[Peace-discuss] GEO in the News - Gazette

[E. Wayne Johnson]

If they already have the sonogram machine and the staff, it seems that 
cutting the service
does nothing to reduce costs.  I am supposing that there is no 
additional costs to be incurred
other than the "burnout vs. rustout" of a machine.  Seems it could be 
scheduled for an time
when staff is available. 

If the service is farmed out to a local clinic or hospital, that does 
complicate it significantly,
but the same principles could and should be applied to reduce the cost 
impact.

Marti Wilkinson wrote:
> http://www.newsgazette.com/news/local/2008/12/17/graduate_employees_organization_keep_sonogram_services
>
> URBANA – Despite final exams, relentless snow and below-freezing 
> temperatures, more than a dozen University of Illinois graduate 
> students and employees gathered in front of the campus health center 
> on Tuesday to call for better health care for students.
>
> "Women's health should be a priority!" they shouted. Health care 
> benefits should be improved, not whittled away, several said in 
> response to news that because of the upcoming retirement of a 
> technician, sonograms may not be available at the center.
>
> With a family history of ovarian cancer, graduate student and employee 
> Aimee Rickman said her doctors have told her she should have a 
> sonogram performed twice a year to screen for ovarian cancer. Since 
> she has been a graduate student at the UI, she has had those 
> procedures at McKinley.
>
> "I don't want to get ovarian cancer. To stay on top of it, I need 
> these screenings," she said.
>
> University spokeswoman Robin Kaler said the health center's staff is 
> optimistic the university would be able to maintain the sonogram 
> service after the technician's retirement.
>
> "We're now negotiating with a community health partner to find a 
> replacement to continue the service one day a week with no cost to 
> students," she said.
>
> Since a contract has not been finalized, Kaler said she could not 
> release details such as the name of the provider or the cost of the 
> contract.
>
> The sonogram is an important tool in women's health care, said nurse 
> practitioner Susan Miller, who has worked at McKinley for 25 years. If 
> a patient comes to McKinley complaining of pelvic pain or irregular 
> bleeding, a sonogram can help detect fibroids, an ectopic pregnancy or 
> endometriosis, Miller said.
>
> "If they take our tools away, we can't do our jobs," she said.
>
> "We know the university has budget issues," said Jim McGuire, 
> president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal 
> Employees Local 698, which represents nurses and technicians at 
> McKinley Health Center. But cuts shouldn't be made in health care for 
> students, he said.
>
> The Graduate Employees' Organization, which sponsored Tuesday's rally, 
> would like the university to hire a full-time sonogram technician.
>
> "We want it to be a regular service," said graduate student and 
> employee Michael Simeone. "That signifies the university's commitment 
> to health care."
>
> "The GEO recognizes we're in difficult economic times, but slashing 
> basic medical services is something that cannot happen," he added.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Find this article at:
> http://www.newsgazette.com/news/2008/12/17/graduate_employees_organization_keep_sonogram_services 
>
>
>
>     Comments
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Peace-discuss mailing list
> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
>   
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace-discuss/attachments/20081217/8b148129/attachment-0001.htm