Eye-opener

Ever since Dr. Quinn came in and gave us the lecture about the shortage of primary care physicians and Dr. Stevens followed up with supporting facts and other information, I've taken the though of going into primary care pretty seriously. I wasn't previously aware of the current situation and the abundance of specialty doctors. Of course there are other factors that I'm going to have to take into consideration as well, including my personal interests, but I will undoubtedly stay involved in trying to see what the government and other health officials suggest and propose in the coming years, not only at the federal level but also at the state and local levels. I feel that it may take some time, but it is definitely possible to come up with a reasonable and feasible health care system that would provide the care that is necessary as well as affordable.

The most important thing that I have learned so far is that there is not one simple answer out there to satisfy the needs/wants of every individual. The best we can do is create a plan that best serves the interest of the population as a whole. Obviously, health care accessibility, quality, and cost are three major issues. Keeping these points in mind, we need to develop a reform plan that will be supported by the majority and limit the amount of opponents. Since major health care reform will take time, right now the best we can do is try to make changes in our current system by moving it towards a more ideal system.

This class has really opened my eyes to several topics.  I really have learned about all the inequalities that occur in this country and how large the undeserved populations actually is. I think one of the most important things for me, in regards to healthcare reform, is finding out a way to provide equal access to everyone, especially children.  While this is a battle that will be debated upon for many years to come, I think keeping up-to-date with policies regarding SCHIP, healthy families, medicare/medical, and healthcare in general is very important.   Also, I think that being informed with journal articles, speech of opinion leaders, looking at databases, and conferences is something that can help me get a good all-around view of what the public believes is important.  Lastly, I hope that I can use my knowledge and my voice as a way to speak up for those who cannot.

to infinity

... and beyond. i think that its going to be very important to keep up with the issues in health care in the future. especially now with the new administration making its mark on the future of our country, and maybe the world, it is the opportune time to be doing so. you always need to keep yourself informed, because developments are always in the process. it is kind of like the number of CME hours that a physician must complete each year in order to make sure that he/she is currently up to date in health care. there are always new treatments emerging, and changes to current protocol. without updates, you will be left in the dust, and even your patients may suffer. in trying to accomplish this reform, we're in the same boat. our reform progress will suffer if we dont know what ammunition we have to strengthen our fight, and our armor will be useless if we cant match it up to our opposition. keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. we need to make sure that we actually try to take action, get a movement going in the right direction. sometimes it isnt enough just to inform the public on what needs to be changed, but there should be a cue to action in order to get the ball rolling and into the future. this is an everchanging world, and we need to roll up that first snowball at the top of the mountain to get the ball rolling into a huge snowball. to infinity and beyond.

Keeping in Touch

There are numerous invaluable lessons that I will take away from this course. However, it seems that the best way to do our time (and our Professor's time) justice would be to understand how to use the sum of the parts. A topic as big as health care reform will not just take one type of expert - it will be a combination of science and economics, public health and politics, compassion and being able to face the cold hard facts. Fortunately, we have gone through that journey over the last few months. We have engaged in that journey together: understanding different view points and being conscious of health policy as well as implementation of those policies. Reform will not come easy or quickly, but will endure with will. As students, and future professionals of public health, we take on an awesome responsibility. Gathering what we've learned and incorporating lessons from this and other courses will be vital moving forward. While it may not be one SAS class, or one Epi or Biostat class, or one policy class that answers the challenges we face in our professional lives, the combination of all these experiences will aid us all in being a proud public health advocate.

advocate for the underserved

I hope to be an advocate for the underserved population. In my experience in medical school I have seen the disparities in health care first hand and recognize the need for reform. There are many avenues for change and many roles to be played. Health care reform is a multi-pronged beast. I personally do not see myself as being heavily involved in politics, but I do hope to represent the needs of the underserved and serve as one of their advocates. This is a group of people that are most in need of healthcare reform and the least represented. This demographic often lacks education, voting power, political advocacy, and resources. Therefore it is vital that we provide them with a voice. I hope to give them a voice through my dedicated work as an MD and MPH. 

outreach...

Having a full - time workload and attending USC as a full-time student has taken a toll on me. I didn't know what to expect when I took this class because I wasn't interested in policy. I took the equivalent course at UCLA and the class was nothing like this class. It was a very dry class and it only made me anxiously look at the clock to leave.

This class was very different: I found myself eager to learn more about the various topics presented, especially when discussing considerations of vulnerable populations, which opened a completely different mindset for me. Meeting off-campus was also very effective, though the rain was not helpful at times :) The class went far beyond a dry curriculum, but the off campus exposure and the movie also allowed me to be critical of healthcare policy. The presentations have been very good and it's clear that we need healthcare reform... SOMETHING! I really liked my group too....

Now... what will I do? There's so much to do and most of the topics presented were of my interest.... needless to say though, I realized that south-central Los Angeles (my hometown) is like a good friend once put it "the bastard child of LA county". It needs SO MUCH help... so I will be working with my job, in Watts, and hopefully Supervisor Ridley-Thomas on avenues to reshape access to health for our community. Thanks to this class, I was able to get my job and the Supervisor together...

Lets see how that goes... :p

Thanks.

staying alive to stay involved

This class has been highly didactic for me. I had no idea how complex the health care system is in the US untill I took this class. Being a physician in my country, I always understood how medicine is practised, but had no idea how healthcare is delivered. Right from how a bill comes into the making, to how it becomes a health policy this class has been very interesting. I particularly enjoyed the class discussions and our visit to LA Care. I have been reading the news with more comprehension of what they say . I think I am more critical now in evaluating the current policies being envisioned. It was very easy to critisice our current health care system with half baked knowledge of its functionong. Now I can truly understand the intricacies with a keener eye.

The US being such a diverse nation, no doubt the task of health care reform is huge and each one of us has a role to play. We can truly be a part of this change and YES WE CAN only if we understand the challenges we face. Educating others and helping them understand how our system works, lobbying for universal health care and actively participating in grass root level efforts are going to be my means to contribution. And lastly keeping abreast of the literature has to keep pace with any realistic effort.

reform our health care system...

I am extremely glad and enjoy taking this class because I learned so much more about the importance of public health. I am graduating with MPH degree next month and I had no idea how horrible our health care system was till I stepped in this class. It was a wonderful wrap up of my two years of MPH program.

I found the importance of health care reform and I wish I could pursue in the reformation as I seek for my career. I think health care reform should start from education. Education as in term of school material and public education as common sense in the community. The best way to make our health care system better is to have a well-planned prevention system. For example, in the past years we had worked very hard on preventing lung cancer by giving various type of anti-smoking education in school and in community. The smoking rate and lung cancer incident rate have dropped down gradually as years go by. Therefore in order to decrease the cancer, heart attack, car accident rate, education from early age will be needed. After education is implemented in our community, then we will need policy to enforce it. As a chain reaction, our health care system would improve when we don't need to spend so much money on saving the last three month of patients' lives. Prevention is much more efficient than recovery.

I can't wait to be part of health care system to act as health educator!

Reform for the Ages

Well, I must add that this class has really heightened my knowledge about the pressing issues concerning our nation's important health insurance problems. Upon leaving this educational experience, keeping myself constantly updated with current issues that may influence reform for future generations is a great way to contribute to the reform process. Becoming more involved in the decision process perhaps at the local or even national level is also a good possibility as I engage in a future as a public health advocate

As the months continue to go by and the debate of health care reforms continue to be as prominent as ever, I think the best way to stay involved is to be as up-to-date as possible in the information and policy changes taking place.  Being enrolled in this program gives us an edge in staying current with health care reform, however, I hope to continue many policy efforts in DC that I have been a part of in previous years.  There is no better place to take initiative than in our nation's capital.  I know there is a long road ahead of us in terms of making any significant changes in our health care system but there will be a valiant effort and I hope to be as involved as possible.  

This class has definitely taught me to view policy in a whole other level! I can say that I now have a much better idea of what policy is and how I can influence it. I've also learned that reform is much more complicated than it seems. After all the discussions about pros and cons of all the pressing issues in our health care system, I feel much more prepared to critically analyze all the angles of a policy issue. I plan to continue to update myself on the problems and proposed solutions of our health care system so that I can make better informed votes. I also hope to educate and challenge others around me and get other people interested in doing the same. And who knows, maybe I might even write a bill someday! :)

Skepticism

This has definitely been a very informative and eye-opening class, and I think it's great that we touched on so many different issues ranging from LA Care to international health systems and from financing to vulnerable populations. I thought the syllabus was very ambitious when I first saw it at the beginning of the term, but we definitely managed to cover everything in a meaningful way.

I think the most valuable thing that I can do as a citizen to promote effective health reform is to continue to do what I've learned from this class: to question my own assumptions about what constitutes effective policy, to maintain a healthy skepticism about the facts and figures that I come across (both in the popular media and the academic literature), and try to look at issues objectively from all sides before coming to any conclusions. 

I've also discovered that I tend to undervalue political power and popular will while overvaluing quantitative data and all the wonky legislative details, which is something that I feel is better to realize earlier than later in my career as a health professional.

Practically speaking, I will definitely continue to keep up with all the latest health policy news (through the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, etc.) and write even more letters to my local representatives (perhaps by hand this time...thanks, Orlando).  

The mighty pair

I will stay involved with my wallet and my pen.

From my policy project, I learned that money indirectly affects policy. I will pay closer attention to how money affects future policy and how it affects me. Furthermore, I will spend my own money wisely. Before donating to politicians, I will find out what Bills they sponsor and what financial connections they have to it. If they do not have previous political experience I will see what propositions they may have given money to as private citizens.

From my group project, I learned to take letter writing more seriously. Congressmembers and their staff like to read letters only from their own district's population the majority of the time. By the way, when we voice an opinion, they prefer to see hand written, rather than typed, mass-produced letters. Any one letter can make a difference, but they pay more attention when they get ~ 50 + on the same issue. So also get your friends to write.

Finally,
I will continue to canvass for certain causes,
I will continue to read Kaiser Foundation newsletters,
I will continue to vote.

Thinking Locally....

From what everyone has already mentioned: staying informed and educated, voting, participating in lobbying and campaigning even if it is just locally....all makes the difference. What I love about the MPH is it's multi-disciplinary approach. The MPH parallels social work, social welfare, policy, law, human rights, advocacy....If I had to add an extra track to USC's MPH program it would definitely be "Human Rights/Policy Advocacy Track" or the MPH should have dual degrees with the School of Public Policy/ Development. I think the MPH galvanizes us as professionals to make change, to reform....

I remember from under-grad, a professor of mine expressed that change/reform in this world doesn't have to always be made on a global or extravagant scale. An individual need not be a UN Ambassador or a diplomat to ripple change....Change can be done within our own workplace, at home, within our neighborhoods and communities. In the mean time, what I do have control at my work place is to 1.) Encourage teens and at-risk youth to access care and educate them on how to obtain it 2.) Attend county conferences hosted by CA Endowment or Healthy Communities Intiative to learn what are the ongoing reform taking place here in LA

Reforms Ahead

The health care delivery system in the US is extremely complex. Hopefully the upcoming health care reform will decrease some of the major issues we are currently facing...But you can't please everyone and there are bound to be complaints. Unfortunately, the populations with the largest health disparities are the unheard voices and the ones that have little power to actually do anything about it. In the future, I'd like to help advocate for some of these vulnerable populations and participate in reducing their health disparities.

One of the best things about this class was that it really raised my awareness, giving us an opportunity to discuss the various problems we have within our system. Many of the issues discussed were new to me and I can't even imagine the amount of other people who are uninformed. People need to know the issues that our delivery system faces in order to change or take action. I plan to stay educated and keep current with health care issues..keep reading CAhealthline & Kaiser newsletters. And try to reach as many people as possible.

I think the most important things I can do as a future health care professional is to 1. Stay educated and 2. Help others be educated.

One of the main reasons I wanted to get my MPH was so that I could have a better idea of what the health care system is like in this country - what it's really like, not what the insurance companies and other powers that be tell you it is like. I think classes like this one have opened up my eyes to just how badly reform does need to happen, and also to the mindset shifts that need to occur.

Raising awareness is one of the biggest difference makers, no matter the issue, and if I have any hope of being able to eloquently do that, I need to stay educated and up on the issues myself. Change can't happen if no one knows what they are talking about. As a (hopeful) future physician, there is a need for reform in that field as well as everywhere else on the spectrum. Hopefully a new generation of informed citizens and health care professionals like those of us in this class can affect change.

Staying involved

Since my undergraduate major is bioscience, I didn't even pay much attention about the health care systems in my own country before.  But PM 508 course taught me the importance of health care systems and related policies.  Having accquired the basic information, now I also learned to read  health care related news using a critical view.  

The most important thing I learned from this course is not the current situation of U.S. health care system but how to interpret the new health care policies and understand what kind of influence will they bring under the overall background.  Comparing to U.S. health care system, I would concern more about China's system from now on.  By the way, one good news is that Chinese government is taking action to improve health care coverage in suburban areas recently in 2009.  Maybe it'll take decades for this single improvement, but I'm glad to see a good begnning.  

Rally the troops

After letting the dearth of information soak in after an entire semester of health care policy, I've reached a consensus.  Health care in this country WILL NOT change until the people DEMAND it.  When I say demand, I mean marching thousands strong in the streets, pitchfork in hands, in front of capital hill threatening to take violent action against a tyrannical state, unwilling to provide health care to the people.   As times have changed, so too has the role our government, and the United States remains one of the few (if any) fully modernized nations which does not provide health care to ALL of its citizens.    

Too often we, as citizens, allow our voices to be drowned out by the majority, those in power, and those more vocal than ourselves. In France, if people were told their universal coverage health care was going to be taken away, I can promise you that there would be another revolution and many heads would roll (and I'm sure this would occur in all other European nations). 

 In the future I hope to further educate the American people (through writings, teachings, or otherwise) on the importance of health care and its relationship to the current political and economic institutions.  I will continue speaking out against just how inhumane the current system is. Until a grassroots movement for healthcare occurs, I do not foresee any radical changes.  

I think the general consensus seems to be that everyone has learned a great amount of information regarding the various kinds of health care systems in the world. I would certainly have to say that I too have gained a tremendous amount of insight regarding the emerging issues of health care and what possible solutions might be. I think part of the problem with health care systems is that people feel too scared or inferior to learn about them because of their intricacies. However, I do feel that being at least mildly educated about health care is extremely beneficial for all citizens. If you're too apathetic to vote or get involved in the issues of health care, you should at least stay informed about how policies might affect you and your family. That is definitely one thing that I will take away from this course. As a future employee of US health care system, I will certainly stay informed regarding the pressing issues of health care and do my best to advocate a fair,effective, and affordable health care system.

Staying Involved

Like many other students have mentioned, this class has taught me a lot about the U.S. health care system. I have also learned about other systems in the world and how they operate and compare to that of our own. I believe that the information I have learned is incredibly valuable to me as I continue to pursue a career in the medical field. I have definitely become more aware of persisting issues regarding health care, and I will continue to be familiar with the major health policy issues (i.e. by reading daily/weekly email newsletters) to stay informed.

Staying updated

I think the most important thing to do now is stay up to date with everything that's going on. Since Obama is for a single payer system, I'm sure there will probably be some changes heading in that direction while he's in office so keeping yourself updated with the news is a must. Also, for the past 2 years I've been attending lobby day in January up in Sacramento to lobby for universal healthcare and I'll continue to do that for as long as I can.

Definitely the U.S. needs health reform, and things can not stay as they are now. As our President has promised to make it his priority to cover millions that are uninsured, I will stay involved by keeping a close ear and open mind in what issues both the nation will continue to face when adopting a new technology system, as well as other items that are proposed and implemented. Surely, if we accomplish health reform, the U.S. is a very dynamic place and checks and balances must be in place so that what we aim to achieve is achieved. We need to assure that quality, cost, and access are all inclusive and better than they are today in order for this health reform deal to work. So, I will read the literature to keep up with the changes that are happening and will continue through out the U.S. and vow in favor for what is best for all Americans.

Health Care Reform

I have learned so much this last semester that I don’t think I would have learned anywhere else. I feel that I have become a much more educated citizen of the US regarding healthcare and the reform that we need now. I plan to stay informed about the events regarding healthcare that are on the horizon. I plan to vote so that I can have a say in what becomes of this countries healthcare. I was always a person that believed in universal health care, but never quite understood what it would take to get there until now. This class has equipped me with tools that I can apply to my future career. I have always wanted to be a strong advocate for children and their healthcare rights. I feel that through this class I know have a better understanding of how the system works and how I could help the children and other vulnerable populations in obtaining the necessary healthcare.

Reforms ahead

I truly enjoyed the class and will continue to stay involved by going to lobby events regarding universal healthcare and staying informed about the latest issues. I will also continue to vote in all the elections and inform family and friends about what I’ve learned and encourage them to get involved. I went to a lobby event in Sacramento earlier this year but I have to admit, I didn’t really understand everything that was going on until now. Thanks Dr. Stevens! I also really liked our guest lectures and going to LA Care Health plan & LA County hospital.

Loaded Question?

I would first like to say that this course has exceeded my expectations in terms of the amount of information I have acquired, and more importantly the change in perspective through which I now see matters concerning our health care system. The question asked above is not an easy one. If anything this class has taught us it's that the health care injustices in this country are great, and the problems are far from easily solved. Furthermore, the question of what we will do to stay involved is not just a simple, innocent query; it bears the implication of responsibility and perhaps obligation to society. As people who enjoy the benefits of a USC insurance plan (or a relatively secure health care life), do we have a duty to look out for those who are reliant solely on emergency room visits for their health care? Regardless of obligations and duties, I feel most would agree that our current manner of providing health care needs to change, for one reason or another. Personally, I feel that staying informed and up to date with whatever is going on in the world of health care reform is one of the most important things we can do. As future Masters of Public Health, Physicians, and Health Care Professionals, knowing what is going on is the first step in bringing about change. Of course, the opportunity to actually vote on some of these issues does not seem imminent, however I think it would be one of the best ways to take steps in the right direction towards some fair changes.

Reforms ahead

Before taking this class I honestly had no clue about the ins and outs of our health care system. During the election I always wondered why health care reform was always such a hot topic and now I see why! After just a semester I feel like I am so much more equipped to really think about all the issues that plague our system and make educated decisions whenever elections roll around. As a public health student and a pre-med student I have found the information I learned in class to be invaluable in allowing me to better understand the system I hope to work with one day. Subscribing to the healthcare newsletters like the California Healthline and iHealthBeat was an easy way to keep on top of the day to day updates about the changes that are currently going on and I plan on continuing my subscription to these newsletters even after this class is finished, especially now that the reform is just getting underway. Also, I plan on always participating in any special elections that happen to make sure that my vote is counted for something.

Health Care Reform

Being an international student, I did not have much background knowledge about US health policy before taking this class. It’s been always interesting but, far too complex and complicated for me. But, during this course, I’ve learnt many interesting health policies and read interesting articles. To make changes and reform current health care system, I think there is no one-size-fit-all strategy. Each of them has pros and cons.

I believe this course has instilled me the basic framework of the US health care system and sparked my interest in the importance of health policies. One thing for sure is that when I read the health related news and issues like newsletters from Kaiser Foundation and California Healthline etc, I can have much better understanding of the latest health policies. To stay involved, I will be paying more attention to the new health care reform policies that are going to unfold in the near future.

Reforms Ahead...

Because I am not a candidate for the Masters in Public Health, I came into this class with very little information and understanding of the public health system. After learning so much I feel incredibly motivated to make a difference in the public health world using my skills as a journalist. There is a definite need for awareness of the issues taking place within the system. I do honestly believe that a lot of people simple don't understand the complexities of the system and are scared of trying to understand them. Without understanding the situation people generally are not motivated to create or support reform. There is a definite gap in the education of the public on the public health system, how it works, how it doesn't and the difference it can make in ones personal life and the health of their community. Times and needs are always changing. Our health care system should be flexible enough to do the same. It's time for change and I think we can all make a difference. 

For those of you who didn't get a chance to watch the video on the Generation Public Health website, I've embedded it below. 

healthcare

After learning about our country's healthcare system and the dire need for reform, I feel that we as the next generation of public health professionals, have a huge responsibility to make tangible changes.  I am definitely more aware of the current events going on right now and the effects on our healthcare system.  I had no idea how lacking our current system was until being introduced to what other countries have.  Also the volume of individuals who have been ruined by medical debt is staggering, I had no idea before this class how many Americans have been ruined by a medical event.  The idea of implementing a reform in this country is overwhelming but as more people realize that it's absolutely necessary to restructure our healthcare system, the more likely it is that actual changes will happen.

Before this class, I definitely had no interest in the health system or in reform, and the word "insurance" would cause me to run for the nearest dark corner and curl up into the fetal position facing the wall. But this course has taught me a lot, and I've actually discovered an interest in policy development, which hopefully will be reflected in my future career.

Educated voting

The U.S. health care systems have always been too confusing for me to comprehend. I am thankful for having taken this class because now the big picture is much more clear to me. Not only was the system all too confusing for me but it also seemed inefficient. Now I know many of the reasons that are affecting our system and will definitely be conscious of these whenever new proposals arise. I was not aware of all the proposals for reform that are currently out and I am glad to know that many people also feel the need for change in our system. I have never been informed on the latest issues on health care because it never occurred to me that there are other options out there to consider. I didn’t know much of U.S. health care and much less did I know of other countries health care. I am glad that we have looked at other systems of health care because now we are aware of the positives and negatives of such systems. One of the most immediate outcomes of me taking this course is that from now on, when it comes to voting I will be able to make an educated choice in support of the proposals that show potential benefits. As a public health master, this class will come in handy, since I will have to understand the health care system for my career.

Staying Involved

This was an extremely informative class. Since I am not a Masters in Public Health major, everything I learned was practically all new information. Just signing up for the electronic newsletter from Kaiser and reading articles off of PubMed has shaped and confirmed my thought that the way health care is delivered in the U.S. needs to be changed. Visiting the L.A. county hospital has helped me to see first-hand how health care in California is provided for those that can not obtain private insurance.
In order to stay involved, I definitely will keep up to date on new state and federal legislations that involve healthcare. In particular, I will stay informed on California propositions that involve health care and I will form an educated opinion and vote accordingly. Lastly, I will try to get my friends and family involved in health care reform by informing them to vote on health related issues when election time comes.

What can I do

This class has definitely been very interesting and very relevant to present issues.  I have already subscribed to many health policy newsletters and hope that this will keep me updated on current issues.  Definitely, if anything is up for vote, I will be there to vote.  If there are any active events to participate in such as seminars and lobby events, I will try to attend if available.  Thanks for a great educational class.