Lansing - Local health care professionals received a boost and a promise for helpful changes in the health care system when U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers visited two Lansing area hospitals Monday.
Rogers, R-Brighton, met with hospital officials at Sparrow Health Systems and Ingham Regional Medical Center to discuss health care issues and outline the future of health care legislation.
The U.S. Congress is tackling a health care agenda focused on four issues: reducing the cost of health care regulation, reimbursing physicians at higher rates for their medical education, addressing the shortage of resident nurses and providing more affordable prescription drug programs for senior citizens.
“What we hope to do is create many different options for people as far as having better access to health care,” Rogers said.
Rogers, who will be meeting with more physicians today, also said a bill is being considered that underwrites the costs of preventing bioterrorism and providing better health care during times of crisis.
“The House of Representatives has already approved $6 billion for efforts to prevent bioterrorism and create programs that use valuable resources to treat people,” he said. “It is important that we improve the quality of health care in the event of an attack like the one on Sept. 11. We need to be ready yesterday, and have these programs already in place for the generations of tomorrow.”
Some could be in place by the end of this year, but there will be more discussion when the House reconvenes next week.
Immediately after the conference, Rogers spent time meeting with patients and listening to their opinions on health care.
Dawn Moffatt of Portland, who gave birth to her first child on Valentine’s Day, was one.
Moffatt said she was pleased with the health care her newborn daughter, Jenasen Elizabeth, and the rest of her family receives, but she would like to see improvements in programs.
“I would like it if there were more programs for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s who might slip through the cracks,” she said. “They should be able to have better access to health care.”
Health officials agree there are a number of issues involving health care and the programs being designed now are needed.
“Mike Rogers is attuned to the challenges that health care is facing,” said Ingham Regional Medical Center’s Chief Marketing Officer David Eich.
Others believe new policies will allow health care professionals to better focus on patient care.
“We spend a lot of time calculating doctor’s bills, receipts and other items, and we would like to spend more of that time delivering care to our patients,” said Maureen Sullivan, director of women and children’s services at Ingham Regional Medical Center.
