Final Project Source Notes (20)

Source Notes (20): Image

Title: Universal Coverage and Controlling Costs– Health Priorities for President Obama

Summary: A pie chart of what citizens think the Obama administration should do about the health care reform first in order of importance: improve quality, improve efficiency and cost control, or increase coverage. People then voted on their views, then the Commonwealth Fund Foundation turned it into a pie chart based on what should happen first.

Topic: Universal health care

Category: Image

What is it?: An image of a pie chart found on a blog.

Publication information: http://healthpopuli.com, January 20, 2009

Author: Jane Sarasohn-Kahn

Location: http://www.healthpopuli.com/, http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/Data-Briefs/2009/Jan/Health-Care-Opinion-Leaders-Views-on-Priorities-for-the-Obama-Administration.aspx

Accessed: January 20, 2009

Support: Commonwealth Fund Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey

Audience and Agenda: This chart was originally created by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation working toward a high performance health system. The fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy.

Usefulness: This site offers many other charts, graphs and statistical data about universal health care in the U.S. I found the pie chart from a blog strictly about health care. Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, the author of this blog, is a health economist and management consultant who has worked with health care stakeholders for over twenty years.

Works Cited:

http://www.healthpopuli.com/, http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/Data-Briefs/2009/Jan/Health-Care-Opinion-Leaders-Views-on-Priorities-for-the-Obama-Administration.aspx

Final Project Source Notes (19)

Source Notes (19): What Obama’s Budget Does–and Doesn’t–Say

Title: What Obama’s Budget Does–and Doesn’t–Say

Summary: Health care will be financed by two big revenue streams as I had mentioned in the last source note. However, the White House is offering enough funds to show commitment, but not enough to fully offset the costs of the policy. The administration means to leave the rest of the financing question up to congress.

Topic: Universal health care

Category: Citizen (Stakeholder)

What is it?: A political blog through The American Prospect about Obama’s budget plans.

Publication information: http://prospect.org, February 22, 2009.

Author: Ezra Klein

Location: http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=02&year=2009&base_name=what_obamas_budget_does_and_do

Accessed: February 23, 2009

Support:

Jonathan Cohn, senior political writer for The New Republic (TNR.com); Ron Wyden, U.S. senator from Oregon; Max Baucus, U.S. senator from Montana; Barack Obama, President; John McCain, former presidential candidate.
Many of the people listed above either commented on the topic or are a major supporter of affordable health care in the United States.

Audience and Agenda: The American Prospect was founded in 1990 as an authoritative magazine of liberal ideas, an enriched democracy and effective liberal politics. Since then, The Prospect has grown to a highly credited magazine with a paid circulation of more than 37,000 and a daily web magazine with over 1 million visitors a month.

Usefulness: This web site was found through one of the other blogs I found on this issue. They all seem to be interlinked with eachother, which is great because each of these blogs has different but similar information on the issue. I’m finding blogs to be very useful as long as I know the author comes from a credited source.

Works Cited:

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=02&year=2009&base_name=what_obamas_budget_does_and_do, http://www.prospect.org/

Final Source Project Notes (18)

Source Notes (18): Taxing Health Care, Despite the Campaign

Title: Taxing Health Care, Despite the Campaign

Summary: One of the key structural aspects of Obama’s new budget is that health care reform will be given its own financing stream; one derived partially from cuts on Medicare and Medicaid spending, and partially from a new tax described as it finances coveage for the uninsured and pushes employers to cover more workers.

Topic: Universal health care

Category: Citizen (Stakeholder)

What is it?: An online blog about health care and other political issues through politico.com

Publication information: http://politico.com, February 22, 2009, New York.

Author: Ben Smith, senior political writer

Location: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0209/Taxing_healthcare_despite_the_campaign.html

Accessed: February 23, 2009

Support:

Jonathan Cohn, a senior blogger for the website, The New Republic (TNR.com); Ezra Klein, associate editor at The American Prospect; Barack Obama, president; John McCain, former presidential candidate.

This very short article compares the information both bloggers, Cohn and Klein, have stated in their own blogs about this budget issue. Of course Obama and McCain are both mentioned in the articles, comparing the two and their original plans.

Audience and Agenda: Politico.com is a web site that focuses mainly on: the politics of Capitol Hill, the presidential campaign, and the business of Washington lobbying and advocacy. The author, Ben Smith, is a senior political writer with a linguistics degree from Yale College. He has also worked with many NY newspapers, such as New York Sun and New York Observer. Now he writes for three of New York City’s leading political blogs: The Politicker,  The Daily Politics, and Room Eight.

Usefulness: This article was so short, it seemed to have left out some information. The links to other blogs were very useful, however. It was like a gateway to other similar issues I am searching for and from writers that have a strong background in politics and journalism.

Works cited:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0209/Taxing_healthcare_despite_the_campaign.html, http://www.politico.com/

Audio Slideshow Reflection

When assigned to make an audio slideshow for class, I was so excited to do this project. The way I see it, it’s way better than having to write a paper and sit at a desk for hours upon hours. Instead, we got to go out and take pictures of some random person all day long.

The person I chose was my boss, Blaine. Like me, he is a barista, so I knew I could get some really great shots of him interacting with the customers and making coffee. He is also a JV basketball coach at Thurston High School so again, I knew it would make a great slideshow.

The challenging part for me was the interview. He seemed laid back abou the interview until I stuck the recorder in front of him. When I asked him some questions, he started speaking extremely fast and mumbled a lot. I knew that later down the road it would be very difficult to edit the audio, so I made him redo it. After doing the interview three different times, I felt like I had enough to work with.

Overall, I wasn’t too pleased with the audio part of my slideshow, but I do like the pictures. I think next time I just need to tell my interviewee to relax and speak slower and hope that works.

Final Project Source Notes (17)

Source Notes (17): Interview- Citizen (Expert)

Interviewee’s name: Sue Currin, Expert Citizen

Summary: Sue is the Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and recently became the Chief Executive Officer of the San Francisco General Hospital. She has been campaigning for universal health care her whole life and is a strong believer of the issue.

Me: “Sue, why do you think it is so important for this country to have available health care provided to all Americans?”

Sue: “It seems to be a growing trend worldwide and it’s a scary thing to see when there are nearly 50 million people in this country who don’t have health insurance; why do you think our mortality rates are higher than the other countries who do provide it to their people?”

Me: “Working in a hospital, do you deal with that kind of stuff  [people not being able to pay for health insurance] quite frequently?”

Sue: “Unfortunately, I deal with it more than I would like to. It’s devastating to see someone who desperately needs the attention, and is not be able to pay for it, it’s absolutely horrible.”

Me: “How soon do you think this will take effect?”

Sue: “I think it’s going to take a lot longer than what the Obama Administration is hoping for; it’s such a complicated issue, plus they need enough votes just to pass the bill… it’s going to take longer than a year, probably even two. I would like to see it happen immediately, but that won’t happen.”

Final Project Source Notes (16)

Source Notes (16): I Hate Universal Health Care. Except that I Don’t.

Title: I Hate Universal Health Care. Except that I Don’t.

Summary: This blog is in response to an article titled, “Fix America’s Health Care System– the Capitalist Way”, that was written in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by the CEO of Waffle House, Joe Rogers. Rogers explains how Waffle House, Inc. has offered affordable group medical insurance to their hourly employees for over 25 years but many employees choose to risk not being insured and spend their money on other things.

Topic: Universal health care

Category: Citizen (stakeholder)

What is it?: A blog from The New Republic, a Journal of Politics and the Arts

Publication information: The New Republic, Washington D.C., February 19, 2009.

Author: Jonathan Cohn

Location: http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_treatment/archive/2009/02/19/i-hate-universal-health-care-except-that-i-don-t.aspx

Accessed: February 19, 2009

Support:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, an Atlanta, GA newspaper; Joe Rogers, CEO of Waffle House and author of article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Ezekiel Emanuel, advisor for Obama; Ron Wyden, U.S. senator from Oregon.

Audience and Agenda: The New Republic is a journal that was founded in 1914 and its goal was and is to provide its readers with an intelligent and somewhat entertaining examination of American politics, culture and foreign policy. The New Republic tries to deliver the news before it hits mainstream news and that’s why they

Usefulness: Hearing other people’s point of views on this issue helps influence my decision on the should question. I’m still not 100% if I agree or disagree with my question but hearing what real people have to say is very useful.

Works cited:

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_treatment/archive/2009/02/19/i-hate-universal-health-care-except-that-i-don-t.aspx, http://www.tnr.com/

Final Project Source Notes (15)

Source Notes (15): Okay, How About Sebelius for HHS, Then?

Title: Okay, How About Sebelius for HHS, Then?

Summary: As some of us may have already heard, Tom Daschle stepped down from taking the open position as the White House’s Health and Human Services Secretary on February 3, 2009. As of February 18, 2009, The New York Times has reported that Mr. Barack Obama has chosen Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas, to fill the open position as HHS secretary.

Topic: Universal health care

Category: Citizen (commentator)

What is it?: A blog about health care on the website, change.org.

Publication information: http://change.org, February 18, 2009, New York, NY.

Author: Timothy Foley

Location:

http://healthcare.change.org/blog/view/ok_how_about_sebelius_for_hhs_then

Accessed: February 19, 2009

Support:

Tom Daschle, former U.S. senator of South Dakota; Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont and possible candidate for HHS secretary of the White House; Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas and possible candidate for HHS secretary of the White House; John Kerry, former presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in 2004; Barack Obama, president.

Three of the people listed above are or were candidates of the open position of HHS secretary of the White House. Kathleen Sebelius recieved strong consideration for VP by both John Kerry and Barack Obama.

Audience and Agenda: Timothy Foley has been an online organizer and blogger on health care policy for the Obama for America campaign (during the primaries) and currently for a labor union for intern and resident doctors. His views on this blog are completely his own opinions and are open to the public to comment freely upon.

Usefulness: It’s nice to see one side of this controversial issue. Obviously Foley is a supporter of universal health care and the new stimulus package Mr. Obama has just signed, but I am curious to see what the other side of the fence (republicans) believe.

Works cited:

http://healthcare.change.org/blog/view/ok_how_about_sebelius_for_hhs_then, http://www.change.org/

Final Project Source Notes (14)

Source Notes (14): The U.S. Health Care Non-System, 1908-2008

Title: The U.S. Health Care Non-System, 1908-2008

Summary: The history of how health insurance has become what it is today from the last 100 years or so and how it has changed through the government.

Topic: Universal health care

Category: Academic Research

What is it?: An online journal from the American Medical Association.

Publication information: The American Medical Association, May 2008.

Author: George B. Moseley III, JD, MBA

Location: http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2008/05/mhst1-0805.html

Accessed: February 16, 2009

Support:

American Medical Association (AMA); American College of Surgeons, founded in 1913; Baylor University Hospital; American Hospital Association (AHA); Blue Cross Insurance; Blue Shield Insurance; National Labor Relations Board; The Hill-Burton Act, passed in 1946 to provide loans and grants for construction of new hospitals; the Health Professions Educational Assistance Act, founded in 196, which provided financial assistance to medical schools; the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, founded in 1945; the Health Maintenence Organization Act, passed in 1973.

Audience and Agenda: This site explores the ethical issues and challenges a student, resident, or physicians would face. The free online journal, Virtual Mentor, was started in 1999 and is open to the public, especially targeted towards doctors, and doctors-to-be.

Usefulness: Showing the history of health care and how it began back in 1908 was very useful to me. The sources used in this article was helpful as well, as I will go back and use those in my final project.

Works cited:

http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2008/05/mhst1-0805.html

Moseley III, George B. “The U.S. Health Care Non-System, 1908-2008.” Virtual Mentor 10 (2008): 324-31.

Final Project Source Notes (13)

Source Notes (13): A Stimulus and Recovery Plan for Washington State

Title: A Stimulus and Recovery Plan for Washington State

Summary: The author thinks that the state of Washington will not be able to get on the right track to sustainable growth without rebuilding a financially secure middle class. By raising new revenues and strategic investments for modernizing the workplace standards and social insurance systems, the author believes Washington can build a sustainable 21st century economy.

Topic: Universal health care

Category: Academic Research

What is it?: An online publication from the Economic Opportunity Institute web site.

Publication information: Economic Opportunity Institute (EOI), December 17, 2008, Seattle, WA.

Author: Marylin P. Watkins, Ph.D.

Location: https://www.policyarchive.org/bitstream/handle/10207/12323/Economic_Stimulus_Recovery_Plan-Dec08.pdf

Accessed: February 16, 2009

Support:

Christine Gregoire, governor of Washington; Barack Obama, president; Peter Orszag, director of the office of Management of Budget for Obama administration; Joseph Stiglitz, economics professor at Columbia University.

Audience and Agenda: Economic Opportunity Institute (EOI) is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit public policy center dedicated to advancing new ideas to make Washington a better place to live, for everyone. EOI is a member of the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN), a network of 55 state and regional multi-issue research, policy, and advocacy organizations in 40 states. EOI is funded by donations of individuals, other organizations and foundations.

Usefulness: Since the public policy topic I am focusing on is considered a national policy, I don’t know if this was the most useful source because it’s only based on Washington state. However, I did find a lot of the information to be helpful to my research. I now might look at other state statistics, especially Oregon, and compare.

Works cited:

https://www.policyarchive.org/bitstream/handle/10207/12323/Economic_Stimulus_Recovery_Plan-Dec08.pdf

Watkins, Marilyn P. “A Stimulus and Recovery Plan for the State of Washington.” Economic Opportunity Institute (2008): 1-8.

Final Project Source Notes (12)

Source Notes (12): Health Care for All?

Title: Health Care for All?

Summary: Dates back to World War I, when the first national system of social insurance and medical coverage began and goes into other major horrific times we (Americans) have needed universal health insurance.

Topic: Universal health care

Category: Academic research

What is it?: An online article from the New England Journal of Medicine

Publication information: http://content.nejm.org, September 20, 2007.

Author: M. Gregg Bloche, M.D., J.D.

Location: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/12/1173

Accessed: February 15, 2009

Support:

Philip Bobbit, historian and legal scholar; Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone; John Chafee, late republican senator of Rhode Island; New America Foundation; Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of California; John Edwards, democratic presidential candidate; Mitt Romney, republican governor of Massachusetts; Barack Obama, then-senator of Illinois; Hillary Clinton, senator of New York;

Audience and Agenda: The New Engand Journal of Medicine is a prestigeous and well-known academic journal that is published weekly and owned by the Massachusetts Medical Society. The content of this site is intended for health care professionals and students alike.

Usefulness: This site was helpful because it brought the history of health care into the story and explained how it started. I will definitely go back and use this particular article for my final project. The only part that wasn’t useful was the date of this article; unlike the other articles I have received, this one is a little outdated.

Works cited:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/12/1173

Bloche, M. G. “Health Care for All?” New England Journal of Medicine 357 (2007): 1173-175.