Want to fix health care?

FEB 20, 2018 | HEALTHCARE REFORM, INFRASTRUCTURE, NYS GOV'T, REGULATORY ISSUES, US GOV'T | 0 COMMENTS

Take this survey to shape WCA forum moderated by The Journal News

Want to fix health care? Take this survey to shape WCA forum moderated by The Journal News

Take the survey here and register for the forum at www.westchester.org. The forum will be March 21 from 8 to 10 a.m. at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 455 South Broadway, Tarrytown.

Journal News Westchester, lohud.com Published 7:00 a.m. ET Feb. 15, 2018

The new online survey is part of a March 21 community forum being moderated by The Journal News/lohud's health care reporter David Robinson.

The questions touch on issues ranging from out-of-pocket costs and premiums to employer-sponsored health insurance and the Affordable Care Act. Check out how to the take the survey below.

Answers to queries such as whether health plan coverage affects medical decisions will play a role in the upcoming forum, which is part of the All Access Healthcare Series organized by Westchester County Association, or WCA.

The forum is titled America's Chronic Condition: The Rising Cost of Your Healthcare. The discussion will keep the basic truth that "Healthcare is Complicated!" in mind, according to Amy Allen, vice president and executive director of Hudson Valley Workforce Academy WCA.

"There are many complex issues confronting us as we provide, consume and pay for health care," Allen said. "Now more than ever, we need to start prescribing solutions. Join the WCA as we look to tackle those issues."

Allen described how the community will hear from experts in a balanced conversation moderated by David Robinson, who covers health care for The Journal News/lohud's investigative team.

The experts will focus on the challenges with providing health care coverage and keeping costs down.

"Find out what you need to know as a business owner, employee or health care provider," Allen said. "Join the discussion as creative solutions are proposed."

Nation's Opioid Crisis Topic of HealthTech '17 Panel Discussion

OCT 27, 2017 | HEALTHCARE REFORM | 0 COMMENTS

Addiction is not a moral failure but a disease; co-occurring health disorders often present

With a crisis as prevalent as opioids in America, nobody is protected. “Deaths in Westchester County have increased 200% in recent years,” noted Kathleen O’Connor of Shatterproof at WCA's HealthTech '17 conference on October 12. In fact, one out of every three families will be touched by this epidemic in some way. According to County Executive Rob Astorino, “this is the stark reality, it is a very lethal enemy that grows deadlier by the day.”

The opioid epidemic was a subject of a Health Tech ’17 panel, which was comprised a representatives from Pfizer, NewYork-Presbytrian, WMCHealth, and the harris project. The discussion was eye opening, inspiring, and in many ways, quite scary...

Telemedicine: Here's What the Future Holds

OCT 26, 2017 | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HEALTHCARE REFORM | 0 COMMENTS

Fascinating panel discussion at WCA's HealthTech '17 conference

“There’s a sense of exciting things happening in telemedicine and technology,” said Dr. Christian Otto of Memorial Sloan Kettering at WCA’s HealthTech ’17, as he began his presentation for the panel Next Generation Telehealth: The Future Is Now. While still evolving, “Telehealth leads to longer survival, a 38% improvement in the quality of life, and 7% fewer urgent care visits.” According to Dr. Otto, telehealth will allow patients to:
• Include family members (even those living far away) in care decisions;
• Bring care and monitoring directly into the home;
• Access healthcare from remote locations without travel;
• See a doctor without missing work or needing childcare.
But will people use this technology?

Cancer Causes, Care, and Cures Subject of HealthTech '17 Keynote Address by Dr. Craig Thompson, President & CEO, Memorial Sloan Kettering

OCT 22, 2017 | HEALTHCARE REFORM | 0 COMMENTS

Obsesity and Environmental Factors Leading Cause of Cancer Today, He Said

Why Don’t We Have a Cure for Cancer? Dr. Craig Thompson, president and CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) began answering this multi-layered question with a staggering statistic. “Cancer isn’t just one disease – it’s as many as four hundred,” he explained at the Westchester County Association’s recent Health Tech ’17 conference on October 12, which attracted over 200 healthcare and business executives. At MSKCC, he said they have the best outcomes for cancer care because...

M. Beatrice Grause Prompts Business Leaders to Help Guide Healthcare Debate During Her Morning Keynote Speech at HealthTech ‘17

OCT 21, 2017 | HEALTHCARE REFORM | 0 COMMENTS

“Only Dialogue Will Develop Viable Long-Term Solutions; Healthcare Is Not an Either/Or Situation Between a Private and Public Payer System”

Healthcare is a complex issue and by examining the issues, the Westchester County business community is on the right track. But it needs to keep going, according to M. Beatrice Grause, president of the Healthcare Association of New York (HANYS), who challenged attendees to WCA’s HealthTech ’17 conference on October 12, to speak out and be heard when it comes to healthcare policy...