Thursday, April 23, 1998
Philanthropists give thought to economics of health care
HEALTH: Foundations seek to educate public, fund policy
research
By Kathryn Combs
Daily Bruin Staff
On Tuesday, leaders of four of the best-funded philanthropic
groups in the nation worked on ways to enhance the public
welfare.
The chief executives discussed the quality of managed health
care, the need to make care universally accessible and the effects
of social factors on public well-being.
Dr. Steven Schroeder, current president of the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and keynote speaker, addressed the poor
U.S. public health at the 24th Annual Lester Breslow Distinguished
Lecture.
The RWJF is devoted exclusively to health and health care, and
supports multiple research programs at UCLA.
"The future of health care in this country will dictate the
health of the public," Schroeder said.
The study of public health is concerned with health care
delivery, health insurance and social factors affecting health such
as the effect of violence and advertising in promoting poor
lifestyle choices.
The role of philanthropic foundations, according to both
Schroeder and Yates, is not only to educate the public through
modes such as positive advertising, but also to fund public health
research in the hopes of developing effective policies.
More than 6.5 million Californians are without health insurance,
according to the the California Endowment. This number makes it
difficult to control the quality of care provided, and physicians
and scholars alike are looking for solutions.
Schroeder introduced a list of seven factors which can improve
health, some of which were the moderate use of alcohol, never
smoking, and getting 7-8 hours of sleep nightly.
Also speaking were Steven Uranga McKane, president of the
California Endowment, Dr. Mark D. Smith, president of the
California HealthCare Foundation and Gary Yates, president of the
California Wellness Foundation.
Schroeder used the example of the recently passed bill banning
cigarette smoking in California bars and restaurants.
"It’s the discomfort of going out into the cold that discourages
this behavior. It’s a disincentive.", Schroeder said.
A main theme through the discussion was the deteriorating
quality of care and the primacy of economic over public health
concerns.
"Medicine is for sick people, not healthy ones,"said Schroeder
highlighting the concern that health care organizations are not
providing effective services.
"This is the first time in the history of health care that there
is someone… with an economic motivation in the system," Smith
said discussing the advent of managed health care and the waning
quality of care.
"To often I hear us refer to what poor people need, what black
people need …we need to focus on what the American people need,"
he added
"Californians and everyone in this room have the task of
furnishing equal and quality health care," McKane said, addressing
an audience of health care professionals.
"Treating everyone the same doesn’t translate into equitable
health care," McKane said.