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The Week Ahead
Lots of activity at the Legislature this week with meetings scheduled every day, including a full slate of interim committee meetings on Wednesday. See the legislative calendar for the full schedule. Click on a specific meeting for its agenda. Dozens of crucial issues will be discussed during the week, including school building finance equalization on Monday, USTAR annual report on Tuesday, and climate change, nuclear energy, education reform, and property tax reform on Wednesday.
For other political events this week, including several education voucher debates, see the UtahPolicy.com calendar.
Monday Musing
Health Data Availability Needed
Health care reform is going to be a top issue both nationally and in Utah over the next few years. Part of health reform is making medical records available any time, any where information is needed. One major initiative is being undertaken by Microsoft’s Bill Gates, who wants to put all of our health data on-line. (See Wall Street Journal essay by Gates and a CNetNews.com report.)
Assuming proper privacy and security controls, Microsoft’s initiative is greatly needed. In this day of electronic records and easy networking, I’m tired of having to fill out the same paperwork almost every time I see a doctor and having to remind my doctor about what prescriptions I’m on, family medical history, past procedures, etc.
I usually see a doctor only once a year for a checkup. But it seems every time I go, I have to fill out a health information form, even though almost everything in the last 15 years that has been done to me has been done by that doctor. I have to write in what prescriptions I’m taking, even though they’ve all been prescribed by him. He usually asks me good and appropriate questions, but most of them I’ve answered previously. Last time, our discussion led to me mention that I have a family history with cancer as a result of spending time in the St. George area during nuclear testing in the ‘50s. “Oh,” he said, “In that case we’d better do a chest x-ray.”
What if the downwinder discussion hadn’t come up? I had told him that history many times in the past and included it on numerous health information forms. He always looks at some computerized information about me, but it’s obviously not very complete. I also remind him nearly every checkup that several years ago I had a mild form of skin cancer.
In the last few years I’ve been to a dermatologist and urologist and I did one of those comprehensive day-long health checkups, all within the same health care system. But I don’t think they’re exchanging information and talking to each other.
The point is, when any health care provider pulls up my computerized health information, all the stuff ought to be there to help him or her make wise treatment decisions. They ought to see my health history at a glance and take it into account. I shouldn’t have to fill out repetitive forms.
I’m a healthy person with a simple health history. For someone who has lots of health problems, and has had multiple treatments done by multiple providers, this must be a nightmare. It can’t be that hard to fix. In many other areas of our lives, the right information is readily available at the right time. We need to do it with health care.
John Tyler and the Mormons
As a former president, Tyler is impressed by a young Mormon missionary playing the piano in a Richmond music store. He invites the boy to teach his daughters piano lessons. In this way, young Karl G. Maeser—future president of BYU—financed his mission in Virginia. (From Mike Winder’s Presidents and Prophets: The Story of America’s Presidents and the LDS Church)
Today in Political History
October 15, 1947: The CIA is created by the National Security Act.
Oct. 15, 1964: Soviet leader Nikita S. Khrushchev is removed from office, succeeded as premier by Alexei N. Kosygin and as Communist Party secretary by Leonid I. Brezhnev. (New York Times)
October 15, 1991: Clarence Thomas, a black Conservative, is appointed to the Supreme Court
(Source: Perspicuity)
Wise Words
“Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.”
-- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (Source: Think Exist)
Leadership Tip
Establish a Leadership Library
There’s a lot of great material available on leadership, including books, articles, DVDs and on-line information. Some businesses have created a Leadership Library to help improve employee leadership abilities. But employees will not use this resource if they do not know about it. To promote use of the leadership library, here are some tips:
- Put the leadership books and articles together in a prominent place that makes it easy for employees to browse the collection.
- Establish simple procedures for reserving and checking out the materials.
- Post a complete list of the materials in the collection so employees will know to check back (or reserve the item) if something they want to read happens to be checked out.
- Publicize the fact that leadership books and articles are available for employees to borrow. Include a list of recent acquisitions and/or most popular titles to generate interest. (Source: Gov Leaders)
National Politics
Best Stories From …
-- The Politico: "Former Vice President Al Gore was named joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his environmental activism, likely increasing pressure from his supporters for him to enter the Democratic race for the White House."
-- The Economist: "'He's dumb as hell...but he's friendly.' So said Richard Nixon about Fred Thompson three decades ago, when Mr Thompson was a young lawyer working on the Watergate investigation. Now Mr Thompson is running for president, but the conventional wisdom about him has not changed much."
-- Washington Post: "The New Hampshire primary, crowded by other wannabe primaries and caucuses, may be shifted from January to an unprecedented date in early December."
-- The Hill: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday that she would not give Congress high marks with regard to ending the war in Iraq, adding that she understands voter dissatisfaction on the issue that has sent the congressional approval rating tumbling."
Blog Watch
-- At Out of Context, Derek P. Jensen reports: "He made headlines this week, drew raves and was honored for raising the world's antenna over ecological stewardship. Al Gore? No, Rocky Anderson. At the same time the former vice president won the Nobel Peace Prize for his wide-ranging efforts to draw attention to the dangers of global warming, the Salt Lake City mayor was in Arlington, Va., to receive something called the 'Spine Award' from the Progressive Democrats of America. Joined by Democratic members of Congress, Anderson earned the award 'for surprising the nation with your bold and pioneering progressive leadership for peace, accountability, equality, and ecological stewardship from an unexpected corner of the country,' a release stated. In other words, keeping the earth in balance. How's that for an inconvenient truth, Al?"
Lighter Side
“We have two classes of forecasters: Those who don’t know . . . and those who don’t know they don’t know.”
-- Economist John Kenneth Galbraith (Jeff Thredgold’s Economist Joke Book) |
