Wednesday, July 01, 2009

President Obama Talks About Pacemakers

I was one of those who missed the "town hall" meeting aired by ABC on the 24th of June, but was nicely pointed to this video where President Obama speaks about placing pacemakers in 100-year olds by a loyal follower:



The video is remarkable on several fronts.

First, I was impressed with the remarkable footage that suddenly appears of the caretaker with her mother, demonstrating the staged nature of this "spontaneous" town-hall interview. No doubt, this question was asked to reassure our seniors about the choices that will soon be made by Washington.

Second, the number of times the elder woman presented to the Emergency Room for care. We are left wondering, did she have a primary care doctor? What were the other discussions that took place before?

Third, the issue of placing pacers in 100-year olds and the new, proposed reliance on bureaucratic "experts" in Washington that will tell the local doctors what the best course of therapy should be based on "research" (a reference to the 1 billion dollar research boondoggle that is comparative effectiveness research). To think that any research will occur on patients of this age is ridiculous. (I'll let others decide what this means for our elderly).

But this is not to say that we should not make choices in this instance. The issue of "cognitive ability" of the elderly, however, was conveniently dodged, and there was never a discussion about the centurion woman paying for her own pacemaker (seems in this case it would be less than a new car).

But whatever you think, these are choices doctors and patients will have to make head-on in the days of increased pressure on Washington to cut costs. The thought of unknown and poorly-defined "experts" (MedPAC?) making these decisions based on non-existent data, rather than the frank discussions between the doctor and their patients and their families, is what really concerns me.

-Wes

29 comments:

Gary said...

US$35,000? Does that mean they put in a biventricular defib in a 100-year-old?
I would tend to agree with her first EP guy...

Hey, You said...

I thought this line was really funny (paraphrasing Obama near the end):

if we've got experts who are looking at this...and they are advising doctors across the board...then the pacemaker may ultimately save money.

No kiddin'. How much money will that save if every elderly person who technically needs a pacemaker to maintain a normal heart rhythm has one installed? Goodbye, Grandma!

The President also says he wants to meet her mother. And find out what she is eating.

Open comment to Barak: Eat whatever the hell you want. You'll live a whole lot longer if you'll just STOP SMOKING.

Sigh.

Anonymous said...

DA
Mayor
http://articles.philly.com/1999-12-23/news/25479149_1_ed-rendell-ballard-spahr-firm
BallardSpahr
http://www.ballardspahr.com/people/attorneys/rendell_edward.aspx

Two terms as Governor
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/former_pa_gov_ed_rendell_rejoi.html

EdR/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Rendell

Law school scandal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villanova_University_School_of_Law
http://abovethelaw.com/2011/02/villanova-law-school-knowingly-reported-inaccurate-information-to-the-aba/
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/brandywine-to-broad/12789-learning-from-villanova-law-schools-ethical-lapse
http://ballotpedia.org/Ed_Rendell

I did not ever go to board meetings. C'mon get real.
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/06/19/former-gov-rendell-psu-board-wasnt-told-about-jerry-sandusky/

https://m.facebook.com/notes/pango-in-usa/former-pennsylvania-governor-ed-rendell-joins-pango-mobile-parking-advisory-boar/289160807781941/
http://www.american-securities.com/team/edward-g-rendell/
http://www.brookings.edu/about/media-relations/news-releases/2011/0125-rendell
http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/04/22/former-ed-rendell-aide-joins-kathleen-kanes-office/
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/kathleen_kane_rendell_charges.html
http://articles.philly.com/2015-08-12/news/65456642_1_sestak-2008-pennsylvania-presidential-primary-rendell
"J, just wait a little while longer. We've got her on parsing. Public doesn't like parsing. It's an ugly word."
Look, E, we couldn't trust her with Iraq, so I took it. Couldn't trust her with Ukraine. We got her on L."
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/08/18/ed_rendell_hillary_clinton_is_basically_telling_the_truth.html

Marjorie Rendell Federal Appeals Court
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Rendell
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/cityhall/Gov_Rendell_Splits_With_Wife_After_40_Years_Of_Marriage.html

"I think we have to go with a republican appointee."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Curtis_Joyner

School test scores/cheating scandal
http://citypaper.net/cover/how-pennsylshyvania-schools-erased-a-cheating-scandal/
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/rendell-dismisses-cheating-link-to-test-scores-1.1378081
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/centre-square/43432-impact-of-philly-test-cheating-will-be-felt-for-years

Radiology test cheating. Interesting "cheater"; seems too well coached?
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/13/health/prescription-for-cheating/

SAT Test taker for hire.
http://nypost.com/2011/12/30/sat-taker-for-hire-tells-60-minutes-it-was-easy-to-cheat/

MrBurger said...

more$@coi.findjudgewhois.epitomeoftrust&fairness@random.gov

abim@langdonetal,saidcantletthisonegetawayfromus.needabenchwecantrust
overstayedwelcome@PA.gov.toorisky2getcaughtmanipulatinglegalsystem
involving.same©issue.@needmorefavors2win.com
judgejoynerupset.gov.R.pissed.buryit.ballardspahroverbilledabim

trynj@abr.clinton.friendsR.us.org
*KatS.HAR.appointedbyBill.C.1997 Seniorstatus upto15%cases whyme.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Sweeney_Hayden

*KSA@1stamendmentrights4lawyersetc@TORAHCAFEcallingjudgeawitch.ok.but...
defendingmorallyquestionableclients@tobacco.etc2009

http://www.torahcafe.com/honorable-katharine-sweeney-hayden/free-speech-video_21191bc34.html

NJtrialquestions?abimpledge@PA&PR?whytry@NJct.?
forum/jurisdictiongrantedfrom20-30emails@NJ.Wrongruling.
ABRsettled.cantcollecttwice@related.dotheyknow.facts

*MeetJoH.
http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2008/08/meet_joe_hayden_hoboken_reside.html

*JoH DNC RulesCommittee@Clinton2008
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/NJ-D.phtml

*JH@follow.money.com
http://www.city-data.com/elec2/10/elec-HOBOKEN-NJ-10.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Menendez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adler

*CKC@PCAST4/27/2009
http://www.abim.org/news/christine-cassel-science-technology-advisory-council.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_President%27s_Council_of_Advisors_on_Science_and_Technology

Perry,theyhaveoversteppedagain&worse
obviousmanipulation?or.does.Kat.not.understand.abim.org

.toobig4us.wait2see.
thencallMRburger@grasslee.fincom.fraud.irsrecovery.oig.waste.who2trus
t.org

PRvsAbim.willchallengeall
cld.use.wes.pacemaker@info.data.org

Bb@Matrix.gbl.gbl said...

What about Bob and the Borg?

Devouring its way through the galaxy of hospitals and known universe.

Bob's stock and comp. 210,000 per year plus, plu options total stock = over 378K
Wachter negotiated a higher board salary, because of university 20% share or he is that influential in the hospitalist movement to help devour the pieces he built=1193125-15-335507
http://investors.hospitalist.com/releases.cfm
http://investors.hospitalist.com/r.
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingIDeleasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=925511
http://investors.hospitalist.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=934703
http://investors.hospitalist.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=932762
http://investors.hospitalist.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=919253
etc. wow, wow, wow

*SEC filings
http://investors.hospitalist.com/sec.cfm
*Merger proxy stock Wachter
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1193125-15-344763
*two executive comp. over 8mil
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1193125-15-335507
*Better together merger
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1193125-15-335507

*Isn't it a little bit funny? I hope you don't mind
while I serve at the ABIM and...IPC
whoops, was I supposed to file these measly shares, late Jeff Cardon, CEO Wasatch
Cardon manages the Wasatch small cap fund. He stepped down from the CEO. commission from Wasatch, probably Cardon has had other financial compensation from IPC
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=814133-15-52

History of Hospitalist
http://www.turner-white.com/pdf/hp_may02_hospitalist.pdf

*Society of Hospital Medicine Citizen audit 990's
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:0S8hHma75YkJ:https://www.citizenaudit.org/233057353/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
*SHM website
http://www.hospitalmedicine.org/?gclid=CMKdybDWxsgCFYI8gQodxa0Mzw

http://hospital.medicine.duke.edu/
https://www.agilemd.com/partners/ucsf-hospitalist-handbook

Sec co said...

It's not a conflict, even if...I disclosed it. It's on my website for god's sake!
The vague link is...
Yes, I, was advising them before I was advising them but....
http://investors.hospitalist.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=782081

Stock and options 2013
Aug5,2013 first shares A for Bob
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1181431-13-42874
Aug5,2013 stmt. No shares owned
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1181431-13-43445
Jan3,2014 annual stock/options
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1181431-14-1035
Jan5,2015 annual stock/options
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1410471-15-17

Aug.2013, curious. Who is Whitehall Trust and Emerald Isle Trust? CEO Signer 2008 A and D 12 months rule on D.
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1181431-13-43445

shd v bn a cantor said...

It's our anniversary of first shares acquired. Champaign guys. Its on me. The father should bless the baby n kiss the bride.
Shares of IPCM leap on merger announcement. Bb options to buy @ 50's. Acquisition price ^80
http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=IPCM+Interactive#{"range":"3mo","allowChartStacking":true}

shd v bn a rb.clm said...

ABIM warns of scam cert. bds circa 2008 and 2009
scam-certification-boards

coprporate press releases w/o date. sometimes they disappear w/o a trace

surgeon General warns of phony cert. bds.
http://www.abim.org/news/news/Bogus-Medical-Board-Certification-Scam.aspx

Bb & C# most influential med pol. in America (choose wisely most important...yadayada since Lincoln made grand rounds at Gettysburg
http://www.abim.org/news/cassel-wachter-named-to-modern-healthcare-list-of-most-influential-physician-executives.aspx

Watch Out Says Bb 4 phony sht
http://www.the-hospitalist.org/article/watch-out-for-phony-board-certification-offers/

Anonymous said...

IPC Annual Board Meeting (control F )Robert Wachter. ABIM ABIMF Bio

http://www.envisionreports.com/ipcm/2015/14614AP15E/7cc7c02d33a6405cba94cb2f85b15e14/IPC_Healthcare_PS_04-21-15_secured.pdf


Whitehall Trust; Holding co. for shares of IPC, etc Ruling year 1987, Florida
IPC CEO Signer is Trustee
http://www.envisionreports.com/ipcm/2015/14614AP15E/7cc7c02d33a6405cba94cb2f85b15e14/IPC_Healthcare_PS_04-21-15_secured.pdf

Adam Signer CEO IPC LIVING TRUST Sole Member, ADS-IPC LLC Sole Member
(1) The sale reported in this Form 4 were effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on June 9, 2009.
(2) Shares held by IPC Living Trust of which Adam D. Singer, M.D. is the sole beneficiary and sole trustee.
(3) Shares held by ADS-IPC LLC of which Adam D. Singer, M.D. is the sole member.
(4) Shares held by Emerald Isle Trust of which Adam D. Singer, M.D. is trustee.
(5) Shares held by Whitehall Trust of which Adam D. Singer, M.D. is trustee.
 /s/ Fernando Sarria, attorney-in-fact 8/6/09
 ** Signature of Reporting Person Date
http://www.secinfo.com/d141Nx.s15ft.htm

Adam Signer, CEO, appears to be on scheduled IPCstock sales @mkt price and automatic share acquisition at 0 (Bob has to pay for mkt price for his. Will Bob be acquired by acquiring co for his further expertise?
http://www.streetinsider.com/SEC+Filings/Form+4+IPC+Healthcare,+Inc.+For%3A+Mar+06+Filed+by%3A+Singer+Adam+D+MD/10359962.html

Signer 2008 A & D ditto
http://investors.hospitalist.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1181431-08-43904
Signer 2008 A & D ditto share price was $17. Now@ $80
http://apps.shareholder.com/sec/viewerContent.aspx?companyid=HOSP&docid=6052917&print=yes
Signer 2009 A & D
http://www.insidercow.com/forms/2009052/0001181431-09-028495.xml
2012 price $44
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1424032/000118143113016451/0001181431-13-016451.txt

Anonymous said...

Adam Signer, MD - Bloomberg News

"Dr. Adam D. Singer, M.D. serves as the President at InPatient Hospitalist Healthcare Services of New York, P.C. Dr. Singer co-founded IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc. in 1995 and has been its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 1995. He also serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at the company. He has been a Director of IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc. since 1995. Dr. Singer served as the Chief Medical Officer at IPC The Hospitalist Company since 2006 and also served as its President. In 1991, Dr. Singer acquired a private practice in pulmonary medicine that shortly thereafter merged with two other pulmonary physicians to become part of Consultants for Lung Disease, Inc. He serves as a Member of the Board of Strategic Advisors at Excel Venture Management. In 1998, Dr. Singer received the Up and Comer award from Modern Healthcare. He performed a Post-Doctoral Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine and a Fellowship in Pulmonary Medicine at University of Southern California. Dr. Singer studied B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1982 and his Medical degree from the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University."


BOARD MEMBERS AFFILIATED WITH Adam D. Singer M.D.*

Adam D. Singer M.D.
Co-Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Member of Quality Committee

Age 53. Total Annual Compensation $543,000 USD

[Is Bloomberg being fed wrong info? He makes over 8 million $ per annum. Or is this Signer's reported board salary! Nevertheless investors/shareholders are being burned.]

R. Jeffrey Taylor
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Mark J. Brooks
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

C. Thomas Smith
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Excel Venture Management
Thomas P. Cooper
Aperture Venture Partners, LLC
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Woodrin Grossman
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Chuck Timpe
CrowdGather, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Francesco Federico
Lakeside Community Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Robert M. Wachter
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Donald J. Southard
Excel Venture Management
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Gregory C. Critchfield
Sera Prognostics, Inc.
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Daniel J. Mitchell
Sequel Venture Partners
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

J. Craig Venter
J. Craig Venter Institute, Inc.
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Joseph Loscalzo
NitroMed, Inc.
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Stanley N. Lapidus
SynapDx Corporation
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Anthony Atala
Regenerative Medicine Foundation
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

George P. Canellos
Excel Venture Management
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

James J. Mongan
Excel Venture Management
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Hamilton O. Smith
Synthetic Genomics, Inc.
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

David C. Kiernan
Synthetic Genomics, Inc.
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Charles S. Lauer
MedAssets, Inc.
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

David G. Fairchild
Excel Venture Management
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

John A. Fallon
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc.
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

James J. Collins
Sample6, Inc.
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Cornelis Terhorst
Excel Venture Management
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Theodor W. Haensch
Excel Venture Management
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Mervyn Turner
HemoShear, LLC
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Jonathan Gruber
Excel Venture Management
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

J. Gideon Searle
Excel Venture Management
Board Affiliations
Excel Venture Management

Anonymous said...

Robert Wachter Bloomberg News Background*

Prof. Robert M. Wachter, M.D. serves as an Editor of AHRQ WebM&M, AHRQ Patient Safety Network and "Quality Grand Rounds,". Prof. Wachter served as Project Director of Making Healthcare Safer. He serves as a National Leader in the field of medical errors and patient safety. He has been an Independent Director at IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc. since August 2013. He has been a Member of Medical Advisory Board at EarlySense Ltd. since July 2012. He served as a Trustee of Salem Hospital and Abim Foundation. He serves as a Member of Medical Advisory Board at CRISI Medical Systems, Inc. He serves as a Member of Advisory Board at PatientSafe Solutions, Inc. (formerly IntelliDOT Corporation). He serves as a Member of Health Advisory Board at QPID, Inc. He served as a Member of Medical Advisory Board at Hoana Medical, Inc. He serves as Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); Chief of the Medical Service at UCSF Medical Center and Associate Chairman of UCSF's department of medicine. He is past president of the Society of Hospital Medicine and past chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is an Author of a recent book on medical errors, Internal Bleeding: The Truth Behind America's Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes. The book has received glowing reviews and is a national bestseller. In 2005, Modern Physician magazine named him one of the 30 most influential physician-executives in the United States. Prof. Wachter received one of the 2004 John M. Eisenberg Awards, the nation's top honor for contributions to the field of patient safety."

Anonymous said...

Robert Wachter, Board Members Memberships* -Source Bloomberg

Trustee
Abim Foundation
2013-Present

Independent Director and Chairman of Quality Committee
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Annual Compensation*
There is no Annual Compensation data available.
Stock Options*
There is no Stock Options data available.
Total Compensation*
Total Annual Cash Compensation $108,000
Total Calculated Compensation $210,526

Education*
There is no Education data available.
Other Affiliations*

Salem Hospital
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.
Abim Foundation
Hoana Medical, Inc.
EarlySense Ltd.
CRISI Medical Systems, Inc
QPID Health, Inc.


Anonymous said...

BOARD MEMBERS AFFILIATED WITH Robert M. Wachter M.D.*

Robert M. Wachter M.D.

Independent Director and Chairman of Quality Committee
Age Total Annual Compensation
56 --

Adam D. Singer
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Mark J. Brooks
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Thomas P. Cooper
Aperture Venture Partners, LLC
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

R. Jeffrey Taylor
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Chuck Timpe
CrowdGather, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

C. Thomas Smith
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Francesco Federico
Lakeside Community Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Woodrin Grossman
IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Board Affiliations
IPC Healthcare, Inc.

Christopher W. Kersey
Camden Partners Holdings, LLC
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Stephen M. Krupa
Psilos Group
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Cayce Denton
TPG Biotech
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Richard A. Norling
Premier Healthcare Alliance, LP
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Sherlyn Hailstone
SSM Health Care - St. Louis, Inc
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

David Westfall Bates
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.
EarlySense Ltd.

Bill Williams
EquipSystems, LLC
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Richard J. Liekweg
BJC Health System, Inc.
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Lawrence Low
EDB Investments Pte. Ltd.
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Dennis Jordan
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Maxwell Kahn
WellDoc, Inc.
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Joseph Condurso
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.
Board Affiliations
PatientSafe Solutions, Inc.

Glenn M. Hackbarth
National Committee For Quality Assurance
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

David H. Johnson
Mirna Therapeutics, Inc.
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

Martin J. Sepulveda
Abim Foundation
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

Wendy S. Levinson
American Board Of Medical Specialties
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

John C. Rother
Abim Foundation
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

Elizabeth A. McGlynn
Kaiser Permanente Inc.
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation [ABIM Chairman Elect]******************

John G. Harold
Abim Foundation
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

Richard J. Baron
Abim Foundation
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation [CEO Pres. ABIM]********************

Donald E. Wesson
Abim Foundation
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

Christine A. Sinsky
Abim Foundation
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

Jackie Judd
Abim Foundation
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

Holly J. Humphrey
Abim Foundation
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

John R. Barr
Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Board Affiliations
EarlySense Ltd.

Mary D. Naylor
Abim Foundation
Board Affiliations
Abim Foundation

G&Bb Empower Us. ACP aka Chis Cassel, AMA aka Chris Cassel, Kaiser aka Chris Cassel, RWJF aka Chris Cassel, AARP aka Chris Cassel, RAND aka Chris Cassel, NIH aka Chris Cassel, CBO aka Chris Cassel, AAFP, USCF aka Chris Cassel, KFHP aka ChristineKCassel,MD aka Bb Wachter, MD said...

Official Blog
Insights from Googlers into our products, technology, and the Google culture

New advisory group on health
June 27, 2007

Posted by Missy Krasner, Product Marketing Manager

Every day, people use Google to learn more about an illness, drug, or treatment, or simply to research a condition or diagnosis. We want to help users make more empowered and informed healthcare decisions, and have been steadily developing our ability to make our search results more medically relevant and more helpful to users.

Although we have some talented people here with extensive backgrounds in health policy and technology, this is an especially complex area. We often seek expertise from outside the company, and health is no exception. We have formed an advisory council, made up of healthcare experts from provider organizations, consumer and disease-based groups, physician organizations, research institutions, policy foundations, and other fields. The mission of the Google Health Advisory Council is broadly to help us better understand the problems consumers and providers face every day and offer feedback on product ideas and development. It's a great privilege for us to work with this esteemed group

Google Health Advisory Council
(Institutions or affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.)

Chairman
Dean Ornish, M.D., Founder and President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Douglas Bell, M.D., Ph.D., Research Scientist, RAND Health, RAND Corporation

Delos M. Cosgrove, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, The Cleveland Clinic

Molly Coye, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Executive Officer, HealthTech

Dan Crippen, Former Congressional Budget Office Director & Reagan White House Assistant

Linda M. Dillman, Executive Vice President, Risk Management, Benefits and Sustainability, Wal-Mart

John Halamka M.D., M.S., Chief Information Officer, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School and Chairman, Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP)

Bernadine Healy M.D., Former head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Health Editor & Columnist, U.S. News & World Report

Bernie Hengesbaugh, Chief Operating Officer, The American Medical Association (AMA)

Douglas E. Henley, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., Executive Vice President, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)

David Kessler, M.D.,Former FDA Commissioner, Vice Chancellor-Medical Affairs & Dean, School of Medicine, UCSF

John Lumpkin M.D, Senior Vice President, Director of Health Care Group, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

John Rother, Group Executive Officer of Policy & Strategy, AARP

Anna-Lisa Silvestre, Vice President, Online Services, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.

Greg Simon, J.D., President, FasterCures

Mark D. Smith, M.D., MBA, President & Chief Executive Officer, The California HealthCare Foundation

Paul Tang, M.D., Internist & Vice President, Chief Medical Information Officer, Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) & Chairman, Board of Directors, American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)

Sharon Terry, M.A., President & Chief Executive Officer, Genetic Alliance

John Tooker, M.D., MBA, F.A.C.P., Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, American College of Physicians (ACP)

Doug Ulman, President, Lance Armstrong Foundation

Robert M. Wachter, M.D., Professor of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco (UCSF); Associate Chairman, UCSF Department of Medicine; Chief of the Medical Service, UCSF Medical Center

Matthew Zachary, Cancer Patient Advocate, Founder & Executive Director, The I'm Too Young for This! Cancer Foundation for Young Adults

https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-advisory-group-on-health.html

Bills Bills Bills said...

VA Blue Ribbon Panel pre-Chris Cassel but Bill Bremner is there.
http://www.va.gov/OAA/blueribbon/default.asp
http://www.va.gov/oaa/archive/BRP-final-report.pdf Page 17, page 27 - Bill Bremner former ABIM board member.

La Belle et la Bête said...

The Legion and the Beast ("Medicine takes you to"...)
What did Cassel know and when did she know it? Over five years? Kept potus in dark. VA Scandal as a means to restructure. Get rid of head to create major changes.
The patterns of deficiencies were know, but why create public awareness.
Start with awareness. Put it in VA champion's lap. Reveal it at a AZ VA.
Press vocal and (defensive)button #1 and then the rest of the buttons get pushed.
Big shakeup. Round up a good man to fire for show. Restructure to be...

http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/documents/assessments/integrated_report.pdf
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1511438?af=R&rss=currentIssue&
http://www.tmcnews.org/2015/03/dr-robert-robbins-selected-serve-advisory-va-choice-act-blue-ribbon-panel/
https://news.tamhsc.edu/?post=texas-am-health-science-center-ceo-dr-brett-giroir-to-chair-advisory-va-choice-act-blue-ribbon-panel
http://bionews-tx.com/news/2015/03/04/giroir-named-chairman-of-advisory-va-choice-act-blue-ribbon-panel/
PCAST
https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast/about/members
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_President%
27s_Council_of_Advisors_on_Science_and_Technology
PSAC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_Science_Advisory_Committee

Plenty of Work and Time 4 Politics said...

Defense Attorney Joseph Hayden physician high profile case
http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/prominent-tri-state-cardiologist-admits-record-19-million-billing-fraud-scheme-exposing-0

Bribery defendant corruption in high places and attorneys
http://www.law360.com/articles/578102/nj-high-court-takes-hard-line-on-attorney-bribery

High profile manslaughter Jayson Williams
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/former-nba-player-jayson-williams-listens-to-his-attorney-news-photo/50789336

Long before earning his law degree, Joseph Hayden was active in the community. In 1965, Hayden, with eight other students, participated in the civil rights demonstration in Selma, Alabama.
https://law.newark.rutgers.edu/alumni-awards-recognize-excellence-profession-and-service-community

Sexual harassment in workplace from Mercer county prosecutor
Hayden, a partner at the firm who formerly worked as a deputy state attorney general in the organized crime unit, told The Trentonian in a phone interview Monday his client denies any wrongdoing but he wouldn’t address what he said amounts to anonymous accusations from a female county employee, known only as Jane Doe.

“He is a man who has had four decades of positive public service, and we refuse to dignify complaints of misconduct by an anonymous complainant,” said Hayden, founder and first president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey. “It’s tough to ask to defend yourself against an unknown complainant. I’m not going to shadow box without knowing the evidence, the specific allegations and the accusers.”

http://www.trentonian.com/general-news/20150504/former-prosecutor-joseph-bocchini-hires-legal-team-to-fight-sexual-harassment-charges

US Attorney candidate? "Too busy with clients."
Joe Hayden, a prominent defense lawyer whose name has surfaced in legal and political circles as a potential pick for U.S. Attorney, took his own name out of the mix today.

“It is an honor that people within the legal community suggested that my name be considered as a candidate for the next United States Attorney,” said Hayden in response to an inquiry from PolitickerNJ.com. “I have reflected upon it, but I am convinced that I have longstanding commitments to clients — a half dozen clients — that would not make this possibility feasible.”

Hayden represents Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero, who was indicted in September on eight corruption counts. He also represents former Nets star Jayson Williams, who faces a retrial for manslaughter over the shooting of his limo driver in 2002.

***In 2006, Hayden called the U.S. Attorney’s office on behalf of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-Hoboken) regarding information on the subpoena served to Menendez in the heat of his campaign against state Sen. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield). At the time, Menendez said he had not retained Hayden.*** (Improper tampering?)

Although the next U.S. Attorney will be appointed by President-elect Barack Obama, custom dictates that the leading candidate will be suggested by Menendez and fellow U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park).

“I am sure our United States Senators will recommend an outstanding candidate,” said Hayden.

The current U.S. Attorney is Ralph Marra, a career prosecutor who took over the office when Chris Christie resigned at the beginning of this month.
http://politickernj.com/2008/12/hayden-takes-his-name-out-of-u-s-attorney-mix/

DreamTeam said...

Note the team of adversarial government officials. IRS DOJ OIG CMS, FTC etc. That's the ABIM takedown dream team. How to convince gov ABIM?ABMS is harming infinitely more patients in the US. The gov is snoozing at the switch. Why?

Defense Attorney Joseph Hayden physician high profile case
http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/prominent-tri-state-cardiologist-admits-record-19-million-billing-fraud-scheme-exposing-0

Peacetown said...

I knew an art dealer in London who specialized in Russian icons and made a good livelihood out of it. And it was satisfying inwardly for him to live with his art.
It is said that the icon has no author. They are never signed. They are not painted as much as they are said to be "written" by God. It was astounding, revealing to be part of a study of that revelatory kind of inward search and expression!
If you put a medieval icon under artificial light they are horrible.
But under natural light albeit dim and at the right angle they come to life.
The spirit of the painting breathes and speaks, sings even if you are quiet.
For hundreds of years, or more, the icons have been preserved, but many have destroyed by war.
What a tale they could tell...if we could only be open to them and listen...
I found that the icons of different monasteries, cirkovib and periods were manifestations of different fragrances but the same prayer common to us all...
So I went to the source to study...

Il. had a lot of red brick churches as a boy, some so old the bricks fell hitting me on the head; wakes you up to the slippery sidewalk ice, drifts of snow, turning into pounding white golf balls of ice falling from the sky, lightning, calm bugs blinking at night
thank you for not being a burned out TV tube and for waking us up alerting us...
we will persist and survive even this, sometimes the bark just falls off a tree by itself, but I plan on doing some barking in the meantime...

Direct current said...

From 1936 on I suspect, not without evidence, they were mainly non-clinical icons of the same political hive. Probably would be clueless bureaucrats today.

Underwriters would like to know. Oversight the old fashioned way. said...

A TALE from the "History of Insurance Fraud."
Top Secret. Shh! Don't let the public know how fraudulent the ABIM executives really are.

Baron would like to not hear anything more about ABIM's first test, an 8-question essay style test? He researched it himself. Wrote about it.

Is that how they define professionalism? An essay?

Now they have a "multi-choice" irrelevant outdated test. Is that how they define professionalism?

The ABIM needs a letter of concern to make them write a real essay in response to the PUBLICS' CONCERN to a congressional leader's inquiry.

Lobbying as a way of business of protecting the public the Cassel way.

Really!

Rich was chosen for his obedience and smile. Right now he looks propped up. Morally bankrupt. Eyes shrinking.

Jaw is the same, but not as firmly held in place for the recent photo shoot.

Multiple choice?

Now the ABIM has 1 multiple choice question and challenge facing it.
Two choices in the box.

A survive B survive.

They may be desperate because they actually know the history of their activities, which in their minds are justified, a corruption of the original mission altogether.

Call up Lynn.

"Sorry I'm not able to come to the...have a nice day." Sounds totally justified?

Articles of incorporation subject to change at any time, except personal liability clause. True or false?

True, but the insurers and reinsurers need to be informed of all their activities.
Let them go back and readjust the risk.

Go to the data banks and report them to other agencies first, even all the attorney generals. Just a complaint.

Then the insurance commissioners of PA and IA.

A congressional letter (citizen, patient, physician) to their underwriters regarding misrepresentation of the company. Go after their policy and speak with the fraud department inquiring or informing of the ABIM's extra curricular activities and the questionable status as a non-profit. Domiciled where? In Iowa? Where did you say they park their cars? And conduct business. Premiums? How much does the ABIM pay?

How much do they pay in legal fees. What else do they not report to their insurers underwriters of the policies and reinsurers?

I would report this group to the state insurance commissioner of both states as stated. Have a nice talk to learn about the process. How underfunded they are. What cases will they pursue.

Insurance folks don't like fraud.

It ain't sexy but it works/helps to report them. Data banks. Data banks are important for consumers and law enforcement. It only has to get registered as a complaint. Not for them to do anything. Dribble dribble dribble. Boring I know.

Same with the FTC. Don't give too much. Data, more data, it all gets stashed in the servers for the police and court to see. Little details. Nuts and bolts stuff will reveal and create a record on them. Over time. They will have to use a legal team to make the complaints go away, if at all.

Tax evasion is not sexy either, but to report it creates a track record. Dribble by dribble from various concerned individuals.

MOC Makes Me Wonder Essay Contest said...

Concerning ABMS/ABIM Certification and MOC
IS CERTIFICATION and MOC VOLUNTARY? IS YOUR PARTICIPATION CONSENSUAL?

To all med students, residents, fellows, instructors and attendings:

TWO MOC QUESTIONS for medical college campuses and residency programs to ponder.

Essay Contest. Responses should be submitted to Dr. Wes publicly or in private.
All submissions will be winners and may be eligible for a life without MOC and a democratic participation in putting certification to the question.

Background: The ABMS and ABIM claim that being certified is a voluntary process.
It also claims that MOC maintenance of certification is voluntary. From 1936 through around 1986 certification was inviolable and for life. Now it is not. The cost and time involved is enormous. The relevancy of such onerous requirements on top of CME is onerous. Patients are shortchanged as physicians have less time. Many jobs in medicine now demand certification in order to have hospital privileges and get insurance coverage.

Question 1. Is ABMS/ABIM certification truly voluntary? Is MOC really voluntary?
What do you think or believe? Is it voluntary or not; explain simply with as few or as many words as possible.

Question 2. Regardless of whether you consider certification and MOC to be voluntary or not, is your participation consensual?

Simply put: Is one's relationship with the ABMS/ABIM voluntary? Regardless of what they claim, is it consensual or not.

Dedicated to all of you who sacrifice so much to serve us. Thank you!
Official Led Zeppelin Song "MOC MAKES ME WONDER" You'll know the tune!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovFSEHH_yJw

Anonymous said...

ABIM v SR v ABIM. Case report.

ABIM motion to dismiss stricken by judge. Judge states ABIM needs resubmission with tables of authorities and citations. Resubmitted after two days with tables.
Typical obfuscation by the ABIM in their 41 page rambling document quoting, citing, referencing, accusing.

FYI TOR said...

I'm sure you have seen these security encryption tools ProPub uses. They used to have a way to share research data, but I can't find it in search anymore only data set purchases or free downloads related to their stories.

Security (Who's afraid of the ABIM! Physicians are conditioned to be afraid.)

Securedrop
https://securedrop.propublica.org/
TOR
https://www.torproject.org/
Tails
https://tails.boum.org/

PrtScn said...

Nothing to do with ABIM, just interesting how this story was initially a fire related incident, then something else, then again another thing, and now something entirely different. They don't mention that one of the victims' sons was arrested at the house four hours later with drugs, paraphernalia and scales. (if true, it was unrelated they say) It is just a prime example of how the news gets manipulated, facts distorted, left out. Someone digs and then the story gets back on course and reported more correctly. They were ready to bulldoze the crime scene. Of course the latter bits about news feeds and inaccurate reporting are my ONLY real point. If the crime scene gets bulldozed there is nothing left except a legend.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Friends-Family-Mourn-Deaths-of-CEO-of-Cooper-Health-and-Wife-277376061.html

I followed this totally unrelated story, tried to talk with the SD and will not comment, except to say that gov needs to really inform the people of plans and activities. The same with healthcare. We need an accurate free press that is independent of special agendas and interests. JB has had an active hand in many things foreign and domestic for decades that we know little about.
http://www.cnbc.com/2014/05/13/

We appreciate the print screen saves before the ball went out of bounds.

Not to worry said...

Opinion: The Google blog, which is always monetized, does not bother anyone whatsoever. AdSense "click-me boxes" do appears, however they are not a distraction for readers. I don't even look at them. I would not be concerned about it.
I believe you chose medical related ads. Or maybe I did it?

I don't think security is an issue either. Local problems only with people's OS, cookies, or more virulent forms of intrusion that everyone gets just from visiting company websites; even Twitter, and Facebook. That is an interesting study; intrusion in the form of data mining and storing my searches or shopping should not be allowed imo no matter how "innocent" but we have what we have right now.

About ProPublica

ProPublica operates in a whole other realm discussing Koch Brothers, political dark money, etc. Many of the editors are refugees from once respected newspapers/journals and have to protect sources and themselves. It would be interesting to make acquaintances with an editor or two at PPub to see "what is the condition of the condition" regarding the news they process and their sources. How they operate. It would make an interesting "behind the scenes" article.

They do have access to a data bases and knowledge base system that they used to share with contributors or investigative researchers who may or may not wish to also add to the database. Documents, etc that are difficult to get. Freedom of info stuff, I presume, as well.

I admire your grassroots open approach much better--free blog. Google search goes right to you. Yahoo and Bing--one has to work a tiny bit to get to your blog or twitter.

I had a blog once with Google, played with the advertising, just to learn about it. I put up fifty or more company's. I got several thousand views and never made one penny from the advertising. Go figure. It was just for my humor.

FYI, you have medical ads today. Like Kennedy and Kaiser. I think you can choose what kinds of adds appear, if I remember.

You have loyal fans who appreciate you and don't mind. They just want to hear what you have to say. Very unique blog and we all appreciate it.

Thank you for the transparency in everything.
Today:

AdSense Kaiser
https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/easier-health-care?gclid=CObmwqmj8sgCFUgvgQodbuoFRw#access-ways?&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=101844&WT.seg_1=PF-4-cnkyihTyv|dc-zzzthrivezzz-pcrid-88477872058--&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=&WT.seg_1=PF-4-c|dc-zzzthrivezzz-pcrid-88477872058--

AdSense Kennedy Health
https://www.kennedyhealthalliance.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=remarketing&utm_term=300x250&utm_content=diabetic&utm_campaign=ken2015

grease on the wheel said...

Cassel former premier board member recvd cash and stock, still retains stock?
https://www.premierinc.com/premier-announces-new-business/

ABIM contractor vendor
http://info.cecity.com/

CECITY 1,260,000 ABIM 990 2013, page 8
http://www.abim.org/pdf/revenue-expenses/ABIM-990-form.pdf

DrWes said...

Grease-

There's much more: ABIM Payments to CECity:

FY 2014 - $1.260,000
FY 2013 - $1,378,138
FY 2012 - $1,112,600
FY 2011 - $1,217,800
FY 2010 - $600,000

Dissappointed in the Board said...

The CECITY merger with Christine Cassel's Premier days on the board of directors raises some serious questions of yet more conflict of interest for the ABIM, not just the NQF head who had to resign in disgrace in 2014 from the Premier Board over serious allegations of egregious conflicts of interests.

What is surprising about Cassel and the ABIM is the ethics professor who helped shape ethical policy and set the philosophy of moral humanitarian tone for the testing company did not call for an investigation, or at least weigh in on and suggest revoking her certifications.