Excerpt from National Review:

The Boyle ceremony got underway with images of a bucolic Britain being swept away by a cigar-chomping elite that builds satanic mills filled with oppressed workers as steeplejacks hang from the towering chimneys. Later, 600 doctors and patients recruited from National Health Service hospitals were featured in a bizarre tribute to socialized medicine, with children bouncing up and down on 320 hospital beds arrayed in front of a giant Franken-baby wrapped in bandages. Villains from British children’s literature, ranging from Cruella de Vil to Lord Voldemort, sweep in on the children, in an apparent reference to conservative forces seeking to reform the tottering NHS. The 15-minute sequence ended with a series of red lights triumphantly spelling out “NHS.”
Left-wingers were thrilled. “Brilliant that we got a socialist to do the opening ceremony,” tweeted Alastair Campbell, former communications chief for the Labour party. Boyle denied he was promoting a political agenda. “The sensibility of the show is very personal,” he told reporters. “We had no agenda other than . . . values that we feel are true.” At a news conference beforehand, he explained that one of the reasons he “put the NHS in the show is that everyone is aware of how important NHS is to everybody in the country. One of the core values of our society is that it doesn’t matter who you are, you will get treated the same in terms of health care.”

Can anyone seriously believe that? Sunday’s British papers report that a study by the research firm Lloyd’s TSB Premier Banking found that nearly two-thirds of Britons earning more than $78,700 a year have taken out private health insurance because they don’t trust the NHS. A survey by the British health-care organization Bupa found that two-thirds of its customers cited the risk of infection from superbugs as a top reason for buying private insurance. Shaun Matisonn, the chief executive of PruHealth, says that “patients today are sophisticated consumers of health care. They research the treatments they want, but cannot always get them through the NHS.”

Horror stories about the NHS abound. A 2007 survey of almost 1,000 physicians by Doctors’ Magazine found that two-thirds said they had been told by their local NHS trust not to prescribe certain drugs, and one in five doctors knew patients who had suffered as a result of treatment rationing. The study cited one physician who characterized the NHS as “a lottery.” A new study this year by GP magazine supports that conclusion. Through Freedom of Information Act records, it found that 90 percent of NHS trusts were rationing care.

Rick Dewsbury of the Daily Mail was aghast at the worship of the NHS during Friday’s Olympic ceremony. The columnist noted the sheer hypocrisy of the spectacle, as “the majority of the athletes taking part in the Games will have access to the most expensive cutting-edge private treatment available in the world for even the slightest graze on their bodies.”

Dewsbury recounted the 2009 case of Kane Gorny, a 22-year-old NHS patient. Gorny was admitted to the hospital for a hip replacement. A series of hospital employees refused his request for a glass of water and failed to give him diabetes medication. He went so far as to call the emergency operator for help. When the police arrived, nurses assured them that Gorny was confused and needed no outside help. A day later, he was dead of dehydration. The official inquest into his death was published this month. It found that neglect by hospital staff — “a cascade of individual failures” — contributed to his death. Here’s hoping that not everyone is “treated the same” in Britain’s NHS hospitals.

In Britain, we have seen what could be our future, and it’s not a pretty sight.

Link to full article:

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/312573/britain-s-nhs-no-fun-and-games-john-fund

Numerous community leaders reacted strongly today at efforts to prevent Vandeburgh residents from voting on a Plan of Reorganization this fall. “The opponents of unification do not understand the plan and its obvious benefits to our community, said County Commissioner Joe Kiefer. He added, “It’s an effort to disenfranchise voters by not allowing citizens of Vanderburgh County a say in this important issue. Additionally, this challenge is an unnecessary expense for tax payers. Let the voters decide this issue on November 6th!”

According to a complaint filed with the Vanderburgh County Election Board, opponents of the plan to merge city and county government contend that certain signatures needed to get the referendum on the ballot were invalid.

To trigger the referendum process, state law required the signatures of at least 5 percent of county voters who cast ballots in 2006. Official election results put that number at 2,632.

Roberta Heiman and the organization she now leads, the League of Women Voters, helped gather many of the signatures. “I’m confident that County Clerk Susie Kirk did a thorough job and that we collected the required number of signatures. In fact, we collected many more than were required by the state law.”

Over 3,300 signatures were collected across the community, and after a thorough review, 2,757 were ultimately certified by the Clerk’s Office.

Supporters of the Plan of Reorganization have focused their campaign on educating residents on the tremendous opportunities that passage will bring. Said Kiefer, “We’ll continue to work hard communicating with every voter and making sure they have all the facts about how this important initiative will build a better future for each of us.”

The Vanderburgh County Election Board will hold its meeting on Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 1:30 pm in the Vanderburgh County Election Office (Room 214) at the City County Building.

The Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana, part of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration at the University of Evansville, is proud to announce the 2012-13 Institute Speaker Series, sponsored by Old National Bank.

“Our primary objective at the Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana is to assist regional businesses in improving their global capabilities,” said Dan Miller, the Institute’s executive director. “The three speakers we are announcing today are recognized figures who will help us learn about global branding, transformation of businesses, and innovation, based on their first-hand experience and success in these areas.”

The series begins Wednesday, October 24 with an appearance by Calvin Klein, an award-winning fashion icon recognized globally as a master of minimalism. His name ranks among the best-known brands in the world, with Calvin Klein Inc. reaching over $6 billion in global retail sales. Klein will speak in Indianapolis at noon and at Evansville’s Victory Theatre at 7:00 p.m. (local times). His appearance is presented in partnership with the Rotary Club of Indianapolis.

The series’ next event on Thursday, March 14, 2013 will feature Ken Schmidt. As the former director of communications for Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Schmidt played an active role in one of the most celebrated turnarounds in corporate history — and got paid to ride motorcycles. He will speak in Indianapolis at noon and at Evansville’s Aiken Theatre in The Centre at 6:00 p.m. (local times).

The 2012-13 Institute Speaker Series will conclude Tuesday, September 17, 2013 with an appearance from John Kao, an innovation activist who has been dubbed “Mr. Creativity” by The Economist. Kao, the chair of the Institute for Large Scale Innovation, holds an MD from Yale Medical School and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is also a Tony Award-nominated producer of Broadway plays and a jazz pianist. He will speak in Indianapolis at noon and at Evansville’s Victory Theatre at 7:00 p.m. (local times).

Admission to all Evansville events is free and open to the public. Ticket information for Indianapolis events is forthcoming. For more information, please contact the Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana at 812-488-2455 or globalindiana@evansville.edu.

Source: Evansville.edu

What’s the secret to a long life? How is aging approached in other cultures? These questions and many more will be addressed during the fifth annual Mid-America Institute on Aging to be held August 9-10 in the University Center at the University of Southern Indiana.

The conference, sponsored by the College of Nursing and Health Professions, is a two-day multi-disciplinary conference for nurses, social workers, older adults, lay persons, and professionals working in the field of gerontology. National and local speakers will provide practical tools and ground-breaking information related to successful aging and gerontology.

“This is an excellent opportunity for individuals in health professions as well as anyone in the community that’s interested in living in a healthy way and aging in a healthy way,” said Peggy Graul, coordinator of continuing education for Nursing and Health Professions at USI.

The conference typically draws as many as 250 participants from the local community and throughout the Midwest. Topics will include inspirational keynotes as well as multiple sessions ranging from healthy aging to coping with illness.

Dr. Margaret P. Moss will deliver the keynote address, “American Indian Aging and Unintended Consequences” and a concurrent session, “Ethnography of Aging-Zuni Elders.” Moss is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. She is the first and only American Indian to hold both nursing and juris doctorates. Her main area of interest is American Indian aging.

Dr. Leslie Martin, coauthor of the book, The Longevity Project, will discuss “The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study,” as well as a concurrent session, “Running for Their Lives: Physical Activity and Longevity.” She is a health psychologist and has studied pathways to health and longevity for the past 20 years. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California and is currently chair of the Department of Psychology at La Sierra University in Riverside. In addition to her research on pathways to health and longevity, she studies clinician-patient communication and its relationship to patient outcomes.

Viki Kind is a clinical bioethicist, hospice volunteer, and the author of the award-winning book, The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision Making: Making Choices for Those Who Can’t. Her presentation is “Tools to Empower Caregivers Who Are Making the Difficult Decisions,” and concurrent session, “Facilitating Difficult Conversations – Getting Through the Barriers.” She is an honorary board member of the Well Spouse Association and has been a caregiver for many years for four members of her family.

Dr. Jerald Winakur will present the closing conference, “Portrait of My Father: Ethical Caregiving in Aging America.” Using the techniques of the medical narrative, he will discuss the demographic and ethical challenges our society faces – particularly caregivers – as our country ages. Winakur has practiced internal and geriatric medicine for 36 years. He is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and an associate faculty member at the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics, where he teaches in the care curriculum.

Other conference topics include long-distance care giving; integration of primary care with geriatrics and community-based social services; Social Security and estate planning; services for the visually impaired; motivational interviewing, and other topics of interest. Early morning relaxation sessions will include demonstrations of Native American flute music, yoga, harp music, and Tai Chi by local practitioners.

Exhibit Hall

More than 30 area organizations will set up booth space in the exhibit area throughout the two days of the conference. Exhibits will include sales representatives from healthcare technology, equipment companies, senior health services, home healthcare, and assisted living as well as many others.

Continuing education credits are also available to nurses, social workers, health facility administrators, health education specialists, case managers and dental hygienists. Retirees and students can register at a reduced fee.

Corporate sponsors include St. Mary’s, Solarbron, and American Senior Communities.

Source: USI.edu