Chart Review option for Patients

                I think that patients in the hospital or any health care setting should be provided a time to look at their chart and review their current health information.  This could possibly encourage people to take a more active role in their health maintenance and the choices and decisions that they make. I realize that this would require more time and effort on the part of the healthcare facility, but I think that the long-term effects would be great.

                I think that in order to view your chart there has to be a licensed staff member present to help prevent any chance of record altering and that leads to more medical expense, I still believe that the benefits are greater.

                If someone was able to see trends in their lab work and blood levels they may be motivated to correct some of the negative changes in their lives and start their negative trends in a more positive direction.

                I realize that at this time that basically everyone is given their test results, but I think there is something about see a physician’s full progress report in writing that makes a greater impression. It is a medical professional’s opinion about where a patient’s health stands possible future effects of the current conditions, and possible treatment options.

                Often when people are in what could be a stressful situation they have a difficult time processing all of the information and retaining it for future reference.  By having a time set that is just for reviewing their health information where they are able to make notes and write down questions they may have later for the nurse or physician there is more information retained.

                I think that most people would like to have a greater sense of control over their health. Granted, there are some people that are limited on their ability to retain and/or comprehend the information and this change would not apply to them, but for the most part I feel that it would be of value to a large number of people.

                 I would hope that most physicians would want their patient’s to feel informed and know that there are mutual and well informed decisions being made. It would also help hold health care professionals more accountable for their actions. It would improve their listening skills when meeting with their patients and improve their accuracy in charting.

                Last of all I feel that this would improve the overall level of safety in our healthcare system. Errors are more likely to be found when the chart is being reviewed by the patient themselves. For example, maybe a medication is listed as current that they haven’t taken in over a year, or they have a procedure listed that was never performed. These things may seem small, but could be very big. If a chart states that someone’s gallbladder has been removed and it has not, the likelihood that the physician would consider the patient’s gallbladder as a source of their discomfort is not very high. This is just one example of the many situations that could be improved or prevented if this process was implemented.

Unsafe hand sanitizers

For the most part, it is safe to say that by now the general public is aware of the importance of good hygiene. You see the evidence of this everywhere. When you walk into a grocery store, many times you can find a small stand located by the carts with a container of sanitizing cloths to wipe across your cart. There are signs in most bathrooms, especially of food preparing establishments with instructions on proper hand washing technics. Hospitals and healthcare establishments even let you know with posters and signs that it is okay to tell your nurses, doctors, and other staff to wash their hands if you as a patient or visitor did not see them do this. It has become a very present part of our everyday lives and fortunately so.

                Proper hand hygiene is especially important and has led to a decrease in the spread of some communicable conditions like the common cold, H1N1, and other viruses and bacteria. Hand hygiene has fortunately become common practice. I know that it is reassuring to see others washing their hands in the restroom (especially when it is a staff member at a restaurant). It is safe to say that everyone has simply become more aware.

                Now, here is the upsetting part. We follow the recommendations of organization like the FDA regarding hand hygiene. We think we as a society are getting it right. We have options, soap and water washing and for a while now the fast sanitizing liquid gels, lotions and foams. Well, things are starting to get complicated. According to the Food and Drug Administration not all instant hand sanitizers are doing their job. The bacteria Methicillin-resistant- staphylococcus-aureus also known as MRSA has been found to be resistant to the use of some instant hand sanitizers.  This is particularly true of the lotion varieties.

                I think if there has been a particular type of sanitizer that has been linked to this short-coming then this type of product should not be produced under the same label as similar products in gel and foam form.

                The FDA has warned the manufactures of these products of their false advertising. Some of the products that have received warnings are, Staphaseptic Firt Aid Antiseptic/ Pain relieving gel by Tec Laboratories, Safe4Hours Hand Sanitizing Lotion by JD Nelson and associates, Dr.Tichenor’s Antiseptic Gel by Dr. G.H. Tichenor Antiseptic Co, and many products produced by Oh So Clean Inc., doing business as  CleanWell company with their many All-natural sanitizing products. I feel that if manufactures such as these want to continue making their product and having it placed on the shelf next to other more effective products, then they should have to carry a label stating the possible short comings of their items. As a consumer I want to know that the product that I am purchasing to improve my safety will do everything it is advertised as doing. We have choices on how we spend our money and I think most people would agree that they want the most effective product possible and we want to be informed consumers.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/223127.php

New recommendations for government assistance

It is my opinion that individuals that are receiving state or government assistance should be required by law to submit a urine sample for a drug test before their assistance is issued to them. For the most part the majority of society is subject to this type of responsibility and I don’t see why it should be any different for individuals receiving their check from the government than from an employer.

                I know that in order to get a job just about anywhere I have to submit a urine sample that will be subject to drug testing. I have to pass that test in order to become gainfully employed, in the end resulting in me receiving a check.  So the question remains why then should it be any different for someone getting their income from the federal government or their local state.

                In addition, not only do I have to pass a urine or blood drug screen to get a job, I have to remain “clean” in order to keep that job or take the risk of penalty from my employer or termination.  Knowing that at any time I or any of my co-workers could be called upon to take a drug test is something to always keep in mind.  

I think for the general public, most people value their income.   Knowing the possible consequences of termination makes them consider their decisions before making them. When they take time to weigh it out, providing for themselves and their family is going to be a higher priority.

By making it mandatory that people submit to a drug screen before receiving their financial assistance might help determine that the money they were getting would have a higher likelihood of going toward groceries, clothing and everyday household expenses. There is a lot of money spent on drugs in America every day.  Hopefully this test would result in individuals including their children receiving an improved diet by having more money put toward food instead of drugs. Also, this would help encourage a better home-life for children as well. Having parents that are clean would have to be a step in a positive direction.

 By implementing this new standard it would help those individuals that need a job or that are looking for employment by preparing for the pre-employment process. If they have already been avoiding the use of drugs to receive their assistance, then passing a drug screen for an employer will be one less thing that they have to worry about.

I absolutely am not saying that everyone that receives government or state assistance is buying or consuming drugs. Everyone needs help at one time or another and that is what the help is there for, those times when people need it. I do think for everyone should be held to the same standards and have the same responsibilities.  This is a long way from being the answer to all of our nation’s financial problems, but it might be a way to cut back on some of the waste.  Basically, I have to pass a drug test to get a check, everyone should have to.

It's Just a Game

After a rivaled opening day baseball game between the LA Dodgers and SF Giants a Giants fan, Bryan Stow, was beaten nearly to death in the parking lot.  He remains hospitalized in critical condition while the Los Angeles Police Department searches to track down the attackers.  Bryan Stow remains in a medically induced coma with half of his skull removed to allow for his brain to swell.  He was attacked in the parking lot by being thrown to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the head by his attackers.  He is the father of a 12 year old son and an 8 year old daughter.

The police have released descriptions of the attackers which describes them as two males,18-25 years of age, with shaved heads and mustaches.  There has been several calls reporting leads to the attackers but no arrests have been made.  The city and county of Los Angeles along with the Dodger organization and AMR ambulance company (where Stow works as a paramedic) have donated a $100,000 reward to the arrest of the attackers.  The stadium has upgraded the lighting in the parking lot and has reinforced security for future games by hiring more police officers and security, and also undercover officers to ensure a safe environment for their fans. 

Last monday the SF Giants hosted the Dodgers in another rivaled game.  Fans were urged to refrain from violence and come together to watch a respected rivalry game where the rivalry should be only on the field.  Before the game on Monday Giants and Dodgers players met in the middle of the field to honor Stow and deliver the message that the rivalry must stay on the field, without violence and hatred.

With Stow in a coma and no one else really around to acknowledge what exactly went on it is unclear what really went happened in the parking lot.  It is deceived that this was a conflict between fans of different baseball clubs which could be correct.  Myself, I have a feeling that the attackers were just looking for anyone to engage with.  As awful as it is some people are just out there to look for violence and Stow just happened to be in their sights.  Violent people like Stow's attackers usually have had an unhealthy childhood or have substance abuse issues.  No matter what the cause of them being violent these acts should never be tolerated and when they are found they should be prosecuted to the highest extent.      

Drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge

It is no surprise that with oil prices continuing to rise, we look for alternative options to gather this critical resource.  Some politicians would like to start drilling domestic oil in Alaskan Arctic National Refuge.  This part of Alaska is currently off limits to drilling but with oil supplies tight and would demand rising, the issue is open for debate.

This refuge was established in 1960 and occupies 19 million acres.  It is home to caribou polar bears, wolverines, arctic fox, and other animals.  It also has a variety of natural features which include tundra, mountains, glaciers, and rivers.  This area is commonly referred to as the last great untamed wilderness.  Drilling for oil here would cause extensive environmental damage and I think that is not worth the unknown amount of oil that may be there.  Even though we do not know the amount of oil reserves in Alaska it is widely acknowledged that there is not enough to make us independent and not have to rely on oil from other countries.  The US Department of Interior has estimated that there could be between 9-16 billion barrels of crude oil in the refuge.  This sounds like an abundant amount of oil in our grasp.  This can be deceiving though, because in the US we consume over 20 million barrels of oil per day and this amount continues to rise.  If you do the math this means that the US could be an independant provider of oil for 1-2 years.  Alaska is known for its scenery and wildlife.  Who wants to go see one of the most pristine places on Earth with an oil field in the middle of it?

I am not completely against drilling for oil domestically, but I do think that wildlife refuges and national parks are very important places to preserve.  People such as Theodore Roosevelt also found these places to be sacred and saw that human greed might someday destroy them so he made efforts to preserve them.  Opening the refuge to drilling would also take away the focus of meaningful solutions to our oil crisis such as conservation and alternative energy.  Opening it to drilling would only be a short term delay of the crisis while it would be a long term if not fatal fall of this environment.  If opened for drilling the refuge might help us for a few years with the oil crisis but after that we would be in the same situation as we are now if not worse.  I will be the first to admit that I don't know the answer to for our situation, but there has to be a better answer than this.


REFUGE- A place of shelter, protection, or safety.








 http://arctic.fws.gov/

Managing Your Money

To successfully manage your income it is important to make short, medium, and long term goals.  Your current expenses are the most important to keep up on, although it is also very important to plan for future retirement.  First individuals and families need to make a financial plan that can be followed like a map.  In this plan it needs to identify your current situation, your future goals, and how you plan on achieving these goals. 

First, you need to understand your cash flow.  It is important to know how much money is coming in and how much is going out in bills.  Even if your cash flow is in the negative it is important to know so that you can plan to improve it to meet your financial goals.  If you have more money coming in than going out you are already ahead of the game, but if the opposite then immediate changes need to be considered to reach your goals. 

After you know your cash flow you then need to create a budget.  A budget is used to plan how to spend and save your money you have coming in and help save for things you need, now and in the future.  An easy way to budget is to look at previous bank statements to determine which expenses are important.  Once you know your spending patterns it will be easier to make decisions about how you can alter them to benefit yourself.  When budgeting it can be easier to categorize expenses into necessary expenses and luxury expenses.  Necessary expenses such as housing, water bills, electric bills, and phones need to be addressed first.  After that you can determine how much you have to spend on items that might be less important. 

Budgeting will let you understand how much you can save or invest.  It is important to save money for retirement or unexpected challenges that might present themselves.  Saving money will eventually lead to achieving future goals.  How much you save matters on how big your future goals are.  Most people have similar goals such as buying a house, supporting a family, college funds, and retirement.  Saving and investing can help you achieve your goals. 

With a good financial plan achieving your goals are possible in the future.  It is not always easy to be committed to maintain your spending when you find something you want now, but with smart financial choices now it will pay off later.  Financial challenges can be tough, but with using the guidelines in your financial plan these challenges can be overcome and financial stability can be achieved.

Sleeping Air Traffic Supervisor

As we all have, I heard about the sleeping air traffic supervisor at Washington's Reagan Airport a couple weeks ago.foxnews.com  I didn't think much of it because I thought that there would be several people at this airport at the same time to make sure nothing like this would happen.  I was wrong, it wasn't until recently that the Federal Aviation Administration adopted a policy to have two qualified controllers to be on duty at all times.  This sounds obvious to me since you never know when someone might have a health issue or some other catastrophic event that might distract one from their duties.  Sleeping is not a valid event.  If you have knarkalepsy then this might not be the job for you.  


The traffic supervisor was suspended by the FAA until further investigations have been made.  What all of us didn't know is there has been another incident since then at Knoxville, TN.  Another traffic controller has been suspended by the FAA for sleeping on the job.  This employee really should be fired and never come back.  He not only fell asleep on the job, (that happens to have the lives of others at his guidence) but made himself a pallet on the floor to sleep on.  He had a nice five hour nap.  Luckily McGhee Tyson Airport had another controller staffed that night that was able to control all of the flights.  http://abclocal.go.com/ 

I looked up the job description for an air traffic controller, it is as follows:   
Serves an an Operations Supervisor in an ATC-6 terminal facility responsible for planning and directing operations within delegated areas of responsibility. Effects disciplinary actions. Provides first-line supervision to a team of ATCS. Provides training, coaching and guidance to subordinates and facilitates team building throughout his/her area(s) of responsibility. Continuously reviews work processes to assure that results meet the agency's mission and the customer's needs, add value to facility services, and are efficiently achieved. Serves as a member of the management team to improve organizational performance and to meet strategic goals. When assigned as Watch Supervisor, assumes overall management and supervision of the control room.
This sounds like a very important job to me.  They not only have a very important job that holds lives in their hands but also get paid a fair salary for it.  At the same site as the job description, http://jobs.faa.gov I found that the salary range is between $98,099 and $127,529.   Thanks to some alert pilots nobody was hurt in these irresponsible acts.