Newswise — As new medical devices and screening technologies flood the market, patient care costs continue to rise " but opportunities to provide better, faster patient care are abundant. These issues will play a central role in discussions about health care reform as the 2008 presidential election approaches.
Judd Hollander, MD, Professor and Clinical Research Director in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine, can share insights on the ways in which new technologies may both improve health care delivery and reduce costs for widespread, chronic health problems.
"It's almost the perfect storm. When people get sick, they cannot get a timely appointment with their primary care provider, and they have to wait for hours to be seen in a crowded emergency department," says Hollander, who recently completed a term as President of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). "Meanwhile, the government and insurance carriers continue to cut payments and avoid reimbursing for services. It's hard to imagine either candidate can keep the ship afloat without a major change in direction."
Hollander has conducted extensive research on emergency room crowding and best practices in emergency care for patients with cardiovascular conditions such as chest pain, as well as traumatic injury and other acute problems. He has published more than 300 peer reviewed papers and studies on these and other topics.
His research provides key data to guide the government and health care industry as they create standards for measuring new technologies to ensure quality and innovation while lowering costs. As an attending physician in a busy metropolitan emergency room that provides care to many low-income patients, he can also discuss the ways in which patients and their caregivers struggle to access government programs and medical care.
PENN Medicine is a $3.5 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Penn's School of Medicine is currently ranked #4 in the nation in U.S.News & World Report's survey of top research-oriented medical schools; and, according to most recent data from the National Institutes of Health, received over $379 million in NIH research funds in the 2006 fiscal year. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals — its flagship hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, rated one of the nation's top 10 "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S.News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home care and hospice.
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