| Not a trivial or academic question. Time magazine | | | | received the recommended care developed by |
| identified the NBC's Meet the Press moderator | | | | expert committees. |
| and Washington bureau chief as one of the 100 | | | | Unfortunately, one can't assume that the best |
| most influential people in world in 2008. His loss at | | | | preventive care is done at university medical |
| such a young age, 58, is tragic. His ability to make | | | | centers. A study in California found that the |
| complex topics clear for the public and to ask the | | | | integrated healthcare organization Kaiser |
| hard questions will be missed in this the most | | | | Permanente outperformed both university medical |
| historic presidential races in American history. | | | | centers and community hospitals in decreasing |
| But was his sudden passing and fatal heart attack | | | | theirpatients' heart attack risk and death by 30 |
| an avoidable tragedy? His internist, Dr. Michael | | | | percent. The vertically integrated VA healthcare |
| Newman, who is affiliated with George | | | | system was also found to outperform |
| Washington Medical Center, noted that Mr. | | | | community hospitals in caring for diabetics. It |
| Russert died of asudden coronary thrombosis, | | | | consistently ensured its patients got the right |
| which can occur without warning. Mr.Russert had | | | | medications at the right dosages better that |
| been diagnosed with asymptomatic heart disease | | | | those in the communities around them. |
| which reportedly was well-controlled with | | | | It seems that as a country we take for granted |
| medication and exercise. He passed a cardiac | | | | the failings of the healthcare system which are |
| stress test in late April. It seems like he got the | | | | occurring with alarming frequency. As we mourn |
| appropriate care. | | | | the unexpected passing of a great journalist, we |
| Yet, our healthcare system only provides the | | | | should instead ask ourselves whether there were |
| right preventive care 55 percent of the time. | | | | systematic failures in the healthcare system that |
| What medical students know, lowering blood | | | | Mr. Russert relied on to keep him well? The goal |
| pressure, controlling cholesterol, and arranging | | | | wouldn't be to find negligence or to identify |
| age-appropriate cancer screenings, shown to save | | | | scapegoats, as like the aviation industry, the |
| lives, are not done routinely in this country. The | | | | delivery of healthcare is too complex to simply |
| ability of doctors and insurance plans to provide | | | | isolateone person or entity that resulted in the |
| this basic fundamental care varies by about 20 | | | | mishap. It is very likely that General Electric, NBC's |
| percent. If one compared the safety | | | | parent company, provided him with health |
| performance of the top 10 percent of airlines with | | | | insurance options that were accredited by NCQA |
| thenational average, the quality gap was far less | | | | as excellent in keeping people healthy. |
| at less than 1 percent. | | | | Is it possible, however, that the recommended |
| The National Committee for Quality Assurance | | | | care wasn't delivered? As our nation struggles |
| (NCQA) estimates that had all doctors and | | | | with how to make the healthcare system more |
| insurance plans performed at the level of the | | | | affordable, accessible, and with higher quality, the |
| nation's top 10 percent that 80,000 Americans, all | | | | debate boils down to who is best in determining |
| who had health insurance, would have avoided | | | | the right care at the right time. Is the on us on |
| premature death. That is twice the number of | | | | patients? Does the responsibility rest on the |
| breast cancer deaths annually. A study of 20,000 | | | | healthcare industry? It is an important |
| patients in 12 US major cities found that only 68 | | | | conversation our country must have and certainly |
| percent of those with heart disease and only 65 | | | | would have gone better with a skilled moderator |
| percent of those with high blood pressure | | | | like Mr. |