Governor Rendell Visits MU

Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell encouraged a standing-room-only crowd in the McGowan room of the Mary Kintz Bevevino Library to support “Prescription for Pennsylvania,” the health care plan going before legislators this season. The Governor’s September 26 visit came in response to an invitation to The Highlander’s Health Care Summit, held in April.

President Michael MacDowell, along with Board of Trustees Chairman Paul Siegel and trustees Murray Ufberg, Esq. and Monsignor John Bendik, welcomed the governor and local government officials who joined him in his visit. Among the officials present were: State Representatives Phyllis Mundy, Eddie Day Pashinski, Mike Caroll and Karen Boback; Paul Macknosky, representing Rep. Chris Carney; Luzerne County Commissioner Maryanne Petrilla, and Michael A. Lombardo, director of the Governor’s Northeast Regional Office.

Highlander Editor-in-Chief Amanda Janiga had the honor of introducing Governor Rendell to the audience, explaining that more than 200 people had attended the Health Care Summit, and many students and Faculty members were on hand to explore health care policies and the profession.

Governor Rendell said more than 770,000 Pennsylvanians cannot pay for doctor’s visits. The main parts of the Prescription for Pennsylvania plan should help address that issue.

The first hurdle is cost containment. “We need to contain costs so that we can afford universal coverage. We can do this in part by controlling infection in the hospital setting. These infections cost the industry $2.5 billion a year,” he said. According to the Governor, 22,000 people have died as a result of hospital-acquired infections, and the state government has passed the stronger act to address this issue.

“Controlling infections will not only cut costs, but improve quality,” said Governor Rendell.

Another initiative is cost containment for treatments for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, lung disease and asthma, which are responsible for 20 percent of the cost. Governor Rendell said the proposed legislation would extend better care for these conditions, but at reduced expense.

The Governor said another strategy is to broaden the “scope of practice” law, which will free Nurse Practitioners to provide more care to more people. “Long term hope rests with non-physician personnel,” said Governor Rendell. A Nurse practitioner can do two thirds of what a doctor can do. One place he hopes this initiative can help is in the emergency room.

He told a story about going into a hospital emergency room with a cut or gash that requires stitches. “They [hospital staff] say, we’ll get to you as soon as possible,” he said, “and four and a half hours later you finally get the two or three stitches you need.”  The Governor’s plan would be require every emergency room to have a non-emergent care facility so patients who do not need true emergency care can still be treated.

The Governor also mentioned that many people without insurance tend to go to the hospital for treatment that they can’t afford, and often the uninsured get treatment for an illness or disease that has progressed because they couldn’t get the preventive care they needed.

Over the past seven years, 450,000 citizens lost employer coverage. Rendell said costs have risen 85 percent, while inflation has gone up 17 percent, and wages 14 percent – hitting the employers and employees hard.

The Governor also spoke about “Cover All Kids,” a health care program that by the end of 2010 would give every child access to health care at a reasonable price. This includes extension of the CHIP program already in place in Pennsylvania. Premiums would vary according to family income.

With only a few weeks before the legislature adjourns, Governor Rendell urged everyone to call their state legislators and urge them to address the health care issue. The Governor has proposed taxing smokeless tobacco and cigars and raising the cigarette tax 10 cents, devoting all of the money to health care.

“Our Senators are afraid we can’t afford it,” he said. “They are worried about what will happen to them if they raise taxes.”

Rendell said legislators should focus on their constituency. “I think they worry about their own problems. They should worry about the citizen’s problems first and foremost.”