The most overused political phrase – “it’s time for a change” – may be finally growing some teeth when it comes to private for-profit education. The Federal Department of Education has taken a hard line position with regards to reigning in private for-profit schools, such as ITT and the University of Phoenix, that have profited [...]
Health Affairs journal is the premiere journal for healthcare policy. If it appears in Health Affairs then it is generally a done deal. The May 2010 issue of Health Affairs is devoted to the reinvention of primary care. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 has triggered all sorts of projects that have [...]
The Community Acupuncture Network: Grass Roots Needling Therapy The marriage of working class politics and acupuncture might on the face of it seem an unlikely match. After all, working class politics and grass roots organization conjures images of class struggle, marching in the streets and fighting for one or another form of liberation. Images of [...]
Venice Family Clinic (VFC) is a long-standing community clinic with two locations in the Santa Monica and Venice neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California. Many people are surprised to learn that VFC serves a diverse and poor population of Westside adults, women and children. After all, the Westside is far better known for movie people and [...]
At the risk of reinforcing the “us” versus “them” stereotype (i.e., Eastern versus Western medicine) I describe my recent interaction with two primary care physicians who support acupuncture in principle and action. Despite this, they were flummoxed with a proposal I made to them that LAcs (Licensed Acupuncturists) should work as primary care providers (PCPs) [...]
I received an email request last week from my health insurer to complete an online survey. Providers and insurers are required to collect and report “quality” information. The process can be costly (in person hours and/or $$) if sound survey principles are employed. Insurers have deeper pockets than provider groups so outcomes for insurers often [...]