Congressman Ted Strickland initiated a Congressional Health Advisory Board last week and has appointed two Lawrence County doctors among a panel of 12 specialists to help find solutions to the health needs of southern Ohio residents.

Monday, June 05, 2000

Congressman Ted Strickland initiated a Congressional Health Advisory Board last week and has appointed two Lawrence County doctors among a panel of 12 specialists to help find solutions to the health needs of southern Ohio residents.

The panel will focus on lack of health care coverage, rocketing prescription drug prices, and insurance company abuses, and similar issues.

Dr. Neil Dufore, chiropractic physician, and Terry Vanderhoof, president and CEO of River Valley Health System, both of Ironton, were selected as board members and will provide their input to help shape effective future health care legislation.

"I am proud to have the opportunity to take part in this panel," Vanderhoof said.

A health care administrator for 28 years, Vanderhoof said the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) has enormously impacted health care providers, resulting in drastic cutbacks.

One of the programs affected by the legislation is home health care, which Vanderhoof said he supports.

Under this system, a physician can administer a nurse to provide care for the patient in the patient’s home, if the patient does not require 24-hour hospital care.

"It’s more cost-effective, and it’s good for patients because they’re back in their own home," he said.

"The cuts made in that act have made it very difficult for the home health agencies to provide services," Vanderhoof said. "Many home health agencies nationwide have had to close. What’s happening in home health care is that there are patients that are not getting the level of care they need at home, so they are often re-admitted to the hospitals."

Many hospital officials argue that the act also has a negative impact on health care because it imposes enormous reductions in Medicare and Medicaid spending from 1998-2002.

"It’s not bad for the short-term stays, but for the more serious hospital cases, it’s grossly inadequate," Vanderhoof said.

"Having Congress reverse the effects of the BBA has been a priority for me," he added.

Expanding prescription drug coverage is also a priority for Vanderhoof, and many other doctors.

"I believe in southern Ohio, we have a very high percentage of people on Medicare, and many of these people are living on fixed incomes," he said. "We need to make sure we have health care services here in southern Ohio that meet the needs of these people."

Another issue to be discussed is the impact of insurance companies on the health of a patient.

"Insurance companies attempt to have too much of an influence on the care delivered to patients of southern Ohio," Vanderhoof said. "I think it is important that the determination of what a patient needs should be put back in the hands of the physicians. The physician-patient relationship is sacred, and many times the insurance companies are getting in the way."

The advisory committee is currently in its initial phase, and Vanderhoof said the idea is to meet a "handful of times a year," while keeping an ongoing dialogue among physicians between meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for late summer 2000, he said.

"I feel confident that Ted Strickland, and all of the input from this committee will help in drafting health care legislation that meets the needs of the people," Vanderhoof said.