FOCUS @ HEALTH
By Philip S. Chua, M.D.

Rating physicians and all
pros is natural & necessary

PHYSICIANS are no exceptions. Just like corporations, universities, colleges, hospitals, automobiles, appliances, goods and other products on the market today, physicians are all being scrutinized and rated by the public and consumers advocates. This is going on for centuries, albeit not in the same "organized and business-like"system as they are being rated, and to be judged today. At least in the United States.

As long as the evaluation and reporting are done properly and fairly, taking all factors and realities into account, and performed in the right context and from the proper perspective, rating physicians, and all other professions for that matter, is natural, necessary and prudent. The healthcare consumers and purchasers of other professional services, like merchandising customers, have the right to make the intelligent and informed choice and be appropriately protected.

Starting this March 2008, WellPoint, an Indianapolis-based health insurer, has teamed up with Zagat, the internationally-acclaimed publisher of rating guides on restaurants, hotels and travel destinations worldwide, to judge and rate physicians. WellPoint allows its 35 million insured to post online reviews of their doctors. After visiting the physician, the patient can log on to the website of WellPoint and "grade"the healthcare provider on a four-point scale, including availability, communication, office environment and trustworthiness. Following a 10 patient-feedback, WellPoint compiles and analyzes the info and assigns a rating of the physician, or over-all score from one to 30. Much like rating a restaurant or hotel one-star or five-star. Physicians are now treated like products or commodities. Times have indeed changed!
Big cities like New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, etc., are now evaluating, "grading"and publishing the best hospitals, and the best specialists in the various medical and surgical fields, the evaluation made by watchdog companies like HealthGrades and Leap Frog, and surgical specialty organizations like The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

WellPoint is a trailblazer in this consumer-feedback based grading system, which is expected to open the gate to other health insurance companies and private and public advocate groups in the United States and other countries.

While this serious grading system will impact the practice, career and life of the professional, and has potential legal ramifications, consumer rights and protection take precedence. And rightly so. As a cardiac surgeon, I believe that a fair and just rating system will have a most beneficial effect not only on healthcare consumers but on the quality of medical practice of the individual physician and, therefore, on the healthcare system of the country as a whole.

The caveat is, of course, all of us consumers, in general, must be fair, realistic, and as objective as we can be, when judging anyone, a neighbor, a professional or any fellow human being. In evaluating and rating your physician, wearing his white coat and walking in his shoes would be a good start.

The judgment in this case would be more just.
And talking about judgment, the bible has a poignant example: Had Pontius Pilate himself known Jesus Christ, the preacher of love and peace, up close and personal, and had walked barefooted, carrying the heavy cross to Calvary and worn the thorny crown as Jesus had, this Roman Governor-Procurator would probably have judged Jesus differently, and had not made his decision to crucify the Messiah based on what was politically "correct"at the time and simply washed his hands, to his own wife's dismay.

Washing hands
Most of the upper respiratory, gastrointestinal or skin infections we get are due to bacteria or viruses on our dirty hands, previously contaminated by touching doorknobs (especially in public washrooms), stair/escalator handrails, paper money or coins, and other objects which have been touched by hundreds, if not thousand, unclean hands. Of course, inhalation and ingestion are two other modes of bacterial or viral transmission.

But the rule is the same: The unwashed hands are generally considered dirty, bug-laden, contaminated, and the most frequent source of infection. This is why physicians wash their hands before examining each patient.
Contaminated hands (or even one finger) touching the face could transmit viruses and/or bacteria by inhalation and cause upper respiratory tract infection (URI) or, if handling food, lead to diarrhea or other GI infection.

It has been shown by numberless studies in university hospitals and research centers around the world that washing hands often cut down the infection rate by as much as 90 percent. Yes, that simple and easy hand-washing strategy (even without soap), before each meal, and in between, does work effectively in the prevention of the various common upper respiratory infections, like common cold or the flu, or gastrointestinal problems, etc., among us, especially among babies, children and the very elderly.

If one washes hands less than eight times a day, from the time the person wakes up in the morning till he goes to bed at night (using the bathroom at least three times and eating at least three meals a day) then he/she is not maximally and optimally protected.

After reading this newspaper you are now holding (or touching the keyboard of the computer in the Internet cafe), reading this column, isn't it time to wash your hands?

scalpelpen@gmail.com

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ON MY WATCH
By Manuel L. Caballero

'Miracle' priest from R.P.
brings sermon to Jersey

IT'S springtime in America. Time of hope. Hope, in different forms, is in the air around us as we write this column. Pope Benedict XVI visits the U.S. with the theme "Christ is Hope."(Among other activities in New York, His Holiness will listen to the live rendition of "Ave Maria"by "American Idol"alumna Kelly Clarkson, as well as jazz singer Harry Connick, Jr.)

Gawad Kalinga's Dylan Wilk, together with his GK Team, is in our area, spreading hope for the poor in the native land on a cross-country trip dubbed as "Highway of Hope."(Dylan, a young British millionaire who became fascinated with GK, once declared he got married to Gawad Kalinga. A few months after he said that, Dylan married the daughter of the GK founder Tony Meloto. And he lives happily ever after.)

Father Fernando Suarez was in New Jersey last week and spread hope for the sick through Jesus Christ in his healing sessions. (Father Fernando may be a Batangue–o, but he looks like an Ilocano to me. Don't make a mistake, he is also a Canadian. In fact, he is sorely missed by parishioners in Canada [per e-mail I received from Toronto] because he has been away for months spreading the gift of healing to the afflicted in other lands.)

To his fellow Filipinos in America, the 41-year-old superstar healer has a message, which he conveyed through this writer in a brief interview during a break in his healing service at St. Antoninus Catholic Church in Newark, N.J. last Saturday. And that message was also about hope. Fr. Suarez said he hoped that Filipinos in America shall continue to receive blessings from God. (His original message was in Pilipino.)

Finally, we have Senators Hillary and Barack, who are also strong advocates of hope. Sen. Clinton espouses hope with solution. Sen. Obama preaches hope with change.

American noted novelist Pearl S. Buck, once said, that "when hope is taken away from the people, moral degeneration follows swiftly after."And, as GK's Tony Meloto would say in substance, when hope is restored in a poor individual, self-esteem follows swiftly after.

And another good citizen is born in the process. This process, taken to a larger scale, is called nation-building, the GK way.

***

Allow me to share with you further, my front row experience last Saturday, during Fr. Fernando's healing services (there were two healing sessions that afternoon because there were too many people who came. Some had to wait in line for three to four hours at St. Antoninus Church in Newark, N.J.).
Sometimes, we hear people say that miracles happen everyday. Last Saturday, "miracles"happened right before my eyes and the eyes of some 2,000 "believers"who came for the healing sessions of Fr. Fernando.
As the innocent-looking and humble priest walked back and forth, praying and touching either the forehead or the cheek or the afflicted part of the body, in row after row of people with concerns or in wheelchairs, I recalled the Biblical stories about Jesus Christ when He was also walking around certain towns as He healed the leper and made the blind see. Jesus warned the people in the communities where He performed healing not to tell others.

Those were parallel scenes that ran through my mind. Fr. Fernando, at one point, also revealed to us, in his homily, that when he was being approached to pray for sick friends and neighbors in Batangas before he became a priest, he used to tell those people not to tell others about his healing ability. And that it was only when a priest told him it was a gift from God and that it was not for him, but for others, that he decided to pursue priesthood so he could better practice his gift to other people.

I went to Fr. Fernando's healing service primarily to act as proxy or medium for my brother in the Philippines who was diagnosed recently with lung cancer. In fact, I had to excuse myself from the awards ceremony of Rev. Gaudy Soriano's National Federation of Filipino Americans (NAFA) so I could be at the healing session.

As one of their awardees, I sincerely apologize for this absence to NAFA. And I thank my friend Paul Versoza for receiving the award on my behalf. Paul has not given me yet the plaque. I hope he does not forget to give it to me later. Joke only, mi amigo. Seriously, I thank NAFA for the award.

Being a reporter/photographer who was authorized to cover the event, plus the fact that I was a member of the Couples for Christ service team that provided support in the orderly conduct of the healing sessions, we witnessed in full-view, as others inside the church did, how a Filipino-American stood up from his wheelchair and walked with Fr. Fernando in the church's middle aisle to the wild applause and delight of the crowd inside the church. I remember exclaiming to myself during that moment, "Amazing, Lord!"In the news story about this event, which I also wrote for this newspaper, you will read the other amazing on-the-spot healings that Fr. Fernando's gift did on certain people. The rest, I suppose, went home gratified by the thought that they were touched and received healing grace from the Lord.

Amen.

MCaball241@aol.com

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PIECE OF CAKE
By Antonio Campo

 

Supreme Court tackles
inhibition from Neri case

"The Senate or the House of Representatives or any of its respective committees may conduct inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance with its duly published rules of procedure. The rights of persons appearing in or affected by such inquiries shall be respected."- Section 21, Article VI, Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines

UNLESS the Supreme Court of the Philippines reverses its 9-6 decision on March 25, 2008 granting the petition of Romulo Neri's claim of executive privilege for his refusal to make another testimony before the Senate blue ribbon committee, the Philippines is headed to a constitutional crisis.

Hence, on April 1, 2008, the Senate of the Philippines filed a Motion for Reconsideration on behalf of three committees (Senate blue ribbon committee, Senate committee on trade and commerce, and Senate committee on national defense and security).

The hearing before the Supreme Court en banc is scheduled on April 15, 2008.
March 25 Supreme Court decision
The main issue in the above March 25 decision follows: Could Neri be compelled by the Senate blue ribbon committee to answer the following three questions:

1. Whether the President followed up the NBN project.
2. Whether the President directed him to prioritize the ZTE.
3. Whether the President said to go ahead and approve the project after being told about the alleged bribe.

Supreme Court ruling
The High Court ruled that Neri need not answer these three questions on the ground of executive privilege.

In the words of Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J., "Executive privilege is the prerogative of the President to withhold certain types of information from Congress, from the courts and from the public. It is a constitutional right of the President which she alone can claim, but she might also direct the executive secretary to claim it."Presumably by authority of the President, her executive secretary has advised the Senate that the information being sought by the Senate might impair the Philippines diplomatic and economic relations with the People's Republic of China, and Neri's answers might endanger national security.

Thus, the majority opinion penned by Justice Leonardo de Castro ruled that if the claim of privilege is disputed by Congress, the High Court would decide whether the claim of executive privilege has foundation by citing American jurisprudence.

The Supreme Court further nullified the Senate's decision to cite Neri for contempt and to order his arrest.

Comments
The March 25 decision is inexplicably flawed. The Motion for Reconsideration described the ruling as a dangerous and chilling decision by not contributing to the fight against graft and corruption.

The decision would nullify or restrict the power of both houses of Congress to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation under Section 21, Article VI of the Constitution.

The power to conduct formal inquiries of investigations is specifically provided in Section 1 of the Senate Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation.

Such inquiries may refer to the implementation or re-examination of any law or in connection with any proposed legislation or the formulation of future legislation.

They may also extend to any and all matters vested by the Constitution in Congress and/or in the Senate alone (Jose N. Nolledo, The New Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Annotated).

No less than former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban called on the Supreme Court to reverse its decision on executive privilege stating that the Constitution upholds transparency and accountability.

tonyc1028@aol.com

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POTPOURRI
By Meg Sibal M.D.

Knowing atypical heart attack
warning signs can save lives

WHILE chest pain remains the hallmark heart attack symptom (the image of a man clutching his chest and turning pale is a textbook picture), a recent study documented how the warning signs often can be far subtler and less recognizable in women and older men, according to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine's Focus on Healthy Aging.

Such atypical symptoms may include difficulty breathing, unexplained weakness, nausea or vomiting, pain or discomfort in the left arm or shoulder and new onset confusion.

Since heart disease is the number one killer in this country, it is crucial for one to know one's risks and to be aware of all the possible warning signs, adds the health letter.

In addition to chest pain and discomfort (the leading warning signs of a heart attack in both genders), the following may be the initial symptom of a heart attack:

1. Strange sensation, such as squeezing or pressure in the chest.
2. Pain or discomfort in the middle or upper back, neck, shoulder, arms or jaw.
3. New onset of confusion.
4. Shortness of breath.
5. Cold sweat.
6. Nausea or vomiting.
7. Loss of appetite.
8. Weakness or fatigue.
9. Cough.
10. Dizziness or lightheadedness.
11. Heart palpitation.

A study published in the 10/24 Archives of Internal Medicine says that older men and a third or more of all women, not just those 65 or older who are having a heart attack or other form of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) don't have any chest pain or discomfort.

Bruce Darrow, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai Cardiovascular Institute, says that such an atypical manifestation makes it more difficult to diagnose these patients, especially the women, possibly leading to missed treatment opportunities.

Dr. Darrow says that women with problems, such as shortness of breath or a "funny"sensation in the chest have to be taken quite seriously, making his suspicion for the possibility of heart disease to be higher than it would be for a middle-aged man with the same symptoms.

He evaluates these women as he would with patients with more typical symptoms by looking at risk factors, such as high cholesterol, history of smoking, relatives with heart disease and high blood pressure. Also, he is more apt to perform stress tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and other heart assessments in women with atypical symptoms than he would in men with the same kinds of symptoms.

Because women can have unusual symptoms and since they frequently develop heart disease at a later age than men, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to getting treated for heart disease.

"Women are less likely to get aggressive treatment,"says Dr. Darrow. "In some instances, their chances of dying may be greater."Dr. Darrow mentions a list of effective treatments that can reduce women's heart risks:

- Lowering cholesterol with statin drugs.
- Treating high blood pressure with beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

- Starting a smoking-cessation program.
- Exercising at least 30 minutes most, if not all, days of the week.

- Controlling one's weight by limiting fat to no more than 30 percent of one's daily diet and eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

It is not yet known whether aggressive measures, such as cardiac catheterization...a treatment that uses a thin, flexible tube to open up blocked arteries...are effective in female patients with abnormal coronary arteries who don't have classic symptoms, says Dr. Darrow.

While vigilance is essential when it comes to one's heart, being proactive is equally important. Focusing on prevention today can reduce one's worry about subtle warning cues tomorrow, adds the health letter.

Thus, making lifestyle changes to reduce or eliminate major heart attack risk factors, while being aware of the atypical warning signs of a heart attack, can help maintain a strong and healthy heart for many years to come.

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SUGAR & SPICE
By Lili

Successful fund-raiser

"A joy that's shared is a joy made double."

***

THE Friends InDeed USA, Inc. "Charity Friendship Ball"at the Marriott Glenpointe in Teaneck, N.J. on April 12 was hot-hot-hot with the continuous swirl-and-twirl, cha-cha-cha, tango, swing, samba, rumba, line dancing and all the works at the dance floor.

Attended by close to 300 guests, it was a resounding success considering the fact that many important events were going on around town, and so many more to come. Gosh, it never ends!

People who are charity-minded are generous enough to give their support to FIUSA, Inc. in its quest to extend help to the poor and needy in the Philippines.

The group is a young organization formed in 2005 when yours truly was unanimously selected as grand marshal for the Philippine Independence Day parade that year.

Hesitant to accept the honor because of the daunting task ahead, especially the fund-raising aspect, a group of friends just decided then and there to help me raise funds for Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. 2005 without my asking them, as I felt embarrassed doing so. I don't have that chutzpa in me. It's not my nature.

And---the rest is history. They eventually was able to raise $48,500 which went to PIDCI '05 along with other contributions that were given to me by other friends and relatives, amounting to more than $100,000.

So FIUSA, Inc. in three years has raised more than $80,000 which enabled them to finance the 17 Gawad Kalinga houses in Dauis, Bohol, the PIDCI '05 contribution through me, and other donations, which were all accounted for.

Now, FIUSA, Inc. is aiming to provide artesian wells to GK through the help of the Philippine Economic and Cultural Endowment which was a recipient of personal donations from some members of FIUSA, Inc. at a PEACE event last year at the Marriott Hotel in New York,
Consul General Cecilia Rebong spoke highly of FIUSA, Inc. and commended their humanitarian services to the poor during the dinner-dance.

Linda Gaa, from Washington, attended as her husband, Philippine ambassador to the U.S. Willy Gaa, had an important speaking engagement in Hawaii.

Many other VIPs were there, like the mayor of Teaneck, N.J. who's a close friend of Ed and Chona Holland, awardees for business; the Philadelphia group led by Drs. Rommel and Aida Rivera; Dr. Alex and Annie Fangonil from Washington, D.C.; etcetera.

May other associations which have not done so yet, find it in their hearts to look back where they came from and help the poorest of the poor in our motherland.

***

Something hilarious sent via e-mail from Lucrecia Panlilio.

Acts 2:38
An elderly woman had just returned home from church services when she was startled by an intruder who was robbing her house of its valuables.

She yelled, "Stop! Acts 2:38!"(Repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.)

The burglar stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.

As the police officer cuffed the man, he asked the burglar, "Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture at you.""Scripture?"replied the burglar. "She said she had an ax and two 38's!"Pass this on to someone who needs a laugh and remember that knowing scripture can save your life in more ways than one.

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MAYOR'S CORNER
By Michael R. Bloomberg

Solar panels on buildings a thing for our city future

ON April 8, I announced that the city Department of Administrative Services (DCAS) would issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for private solar developers to purchase, install, own and maintain solar panels on city-owned buildings in all five boroughs as part of PlaNYC.

The plan would more than double the city's current solar electric capacity. Eleven potential sites have been identified for the developer to choose from, including five schools and a community college. The city and the developer will enter into a 20-year power purchase agreement for the electricity the solar panels generate.

New York City is moving ahead vigorously on our PlaNYC agenda, especially in the all-important area of reducing our reliance on the carbon-based fuels that contribute to global warming.

We've set a target of shrinking our carbon footprint by 30 percent by the year 2030. Increasing the use of renewable energy, like solar power, is a key strategy in that effort. Using solar power decreases demand for electricity from the power grid, which is typically generated by burning the fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.

The U.S. Department of Energy is leading the Solar America Initiative (SAI) in an effort to accelerate the development of advanced solar electric technologies, including solar panels and the concentration solar power systems, with the goal of making them cost-competitive with other forms of electricity by 2015.

The development of this project to supply two megawatts of solar power to city-owned buildings began last year. It was made possible by a planning grant and technical assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, as part of that agency's designation of New York as "A Solar America" city.

The New York City Solar America Initiative is a partnership between City University of New York (CUNY), NYCEDC, and the Mayor's Office of Longterm Planning and Sustainability.

As part of the program, the city has received a $200,000 grant and $200,000 in technical support from the National Renewable Energy Lab.

CUNY manages the program for the city.

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