Pot size:  $958.00

Winners:  Mike McLaughlin and Bill Purdin (no winner)

 

 

 

 

Sold By: Brenda Smith

Sold To:  Steve Cochran

Calendar #0338

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Bill Purdin was a guest of Mark Shaw.

Tim Davis was a guest of Anna Kulakowski.

Ian Sullivan was a guest of Rich Blazo.

Jim Solovicos was a guest of Dick Moore.

Adria Leach was a guest of Mickey Northcutt.

Mary Morrisey was a guest of Sue Burton.

Denny Gidding was a guest of Jason Consalvo.

Andrew Ingemi was a guest of Bob Anthony.

Wayne Sousa and Mary Simpson were both guests.

 

 

 

Chris Casey's son plays lacrosse for St. John's Prep.

 

Bob Anthony's son had his 50th birthday party, and Bob went to the Rotary Club in Plattsburgh, NY.

 

Anna Kulakowsi is resigning from the club for 4 years.

 

Rich Eisner gave the hockey report for his son in a game against Medford.  They won!

 

Liz Bradt went on a Vegas trip with other veterinarians.

 

Randy Burba's daughter is going to Disney with her chorus group.

 

Joanne Scott said the kids at the Boys & Girls Club raised 1/2 the money needed to go to Anaheim, CA.

 

Mickey Northcutt reminded us of the "Youth to the Point Day" happening on April 10th from 2:45-5:30pm.  On that day, youth in the community will be cleaning up and doing plantings.  Rotarians are encouraged to donate time, money or food items. Food donations are welcome for the celebration at Peabody Park at 5:30pm.

Please meet at Peabody Park on Peabody Street.  There will be clean up/weeding at Palmer Cove Park, plus other projects.  Bring a rake, and wear work gloves. 

 

 

 

Happy birthday to Viktoria Talebian on April 14th!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Tim Johson pictured with Dr. Viktoria Talebian, Speaker Series Co-Chair.  Dr. Johnson's topic of health care reform in America drew many guests and potential new members to the meeting on Tuesday.  Many thanks to Co-Chair Trip Mason for inviting Dr. Johnson to speak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Johnson has spent 40 years with Channel 5 and ABC News.  He talked about new developments in medicine.  For most of his career, his time was spent talking about new developments in medicine.  However, for the last 5 years, he has spent focusing on the delivery of health care.  Tim wrote a book titled The Truth About Getting Sick in America.  In the book, his focus was on 5 issues in the health care industry -  The Big Question, The Big Problem, The Big Fear, The Big Sermon, and The Big Prediction.

 

Why is it the richest country in the world not providing basic health insurance to its citizens?

Answer:  Because we are larger, we think of "individuals" instead of a "society".  We definitely spend enough money, about 2 times the amount as other developed countries.  The US spends $9,000 per person per year on health care, and the average in other developed nations is $5,000 per person.  Our success is not related to amount spent.

 

Americans have big expectations, and we have developed a medical industrial complex.  We want convenient, cooperative, communicative, compassionate, cutting edge technology...cheap.  We expect our employers or the government to pay for our care.  We have a fee for service system - the more the medical doctors do, the more they make.

 

For example, it was thought at one time that a bone marrow transplant was better than chemo therapy for breast cancer.  Studies later showed that a bone marrow transplant was not better, so they stopped it as a treatment.  We throw out new developments to the public before they are ready and proven.  That is a formula for disaster.  One third of what we spend is unnecessary.  Americans want what they consider to be the best, now.  The health care system, if reformed, would put many people out of work.  We need a retraining program - politically and economically the system could fail without planning. 

 

We fear the federal government might "take over" health care.  Airlines are competitive, but do so under federal government rules and regulations.  They also have a remarkable safety record.  There needs to be uniform federal standards for health care as well.  The Institute of Medicine says that 100,000 people die each year due to medical issues.  There must be a role for the federal government to provide cost effective health care.  Germany could be a model for this.  They have competitive service and the cost is set by the government.

 

45,000 people die each year because they have no health insurance.  People without health insurance either wait to get medical care or go to the emergency room.  It makes medical and economic sense to get people into a health care program ASAP.  Tim believes on a moral and ethical level that we should be providing health care.  It should be a basic right, like police and fire coverage.  He believes in the philosophy of taking care of your neighbor as you would yourself, as in the good Samaritan.  Financially, morally, and ethically, it is the right course to take.

 

Tim was asked to do a 4 minute report on ABC News comparing Canadian and US health care.  He chose 2 doctors who then chose 2 families to interview.  The US had 3 full and 1 part time (3/12) people filling out insurance forms.  One of the 2 families chosen had a baby.  In order to pay for insurance for the family, the father registered for a 10 year payment plan.

 

In Canada, they had 1 woman working 10 hours a week doing medical billing.  Again, one of the families chosen had a baby.  In this case,  the mother walked through the front door, showed her medical card, and was whisked upstairs for medical service.

 

Canadians must wait a whole lot longer for certain procedures, but ultimately the outcome is the same.  So, what are we to do?

This can only happen at the primary care level.  They have access to history, records, etc.

We could do this with thoughtful, not political discussion.  If this does not happen, costs will go up to the point of US insolvency and national bankruptcy.  With a "gun to the head", the government will probably then introduce a national health care system.

 

Anned Richardson Classification and George Harrington - autism.

 

"If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people, people whose love for life is even greater than their fear." ~Joanna Macy