PORT TREVORTON — More than 100 people traveled to the Snyder County Produce Auction on Thursday to receive a healthy dose of preventative medicine.

Evangelical Community Hospital held a free clinic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday for area Mennonites and the uninsured.

The big picture goal, according to Dr. David Tanner, of McKees Half Falls, is to instill in locals the importance of going for routine check-ups.

“The more word we can get out about prevention, the better,” Dr. Tanner said, noting it’s critical to help the Mennonite community understand the need for preventative medicine.

Thursday’s clinic included lab tests, vision and hearing screenings, vaccines, breast examinations and other common tests.

One Mennonite woman, who asked not to be identified, knows firsthand the lifesaving power of preventative medicine. Two of her sisters died of breast cancer, and her brother was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. She understandably was pushing her fellow community members to get mammograms on Thursday.

But even when the need for screenings is explained, the woman said not everyone follows through.

“There are still some people who refuse,” she said. “One woman didn’t want to get tested, even though her sister is dying of breast cancer. We eventually convinced her to.”

The Mennonite woman added, “This is a great service to the community.”

Kim Walters, provider relations specialist for Evangelical Community Hospital, said many Mennonites simply don’t have health care, making it cost prohibitive for them to go to the doctor on a regular basis. And many don’t seek treatment until they have a medical emergency. Also, those who rely on horse and buggy for transportation don’t have easy access to the nearest hospital.

She’s hoping Thursday’s free clinic will be the first of many sessions that will help rural residents grasp the urgent need for preventative medicine.

n E-mail comments to dgessel@dailyitem.com.











Pennsylvanians with no insurance may get some help

By Jerri Brouse

For The Daily Item

LEWISBURG — If you’ve ever been to the emergency room and wondered why it takes so long to be treated, the answer is simple — there are too many patients.

“Pennsylvanians overuse the emergency room,” said Betsy Snook, of Lewisburg, who is executive administrator of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA). “We use the emergency room 11 percent more than anywhere else in the nation.”

It’s not because they want to sit around for hours or because they’re afraid to go to the doctor, though. It’s because a trip to the emergency room guarantees you’ll get treated, regardless of whether or not you have the money to pay for services.

“If you go there, they have to treat you,” said Mrs. Snook.

And that’s key since many Pennsylvanians don’t have health insurance to cover their medical expenses.

In an effort to change that, Mrs. Snook said she is standing behind Governor Ed Rendell’s Prescription for PA bill — a set of “integrated practical strategies” to increase access to healthcare, decrease the cost of insurance and improve the quality of care overall. She hopes the bill will become a model for the rest of the nation.

Mrs. Snook said in order for these goals to be achieved, the government has to start using their resources better — that means giving more responsibility to nurses.

“Nurses are very well-educated,” she said. “Right now, doctors are providing the majority of the care in the state, but most nurses are doctoral-prepared and have a minimum of a master’s degree in nursing.” She thinks by opening Urgent Care Centers (currently available to patients in other states), offices staffed entirely by nurses and open to the public, more patients can get the immediate help they need. She wants to see clinical nurse specialists, who work exclusively in hospitals, be forced to meet certain requirements before obtaining title recognition.

Several portions of the bill (one that expands the scope of practice for CRNPs and another that gives nurse midwives prescriptive powers) have already been passed.

“By introducing these bills we’ve expanded the number of healthcare people who can give care and we’ve made sure they’re certified,” said Mrs. Snook.

When it comes to decreasing the cost of health insurance and improving the quality of care, Mrs. Snook said the two go hand in hand. There are many ways to save money, including allowing advanced practice nurses and nurse practitioners to see more patients.

“We don’t pretend to be physicians,” said Mrs. Snook. “But we can provide quality, safe care for people. There is a whole other group of healthcare providers who can help … the time has come for nurses to be recognized.”

As it stands, there are approximately 800,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians. Seventy-one percent of the uninsured are employed and 77 percent earn less than 300 percent of the 2006 federal poverty level.

“In Pennsylvania, that is $29,400 for an individual and $60,000 for a family of four,” said Mrs. Snook.

When people are uninsured the public ends up paying the bill through higher health insurance premiums —“an estimated 6.5 percent of insurance premiums to cover the costs of care for the uninsured,” she said.

That’s where a proposed program called Cover All Pennsylvanians (CAP) comes in. CAP focuses on the people and small businesses that need help the most, according to Mrs. Snook.

“Under this plan, employers can participate if they have 50 or fewer employees and if, on average, these employees earn less that the state average wage.” Employers who choose to join CAP will pay approximately $130 per employee per month, and each employee will pay a premium of $10 to $70 per month depending on family income.

“Thus all uninsured Pennsylvanians, no matter what size company they work for, will be able to purchase affordable health insurance through CAP,” she said.

Overall, Mrs. Snook believes that Prescription for PA eliminates the ability of businesses to get a “free ride” by failing to provide health insurance to their employees thus gaining a financial advantage over their competitors and passing along the cost of their uninsured employees to the rest of the state.

“Now, businesses that do not provide health insurance will be assessed a proposed 3 percent payroll tax,” she said.

As for those who may not be fans of Gov. Rendell, Mrs. Snook said it’s time for politics to take a backseat to the issues.

“Regardless of whether or not you’re a Republican or a Democrat, these are just good, common-sense strategies,” she said. “This is the right plan at the right time.”