Health Care

Health care concerns aired By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI / Staff Writer Concerns about the quality of health care, preserving the dignity of those receiving medical assistance and cutting health care-related red tape were on the minds of more than 55 people who attended a public meeting on health care reform Wednesday evening at Hagerstown Community College. continued Members of Maryland Health Care for All, a grassroots coalition of state and local groups working to provide health coverage for all Maryland residents, recorded the questions and stories of those who spoke.

You can say this about Ross Z. Pierpont - he isn't one to give up easily. Having sought election to local, state and federal offices in Maryland 13 times over the past 32 years - and having been defeated 13 times - the retired surgeon from Baltimore County is hitting the campaign trail once again in a bid for a U.S. Senate seat. "I wasn't going to do anything this time, but this election is too important," said Pierpont, 80, a Republican. It's too important this time, he said, because the nation is teetering on a governmental crisis.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- A TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party rally protesting government-run health care was held Friday afternoon in front of the federal building on King Street in Martinsburg. The Blue Ridge Patriots of Berkeley County and the Jefferson County TEA Party joined forces for the rally, said Barb Miller of Gerrardstown, W.Va., who organized the event. About 60 people attended the rally, many of them carrying handmade signs protesting health-care nationalization. Some asked motorists to "honk for freedom," which was done in abundance.

GREENCASTLE, Pa. - Steven B. Larchuk, co-founder and chairman of Pennsylvania Health Care Solutions Coalition, will speak at a community forum on Thursday, May 4 at 7 p.m. at the Greencastle Rescue Hose hall at 842 S. Washington St. The meeting, sponsored by the Greencastle Antrim Democratic Club, will discuss the growing problem of health-care coverage for families and individuals in Pennsylvania and the nation. The meeting will be chaired by Dr. Lazlo Madaras, hospitalist at the Chambersburg Hospital and a family physician at Mercersburg Family Medicine.

Frustrated by their inability to pass some individual initiatives in 2007, leaders of the Maryland General Assembly are thinking about putting together a something-for-everyone bill in 2008. Under this approach, those who want an expansion of health care would have to support the legislation of slot machines, a change in the state's tax structure and possibly a tax increase. On Monday, The (Baltimore) Sun quoted Sen. Thomas M. Middleton, D-Charles, as saying that including a health-care expansion with a tax increase would make it an easier sell.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The cost of health care has Pennsylvania businesses ailing, said several business people who attended a economic development symposium hosted by state Sen. Terry Punt. "These high double-digit increases are just killers. The year-to-year increases are just devastating," said Dan Pheil, president of Landis Gardner in Waynesboro, Pa. He said businesses that might otherwise be expanding and hiring new employees are not because of the skyrocketing costs of providing health-care coverage.

MONT ALTO, PA. - For some students, the third annual MedCamp at Penn State Mont Alto helped solidify their career choices. Other students are more uncertain than ever. "I came here wanting to be a physical therapist," said Nikki Kauffman, 14, of Waynesboro, Pa. "Now, I'm not sure what I want to do. " Not because she doesn't want a career in health care. She was exposed to so many different medical jobs that it's hard to pick only one. "These are kids that have expressed interest in some kind of health-care career.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Nestled among West Virginia's mountains and valleys is a population that is sicker, poorer, older and more reliant on public health care than those of most or all other states, said Tony Gregory, director of communications and legislative affairs for the West Virginia Hospital Association. In West Virginia, 15.7 percent of the population is 65 or older, and the state's median age is older than that of Florida. West Virginia's median income is 49th out of the 50 states, but the state is at the top of the list when it comes to health problems, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease, Gregory said.

U.S. House of Representatives District 6 Salary: $165,200 per year Term: Two years The following questions were asked to the candidates for U.S. House of Representatives District 6. 1. What role should the federal government play in providing affordable housing? 2. What proposals do you support, if any, to provide a basic level of quality health care at an affordable cost to all U.S. residents? 3. The No Child Left Behind Act comes up for reauthorization in 2007.

I have not kept up with health care issues this election season. I have been too busy caring for my elderly father. Dad lives in a retirement community in Virginia. He is quite a traveler, frequenting beach resorts, visiting my brother in Texas and enjoying fine hotels all over the south. These trips don't cost my dad a dime because he never leaves his bed. I call them "flights of fantasy" and must constantly remind my father he is still in his apartment. My dad's mental lapses have increased as his physical health has decreased.

Six area students who plan to pursue or are pursuing health care careers were honored recently as the recipients of the Medical Staff Scholarship Award at a Chambersburg Hospital medical staff meeting. • Brianna Dade of Waynesboro, Pa., is a member of the Waynesboro Area Senior High School class of 2013. She plans to attend Penn State University to pursue a degree in medicine, specializing in pediatrics. • Shannon Leary of Chambersburg is a member of the Chambersburg Area Senior High School Class of 2013.

A model to replace Obamacare To the editor: Remember when U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi said, in reference to Obamacare: “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it?” Well, it's been three years, and we are all finding out how devastating the effects of the bill are on hardworking families and small businesses across the country. That is why Obamacare's unpopularity is now reaching critical mass, even among traditionally loyal Democratic voters. Many in the Democratic base are in open revolt and are speaking out against this misguided piece of legislation.

Amazing Race   BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. -   Amazing Race for Jenna's Joy Foundation will be held Saturday, Aug. 3, at Berkeley Springs High School's football stadium, 149 Concord Ave., Berkeley Springs. Registration begins at 9 a.m.  Modeled after the TV show, “Amazing Race,” teams meet at the high school and will receive a packet of challenges -  scavenger hunt, trivia challenge, obstacle course (only mild physical activity required). Challenges must be completed by 3 p.m.  Teams of two must have at least one driver.

Name of business: Shahid Mahmood, M.D., Family Practice Owner: Dr. Shahid Mahmood Address: 1124 Opal Court, Hagerstown Opening date: March 27, 2013 Products and services: Health care provider Target market: Ages 10 and older How did you get into your business, and what motivated you to start it? I always wanted to work independently, and to have the opportunity to develop and grow in my field. Previous business experience: I was in solo practice for three years in North Carolina.

Nurse Tammy Arnold at NMS HealthCare on Marsh Pike in Hagerstown was honored May 13 by Hospice of Washington County for her excellence in caring for the NMS residents and their families.  Her role is unique in the nursing homes in this county as she educates, identifies needs, and oversees introducing patients and families to the benefits of hospice care.  In this way, she provides a consistent management of pain and symptoms for each resident...

A Hagerstown pharmacist pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Baltimore to fraudulently selling powerful pain killers and billing Medicare and Medicaid for nearly $200,000 of the cost, the U.S. Department of Justice said. David Russo, 62, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to health care fraud, according to a Justice Department news release issued Friday afternoon. Russo admitted that he filed prescriptions for oxycodone, methadone and benzodiazepines that he knew were “outside of the legitimate medical course,” and billed Medicare and Medicaid, authorities said.

An elderly woman heads into the emergency room with severe stomach pain. She hardly understand what's happening, let alone how the doctors will fix it. All she knows is that it hurts, she's alone and she doesn't speak English. As medical personnel come and go from the curtained examination area, she glances from one person to another, hoping to pick up a familiar phrase. But the woman has little more than a dozen words in her English vocabulary. And her husband, who is in the waiting room - the only family she has - is equally linguistically confused.

Information on the Affordable Care Act's upcoming effects on senior citizens in Maryland and medical equipment that can be used at home were features of the 2013 Senior and Caregiver Expo put on by Washington County CARES in Hager Hall on Thursday. Jon Kromm, deputy director for the Governor's Office of Health Care Reform in Maryland, spoke to the attendees in the morning about the Affordable Care Act and how it can affect them as seniors, including possible discounts on prescription drugs, preventive care coverage, cracking down on fraud and waste, and open enrollment periods for health insurance.

Franklin County residents are losing ground on some very important health-related issues, according to a study released by Summit Health Thursday. Summit Health, in cooperation with the Penn State Institute of State and Regional Affairs, released the results of its 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) of Franklin County and Shippensburg, Pa., at Green Grove Gardens near Greencastle. After wading through a sea of data over the course of a year, Summit's 30-member advisory group pinpointed four priorities - education, nutrition, access to health care and mental health.

A class of Towson University nursing students at the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown is participating in a walk equal to the distance across the Democratic Republic of Congo. The community health fundraiser, promoted by the world relief advocate group Adventist Development and Relief Agency aims to help provide health care to children of this region. The DRC has been labeled “Africa's world war” because millions of lives have been lost due to disease and malnutrition.