http://hc4.me/quality
This is the new webpage for Maine Peoples Alliance where Mainers can tell about their healthcare experiences. My story about my father, who died of hospital acquired MRSA pneumonia is the lead story for this new blog webpage. Please visit and comment. Hopefully, this opportunity for Mainers to tell their Healthcare stories will shed light on the problem of medical error and hospital infections in Maine.
Thank you.
September 3rd, 2009
Kathy

Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, HHS, addresses audience at Orono Maine meeting

Kathy Day discussing John McCleary's MRSA death with Kathleen Sebelius
I was invited by Maine AARP to attend a meeting with Kathleen Sebelius with only about 50 other attendees. I represented the local AARP at this meeting. I was not called on to ask my carefully prepared question, but the discussion(in above photo) one on one was better. Secretary Sebelius is very well versed on healthcare reform. She told me about the stimulus money sent to all the States for enhanced infection control programs in hospitals. She said that MRSA and other medical errors are “definitely on the radar”. While she gave no specifics about MRSA, her sincerity and accessability makes me confident that MRSA and other hospital errors and infections will be addressed.
Let’s just hope they will be addressed aggressively. For way too many years, infections have grown in types and numbers year after year. Without a reverse trend, what will happen? More death, suffering, disability. More anger and distrust in our Healthcare facilities. A wave of litigation from fed up victims and/ or their families. All of this is preventable with an aggressive mandatory approach to MRSA elimination.
The stories I heard at today’s forum moved me tremendously. One of the panel members with a lengthy horribly terrifying story was a neighbor who lives about 6 houses away from me. I had no idea of her troubles. Mostly we heard about insurance, lack of or inadequate coverage, high deductibles or loss of benefits, and resulting financial ruin because of medical expenses. Every citizen in this country has a right to healthcare. Nobody should be sent home because they lack coverage if they have an illness or injury that requires hospitalization.
But, Healthcare reform proposals must also address quality and patient safety. I hope I got that point across today.