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Robert
Philbin speaks at the Census 2000 Impact on Health
Care Organizations Seminar.
But recent data does highlight two problems facing health care service in the region today. "We need to find creative ways to fund the delivery of health service to a growing number of uninsured men, women and children in central PA," he said. Philbin pointed to organizations like Keystone Health Center in Chambersburg, PA, as examples of progressive health care. "Last year," Philbin said, "Keystone Health provided medical and dental health care to about 9,000 uninsured patients in central PA. They have a sliding fee scale on which people who qualify (based on household size and income) pay reduced fees -- exactly the kind of innovative delivery health care communicators from every segment of the industry should support." Philbin also pointed to rising minority populations in the area -- the third largest minority concentration in the state -- as a communications opportunity to improve area health service. "There are unique minority health issues which need to be addressed," he said. "Recent research indicates that African American women are 40% more likely to die of ovarian cancer than other women, even when detected early." African American women also have a 300% higher risk of death by breast cancer than do non-minority women. "I don't know why this is happening," he said, "but I do know skilled communicators can affect the social norm here." Philbin asked health care advertisers to allocate a small percentage of existing advertising budgets to fund ad campaigns to inform minority and underserved women about these and other health risks. "Women drive health care -- they make the medical and dental decisions for their families and they need educational information to better care for themselves and their families." Philbin urged health care communicators to take the leadership role within their organizations to elevate these issues. "If we communicators aren't working to advance health care information to our community, who else will?" Census 2000 Impact on Health Care Organizations, was presented last week by Central PA Association of Health Care Planning & Marketing and sponsored by the Pennsylvania Medical Society. For more information about the organization and a complete list of Census 2000 speakers, contact Victoria Radabaugh (717) 975-2148. |
