington state

Paul is a chemist and materials scientist, formerly on the staff of Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who operates a small research laboratory in Olympia. His current projects include new techniques for growing crystals and a search for new and better scintillation crystals for medical imaging. He is also writing a book on methodologies for business and professional activities.

Paul entered the contest because he is convinced that our current 19th century approach to healthcare is hopelessly inadequate for meeting 21st century global needs, especially with regard to cost and to the sloppy and wasteful handling of patient data.

William from Washington state

I was born in New Jersey in 1933 and lived there until 1976 when I attended Seattle University and after graduation was employed in the Group Health Cooperative marketing department, eventually moving to Spokane and becoming the vice president of marketing for Group Health Northwest. In 1988 I established my own insurance agency specializing in long term health care. Since my semi-retirement a couple of years ago I have been involved in many volunteer projects including Habitat for Humanity and Washington RSVP Reading Corps.

I entered the contest because I was concerned about the many families that have no regular health insurance coverage for their children and was frustrated over the lack of a forum to air ideas on how to improve the current system.

Beth from Washington state

I have a B.S. in Health Science with a Concentration in Health Administration and a Minor in Spanish from the State University of New York at Cortland. I have a Masters degree in Health Administration from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. I completed an internship with End-of-Life Choices (formerly known as the Hemlock Society) in Denver, Colorado the summer of 2001. After graduating from my Masters program the summer of 2002, I moved to Seattle, Washington where I work for Swedish Health Services as a Decision Support Data Analyst in the Finance Department. There are many different professional paths I can fathom taking in the future.

I entered this contest because I believe that people should be the primary decision makers when it comes to their own health care choices - in particular, when choosing a provider (facility and/or physician). In the present environment, this is not possible because the information necessitated for educated decision making is not readily available to the public, and even when information is available, validity is always a concern. I was able to address these issues in my paper, in addition to providing a general framework for the posting of provider information in the future. I liked that the contest criteria forced us to consider a wide variety of present concerns (the uninsured, governments role in the reform, etc.) when proposing our solutions.

William from Nebraska

I am a 62 year old retired radiologist who spent 30 years within the health system, privately practicing diagnostic radiology. I have done health planning in the 1980s on a quasi-governmental board covering a huge portion of my state (Nebraska). I personally bought our first CAT scanner in 1980, and operated this enterprise myself, so I know something about profit, loss, and the exam volume effect on profitability. As a radiologist I sat in the middle of the action between surgeons and internists; I know how it works within the system. Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Westminster College (MO), Nebraska College of Medicine, residency in Radiology, U. Nebraska Medical Center. Practiced in Kearney, Nebraska 27 years.

I have worked rarely with greedy doctors and greedy hospital administrators, and incompetent bureaucrats, but mostly I have worked with a lot of magnificent doctors, and worthy administrative types. From this perspective I believe I have insights that escape industry lobbyists, tenured professors, and professional politicians. Today I have no financial ties to health care. I believe I have some solutions that would work, and wish to contribute something back. I want to be heard.

Gene MD from California

I am a 37-year-old Family Practitioner, married, and father of two boys. Currently, I am practicing in Modesto, CA. I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I obtained my B.S. in Biology at University of California at Riverside and my M.D. at Tufts University School of Medicine.

I entered the contest because I have witnessed, first hand, the rapid degeneration of both the quality and the quantity of health care available in California. Participating allowed me a chance to share some of my ideas and "vent" some of my frustrations.

Demetra from Washington state

Demetra was born in Big Spring, Texas. She joined the US Army in 1980 to become a nurse. Demetra spent the next 20 years in the military working in that capacity as a practical nurse, practical nurse supervisor and as a nursing educator. Demetra has had numerous international assignments, most significantly, 10years in Germany at the renowned Landstuhl Army Medical Center working with combat trauma teams. In 1994 she spent 8 months in the jungles of the Republic of Honduras leading medical teams to remote areas of the country to give immunizations, basic medical and dental care. She retired from the military in 2000, and began working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).

Demetra joined CMS because of her desire to find a way to affect changes in US health care. She has spent the last 3 years learning about United States and global health care, processes and has been tracking the changing regulations that govern these systems. Demetra has applied hands-on and academic knowledge to a BA degree she recently earned in Socio-Economic Systems and Global Health. Her long-term goal is to work in a position that will give her the ability to affect health care policies on a National level. The O’ConnorReport, Build a Better Health Care System contest has afforded her an opportunity to share the framework of her health care policy initiatives with an interested and committed audience.

Joanne from New York

Joanne is a DO. She has a B.A from New York University and Medical Degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. Residency, Internal Medicine Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Chief Medical Resident, 1991. Staff physician at HMO (HIP) for two years, then served as an employed physician for a primary care network owned by a hospital for 3 years. Started solo internal medicine practice in Princeton, NJ in 1998. Developer, and medical director of Health For Life weight management program.

Entered contest due to a career in medicine during the very difficult times of managed care, and dealing first hand with the frustrations of our current system as both a provider and consumer of health care resources. I sincerely care about my profession and my patients, and I feel it is my duty to make a contribution to my professional community for the good of my patients.

Robert and Margaret from Wisconsin

Robert "Bobby", a 1987 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, is the founder and executive director of ABC for Health, a public interest attorney. Bobby has extensive experience representing clients with health care coverage and access issues, particularly health insurance claims denials. He helped to form the public interest law section at the State Bar of Wisconsin and founded the Dane County HealthWatch coalition. He is the Author of The Health Insurance Guidebook and Managed Advocacy in Action. He is also the co-author of Families Forward: Health Care Resource Guide for Children with Special Health Care Needs and Medical Assistance for Children. He is an active participant in policy discussions at the county, state and national level regarding health care coverage and access issues. He is a frequent speaker on health policy, insurance, and managed care issues.

Margaret is a second-year student at the University of Wisconsin Law School and is working at ABC for Health through a grant from the UW Public Interest Law Foundation. Prior to starting law school, she worked in Washington, D.C. as a press aide to then-Secretary Donna Shalala at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she spent significant time on issues of health care access, particularly for children.

As a non-profit public interest law firm, our organization is dedicated to linking children and families, particularly those with special health care needs, to health care benefits and services. Our mission is to provide the information, advocacy tools, legal services and expert support needed to obtain, maintain and finance health care coverage and services. We entered this contest because it is all too clear that a system that leaves 40 million people uninsured and millions of others underinsured is in need of reforming. Our proposal builds upon our experience as advocates on the front lines of this country’s health care crisis. Our commitment to the uninsured in Wisconsin has taught us valuable lessons that we applied in building this pathway to universal

A. Lloyd M.D. from Utah

I was raised on a dairy farm and in the latter years of high school concluded that a farm life was not for me but was inclined to study medicine. The plans made then resulted in a degree in Medicine from the University of Utah 1961. A military rotating internship was granted at Brooke General Hospital in San Antonio, Texas followed by three years as a general medical officer for the USAF. This was followed by a general practice in a rural Idaho community 1965. While there, experiences raised an acute awareness of how economic incentive for physicians and lack of financial accountability (brought on by increased third-party payment) for patient or physician, impacted medical care utilization. Considerable contemplation on methods to alter the incentives for all resulted in the basics of the Choice-Card concept. This idea was discussed with colleagues in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Utah, where I held an appointment as a clinical instructor in family medicine. It was suggested that a fellowship to pursue this idea be accepted and a Master of Science in Public Health (health services research track) was awarded,1986. The thesis topic was the proposed financing concept. Following this degree 12 years was spent as Medical Director of Utah Peer Review Organization. This acquainted me with the fallacy of a regulatory approach to medical cost and utilization issues.

Joseph MD and Vatsal MD from Tennessee

Joseph. was born in St. Louis, MO. After high school, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on scholarship for the swimming and diving team and later won the Atlantic Coast Conference Diving Championship. Joe earned a B.S. in Biology at UNC and went on to earn his M.D. from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was here that he led his peers twice as Class President.. He moved on to Vanderbilt University in Nashville to train in internal medicine, where he was inducted to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and served as a Hugh J. Morgan Chief Resident of Internal Medicine. During residency a long-time interest in public policy and government matured into a keen fascination with health care policy. He pursues this passion as a member of the Governing Council of the Residents and Fellows Section of the American Medical Association. As of July 1, 2003, Joseph has returned to St. Louis, Missouri to further his training as a clinical fellow in cardiology at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. For leisure, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing soccer, running and St. Louis Cardinals baseball!

Vatsal M.D. is the son of Indian immigrants who attended high school, college and medical school in Tennessee. He recently finished a psychiatry residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which included service as chief resident. After graduation he has stayed on the faculty as the medical director for the Vanderbilt Mental Health Center. He is active in public policy as it relates to the field of medicine and has interfaced with the state legislature in Tennessee on this issue. Earlier this year, he was the only regional finalist from Tennessee for the prestigious White House Fellowship. In addition, Vatsal has been very active in the arts: In 2001, he wrote and directed an hour-long film about one man's struggle with posttraumatic stress disorder and over the past several years has had several photographic exhibits displayed locally.

We entered this contest for one primary reason. We believe that American health care has more potential than any health care system in the world. Yet delivery of American health care sadly lags behind our scientific knowledge and technical potential. This fact is no mystery, yet many problems remain. So why this discrepancy? We feel certain of one reason: clinicians are largely uninvolved in macroscopic health care decisions. The system we construct to care for all our patients must be based on the care we give individual patients. We also feel that too much power has been taken from the physician-patient relationship and given to special interests. Naturally, then, physicians must be more involved in shaping the future of our country's health care and we intend to lead by example.

Judy from Oregon

I received my high school education, and then one year later I married. I spent the next 20+ years at home raising a family. I applied for a job and was hired at an insurance company, when my son went away to the Air Force Academy and while my daughter was still in high school. I started in Micro-film, did some data entry, and worked in the Mail Room. Now 20 years later with the same company, I am an Events Coordinator. My son is an f-15 pilot in the Air Force and my daughter is a purchasing agent for a major airline.

When I first saw the article about the contest, it was the $10,000 prize that caught my attention. Ideas about making healthcare available to everyone began to come to mind and I felt they had possibilities. It wasn't long before I knew I had to enter the contest. Making time to complete my submission was a real challenge, and it came right down to a deadline finish. I had to get it sent off and I did! After sending in my entry there was time to reflect on why it was so important to me. I realized part of the reason I entered was because my own daughter has health problems and is facing financial crisis due to a lack of sufficient insurance coverage.

Nancy from California

I am a native Southern Californian who graduated with a B.A. degree in Mathematics from the University of California, Irvine. After graduation I worked for 25 years in the insurance industry. The first 6 years in Life/Health Management with State Farm Insurance Companies and the last 19 years as an owner of a State Farm Insurance Agency, where I I managed a small business and sold all lines of insurance, including health, disability, and long-term care products. I retired 4 years ago due to health reasons and am currently on Medicare and SSDI. I have been entrenched in our healthcare system for my own healthcare needs for the past 14 years, and have experienced the steady decline in our healthcare system and services.

I entered this contest because I felt I had a unique background of experience in the healthcare arena. I know how our system affects business owners and employees; I understand the world of health and disability insurance; and I know from first hand experience the real problems that exist within our current system, especially within the Medicare system.

The Arizona State University Student Team

My name is George. I am a fourth year Pharm.D student at the University of Arizona. I have not decided what area of pharmacy I want to practice in yet. I enjoy taking apart classic cars and brewing beer in my spare time.

Theresa is currently starting her third professional year at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. With her efforts she hopes to improve the quality of health care of those in her community by working as a pharmacist, community volunteer, and vital member of the health care team. As a mother of three children, preventative health care is a primary focus. How can we hope to have a healthy society if we do not put effort into strengthening, nourishing, and caring for ourselves? After graduation, she hopes to help others improve the quality of their health by proper utilization of prescription, nonprescription medications, and disease-state counseling.

Erin is a PharmD Candidate, 2004 I am currently a pharmacy student at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. I plan to pursue a clinical residency that additionally focuses on teaching. I feel strongly that health care practitioners must be patient advocates and my hope is to pass that attitude along to many of my peers and future students. My group's involvement in this contest will simply add another layer to the myriad of ideas regarding solutions for the healthcare crisis currently affecting our country.

The success of this contest will occur when many of these thoughts are woven together into a long-term plan that will be acceptable to the many parties involved. The success for all of the contests' entrants has been engaging citizens of our country in an awareness of their need to be involved in the betterment of our system at whatever level they are capable of participating.

Newton is a PhD student in Materials Science Engineering, Arizona State University

I got interested in this contest because one of my relatives suffers from leukemia. Our entire family has witnessed his ordeals, both due to the disease, and also due to America's health care system. I have traveled extensively throughout the world, and can honestly say America has the worst health care system out of the 30+ countries I have visited. I entered this contest in hopes of making a difference, and improving this great nation of ours.

Roxanne, Kristina and Mary Jo from Washington state

Roxanne, a Physical Therapist, has 30 years of experience as a clinician, manager and clinical business systems analyst. She has an abiding interest in treatment protocols based on evidence, standardized approaches to disease management, and systems that enable the delivery of the right care in the right place at the right time. Roxanne currently works at a large home health and hospice agency in the Pacific Northwest.

Kristina MPA, BSN works as a clinical analyst for a Home Health and Hospice organization. Within that field, she has had 25 years experience as a visiting RN, a manager of business operations and in contract management. Kris currently designs, implements and supports the electronic medical record application for Group Health Cooperative's Home Health and Hospice Program.

Mary Jo MPA, RN has worked over 20 years as an RN within a variety of care settings including hospitals, nursing homes, home health and ambulatory settings. She currently works in healthcare technology for a large regional healthcare organization in Washington State, integrating care delivery, health plan and information systems.

We have worked together in healthcare for over 15 years. Throughout that time, we have debated and discussed the numerous ethical, economic and quality challenges of our national health care system. Entering this contest gave us an opportunity to research systems in other countries and design a system that we believe solves the most important problems. It is a system that we would like to advocate for, work for and receive health care from.

Student Team from New York University in New York State

Afua is in her second year as the Coordinating Manager of the Department of Surgery at the Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY where she manages the staff and patient flow in the Operating Room, Anesthesia and the Ambulatory/Pre-Procedure Units. Acting as an ombudsman between patients and medical staff, Afua actively sits on Operating Room Committee, Oncology Committee, Tumor Board and Cancer Monitoring Committee. The Department of Surgery, one of the largest in the division of Clinical Operations, operates in tandem with Pediatrics, Women's Health, Radiology, Pathology, Management Information Systems, and several other functions requiring the services of the hospital's surgeons. She also facilitates relationships with the department and other healthcare facilities throughout North Brooklyn.

Afua is also responsible for aggregating Operating Room performance data, provider performance data as well as maintaining detailed records of the patient flow in an out of the clinics and throughout the in-patient units. It is also the responsibility of the manager to organize ancillary programs and operate necessary committees such as National Cancer Survivor's Day (June 1), Coordinating Manager's Consortium and Woman-to-Woman and Man-to-Man workshops.

Afua graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in English Literature and Language in June 2001. As a student Afua worked as the Programming Coordinator at the university's prestigious Women's Center and established the first mentor program for undergraduate women of color. In her senior year her work with the mentor program helped create the first women's leadership conference for women of color at the university which focused on issues pertinent to women at the college level such as career planning, leadership opportunities, and personal healthcare incentives in association with Student Health.

Afua returned to her native Brooklyn neighborhood to work at Woodull where she enjoys actively participating in the advancement of quality healthcare accessibility. Afua is a firm supporter of Cancer research initiatives after having lost her own father to the disease many years ago. Through her initiatives at the hospital, volunteerism, fund-raising and outreach, Afua has helped establish Woodhull as a Cancer-patient friendly facility. The hospital was the first in its network (the largest in the country) to celebrate National Cancer Survivor's Day- setting a precedence for the entire network.

Afua is committed to increasing quality care and developing relationships between providers and patients in her community, the second poorest congressional district in the nation. She is devoted to working with her local politicians and community board members to ensure that the hospital receives adequate funding and general support from the community it serves. Afua also sits on the Leadership Organization Committee, a local committee dedicated to increasing neighborhood residents' awareness of services available to t he community. Last year, Woodhull Medical Center was rated number three in the nation by the Joint Commission of the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations,

Afua is proud to be a part of such a strong dedicated team.

Jessica is an Information Technology (IT) specialist for a small consulting firm, Crossfire Consulting Corporation, of which she was a founding partner. For the past three years, Jessica has provided IT-based solutions for both healthcare and telecommunications companies. Responsibilities in healthcare included working with teams of lobbyists in Washington DC to ensure clients were appraised of all HIPAA regulations and completely prepared for compliance, the development of marketing plans for clients looking to sell HIPAA services, and the implementation of networks well-suited to the new healthcare landscape. Jessica’s reputation as an honest and creative consultant stems from her ability to leverage a client’s existing resources towards a solution which concurrently achieves customer requirements and saves unnecessary costs.

Prior to her work as an IT consultant, Jessica was a Molecular Biologist, determining the effect of Estrogen on Alzheimer’s disease, at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Research Center in San Diego.

Jessica graduated with a B.A. in Molecular Biology from Colgate University in 1998. While completing her B.A., she worked in a laboratory researching the effects of a cellular transcription in yeast. Her work for this research was subsequently published and patents for the vectors she created are pending. Last fall, she began an M.B.A. in Marketing/Information Systems at the Leonard Stern School of Business at New York University. She expects to complete her masters in September 2005.

Jessica’s initial interest in the American healthcare system stemmed from her volunteer work with the elderly, a commitment that has spanned the past ten years. Additionally, through her involvement in both research and healthcare consulting, her eyes have been opened to many of the inequities and inefficiencies that plague the industry and prevent the delivery of quality care. She hopes that her involvement in this contest will help to stimulate ideas that could ultimately contribute to bettering the existing healthcare system.

Anastasia is beginning her third year as a full-time business analyst for AmeriChoice, the Medicaid HMO division of United Health Group. During her tenure in managed care, she has functioned as an analyst for finance, health services, disease management, medical economics, provider relations, and network management. She has built data systems to improve efficiency and quality of case management of high risk pregnancies, asthmatics, diabetics, hypertensives, and persons with congestive heart failure. These systems are credited to have prevented thousands of hospital admissions, reduced delay for services from 1 month to the same day, reduced detained babies by 50%, and saved over a million dollars. She directs and assures quality of rate configuration and payment data transfer between legacy and new claims processing systems. She is currently managing the transition of United Healthcare's government services provider network to AmeriChoice's license in the Upstate New York, Downstate New York, and Rhode Island markets.

Anastasia is a National Merit Scholar who graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University from Virginia in June 2001. While completing her B.A., she acted as a Project Manager for the Center for Survey Research in Charlottesville, VA. Her senior year she conducted independent research and wrote a thesis on the profitability of biotechnology-pharmaceutical alliances. Last fall, she began an M.B.A. in Management/Organizational Behavior at the Leonard Stern School of Business at New York University in Fall 2002. She expects to complete her masters in January 2005.

Anastasia has a deep personal interest in the betterment of the American healthcare system. She is an insulin-dependent diabetic who regularly fundraises for the American Diabetes Association. She is also currently completing a pro-bono consulting project for the Make-A-Wish Foundation designed to increase their outreach and support in minority communities across the country. She hopes that through her professional, educational, volunteer, and other personal efforts she can help to affect improvement in the American healthcare system, particularly through greater emphasis on preventive care and by creating access to quality care for underserved citizens.

Terry from Washington State

Terry is the President of Medical Management and Marketing, a Vancouver, Washington consulting firm with a primary interest in the development of new health care markets and services. Previously, he served for four years as the Executive Director of Medical Associates of Yakima, a “group without walls” with 11 clinic locations in the Yakima Valley. His prior experiences include serving as a Director and President of Med-Search, Inc., a California public company that acquired and managed medical practices and IPA (Independent Practice Associations). From 1987, until the firm was acquired by Med-Search in 1998, he was president of Interstate Care Systems, a company that developed and managed PPOs and PPO Benefits plans. From 1984-1987, Terry was the President of Preferred Health Network of California, a statewide physician-hospital joint venture. His early career included several years as a medical systems analyst that eventually led to a position as manager of a Medical Group Practice in the San Francisco Bay area. Terry has a BA in Economics and an MBA in Health care Management and is a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives.

Ivan from Colorado

Ivan is a psychologist in private practice in Boulder, Colorado, has a diverse background in health care reform. He spent 15 years working in the public mental health system; promotes working outside of managed care in his role as President of the Boulder Psychotherapists Guild, Inc., a group of 72 psychotherapists; has advocated for reform as past Executive Director of the National Coalition of Mental Health Professionals and Consumers, Inc.; is a consumer advocate in his role as Chair of the Board of the Colorado Patient Advocate, which helps consumers resolve problems with managed care; and active in psychology as the Chair of the American Psychological Association Interdivisional Task Force on Managed Care and Health Policy. His work has included an examination of health care economics, and while on an American Psychological Association committee, writing guidelines for evaluating evidence based medicine. As a result of this diverse overview of health care, he has become convinced that a new model is needed to solve the problems in the health care systems in the United States.

Wayne M. Div., MBA, SPHR from Georgia
Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP)

Wayne received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Asbury College in 1971 and a Master of Divinity from Emory University in 1974. He completed a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Georgia in 1985 with an emphasis in Strategic Planning and Human Resource Management. In January of 1997 Wayne completed his graduate studies in financial planning from Colorado’s renown College of Financial Planning and is currently a Professional Financial Planner.

After eight years in corporate management with RJR Nabisco, Wayne returned to his home town of Columbus, Georgia, in 1987 to direct the Financial Counseling Program and the Employee Assistance Program of a large mental health complex (Bradley Center/Pastoral Institute).

He is currently Director of the Business Resource Center, which provides employee assistance services, financial counseling services, management training and development services, and organizational planning and development services to more than 125 organizations in the Columbus area.

In 1998, Wayne helped organize and then served as the director of the Center for Servant Leadership, an initiative by area organizations and institutions to develop the attitude and skills of servant leadership within young people, managers, professionals and community leaders.

On January 01, 2000 Wayne helped launch House of Heroes, a joint initiative by the Congress of the United States, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Society for Human Resource Management, the Department of Defense, Department of Veteran Affairs and Hands On/City Cares of America. House of Heroes honors military and public safety veterans and/or their spouses with a personal and practical expression of gratitude for their services to their country.

For the last 22 years, Wayne has been involved in healthcare issues. He spent eight years (1979 – 1987) with R.J.R. Nabisco as a purchaser of healthcare. From 1987 to the present (15 years) he has been involved with purchasers, providers, payors, legislators, patients and relatives of healthcare. In 1996, he was selected to serve as Legislative Chair for the Georgia Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and became a Key Contact for SHRM’s National Legislative Committee. In January 2000, he was invited to serve as a member of the National Legislative Committee and has focused on local and national healthcare issues and legislation.

Wayne is married to Frances Sue Brown of Columbus. Frances Sue holds a Masters Degree in Counseling from Georgia State University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor at Columbus Psychological Associates. They have three young adult children.

Karen MD from Illinois

I grew up the middle of five children in a conservative farm family in the rural southeastern Illinois community of Palestine (pop. 1300) and developed a strong sense of work ethic at an early age on the farm. I earned a B.S. in Medical Technology in 1985 from Eastern Illinois University and worked at a local hospital lab before matriculating into the University of Illinois for my deeper desire—a career in Medicine. Family Practice residency followed at Community Hospitals of Indianapolis, and upon completion in 1996, I came back to my hometown to practice. Through a joint effort of the local hospital and the townspeople, a brick facility was completed. Over the next three years, I transitioned into a solo, private family practice. Seven years into practice, I have been gratified and honored for my hometown people to entrust their healthcare to me. I’ve practice all of the aspects of rural family practice, including pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatrics, and everything in between. I have been married to another Palestine native, David, for 14 years, and we have two children, Lucas (11), and Allie (9). Besides family time, I enjoy travel and gardening. I was honored last year with the “Hometown Pride Special Recognition” award by the local Chamber of Commerce. I serve on the Crawford County Health Board and have been active with the American Medical Association and Illinois State Medical Society, serving as county delegate. While working at a local level on patient advocacy issues, I also have attended the AMA’s Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C., and President Bush’s address on Medicare and malpractice reform in Chicago earlier this year. I believe real healthcare reform will only come about with grassroots efforts and the desire for our nation’s leaders to do the right thing.

Our democratic nation is at a breaking point. Whether it’s war, the economy, crime, immorality, bi-partisan fights, education problems, national debt, or unemployment, we are losing the battle on many fronts. Part of this is due to apathy, misusage of power, greed, and the rest may be due to lack of understanding of the fundamental problems of our Nation. This also applies to our Healthcare Crisis. While it has been personally therapeutic for me to be a part of the contest, I believe we all have an altruistic nature to effect change in our Society, if only we exercise it! Medicine is my Lifeblood, and the healthcare crisis directly affects me daily, yet more broadly—all Americans, whether it be as consumer of healthcare or taxpayer (or both). Lack of access to healthcare is real, yet until one is directly affected, no one cares. As a primary care physician, trying to make it on my own, the analogy would be that I am fighting a seemingly hopeless, disjointed war. I am on the front-line on a daily basis and have a deep understanding of not only the health care problems, but some of the solutions, as well; however, each of the players have separate agendas, no one is working together, making it impossible to win the war. I have been consumed by the Health Care Crisis on a daily basis, but I must do my part as an American. Call me disturbed or frustrated, to say the least. Being on the front-line of things, I am battle-fatigued by now and not expecting reinforcements to ever make it, but I only have myself to blame if I do not give it a good fight. To me, the contest is another avenue of fighting. As more time goes by, I believe I could die (i.e. – go out of business or even leave practice) waiting for the reinforcements, but I keep telling myself it will not be without cause. The Health Care Crisis is fixable but cannot be done by government alone. The realistic solution may be painful for some, but “Think Tanks” of all the players must be formed immediately to win this war. Hopefully, this contest will have the desired effect on our government; that is, to tackle the problem by suggesting that there may actually be some natural resources we can tap into—the People of our great Nation! I would be proud to be a part of the solution.

Benjamin from Washington DC

Benjamin is a Senior Manager at Academy Health in Washington DC, having joined the organization in May 1997. He works primarily on The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Coverage Initiatives programs, assisting state officials in developing and implementing strategies to expand health insurance coverage through public programs and public/private partnerships. He has authored technical assistance products focusing on coverage programs for low-income families and disease management programs. He has also worked with states developing premium assistance programs to support employer-based health care coverage for low-income workers. Prior to joining AcademyHealth, he worked as a researcher at the National Rehabilitation Hospital Research Center where he analyzed the impact of managed care on post-acute providers and the consolidation of the rehabilitation hospital industry through mergers and acquisitions. Prior to that he worked as an analyst in the Business Development Office of the University of California at San Diego Medical Center. Benjamin is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he received a Master’s Degree in Public Policy with an emphasis in health care policy.

Frank from Spokane, WA

Born in Spokane, WA., 1927. My father was an attorney, newspaper publisher, and judge. He was very active in civic and political affairs, which inspired me to become involved in helping others. I was educated in elementary and high schools in Spokane, leading to Eastern Washington University, which resulted in a BA in education and a BA in liberal arts. After three years as an eighth-grade teacher, I applied and was hired to teach English and Latin at Shadle Park High School in Spokane. In 1963 I was elected president of the Inland Empire English Association and directed a successful spring workshop in English Communications. Because of this success, I was promoted to be the chair of the high school's English and Foreign Languages Department. As chair I was able to install the humanities block of inter-disciplinary studies for the sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The latter students received a full quarter of college credits at regional colleges on my recommendation alone. This humanities program became known nationally, and became a model for a number of other schools. Also, during my tenure I introduced more foreign languages into the curriculum, which totaled seven--unheard of in Spokane.

On top of all this, I was able to be married to a great woman, Adonna, who also was a teacher and a support for my many activities, such as football, baseball, and tennis coach, president of WA. State English teachers, president of our Eastern WA. Lay Council, and the 5th Legislative District Leader. Somewhere in between all this, I earned a Masters' Degree in Administration at Gonzaga University in 1963-64, and received Gonzaga's Distinguished Alumni Merit Award in 1979. I retired from high school teaching in 1982 to run for public offices at the state and city level, which did not prove successful. I was then hired by Catholic Charities for one year to decentralize the operation in the twelve Eastern WA. counties. I completed this task by establishing several outreach centers to deliver social services to the needy.

My next adventure was teaching in the region's colleges and universities. I was part-time instructor in English at Eastern WA University and at Gonzaga University, linguistics and the history of the English Language at Whitworth college, and the Philosophy of Religion at our Community College. I was able to handle these advanced subjects because of several years of summer grants from the University of Washington, University of Oregon, Great Falls College of Montana, Whitworth College, and Indiana University.

Honey in the Mouth, 1995, a 400-page book, is a book of daily meditations for a whole year that I edited and published from the works of Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). Several of my articles have been printed in various newspapers, journals, and books, on religion, politics, land use, and healthcare. I wrote out by hand the 20-page proposal on "Medicare for All" for the Kathleen O'Connor healthcare contest, because after my recent aneurysm I have been unable to type. My current project is to hold a "River Forum" at Gonzaga University Law School to inform the public and to transmit public reaction to our State Department of Ecology concerning the pollution-cleanup of the Spokane River. At 75 years of age, I am still trying to help others.

The Rollins School of Public Health Team, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

The team from the Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) came together to begin work on this project shortly after matriculating in the Master’s Public Health (MPH) Program of the Health Policy and Management (HPM) Department.

Keri grew up near Orlando, Florida, and attended Winter Park High School. Prior to beginning work on her MPH, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Marketing) from the University of Central Florida in 1996 followed by a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology in 1998 from the same university. Her work in the health field during the past decade has resulted in her being published in peer-reviewed journals and in a textbook. She was recently honored by being selected for an internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsored by the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH). As she finishes her MPH, Keri is concurrently enrolled in the Georgia State School of Law as part of the class of 2006.

Bina was born in Zambia and lived there until she was ten, when her family settled in Florida. Although she identifies both Jacksonville and Port Orange as home, she graduated from Spruce Creek High School. In 1997, Bina earned a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science Education from the University of Florida. Before beginning her MPH, she did advocacy and program development for the Women’s Center of Jacksonville. After graduation, Bina hopes to pursue her career in public health policy in Washington, D.C.

Marissa grew up in Lakewood, New Jersey, and graduated from Lakewood High School. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Society from the University of Rochester in 2001. She is a former Capitol Hill intern, having worked with both Ted Strickland (D-OH) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) during 1999. Like Keri, Marissa was also recently selected for an ASPH internship at the CDC; she continues to work at the CDC during the academic year. Marissa is the HPM Department Student/Faculty Representative and a weekly volunteer at the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta.

Erik hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and graduated from the Albuquerque Academy. He attended the University of New Mexico, where he earned a dual Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology in 2000 and a Master’s degree in Public Administration in 2002. In addition to his position as President of the Rollin School of Public Health (RSPH) chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Erik hold two jobs: he is a graduate assistant for the Career MPH program at RSPH and has budgetary and administrative duties at the Veterans Integrated Service Network Seven of the Veterans’ Administration (VA) Hospital System.

Copyright
Kathleen O’Connor
August 8, 2003

Back to top