“Medical Futility and a Legal Update From Across the Nation” Interview with Thaddeus Pope J.D, of the MedicalFutility.blogspot.com. August 4th, 10am, pacific. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

I am honored to be interviewing the legal expert on futility, Thaddeus Pope J.D, regarding the issue of medical futility. You may not have heard much about this issue but you are going to be hearing a lot about it in the upcoming debate on healthcare reform. Every time President Obama says that we have to stop paying for treatments that will not work, he is talking about medical futility. Or when the politicians discuss using our healthcare dollars wisely, they are talking about medical futility. In healthcare, the number one problem being brought to bioethics committees is dealing with requests for treatments that are medically inappropriate or will not work. I encourage you to listen to this interview because when you or your loved one is in the hospital, this issue will be playing a factor in your treatment decisions. And even more importantly, this issue will be shaping the healthcare plan that is being proposed. Please let me know where you stand on this issue and feel free to call in with your questions.

“Medical Futility and a Legal Update from across the nation” interview with Thaddeus Pope J.D, of the MedicalFutility.blogspot.com and www.thaddeuspope.com. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

Thaddeus Pope is an Associate Professor of Law and member of the Health Law Institute at Widener University School of Law. He came to Widener in 2007, after teaching at the University of Memphis since 2005. Before entering academia, he worked seven years for Arnold & Porter LLP (in Los Angeles and Washington, DC), and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He earned both my J.D. and Ph.D. (in philosophy & bioethics) from Georgetown University.

His current research focuses on:
Medical Futility and other legal obstacles to good end-of-life care
Internal Dispute Resolution mechanisms in healthcare, particularly ethics committees
Tort Law, particularly consent and the assumption of risk doctrine
Public Health Law, particularly the legitimacy of restricting voluntary self-regarding conduct
Normative Jurisprudence, particularly the justifiability of hard paternalism

He teaches the following courses:
Health Law I (Patient Care & Liability), End-of-Life Decisions Law, Health Law II (Finance & Regulation), Bioethics, Torts, Public Health Law, Business Organizations, Health Law Thesis

You can get copies of the articles he has written at:
www.thaddeuspope.com
http://works.bepress.com/thaddeus_pope/
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=180178

For more information about Thaddeus Pope go to: http://thaddeuspope.com/images/Pope_Bio_1p_-_futility_.pdf

“The Compassion Fatigue Project” Interview with Patricia Smith, August 3rd, at 9AM pacific. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

“The Compassion Fatigue Project” Interview with Patricia Smith, August 3rd, at 9AM pacific. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

Patricia Smith, founder of the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project,
has published To Weep For A Stranger: Compassion Fatigue In
Caregiving. Along with in-depth explanations of compassion fatigue and
its symptoms and causes, the paperback features the following
comprehensive chapters:

Chapter 1: When Caring Too Much Hurts
Chapter 2: What Is Compassion Fatigue?
Chapter 3: Burdens Of The Chosen
Chapter 4: The Decision To Heal
Chapter 5: Standards Of Self-Care
Chapter 6: To Family Caregivers
Chapter 7: To Those Entering The Helping Professions
Chapter 8: When the Workplace Suffers
Chapter 9: To Weep For A Stranger

To order direct from the Createspace website for only $15, visit:

http://www.createspace.com/3393286

Workbooks:
Healthy Caregiving: A Guide to Recognizing and Managing Compassion Fatigue Level 1 –
Presenter’s Guide www.createspace.com/3363699

Healthy Caregiving: A Guide to Recognizing and Managing Compassion Fatigue Level 1 –
Student Guide www.createspace.com/3363698

CF Marketplace: http://www.cafepress.com/CFMarketplace

To Weep for a Stranger: Compassion Fatigue in Caregiving
www.createspace.com/3393286 (available 7/14/09

Have a kind and respectful day.

“Changing your Nursing Home Culture and Environment.” Part 2 of Interview with Frances Shani Parker, author of “Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes” on July 31st, 12pm PST.

Changing your Nursing Home Culture and Environment.” Part 2 of Interview with Frances Shani Parker, author of “Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes” on July 31st, 12pm PST.

Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics. To listen to Part 1: http://tinyurl.com/rdsf58

An award-winning writer, consultant, and former school principal, Frances shares insights and experiences about her years of hospice volunteering in Detroit nursing homes. Using stories, poems, and general information, she has written a groundbreaking book that is an inclusive and literal guide for becoming dead the right way. Topics include hospice, caregiving, dementia, death, bereavement, and strategies for improving eldercare and nursing homes. While universal perspectives are presented, the often missing views of people of color and residents in urban nursing homes are examined.

Frances’ background as an educator and her upbringing in New Orleans, LA add interesting layers to her problem solving in nursing homes and to her descriptive storytelling. She uses her writing and public speaking skills to advocate for senior citizens and promote conversations empowering others to have dignified death journeys. Her favorite anonymous quote is “If you think one person can’t make a difference, you haven’t been to bed with a mosquito.” Visit Frances in cyberspace at www.francesshaniparker.com and at her blog titled “Hospice and Nursing Homes http://hospiceandnursinghomes.blogspot.com

Video Poem: Reflections of a Hospice Volunteer (Hospice, Nursing Homes, Eldercare) 3:25 mins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeBl5QtlPxg

Video Poem: “Pieces of Our Minds” (Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Hospice, Nursing Homes) 2:24 mins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgRoKDUEOUk

(Search under FrancesShaniParker on youtube.com.)

Have a kind and respectful day.

“Saving you Money on your Prescription Medications.” Interview with MrMedsaver, Jacob Milbradt, PharmD on July 23rd, 10AM pacific.

Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

If you’re struggling to afford your medication, MrMedSaver.com can help. On average, we’re able to show our clients how to save about 70% on their prescriptions. Here’s what R. Michael Dowden from Farmersville, OH, a recent MrMedSaver.com client, said about his Rx Savings Report:
“I can see already, the biggest benefit is putting information into the hands of the consumer. On some of these, I thought I already had the answers to what was the lowest cost and still effective medicine. Now I have alternatives that I can discuss with my doctor(s).”
Imagine if your mechanic selected which car you would purchase. Not having a firm grasp of fluctuating automobile prices, imagine if he chose your new vehicle without even taking cost into consideration. Instead, what if he based his decision solely on performance, looks, and amenities, and chose a brand new Mercedes? Would you stand for this? Of course not . . . that would be preposterous. Yet this scenario is the norm for the pharmaceutical industry.
Usually, the person who selects your medications (your doctor) has no idea what you’ll have to pay for them. The pharmaceutical industry changes at such a rapid pace that doctors simply can’t keep track of drug prices or developments like new generic availability. In fact, one of the key sources of drug information for doctors is drug company sales reps. These salesmen are highly trained at pushing doctors away from cost-effective generic medications, and toward the expensive brand-name drugs they are promoting. The design of the entire pharmaceutical industry is flawed, forcing you to pay much more than needed for your medications . . . and there’s no one to look out for you.
Now, with the help of Mr. MedSaver, that’s all about to change. Our company specializes in providing an independent assessment of your medication costs, ending with a report demonstrating numerous tactics you can employ to drastically reduce the amount you spend on prescription drugs. Think of us as the Kelley Blue Book for the pharmaceutical industry.
Mr. MedSaver was founded by Jacob Milbradt, PharmD, a pharmacist from Kansas who grew sick and tired of seeing his patients pay too much for their prescriptions. After daily encounters with people who couldn’t afford their prescriptions or who had to make difficult decisions, such as groceries vs. medication, Dr. Milbradt knew he had to do something that would make a real difference. After a large amount of research, he developed Prescription Cost Management—a revolutionary series of techniques that can be used to cut prescription drug costs to a mere fraction of what most people pay.
Now, these techniques have been taken to the next level—Personalized Prescription Cost Management. At Mr. MedSaver, we don’t have inflexible computer programs with “one-size-fits-all” recommendations. Instead we’ll provide you with a detailed analysis of your medications that is personally completed by a pharmacist and is 100% customized to exactly fit your unique needs.
We know how difficult it can be to afford your medications. We also realize how it often seems that there’s no one available to offer any real help. Well, not anymore. At Mr. MedSaver.com, we offer real results. Guaranteed. And remember, you can trust Mr. MedSaver for completely unbiased advice:
• We aren’t an internet pharmacy: The sole motivation of internet pharmacies is to make as much money as possible by profiting off your prescriptions. Because of this, saving you money isn’t a high priority for these companies.
• We don’t offer prescription “discount” cards: Prescription “discount” cards seldom actually offer much of a discount. In fact, most companies actually turn around and sell the data they collect whenever you fill your prescriptions!
• We will NEVER charge you to enroll in a FREE assistance program: Most websites that offer to enroll you in patient assistance programs won’t tell you that these programs are ENTIRELY FREE. Furthermore, these companies aren’t truly interested in saving you as much money as possible. Instead, they focus on continually milking your wallet every month with enrollment fees.
• We aren’t employed by your pharmacy: We don’t work for your pharmacy, and as a result our first allegiance is to you—NOT the company that sells you prescriptions.
• We are 100% independent: The big drug companies hate us, but you’re going to love us. That’s because we tell it exactly how it is. We have no financial ties to any pharmaceutical manufacturers. Also, we’ll never try to steer you toward pharmacies that have paid us to do this.

Have a kind and respectful day.

“The Advanced Planning and Compassionate Care Act of 2009” Interview with Richard Handy from the WeCareHospice.com on July 29st, 10AM pacific, on blogtalkradio.com/kindethics

“The Advanced Planning and Compassionate Care Act of 2009” Interview with Richard Handy from the WeCareHospice.com on July 29st, 10AM pacific. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

Find out more and then contact your United States Senator.

Here is a sample letter that Richard Handy provides with the necessary information:

I read with great interest “The Advanced Planning and Compassionate Care Act of 2009”, and while I feel it is an excellent piece of legislation, I also think there is one more item that should be considered.

As I am sure you are aware, for hospice agencies, Medicare has a cost containment strategy often referred to as the 80/20 Rule. According to this regulation, hospice patients must receive 80% of their care at home and no more than 20% at an inpatient hospice facility.

In general, any hospice patient whose care is so complex or demanding that the family can no longer continue to provide home care has two choices. The most expensive option is to go to the hospital emergency room and receive treatment and in most cases be admitted. This often involves very expensive time in the hospital’s ICU.

For example, if a hospice patient, diagnosed with COPD with major complications and co-morbidities is admitted to Singing River Hospital in Jackson County, MS, he will spend and average of 9.45 days with an average final charge of $43,222. This is fairly typical for other hospice diagnoses, CHF,CAD, HIV, ALZ, ALS, CVA, etc.

(2)
An option that achieves a positive outcome for the patient and is more economical is short term placement in an Inpatient Hospice Facility. Patients admitted for inpatient care are reviewed by the interdisciplinary team weekly. Therefore, an estimated average stay would be 14 21 days at an average daily rate of $542.50 or a total charge of $7395 to 11,392.50. This represents a significant savings of between $31,829 to 35,627. This savings is representative of a single exacerbation of the illness. Most patients repeat this process several times during the course of their illness.

Some of the patients inpatient hospice provides care for are those with:
• Bleeding—active or potential
• Sepsis
• Seizures
• Uncontrolled pain
• Any uncontrolled symptoms
• Imminent death under specific conditions
• Acute cardiac symptoms—myocardial infarction, arrhythmias

The primary difference between Inpatient Hospice and the Hospital is the skilled nursing and medical management of the patient. In hospice, the focus is on palliation of symptoms, with attention given to the family, and the psychosocial and spiritual support is provided that is so badly needed.

However, because of the Medicare 80/20 Rule, Most hospice agencies that provide inpatient care face the danger of excessive financial risk if they continue to provide care to all of the patients that require this type of service. These are patients without family support, some with very complicated needs, who require extended inpatient hospice stays, some with complicated morbidity and some who live in an environment that make it difficult to provide services.

(3)
I am asking you to help us help them by amending “The Advanced Planning and Compassionate Care Act of 2009” to include amending Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove the 20 percent inpatient limitation under the Medicare Program on the proportional hospice care certain hospice programs may provide. This would free agencies to accept all of the patients referred to their facilities without worrying about financial risk.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can improve patient outcomes while reducing costs, please do not hesitate to call, 228-474-2030 (office) 228-990-5281 (cell) or email: rfhandy@wecarehospice.com

Part 2 of the interview with Patricia Coonan, “Helping the doctors and nurses avoid lawsuits”

“Are you afraid of getting sued?” for healthcare professionals. Part 2 of the interview with Patricia Coonan, RN on June 25th, 2PM pst. 5PM est. Patricia will be answering more questions about doctor’s documentation strategies. Part 1 can be found at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics on the June 15th scheduled day.

Patricia Coonan will be answering your questions regarding how to protect yourself from a lawsuit. This is a must listen to for doctors and nurses. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics. She will be discussing practical ways to help nurses and doctors stay out of legal trouble by changing your actions and changing how you document.

Patricia been a RN for 24 years and Legal Nurse since 1997. She works for the Beasley Firm as an In-House Consultant and Legal Assistant. If you are being sued, she is the person that would go through the medical records to see what happened and if you have deviated from the Standards, Protocols and Industry Practices and if you may be negligent.

Patricia has also created a training program for those nurses interested in going into the legal field. If you are interested, you can find her products on eBay under Prrn12 or at www.legalnurseprrn12.com or at pc-rn@comcast.net.

You can reach Patricia at Facebook as Patricia Coonan RN, or follow her on Twitter: pcRN.

For legal help, The Beasley Firm website is http://www.beasleyfirm.com and their offices are as follows:
The Beasley Building
1125 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone (215) 592-1000
Fax (215) 592-8360
3000 Atrium Way
Suite 258
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
Phone (856) 273-6966
Fax (856) 273-6913
Have a kind and respectful day.

“Age in Place – Putting Your Plan Into Action” Interview with Mark Hager, the founder of Aging in Place. June 24th, 9:30 AM pst

“Age in Place – Putting Your Plan Into Action” Interview with Mark Hager, the founder of Aging in Place. June 24th, 9:30 AM pst. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

Mark Hager is the founder of AgeInPlace.com, a website focused on major topics around aging in place, including home modifications, real estate, assistive technology, finances and others. Mark also founded AgeInPlacePros.com, a website for those who provide services and goods to older people, focusing on local businesses meeting community needs brought on by the age boom. Mark is an advocate of planning responsibly for late life to lessen the impact on people, their families and communities. As well as, assisting local businesses prosper while serving those in their communities.

He will be answering the common questions people have about aging in place.

Have a kind and respectful day.

“Are you afraid of getting sued?” for healthcare professionals. An interview with Patricia Coonan, RN on June 15th, 2PM pst, 5pm est..

“Are you afraid of getting sued?” for healthcare professionals. An interview with Patricia Coonan, RN on June 15th, 2PM pst. 5PM est. There were so many listeners with questions, we have scheduled PART 2 coming on June 25th, 2PM pst, answering more questions about doctor’s documentation.

Patricia Coonan will be answering your questions regarding how to protect yourself from a lawsuit. This is a must listen to for doctors and nurses. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics. She will be discussing practical ways to help nurses and doctors stay out of legal trouble by changing your actions and changing how you document.

Patricia been a RN for 24 years and Legal Nurse since 1997. She works for the Beasley Firm as an In-House Consultant and Legal Assistant. If you are being sued, she is the person that would go through the medical records to see what happened and if you have deviated from the Standards, Protocols and Industry Practices and if you may be negligent.

Patricia has also created a training program for those nurses interested in going into the legal field. If you are interested, you can find her products on eBay under Prrn12 or at www.legalnurseprrn12.com or at pc-rn@comcast.net.

You can reach Patricia at Facebook as Patricia Coonan RN, or follow her on Twitter: pcRN.

For legal help, The Beasley Firm website is http://www.beasleyfirm.com and their offices are as follows:
The Beasley Building
1125 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone (215) 592-1000
Fax (215) 592-8360
3000 Atrium Way
Suite 258
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
Phone (856) 273-6966
Fax (856) 273-6913
Have a kind and respectful day.

“Navigating the Disability Benefit Process” interview with Philip Lewis PhD & J.D. on June 16th, 10AM pst.

“Navigating the Disability Benefit Process” interview with Philip Lewis PhD and J.D.on June 16th, 10AM pst. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

Are you recently disabled and need to begin to apply for benefits? Or are you in the middle of trying to receive benefits and are up against a road block? Philip Lewis can help. Philip S. Lewis has worked in the field of vocational rehabilitation since 1979, assessing and providing placement assistance to persons with disabilities. He has been representing persons with disabilities to pursue benefits from the Social Security Administration since 1994. As a professional in private practice, he has provided evaluation services in varied compensatory systems including Workers’ Compensation, Longshore and Harbor Workers, Long Term Disability, and Social Security. Following graduate training in industrial psychology at California State University Long Beach, he earned a Certificate in Human Resources Management from California Lutheran University , and a Ph.D. in forensic rehabilitation and industrial psychology, from the Union Institute Graduate School. He holds a juris doctor degree from the Ventura College of Law, and completed a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University, School of Law. He maintains board certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.

He has represented hundreds clients both before the Social Security Administration for initial claims, as well at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, for those clients appearing before an Administrative Law Judge. As a former Vocational Expert appearing under contract to the Office of Hearings and Appeals, he has a detailed working knowledge of the procedural and vocational issues raised at the Hearing level. In each case heard at the Office of Hearings and Appeals, a hearing brief is prepared, which outlines the background of the claimant, summarizes the medical conditions as they apply to the “listings of impairments”’ asserts all applicable rules and case law supporting of favorable decision and confirms that in a prevailing case, that an accurate accounting and payment of all past due benefits is effected.

The claimant seeking Social Security benefits based on a disability must be prepared to aggressively pursue this claim. The initial step is filing the claim for either disability insurance benefits and/or supplemental security income benefits. Ultimately, most claimants winning their claim must appear before an Administrative Law Judge and meet the administrative requirement of establishing a disability which precludes all work in the national economy.

Mr. Lewis will be discussing the process of applying for Social Security benefits, the rules of eligibility, program differences (SSI vs. SSDI) supporting medical coverage, benefit entitlement, burdens of proof and time frames, including appeals.

Philip can be reached at http://www.hearingrepresentative.com/ or at 805-642-6080.

Have a kind and respectful day.

“Should you try an experimental treatment if the doctor has nothing else to offer” interview with Carol Mack PhD, June 8th at 9AM pst

“Should you try an experimental treatment if the doctor has nothing else to offer” interview with Carol Mack, June 8th at 9AM pst.

Carol Mack PhD is an oncology nurse and clinical researcher who will be answering the questions you have about signing up for an experimental treatment or Phase 1 trial. Carol did research on patients’ experiences with clinical trials. She is currently an Associate Professor of Nursing at Western University of Health Sciences.

She will discuss the differences between the different phases as well as the ethical questions that need to be asked.

Founded in 1977, Western University of Health Sciences is a nonprofit, graduate university for the health professions. The university campus is located on 22 acres in downtown Pomona, California.

Western University is one of the largest graduate schools for the health professions in California. It currently comprises the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, (the founding college), the College of Allied Health Professions, the College of Graduate Nursing, the College of Pharmacy, and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, it will open four new colleges in August 2009: Dentistry, Podiatry, Optometry, and Biomedical Sciences. Alumni rank among the very top leaders in health care and medicine throughout the country and the world.

All of the health care programs have professional accreditations, and the university is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

What makes Western University distinctive is its commitment to humanistic values. Underlying a regimen of scientific and technical course work is a strong moral, humanistic approach to education and health care. According to Dr. Philip Pumerantz, the President of Western University, the university uses this humanistic commitment to give its students ” an education that will assist them in becoming humane, sensitive, and technically competent health care professionals. ”

Have a kind and respectful day.

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