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Posted by
on
February 06, 2012
The Arguments Before the Supreme Court The Congressional Health Care Caucus will begin a new series leading up to the Supreme Court reviewing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This event will focus on the arguments that will be presented to the Court against PPACA.
Karen Harned, National Federation of Independent Business Colby May, American Center for Law and Justice Open to Members, Staff, Interns and the Public Hosted by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. For more information and to RSVP – Rebekah.West@mail.house.gov | 5-7772
Posted by
on
January 23, 2012
Preparing for the Future of Health Care in America The Congressional Health Care Caucus will begin a new series leading up to the Supreme Court reviewing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The purpose of this series is to discuss future policy ideas that will result as a decision is made by the Supreme Court.
Tom Miller, Resident Fellow at American Enterprise Institute Jim Capretta, Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center
Tuesday, January 31 12:30-1:30pm Open to Members, Staff, Interns and the Public Hosted by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Posted by
Dr. Lori Anderson and Matthew Byler
on
December 09, 2011
According to statistics from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, more Americans are killed by heart disease than by any other source. Our health care industry has made spectacular developments in the treatment of heart disease, and the outcomes of these treatments have improved by leaps and bounds. Despite these improvements, however, we are continuing to see this disease develop in many Americans, and at a younger age than ever. Recent studies indicate that children as young as 10 show evidence of arterial blockage and elevated cholesterol. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest health care challenges facing the state of Texas and the entire nation today. While our medical professionals must continue to seek out new and innovative treatment options, we as citizens should also focus on what we can do to prevent the disease. We need to educate ourselves about the risks and behaviors that lead to the disease. If we know about the risks, then we can properly adjust our behaviors. These actions, coupled with medical advancements, will put us in the best position to avoid disease and become a healthier nation. When we use the term “heart disease” we are actually referring to a whole range of cardiac disorders. Some of the more common cardiac disorders include high blood pleasure, blocked arteries, heart rhythm and valve disorders, and heart failure. Many of these disorders can be worsened, or even caused, by another disease. There are certain behaviors, or risk factors, that put one in the high-risk category for getting a form of heart disease. These risk factors are:
These behaviors can lead to a number of different life-threatening diseases, the most dangerous of which being heart disease. Hopefully this does not come as too big of a surprise. Now that you know the risk factors, what can you do? Evaluate yourself. How are your behaviors in each category? If you have room for improvement in some behaviors, then focus on improving in those areas. Eat a healthier diet and get more exercise. Reduce your alcohol and/or tobacco use. Better yet, stop using them all together. Try doing a better job of managing your stress. I know this can be difficult, especially for type A personalities, but it will significantly reduce your risks for heart disease. Don’t be scared to indulge in a hobby, and do your best to get a full night’s sleep. Finally, you must be sure to properly take medication prescribed by your doctor for heart disease or other diseases. Always go to your follow up appointments. This is how your physician tracts and evaluates your progress, so it is absolutely vital. Many people wonder what they can do to help control the cost of health care in this county. Well, properly maintaining current diseases and preventing future diseases are a few things that we can all do to help relieve some stress on our health care system. So let’s educate ourselves and put that knowledge to action so we can all leave healthier happier lives.
Posted by
Dr. Lori Anderson & Matthew Byler
on
November 29, 2011
For the past few years diabetes has been one of the largest health problems facing many Americans. Diabetes is not only affecting the lives of millions of Americans, but it is doing so at an ever-increasing rate. In fact, the percentage of Texans with diabetes jumped from 6% to 13% between 2000 and 2010, and is expected to hit 15% by 2015. The numbers don’t lie. So it may be worthwhile to educate ourselves about diabetes. People without the disease can learn how to avoid getting it, while leading a healthier lifestyle and reducing risks for other deadly diseases like heart disease. Those individuals suffering from the disease can learn how to properly keep the disease in check, reducing the risks associated with diabetes, and possibly help control the nation’s staggering health care costs. How does diabetes affect your physiology? Let’s start with glucose. Glucose is a small molecule that travels around in the blood stream to different parts of the body and is used as the body’s energy source. The body has a fascinatingly complex way of controlling the level of glucose in the blood stream. When the body needs to lower the level of glucose in the blood it releases a hormone called insulin. Type I diabetics are actually unable to make their own insulin and usually must rely on an outside pump that monitors their glucose levels and gives them small doses of insulin when necessary. Unfortunately, type 1 diabetes is genetic, so currently we can’t really do anything about it except treat it. However, a person contracts type II diabetes – also known as adult onset diabetes – overtime when their cells are repeatedly bombarded with insulin for long periods. As this continues, the body becomes resistant to the affects of its own insulin. Therefore, they are unable to lower their blood glucose levels. When this happens glucose accumulates at high levels in the blood stream. If these high glucose levels persist untreated, they can cause all sorts of nasty symptoms. These symptoms may include increased thirst and urination, rapid weight loss, chronic infections, damaged blood vessels, kidney failure, blindness, and other possibly life threatening symptoms. While many of us may be aware of the symptoms, life-style changes, and risks that people who have diabetes must live with, we often forget to see how the disease negatively affects our health care system. Many individuals suffering from diabetes and who cannot afford to properly maintain the disease may have to rely on emergency care for all of their diabetes treatment needs. This is extremely costly for our health care system. In order for hospitals to function they must pass these costs onto the rest of their patients, thus increasing health care costs for all of us. It’s no wonder diabetes is such a deadly and costly disease. The good news is Type II diabetes is completely avoidable! If we know what causes the disease, then we can know how we can best avoid getting the disease. Obesity is the number one cause of type II diabetes. The lifestyle that leads most individuals to become obese is the same lifestyle that can lead one to become diabetic. So, we have to be conscious of the quantity and the quality of our food, and maintain reasonable daily activity levels. While many of us may already be aware of the importance of eating right and exercising daily to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it can also help all of us avoid a potentially life threatening disease. Furthermore, by avoiding diabetes you can help our nation control the ever-rising health care costs.
Posted by
on
November 10, 2011
Health Caucus Thought Leaders Series Featuring Ron Paul Representative Ron Paul will join the Health Caucus’ Thought Leaders Series to discuss his perspective on health care and his ideas on how to fix our current health care problems . Ron Paul, M.D., Republican Presidential Candidate and Member of the House of Representatives
Open to Members, Staff, Interns and the Public
For more information – Rebekah.West@mail.house.gov | 5-7772
Posted by
on
November 02, 2011
Health Caucus Thought Leaders Series Featuring Herman Cain Herman Cain, Republican Presidential Candidate Click here for the transcript from the event
Posted by
on
October 21, 2011
Come learn more about innovative ways states are taking care of the uninsured populations. Both panelists will discuss various state based initiatives that encourage people to obtain health insurance at a lower cost to both them and the states. Peggy Tighe, Access to Health Care Network 11:30-12:30pm For more information – Rebekah.West@mail.house.gov | 5-7772
Posted by
on
September 09, 2011
Policy Forum: Medicare Advantage: Its Past Successes and What to Expect in the Future
For more information – Rebekah.West@mail.house.gov | 5-7772
Posted by
Dr. Lori Anderson
on
July 05, 2011
It’s July and temperatures are high. It can be humid or rainy. Add an increase in outdoor activities, including picnicking and barbequing, and you have a perfect medium for “food-borne” illnesses. Everyone from parents to child-care centers and vacationers needs to keep this in mind while dining in these hot summer months. What is a “food-borne” illness? It almost always gets down to tiny organisms: viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Usually, they or their by-products (toxins) travel on foods, get ingested, and cause unpleasant symptoms. Bacteria, in particular, are everywhere, every day, on every item in sight (literally, unless carefully sterilized); at least some ingestion is unavoidable, so what’s key to getting symptoms? Generally, symptoms arise when the number of microbes or severity of toxins is too high, or someone is particularly vulnerability. Sometimes, though, it just seems like bad luck: remember, even the most feared, drug-resistant bacteria are routinely found in common places, yet the worst infections are rare. In the United States, extra-vigilant federal agencies cooperate to protect the citizenry, but individuals remain responsible, too; regulations are never fool-proof. So what to do? What to know? Let’s go over the most recent information and safety-conscious recommendations for food. FOODS and their Microbes Before going over what you need to do, let’s look at the common sources of infection, and why they pose a problem: 1. Meats: any raw or undercooked meats can allow growth of bacteria that isn’t completely removed prior to cooking, such as the notorious Esherichia coli (e coli, especially type O157:H7 in beef), also Salmonella, Campylobacter (especially in broiler chickens), and Listeria. 2. Mushrooms: some are poisonous, some are not; be knowledgeable before harvesting your own 3. Shellfish: by the very nature of how shellfish live in marine waters, they routinely gather bacteria from the Vibrio species, so particular care must be used in preparing for consumption; cases in the United States, though rare, have increased 4. Produce: lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes have all been in the news for causing rashes of infections; since they’re not cooked, these are usually carefully rinsed at harvest sites; otherwise they can easily harbor microbes, from bacteria (E coli, Salmonella, Yersinia, Shigella, Listeria) to parasites, and even viruses; take precautions, and watch news reports 5. Sprouts: get their own category because they’re minimally prepared in order for the delicate plant (presold as seeds in some cases) to continue growing after reaching the marketplace; they’re frequently the source of outbreaks from bacteria such as E coli (in the recent European incident, the serotype produced a particularly dangerous toxin); use cautiously 6. Eggs: the 2010 egg recall was due to Salmonella contamination; this bacterium can live inside or outside the shell; new egg regulations are in place to hopefully reduce such incidents 7. Poultry: they give us meat and eggs, so pose a double threat, but Salmonella is generally the source in both cases; despite progress in other infectious diseases, Salmonella infection rates remain the same, and are still the most common known source of food-related infections, hospitalizations, and death (most cases of food-borne illnesses are still from unknown sources). 8. Pork: pork meat needs higher cooking temperatures to kill cysts of the roundworm genus Trichinella. Ingestion causes trichinosis, resulting in stomach symptoms, but also muscle and joint pain, and fever, if the larvae invade human muscle. It may require medications, but usually resolves in a few months. Pork can also have bacteria, such as Staphylococcus, and those mentioned under meats (#1, above). 9. Canned salted/smoked fish, other canned goods: any can that appears damaged, rusted, buckled, or (especially) bulging could be a reservoir of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which grows without oxygen and produces the botulism neurotoxin; severe symptoms require medical attention
What can we do to best avoid “bad luck” experiences? Don’t let summer fun relax your vigilance: here are the three food handling rules --cold, heat, and washing-- with some added considerations for summer preparations: 1. Do not partially cook meats or poultry (ie, at home) hoping to complete the cooking later (at the campsite): this allows bacteria to grow to more than can be destroyed by the “final” second cooking. Instead, completely cook the foods just before eating, wherever that may be. 2. Grilling or barbequing can sear meats without cooking their insides, where bacteria or parasites can survive, so cook fully, and use a food thermometer to check internal temperatures. 3. If you’re on the road without a refrigerator, keep a cooler or thermos with ice inside to maintain foods normally kept in the refrigerator. This includes: potato/egg/macaroni salads; cooked, cold-eaten foods, like pizza/chicken/sliced turkey/cooked eggs/lunch meats; and condiments such as mayonnaise. Take care that the ice isn’t melted and the cooler really is cool (in the shade). 4. Cutting surfaces require care: whether at home or on the road, surfaces that contact raw meat or poultry or their drippings should not touch foods that are ready to eat. For instance, don’t put raw hamburger on a board that will later hold lettuce or cooked ham; either use a different board, or thoroughly wash the first. Wooden boards should be dedicated to either cooked or uncooked foods, since they can hold bacteria even after washing. 5. Fast food is a good idea (it’s been carefully prepared), but be sure to eat within 2 hours of purchase, or else put the food on ice (see #3) or in the refrigerator. 6. Refrigerate leftovers or prepared foods by 2 hours; reduce that to 1 hour if the ambient temperature is 90 degrees F or over
8. Buy only refrigerated eggs, with no cracks in the shell (cracks can harbor the Salmonella bacterium); use pasteurized eggs, egg substitute, or properly heated soft eggs (see below) in recipes asking for “soft” or raw eggs; don’t wash the shells of eggs, as they have a protective coating 9. Routinely rinse vegetables with cold water when you get them home; take special care with sprouts; some sources recommend scrubbing of melon skins 10. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after handling raw anything; use soap and warm water. Yes, wash your hands, even if baking 11. The temperature danger zones: always maintain refrigerator temperatures at or below 40 degrees F, and cook all foods at or above 140 degrees F
Here are specific measures for food preparation. New recommendations give some leeway, but the following list gives the safest guidelines without requiring additional precautions. All temperatures were checked internally, by food thermometer; you should do the same: 1. Whole poultry: raw poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F 2. Ground raw poultry: cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F 3. Beef, lamb, veal, roasts: all raw meats of this sort need internal temperatures of 145 degrees F 4. Pork: a special category because of the parasites that can grow within the muscle, so cook to an internal 160 degrees F 5. Ground meats: ground meats are mixtures from several sources, so cook raw grounds to 160 degrees F, internally 6. Raw ham: internal temperature of 160 degrees F; precooked ham should reach 140 degrees F 7. Casseroles: need an internal temperature of 165 degrees F 8. Reheating: all already cooked foods should be reheated to 140 degrees F internally 9. Marinate and defrost foods in the refrigerator, not at room temperature 10. Eggs: cook until both yolk and whites are solid; poached eggs: 5 minutes over boiling water; soft-boiled eggs: 7 minutes in shell; use pasteurized eggs, egg substitute, or properly cooked soft eggs in recipes asking for raw or soft eggs. Cook egg mixtures to 160 degrees F internally (eggnog, custards, homemade mayonnaise, ice cream). 11. Shellfish (clams, oysters, mussels): cook until shell opens during cooking 12. Fish (with fins): requires an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, or flesh is opaque and flakey with a fork 13. Other seafoods (shrimp, lobster, crabs, scallops): cook until flesh is opaque and pearly or firm The “stomach flu” or “24-hour bug” is recognized now as almost always a case of “food poisoning”, ie, the food-borne illnesses we’ve been discussing. Symptoms are usually brief and mild, but can be a legitimate cause of concern. Here’s what to watch for: 1. Most cases of food-borne illness involve nausea, stomach ache or cramps, diarrhea, and sometimes vomiting and generalized weakess. Symptoms usually start within hours and can last up to 3 days. Be sure to keep up with fluid loss by slow regular intakes of water. Consider an “electrolyte” beverage like Pedialyte; sports drinks may not suffice. Use general over-the-counter medications for minor muscle aches, and rest. 2. Avoid anti-diarrheal medications, as they keep the offending microbe in your system longer. 3. Be careful with very thin, elderly, immune-compromised, pregnant, or very young people. In this population, fluid intake is key, and maintain vigilance for worsening symptoms. The following symptoms require immediate assessment by a physician: 4. Bloody diarrhea 5. A high fever, over 101.5 orally, in the presence of the symptoms listed above. 6. Vomiting that prevents fluid intake, lasting over 3 hours for the young and other people at high risk (see above) 7. Diarrhea for over 3 days, particularly watery 8. Dehydration or shock, as noted by low blood pressure, “thready” or weak and quick pulse, increased breathing rate or shallow breathing, dry/sticky saliva, dizziness and fatigue, decrease in urination 9. Confusion, difficulty reasoning 10. Double vision, difficulty speaking or swallowing, or breathing (indicating possible botulism)
With that final note, you may have decided to forgo the outdoor picnic. However, remember that food-related illnesses, when they do arise, are often mild. Most food is safe. With the above precautions, you further increase your chances of a great summer, even in the summer heat. So be careful and enjoy that Texas barbeque!
Posted by
on
June 15, 2011
Over the last 10 years, the growth of palliative care in hospitals have skyrocketed by 138%, from 658 in 2000 to more than 1500 today. This steady growth has been primarily in response to the increasing number and needs of Americans living with serious and chronic illness.
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people facing serious and chronic illness. It focuses on relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both patient and family. It is appropriate at any age and any stage in a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment. The Center to Advance Palliative Care, with support from the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, has commissioned new research to understand the public’s awareness and perception of palliative care. Conducted by the national polling firm of Public Opinion Strategies, the research revealed that once Americans are informed about palliative care, the vast majority want it and want access to it. 92% of Americans said they believe patients should have access to this type of care at hospitals nationwide. To learn more, click here. |
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