guest opinions

Bioscience Incubator to Set Industry Growth in Motion

May 6, 2013

Pharmaceutical Companies Profits Reach 30 Percent, Author Says

OPINION – May 3, 2013 -- Like sharks, the largest pharmaceutical companies smell blood. They swim in murky international waters, competing for prey. The sick are easy prey—whether rich or poor, insured or not.

May 3, 2013

Two Opposing Views on Fluoridating Portland's Drinking Water

The first commentary, by Rick North, encourages voters to defeat the ballot measure because of health concerns, lack of effectiveness and higher costs, while the second commentary, by Claudia Colen and Dr. Teran Colen insists the science is clear that fluoride doesn't have any negative health or environmental impacts and is a safe and effective option.

Apr 19, 2013

Real Life Consequences of Health Reform

A non-profit organization faces the real challenges of life with Obamacare

Mar 26, 2013

Breaking Down Healthcare's Silos

Mar 15, 2013

The Hidden Truths behind Health Reform

An insurance agent raises concerns about what health reform will mean to individuals, small groups and how it will impact prices

Mar 5, 2013

Is the Goal of a Financially Sustainable Healthcare System Hopeless?

The author asks whether we need solutions or the right questions when it comes to healthcare reform

Feb 28, 2013

What Interoperable EHRs Might Have Done to Improve the Patient Care Experience

OPINION – January 30, 2013 -- You will recall in my article last December, about my healthcare experience outside of Oregon, that both the ear doctor and the neurosurgeon professed to have electronic health records (EHRs). The ear doctor advised that he was using the aircraft control type headset to dictate into my medical record, by pushing the button in his ear.

Jan 30, 2013

A Healthcare Odyssey Without Electronic Health Records

OPINION – December 20, 2012 -- In a pre-health reform world without interoperable electronic health records (EHR), or a patient-centered provider collaborative model, my healthcare experiences over the last year or so are all too common. As a biomedical informatician and healthcare attorney, I will set forth this experience in this article, and then offer some initial thoughts on how interoperable EHRs, and a patient-centered provider collaborative model can afford a greater quality of care, in a more cost-effective manner, with less angst and less time on the par

Dec 19, 2012

Making Sense Out of Drug Prices

OPINION – DECEMBER 18, 2012 -- I take a generic drug, a little yellow pill that’s been produced for decades, to control blood pressure. I started taking it long before the day I turned 65 that happened to coincide with the beginnings of the great recession that effectively reduced the value of our savings and our house.

Dec 18, 2012