[Fwd: Re: Re: sicko and residents]

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Sorry, meant to send this to the whole list.Tim---------------------------- Re: Re:

sicko and residents From: " Malia, MD " Date: Fri, July

20, 2007 9:18 am To: doctorkj@... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perception is important. And, I

dare say, it's a big part of the hassles the USA makes for itself around the

world. Cuba's government is great at self-promotion. Just the fact that the

Cuban system could get the workers some care and those US citizens feel stuck

in our giant, expensive system suggests something is broken in our system.No one can argue that Cuba's economy is strong; it's not. And, at the

same time, I would argue that for its economic weakness, what it has done for

healthcare for its people, and people all over Latin America, is simply

remarkable. I can tell you that my experience in Bolivia (my wife's native

country) is that the health care system there has benefited from its

relationship with Cuba more than with the USA. More docs have been trained in

Cuba, more docs visit from Cuba, whole wings of the pediatric hospital were

funded by Cuba, etc. The " perception " of the Bolivian

populace is that Cuba helps a lot more than the USA, and that if the USA helps

it is always with strings attached and ultimately for the benefit of Americans

more than Bolivians. Whether those perceptions are true or not is another

question. But they do affect international relations and government

decisions.Finally.... my point is that Sicko is a perspective of

Mr. and reflects some truths. Perhaps some of those " reflections " are mis-shapen, but they still reflect something about our

system. Any arguments against Mr. 's ideas will be equally true and false

at the same time. And that would include the perspectives of Cuban immigrants

-- they'll reflect some truth for sure, but they are not the whole story.I don't think it's important that everyone starts thinking like .

I'd prefer not to talk about the movie, its merits and opinions about .

But I do think we should encourage people to talk about health care as an

issue and the problems in our system we should be improving....

Then perhaps the perception of doctors and the health care system will be a

bit more positive, and we can focus on what is really important -- our

patients!Tim> On Fri, July 20, 2007 8:34 am

EDT, K J wrote: > > > So we are finally catching up

with the rest of the > world down here in Southeastern NC, Sicko opens today- > > I have personally already partaken in the online > version myself but will be supporting Mr by > taking our family medicine residents to the movie on > my dime to expose them to

some broader ideas. We > actually have one resident who is from Cuba

and > completed all but the last year of medical school > there

before escaping to the US and completing medical > school again (Now

that is what I call dedication!) he > has some interesting takes on

Mr 's portrayal of > the Cuban system, mainly with the now well

recorded > fact that the 911 folks got creme-de-la-creme >

treatment that 99.9% of Cubans cannot ever dream of. > His statement

to me was " If it was really that great, > why would I have

left. " > > It will be interesting to hear the rest of

the > residents' views, most of who come from solidly >

upper-mid class families. I'll keep you posted. > >

> Wilmington, NC > > > ---

Haresch wrote: > > > OK, Larry. I took your Sicko link (thanks - must not > > be too pirated - > > it's on Google

Video) and watched instead of being a > > good boy and >

> learning my ACLS. > > > > Some of the historical

quotes were pretty > > astonishing to me. But I > >

didn't find a whole lot of new big-picture news for > > anyone who

has > > followed studies of international health status. > > Hopefully, it opens a > > few more eyes. >

> > > I don't think there is yet a critical mass to force > > change. Real pain > > has to move pretty far up the

economic scale for a > > popular movement to > >

override corporate power. Maybe we'll get there in > > the coming

decade? > > > > I essentially agree with all of

's apparent > > conclusions. It just > > seems obvious to me that a medical system can never > > promote health > > when almost all those with power have the overriding > > goal of making > > profit for executives and shareholders. Perhaps > > there is a hybrid > > system that I can't yet imagine. But,

despite > > allowing for the various > > evils of

government systems, the only realistic hope > > I see for an > > overall healthier system is single payer. We can > >

debate that one > > forever in lots of detail, but that's what I think

> > right now. > > > > So where would IMP

fit in single payer? I would > > think, in a similar >

> but improved position. I think that any > >

group/movement/idea that can > > prove better outcomes is more

likely to gain stature > > in a > > health-directed

system than in a > > refuse-to-pay-to-increase-profits system. > > > > When I was considering moving to Canada, the area

> > was starting a new, > > proven program in which several small independent > > practices would > > share

local nurses and health educators that were > > paid for by the

> > provincial health system. That would fit right into > >

my low-overhead > > IMP model! > > > > So

I think the work we are doing now (even if we are > > working with

the > > profit-mongers) would translate right over into a >

> single-payer system, > > if such a thing ever happens here.

> > > > My simple view. > > >

> Haresch > > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________

> Luggage? GPS? Comic books? > Check out fitting gifts for

grads at Yahoo! Search > http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail & p=graduation+gifts & cs=bz > > > >