A rich and thought-provoking video that needs to be seen more and discussed widely and, more important, acted on. There's more than enough here to consider about health care and how we provide it, but the presentation is even more important in the context of the health care reform debate playing out right now. First off, when you think about it, Dishman demolishes in only 17 minutes the notion that US health care systems are the best in the world. We have to be willing to accept that fact and move forward. But we've also got to do something about our political system. Here's a brilliant, concise, and compelling statement of a problem and a presentation of a path forward. I've got to believe that Dishman is only one of many who can offer proposals like this. So why is the national debate about the cost, the size of the deficit, the size of government, and the possibility of socialism. What if we elected representatives and senators who made it their business to review ideas like the one proposed here and find ways to bring it about instead of posturing, namecalling, and protecting special interests? Can you imagine what an exciting country we could live in if we would make the effort to put our focus someplace else?

Last week on the eve of the Health Care Reform Summit, I wondered if the changing nature of work, the real driver underlying the need to reform our current employer-sponsored health care system, would be mentioned.  I even created a brief survey asking you to place your bets, on “How will the ‘changing nature of work’ as key health care reform driver show up in tomorrow’s summit?”  The responses were split:

• 50% said, “It will not be mentioned at all,” and
• 50% said, “It will be mentioned, but tangentially.” 

No one picked the other option which was, “It will be front and center.” 

So, who was right? 

Read the whole post to find the writer's answer, I wish more of the heath care reform debate was based on thoughtful analysis like this.

Don't get Rep. Anthony Weiner angry

You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Interesting and well done for substance; interesting for the rhetoric in play here. I want to find more examples of his speaking.

Neurologists have built an ultrasound device which uses focused sound waves to destroy stroke-causing blood clots in brains. The procedure is non-invasive—requiring no drugs or surgery—and is already being tested on patients.

The machine and procedure allows doctors to "surround the head with an array of transducers that can focus ultrasound beams on a single spot in the brain without damaging the skull." This means that diseased tissue could be destroyed without any collateral damage or risky surgery. [Technology Review via Pop Sci]

Seems like real progress; too bad the stroke I experienced was caused by bleeding, not clotting.

Dear Diary:

A recent health problem led me to seek a cardiologist. On the recommendation of a friend, I called a Manhattan doctor to make an appointment.

In the process, I was introduced to his automated answering system — the name is slightly altered here — which left little doubt about the priorities typical in the health care industry today:

“Welcome to New York Cardiac Specialists. For the billing department, please press one. If this is a life-threatening emergency, please press two.”

From the Metropolitan Diary feature in The Times.