The AIDS epidemic in the District of Columbia continues to gain much attention, and much of the effort to curb its spread is focused on sexually active adults. In many cases, children are victims, as well. Not only can they contract the virus at birth, through transfusions or other means, but many of those who have been spared infection carry the burden of childhood with mothers who are HIV positive. Caring for our youngest victims and educating them in self-protection and prevention is vital to reduce HIV/AIDS cases for the long term.
Last week, I met with Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care, Inc. They are an organization dedicated to mentoring and caring for children under the age of 18 who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. Run by a dedicated and passionate group of professionals, the organization provides day care, after school programs, including art classes and computer training, as well as psychological counseling. They recently purchased a house in Shaw called which is the central location for all of their services.
Caring for children affected by this epidemic helps prevent retransmission, improves self-confidence and reduces the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. As part of our comprehensive efforts to tame this epidemic, we must focus on the young people who need our help. It is imperative that we support greater funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs for children.
Showing posts with label Health Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Care. Show all posts
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Monday, October 22, 2007
Health Department Shake Up
Mayor Fenty's citywide shake-up continued last week with the firing of Gregg Pane, the director of the Health Department. While Pane came to DC with excellent credentials, health problems in the District persist, and I applaud the Mayor for his aggressive approach. Unacceptable levels of infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, obesity, asthma and now even staph have combined with an access problem in poor neighborhoods to create a real emergency. Just as with our school system, it is time for drastic change.
I hope that Mayor Fenty looks to cities around the nation for qualified health professionals and best practices when choosing a candidate. Whether it is New York City's successful HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns or California's proposed health care plan, we need to look to other regions and cities to find solutions that work elsewhere. We also need to seriously examine the bureaucracy to make sure that DOH employees are performing adequately and that we have the most qualified and dedicated employees.
Furthermore, I believe that the new director of DOH needs to improve response in the event of a large public health outbreak. This is a real possibility and an unprepared government can prove deadly. Washington, DC, can and should be an example to the rest of the country of quality heath care and health care emergency services. We residents deserve it. should demand it, and should hold our public officials accountable.
I hope that Mayor Fenty looks to cities around the nation for qualified health professionals and best practices when choosing a candidate. Whether it is New York City's successful HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns or California's proposed health care plan, we need to look to other regions and cities to find solutions that work elsewhere. We also need to seriously examine the bureaucracy to make sure that DOH employees are performing adequately and that we have the most qualified and dedicated employees.
Furthermore, I believe that the new director of DOH needs to improve response in the event of a large public health outbreak. This is a real possibility and an unprepared government can prove deadly. Washington, DC, can and should be an example to the rest of the country of quality heath care and health care emergency services. We residents deserve it. should demand it, and should hold our public officials accountable.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
HAA Fails Again
More than 70,000 condoms have been returned to the DC government by community groups due to defective packaging. This revelation continues the ongoing inability of the HIV/AIDS Administration (HAA) to effectively prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. While New York City can distribute millions of defective-free condoms per month, here in DC we are unable to provide just a few hundred thousand over the course of a year, with many of those needing to be returned.
What will it take to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the District? The first step is to put quality controls and distribution systems in place to make sure condoms are getting to at-risk populations across our city. The Fenty administration is working tirelessly to improve HAA, but things are not moving fast enough in my opinion. Each time a resident of DC contracts HIV, we have failed as leaders.
I encourage all of you reading this blog to make your voices heard. Send an email or letter to the mayor telling him you want more to be done to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
What will it take to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the District? The first step is to put quality controls and distribution systems in place to make sure condoms are getting to at-risk populations across our city. The Fenty administration is working tirelessly to improve HAA, but things are not moving fast enough in my opinion. Each time a resident of DC contracts HIV, we have failed as leaders.
I encourage all of you reading this blog to make your voices heard. Send an email or letter to the mayor telling him you want more to be done to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
DC's Greatest Epidemic
DC has serious health care problems. Finding ways to increase access, improve quality of care and upgrade facilities present big challenges to our city on an ongoing basis. But a scary epidemic is in our midst; and surprising little is being done to stop it. HIV/AIDS infects approximately one in 20 DC residents, and perhaps even more. It is not a problem faced only by the gay community or the African American community, as many believe. HIV/AIDS is a threat to all of us. Unfortunately, the DC HIV AIDS Administration (HAA) has been ineffective in curbing the spread of the virus.
Last week, I met with David Mariner from DC Fights Back (http://www.dcfightsback.org/) who helped me understand the complexity of the epidemic in the District and brought me up to speed on some of the necessary solutions.
HAA must function at a higher standard. We need increased public awareness to educate residents about prevention and risk. We must do a better job focusing on prevention. For example, New York City distributes up to five million condoms each month. DC has been unable to distribute 250,000 condoms over the past eight months. This is unacceptable. Treatment and care also must be improved, and this requires partnering with non-profit groups with expertise, but we must also hold them accountable.
While DC has a higher HIV/AIDS rate than any other state in the union, we are lucky to have organizations like DC Fights Back to help educate our leaders and find concrete policy solutions.
Residents are not getting tested at the rates they need to be; there is little public education about prevention and treatment; the city is not tracking those with HIV/AIDS to help prevent its spread; and non-profit organizations paid by the District to help fight the epidemic are not held accountable for their performance. This must be fixed.
Last week, I met with David Mariner from DC Fights Back (http://www.dcfightsback.org/) who helped me understand the complexity of the epidemic in the District and brought me up to speed on some of the necessary solutions.
HAA must function at a higher standard. We need increased public awareness to educate residents about prevention and risk. We must do a better job focusing on prevention. For example, New York City distributes up to five million condoms each month. DC has been unable to distribute 250,000 condoms over the past eight months. This is unacceptable. Treatment and care also must be improved, and this requires partnering with non-profit groups with expertise, but we must also hold them accountable.
While DC has a higher HIV/AIDS rate than any other state in the union, we are lucky to have organizations like DC Fights Back to help educate our leaders and find concrete policy solutions.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
A Healthy DC
Nearly one in four children in DC is overweight. That means we have the largest number of obese kids in the United States. With the growing epidemic of obesity in this country, this is not a statistic we District residents should be proud of. We are killing our kids, and it's only going to get worse if we don't do something about it.
Changing eating habits is not an easy task. Companies offering fast food and junk food spend billions of dollars every year advertising to children and their parents. Healthy foods are often not available in certain neighborhoods of this city. There is not enough emphasis placed on physical activity. This can all be changed, but it must be done with parents, schools and government working together.
My mother raised me on a healthful diet. Because I learned the value of nutrition at a young age, I naturally watch my diet now that I am older. And I will do the same with my children, making sure that they learn good eating habits. Parents and other adults must take an active roles in giving kids the tools and the knowledge they need to stay healthy.
Government and business can contribute, as well. We need to do more public awareness and outreach campaigns in our poorest neighborhoods. Messages directed to parents and children should encourage healthy eating and physical activity. Businesses should offer healthy options for residents as well, giving them the opportunity to eat right. Finally, our schools must to do more to promote a healthy lifestyle. This means better nutrition education, more rigorous PE and the removal of all junk foods from school. With a bit of imagination, school kitchens can provide delicious, nutritious, and well-balanced meals, without increasing costs.
Let's give our kids a head start and give them the tools they need to live long and healthy lives.
Changing eating habits is not an easy task. Companies offering fast food and junk food spend billions of dollars every year advertising to children and their parents. Healthy foods are often not available in certain neighborhoods of this city. There is not enough emphasis placed on physical activity. This can all be changed, but it must be done with parents, schools and government working together.
My mother raised me on a healthful diet. Because I learned the value of nutrition at a young age, I naturally watch my diet now that I am older. And I will do the same with my children, making sure that they learn good eating habits. Parents and other adults must take an active roles in giving kids the tools and the knowledge they need to stay healthy.
Government and business can contribute, as well. We need to do more public awareness and outreach campaigns in our poorest neighborhoods. Messages directed to parents and children should encourage healthy eating and physical activity. Businesses should offer healthy options for residents as well, giving them the opportunity to eat right. Finally, our schools must to do more to promote a healthy lifestyle. This means better nutrition education, more rigorous PE and the removal of all junk foods from school. With a bit of imagination, school kitchens can provide delicious, nutritious, and well-balanced meals, without increasing costs.
Let's give our kids a head start and give them the tools they need to live long and healthy lives.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Health Care for Kids
Ensuring that our children have access to quality health care is just as important as providing an excellent education. While many kids have insurance coverage, many do not have access to decent facilities or the resources to get to a doctor's office. Wouldn't it be great if we could bring decent medical care to our kids instead of forcing them to travel to a facility?
I have been studying the concept of community schools. This approach takes a holistic approach to caring for children, and ensures that additional services of benefit to our kids are provided at their schools. Health care is one of those services that every child needs to have as part of their upbringing. If DC public schools provided adequate health care, like a physician assistant on site, for example, the quality of care our students receive could increase dramatically. Parents would no longer have the stress of figuring out how to get their kids to the doctor--and how to pay for those visits-- and increased regular check-ups would prevent escalating illness and the use of hospital emergency rooms for non-emergencies.
While I have not yet done the cost-benefit numbers, I think we can take existing funds from Medicaid, the Department of Health and from other sources to fund school-based health care. In the long run, it would not only save us money, but would provide a much-needed service for our children and families in desperate need of accessible, affordable, quality care. What do you think about this idea? I would really like some feedback.
I have been studying the concept of community schools. This approach takes a holistic approach to caring for children, and ensures that additional services of benefit to our kids are provided at their schools. Health care is one of those services that every child needs to have as part of their upbringing. If DC public schools provided adequate health care, like a physician assistant on site, for example, the quality of care our students receive could increase dramatically. Parents would no longer have the stress of figuring out how to get their kids to the doctor--and how to pay for those visits-- and increased regular check-ups would prevent escalating illness and the use of hospital emergency rooms for non-emergencies.
While I have not yet done the cost-benefit numbers, I think we can take existing funds from Medicaid, the Department of Health and from other sources to fund school-based health care. In the long run, it would not only save us money, but would provide a much-needed service for our children and families in desperate need of accessible, affordable, quality care. What do you think about this idea? I would really like some feedback.
Monday, July 9, 2007
More Greater SE Horror Stories
I hope that my focus on the quality of health coverage in DC is not becoming redundant to many of you, but I keep hearing of stories and problems that I feel need to be told. The story in Sunday's Washington Post gave me an even greater perspective on the crisis at Greater Southeast Community Hospital. It is hard to imagine that wings of the hospital are completely closed and that layoffs continue to reduce the staff despite a shortage of health facilities for residents. Is this the face of health care in this city? Why did the DC government allow this to happen? Some of our Councilmembers were asleep at the wheel during this ongoing deterioration. Fortunately, Councilmember Catania is now focusing on this issue and is determined to make things right.
The Post did an excellent job reporting on the state of the hospital, but I want to share with you the story of one of my good friends who was an in-patient at Greater Southeast. While he will remain unnamed, I assure you this is a true story. He currently suffers from a heart condition that causes him to to have occasional mild heart attacks. After one of these, he was admitted to Greater SE. While recovering, he had another episode while walking through the hospital. He passed out and fell to the floor. He was wearing a heart monitor which was working perfectly and detected his cardiac arrest.
While the heart monitor was working, he remained on the floor unconscious without anyone coming to help. Thirty minutes later he was noticed by someone who realized what had happened. In the middle of a hospital, wearing a heart monitor, my friend remained on the floor unconscious for 30 MINUTES and was completely ignored!!! He is lucky to be alive today, most likely because his doctor was able to move him to George Washington University Hospital. As I recount his story, tears are in my eyes. This could have happened to any of us and, sadly,one can only imagine such unfortunate incidents occurring again and again at Greater SE and other under-resourced health facilities in our city and elsewhere.
The wheels have come off our health system and we need to fix it. It is a problem that affects all of us. We have a moral obligation to care for each other. Over the next few weeks I will be presenting ideas to help increase and improve coverage for all DC residents. We can't sit idly and allow this to continue.
The Post did an excellent job reporting on the state of the hospital, but I want to share with you the story of one of my good friends who was an in-patient at Greater Southeast. While he will remain unnamed, I assure you this is a true story. He currently suffers from a heart condition that causes him to to have occasional mild heart attacks. After one of these, he was admitted to Greater SE. While recovering, he had another episode while walking through the hospital. He passed out and fell to the floor. He was wearing a heart monitor which was working perfectly and detected his cardiac arrest.
While the heart monitor was working, he remained on the floor unconscious without anyone coming to help. Thirty minutes later he was noticed by someone who realized what had happened. In the middle of a hospital, wearing a heart monitor, my friend remained on the floor unconscious for 30 MINUTES and was completely ignored!!! He is lucky to be alive today, most likely because his doctor was able to move him to George Washington University Hospital. As I recount his story, tears are in my eyes. This could have happened to any of us and, sadly,one can only imagine such unfortunate incidents occurring again and again at Greater SE and other under-resourced health facilities in our city and elsewhere.
The wheels have come off our health system and we need to fix it. It is a problem that affects all of us. We have a moral obligation to care for each other. Over the next few weeks I will be presenting ideas to help increase and improve coverage for all DC residents. We can't sit idly and allow this to continue.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
More Thoughts on Health Care
A couple days ago, my mother had an accident. She fell down the stairs, broke her wrist and suffered other bruises that have caused extensive pain. She called me at work right after it happened and I rushed home to take her to the hospital. We went to the Sibley Hospital emergency room. After hearing about the state of Greater Southeast and after watching the movie Sicko, I was prepared for the worst.
I was surprised though because the care at Sibley actually turned out to be great. We were in and out pretty quickly, with my mom wrapped up and all the tests complete. But we were lucky.
What this experience accentuated was the disparity of care our city. Even with the same insurance carriers, care can differ based on neighborhood and hospital. A human life is a human life, regardless of economic status. Everyone deserves the quality care that my mother was lucky to receive at Sibley Hospital. We must all fight to ensure that there are facilities east of the river and elsewhere that provide the same level of care.
I was surprised though because the care at Sibley actually turned out to be great. We were in and out pretty quickly, with my mom wrapped up and all the tests complete. But we were lucky.
What this experience accentuated was the disparity of care our city. Even with the same insurance carriers, care can differ based on neighborhood and hospital. A human life is a human life, regardless of economic status. Everyone deserves the quality care that my mother was lucky to receive at Sibley Hospital. We must all fight to ensure that there are facilities east of the river and elsewhere that provide the same level of care.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Healthcare Trumps All
The saga unfolding around Greater Southeast Community Hospital (GSECH) has, once again, ignited a debate about corporate profits vs. quality health care. Councilmember Catania has justifiably caused a stir by accusing the corporate owner, Envision, of putting profits ahead of patient care. What is happening at GSECH mirrors the healthcare crisis going on around the country. Unfortunately, it's in our home town, and the neediest of District residents are the ones suffering.
Quality health care is a right, not a privilege for only those who can afford it. Our leaders must find a way to ensure that DC residents have access to health care without first being frisked by corporate number crunchers. Governor Schwarzenegger has a far-reaching plan in California that guarantees coverage for every Californian. DC residents deserve coverage as well.
As long as the federal government continues to avoid dealing seriously with the nation's out-of-control health-care crisis, local leaders must lean heavily on Congress and the White House to make necessary changes and improvements while, at the same time, protect local residents from corporate profiteering. I applaud David Catania's efforts to stand up to a large corporation and to champion the cause of those who need our help desperately--too many struggling residents of the District of Columbia in need of medical attention.
Quality health care is a right, not a privilege for only those who can afford it. Our leaders must find a way to ensure that DC residents have access to health care without first being frisked by corporate number crunchers. Governor Schwarzenegger has a far-reaching plan in California that guarantees coverage for every Californian. DC residents deserve coverage as well.
As long as the federal government continues to avoid dealing seriously with the nation's out-of-control health-care crisis, local leaders must lean heavily on Congress and the White House to make necessary changes and improvements while, at the same time, protect local residents from corporate profiteering. I applaud David Catania's efforts to stand up to a large corporation and to champion the cause of those who need our help desperately--too many struggling residents of the District of Columbia in need of medical attention.
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