Doctors group to U. of C.: Practices close to 'patient dumping' (Michelle O's/Axelrod's creation)

Chicago Tribune ^ | 2-19-09 | Bruce Japsen

[STARWISE]

The nation's largest group of emergency doctors this afternoon is condemning a University of Chicago Medical Center initiative to divert patients from its emergency room saying it was "dangerously close" to violating federal laws.

The American College of Emergency Physicians said the University of Chicago Medical Center is "failing in its obligation to treat emergency patients, citing drastic reductions in inpatient beds for emergency patients." The Washington-based organization cited Tribune coverage last week that included a story about a 12-year-old boy attacked by a "pit bull who was sent to another hospital for surgery."

The emergency room doctors expressed "grave" concerns that the University of Chicago's policy toward emergency patients is "dangerously close to patient dumping," a practice made illegal by the Emergency Medical Labor and Treatment Act. They also described the university's Urban Health Initiative as an effort to "cherry pick" wealthy patients over poor.

[STARWISE]

U. of C. shunning poor patients? (Aug. 23, 2008)

HOSPITAL DISPUTE | Obama's wife, 3 aides tied to plan to free up space

Sen. Barack Obama's wife and three close advisers have been involved with a program at the University of Chicago Medical Center that steers patients who don't have private insurance -- primarily poor, black people -- to other health care facilities.

Michelle Obama -- currently on unpaid leave from her $317,000-a-year job as a vice president of the prestigious hospital -- helped create the program, which aims to find neighborhood doctors for low-income people who were flooding the emergency room for basic treatment.

Hospital officials say such patients hinder their ability to focus on more critically ill patients in need of specialized care, such as cancer treatment and organ transplants.

Obama's top political strategist, David Axelrod, co-owns the firm, ASK Public Strategies, that was hired by the hospital last year to sell the program -- called the Urban Health Initiative -- to the community as a better alternative for poor patients.

Obama's wife and Valerie Jarrett, an Obama friend and adviser who chairs the medical center's board, backed the Axelrod firm's hiring, hospital officials said.

Another Obama adviser and close friend, Dr. Eric Whitaker, took over the Urban Health Initiative when he was hired at U. of C. in October 2007. Whitaker previously had been director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Obama has said he recommended Whitaker for the state job, giving his name to Tony Rezko, who helped Gov. Blagojevich assemble his Cabinet. Rezko, a former fund-raiser for Obama and Blagojevich, was convicted in June on federal corruption charges tied to state deals.

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Michelle, with the help of The Machine .. robbing the community ... messing with people's health and lives ... being enriched to the tune of $317,000 a year !! And America elected these cretins, who will live in grandeur the rest of their lives, on our dimes and nickels!!

[ConservativeMind]

That’s the only outfit I’ve ever seen her in that looked okay.

[originalbuckeye]

These people are neck deep in corruption. Too bad that Big Media is still swooning over Zero. They could get some new newspaper readers if they would only report the news!

[freekitty]

Sounds like she is not so much for her poor black people.

[STARWISE]

~~~ Send the poor, sick people away, Michelle .. PING!

[HoosierHawk]

"Congress needs to hold hearings about the problems facing emergency patients..."

The government should do something, again...*sigh*

[STARWISE]

The story described Dontae Adams, a Medicaid patient who the hospital treated with painkillers and a tetanus shot but then refused to admit him for surgery. “His mother took him on an hour-long bus ride to another hospital that admitted him and performed the face-saving surgery,” the doctor group said, describing the account in last week’s Tribune.

[penelopesire]

“The University of Chicago Medical Center could not be reached immediately for comment”

They probably have to call the Obama’s to get the ‘official’ answer before they speak!

[philly-d-kidder]

Cretin is a good word! She wrote a direct mail Piece she was proud of early in the campaign by admonishing Losing partial birth abortion..as RIGHT!
Pathetic!

[STARWISE]

“Medical center officials and Obama’s presidential campaign staff say the Urban Health Initiative — along with a three-year-old companion program called the South Side Health Collaborative — will dramatically improve health care for thousands of South Side residents.”

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1122691,CST-NWS-hosp23.article

[Steely Tom]

Such a great strategy. Find a high-profile black person, pay her a very generous salary, and set her to work solving the hospital's little problem with "those people." I mean "those other black people."

[lilylangtree]

Sad that these terrible people are now running our country.

[philly-d-kidder]

They must think we are IDIOts..they are amateurs..axelrod and all his Kingsmen!

[BonRad]

Scoured Drudge as I thought he’d go on this one, but he does have:

“Cops clock man driving 137 mph in HONDA CIVIC...”