Physicians in politics: 3 in the Senate and 17 in the House

The NY Times has a story about physicians leaving their clinical careers to pursue an encore career in politics. There are 17 physicians in the House and 3 in the Senate. Perhaps someday our nation's president will be a physician. Read more here. The story is titled, "Is There a Doctor in the House? Yes, 17. And 3 in the Senate."

Medical Professionals in Politics

Author: Elaine Hirsch

Perhaps you're getting burned out in clinical practice. Maybe there's an issue you care about deeply and want to influence. Or the altruism that led you into a healthcare profession is now leading you toward public service. Any or all of these are reasons why doctors and other medical professionals are seeking jobs in politics. Whatever the reason, medical professionals' specialized experience make them ideal candidates for a range of political occupations. Even for those other than full-fledged doctors, it's not necessary to earn a PhD online or to meet the qualifications required for some positions.

The first political job one usually thinks of is an elected office. Twenty-seven members of the US Congress (two in the Senate, the rest in the House of Representatives) are doctors or allied health professionals. Former Vermont governor and Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean is a physician. Dozens of others hold elected positions in state legislatures, city councils, or school boards.

Join President Obama on July 6 for a Twitter Town Hall meeting about jobs and the economy

What's been your experience using Twitter? Have you had the opportunity to encounter the President of the United States on Twitter? Join President Obama on July 6 for a Twitter Town Hall meeting where he will discuss current issues related to jobs and the economy.

Go to: http://askobama.twitter.com

Submit your questions: Just tweet your questions with the hashtag #AskObama

Follow @townhall
Get important updates and a reminder about the event the day before

July 6th at 2pm EDT, 11am PDT, to watch President Obama respond live via webcast

Make sure to follow @DrJosephKim for important updates from NonClinicalJobs.com

RWJ Health Policy Fellowship

Initiated in 1973, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Fellows program seeks exceptional mid-career health professionals and behavioral and social scientists with an interest in health and health care who:

1. possess the skills and commitment to use the fellowship experience to provide leadership in improving health, health care and health policy at the national, state or local level;
2. bring a depth of expertise and knowledge about health and health care to the policy-making process; and
3. can offer an informed perspective on important and complex challenges facing health policy-makers.

Fellows actively participate in the formulation of national health policies in congressional offices and accelerate their careers as leaders in health policy. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) conducts and administers the fellowship with funding support from and in collaboration with RWJF.

Up to six fellows will be selected for the program. The Health Policy Fellows program is a residential fellowship experience in Washington, DC, which prepares individuals to influence the future of health care and accelerate their own career development. Fellows are able to continue their health policy activities for up to 24 months after the Washington placement period.

Learn more here.

Featured Job Post: Executive Director

Executive Director
Doctors for America
Washington, DC

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Executive Director is a creative, flexible, and diligent leader who will manage day-to-day operations and help shepherd the organization through an exciting period of growth and transition.

Responsibilities:
--Oversee implementation of organizational strategy
--Facilitate development and execution of advocacy campaigns
--Manage volunteers, staff, and contractors
--Recruit local leaders and support local initiatives.
--Work with board of directors on fundraising activities
--Coordinate communication with media and key stakeholders
--Monitor health policy developments in conjunction with volunteer leaders
--Foster relationships with key partners and outside stakeholders
--Manage DFA finances (including annual budget).
--Ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations

Qualifications
--MD or DO ideal but not required
--Strong experience and interest in grassroots organizing
--Working understanding of key issues and politics in health care
--Strong interpersonal skills
--Experience in cultivating partners, volunteers, and future leaders
--Excellent skills in administration and project management
--Flexible. Able to adapt to new initiatives and directions in a young organization.
--Superior written and verbal communication skills
--Comfortable with innovative uses of technology and social media
--Able to work virtually with other leaders and volunteers around the country, with flexibility in working hours including some evenings and weekends
--Ability to manage budgets and conduct financial reporting
--Fundraising experience

Physicians running for U.S. House and Senate seats

Have an interest in politics? How about a passion? Would you like to start a new career in the world of U.S. politics? Maybe it's time to run for a U.S. House or Senate seat.  According to USA Today:

• Forty-seven physicians — 41 Republicans and six Democrats— are running for the House or Senate this year, three times the number of doctors serving in Congress today.
• Physician candidates start with at least one political advantage: voter confidence. A Gallup Poll in March found 77% of Americans trust doctors to do "the right thing" on health policy, compared with 32% for Republican leaders and 49% for Obama.
• There are 16 doctors in Congress today, 3% of lawmakers. 

Primary care doctors plan to scale back or quit by 2014

As I read posts on Sermo related to health care reform and Obamacare, I realize that we're seeing more evidence that physicians (particularly primary care physicians) are planning on scaling back or quitting by 2014.

2014 is the magic date where the health care reform laws will get fully implemented. People will have insurance, but they may face tremendous difficulty finding doctors if doctors are getting ready to scale back or retire early. Primary care physicians are anticipating a significant salary decrease in 2014. Will that really happen? Or, will most of them transition out of clinical medicine before they stick around to find out?

Many physicians will leave clinical practice due to health care reform

Recently, I had the chance to poll physicians (and I'd like to thank all those physicians who helped me with this). It was an informal poll, but I wanted to know how many physicians were planning on leaving clinical practice now that the health care reform bill has been passed. It's no surprise, but an overwhelming majority of physicians were more determined to look for a transition into the non-clinical field of medicine. To some, this may mean a career in administrative medicine. To others, it could be medical writing or medical education. Some want to get into the pharmaceutical industry.

In the past, many physicians would have indicated a strong desire to work for insurance companies. That trend has changed and I think physicians recognize that career opportunities in the health insurance industry may be diminishing as the government rolls out a public option and creates some serious competition.

How will patients receive proper medical care if so many existing physicians choose to leave clinical practice? What's going to happen in areas where physician shortages are causing patients to drive several hours to receive care? More physicians may plan to retire early instead of hassling with the public option and with the electronic health record requirements outlined in the HITECH Act.  Our nation will experience some significant changes in the health care world, but will these be overwhelmingly positive or negative for the public?

Health Policy Fellowship

Are you interested in a career in health policy? Have you considered formal training through an academic fellowship? You may be interested to know that some medical schools offer a health policy fellowship for primary care physicians. Here's an example from the UMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School:

his program is a unique, practical opportunity for family physicians, as well as other primary care physicians, to learn how state health policy is developed, and how laws and regulations governing health care are crafted, negotiated and implemented. Applicants are typically interested in health policy-making and in influencing the political process as it relates to health care.

The health policy fellow serves as both aide and advisor to the Chairperson of a New Jersey State Legislative Health Committee. The fellow has a unique opportunity to obtain hands-on experience informing the policymaking process. An emphasis is placed on the rigorous, day-to-day aspects of the legislative process in the dynamic environment of the State House. The health policy fellow is called upon to: critically evaluate legislation; prepare briefs and reports; advise members of the State Legislature; research complex health care problems; devise legislative solutions; interact with and assist constituents with health care concerns and problems; and represent the legislator's views at meetings and functions. Upon conclusion of the fellowship, the participants have developed a practical and comprehensive understanding of the legislative process and health care policy in New Jersey.

This fellowship is offered jointly by the Department of Family Medicine at UMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Faculty preceptors include the health policy faculty in the Department of Family Medicine and the executive staff of the University Hospital. The current Chairpersons of the Senate and Assembly Health Committees serve as the direct supervisors of the fellows.

You can learn more here: http://www2.umdnj.edu/fmedweb/fellowships/health_policy.htm

How will health care reform impact your job satisfaction?

If you're a health care professional involved in direct patient care, how will the proposed health care reform impact your level of job satisfaction? My wife is a primary care physician and we often talk about how a reformed health care system would impact her practice. Would you be more inclined to leave clinical medicine to pursue a non-clinical career?

I have met so many disgruntled physicians who feel "trapped" by their career. They can't imaging doing anything else. They don't know how they can make a career transition and they can't afford to take huge risks.

How closely are you following the discussion on health care reform? Even if you hate politics, it's very important to understand what's being proposed. It's not just about Medicare or the Public Option. It's not just about managed care companies and denied coverage. Perhaps all the recent discussions have renewed your writing passions as you draft letters to your senators. Perhaps you've recognized that you have a passion for health policy and politics. Maybe you're seeing the forest instead of the trees and you're planning to pursue a career in public health.

I've noticed that I can't see the trees anymore. For me, it's mostly about the forest. Blame that on my MPH. When we compare population health against individual health, we can't deny that our nation needs a new health care system. I just don't know that we've identified the right way to approach this problem yet.

Grand Rounds Volume 6 No 6

Welcome to Grand Rounds Volume 6 No 6. I'm Dr. Joe Kim and I'm your host this week. I’ve hosted Grand Rounds on my one of my other blogs (http://www.MedicineandTechnology.com) but today, I’m hosting Grand Rounds from my other blog http://www.NonClinicalJobs.com. Thanks for joining me here this week as we look through the "non-clinical" lens this week.

The theme this week is on non-clinical areas within health care. Since we’re all bloggers, we all embrace some elements of writing and journalism. These areas of medical communications continue to grow each year. Let's explore several different non-clinical sectors within the world of health care:

Public Health and Patient Safety

Let's consider the non-clinical world of public health and population health. Look beyond the individual patient for a moment. Let's look at the larger population. Marya from Healthcare, etc. evaluates our health care system and asks, “Will more healthcare bring better health?” It's not a simple answer when you examine the public health effects of socioeconomic status, environmental factors, behavior, and others. There are many non-clinical careers in the world of public health where you can explore how these factors impact health care.

Stacey at the ACP Internist reminds everyone to Get your darn flu shot! What more needs to be said? I've gotten my flu shot. Have you? Don't be a public health hazard by avoiding immunization (although herd immunity may protect us to a point).

Speaking of the flu, Duncan Cross had the flu last week and he writes about Dr. Cross’s* Compendium of Useful Illnesses. (*Duncan Cross is not a doctor.)

Speaking of vaccines, Dr. Charles from The Examining Room of Dr. Charles writes about his experience with the H1N1 Shot. Are you ready for your shot?

Rita from Supporting Safer Healthcare writes about the importance of patient safety and potentially dangerous doctors. Consider this: Hiding a Problem Doctor in Plain Site.

Nancy from Teen Health 411 writes about Set Your Clocks and Check Your Stocks! The Get Ready Campaign from the American Public Health Association has a great website to help your family be prepared for emergencies.

DrRich from The Covert Rationing Blog writes about the topic of Preventive Medicine - Those Clueless Cardiologists Are At It Again. Preventive medicine and public health are very closely linked and you'll have to read his post to follow how our politicians (and our clueless cardiologists) have energetically tried to medicalize preventive healthcare, thus rendering it an extremely expensive and often-barely-useful endeavor. Real preventive healthcare takes place in the home.

Medical Management

Barbara from Florence dot com writes about the root causes of different types of errors in Why a trick is still a treat. Are health care leaders implementing the right types of risk reduction strategies? The non-clinical world of medical management may be right for you if you like to develop and implement health policies.

Health Care and Politics

Jonathon from Receiving writes about Politics, Parasites, and a Proof of Principle. I generally try to avoid politics, but you can read about one doctor's opinion on how to solve the health care crisis. Many physicians have left clinical practice to pursue a non-clinical career in politics. I certainly won't be one of them.

Wellness and Fitness

Dr. Jolie Bookspan from The Fitness Fixer has been collecting some interesting data about sitting straight up. Read about it here: Fast Fitness - Contest: What Does It Take To Sit Upright? Back health is important, but do you know how to keep your back healthy? The health and fitness industry is another area where health care professionals are finding some interesting non-clinical opportunities.

Health Insurance and Managed Care

How to Cope with Pain writes about Help with Insurance Co-Pays. Learn about an organization that subsidizes co-pays for patients with certain diseases for whom there is financial hardship. This organization's overall goals are both to help patients get needed medical care as well as maintain financial stability.

Henry from InsureBlog writes about Unintended Consequences: Wellness, Genetics and GINA. Sometimes what seems like a good idea has hidden pitfalls. InsureBlog reports on a new genetics testing law that could end up hurting the folks it purports to help.

David from the Health Business Blog writes about how the Fears of the public option are overblown. The Business Roundtable is vehemently opposed to the public option. In this post I argue their position doesn't make sense.

Speaking of health insurance and managed care, many physicians, pharmacists, and nurses have left clinical practice to work for insurance companies. I wonder how these companies will change if we see a public option emerge.

Pharma

Amy from Diabetes Mine writes about Talking to Pharma, Online and Offline. The world of social media is evolving rapidly. Do patients and health care professionals know how to leverage social media properly?

Speaking of pharma, Louise from the Colorado Health Insurance Insider writes about How the Pharmaceutical Industry Drives Health Care Costs. Why are some drugs so expensive in this country compared to other countries?

Wilderness Medicine

Need to escape the hospital? Then perhaps you'd like to consider wilderness medicine. Paul from Medicine for the Outdoors writes about Sea Urchins and Such.

If you're in the wilderness, you may meet some interesting parasites. DrVes from Allergy Notes writes about Helminth Trichuris suis (pig whipworm) had no effect as therapy for allergic rhinitis. Fascinating.

Technology

DrVes from Clinical Cases and Images writes about how Hospitals mandating use of smartphones for affiliated doctors. I couldn't live without my smartphone and I know many others who feel the same way. Which smartphone operating system will dominate health care as more physicians switch from PDAs to smartphones? Speaking of smartphones, I hope you'll join me at my other blog (

Research

When we speak of research, we may think of clinical research, basic science research, and then we may get into non-tradition research, dietary research, etc. Well, speaking of food, Laika from Laika's MedLibLog writes about this: Hot News: Curry, Curcumin, Cancer & Cure. Now I love curry, but I don't think that we should all start eating curry to kill cancer cells.

This concludes Grand Rounds Volume 6 No 6. here at NonClinicalJobs.com. I hope you enjoyed looking at some different areas within health care through a non-clinical perspective.

A bleak Labor Day weekend

As we experience some of the worst unemployment statistics in the history of this country, this Labor Day weekend seems very bleak to many people. Physician are also feeling the effects of the economy as fewer patients schedule visits. CNN Money.com reports that unemployment is at a 26-year high of 9.7%. Meanwhile, Obama promises the nation that he will help people save their money. Where is our nation heading? What will happen if more jobs don't open up?

In the non-clinical world of healthcare, the biggest opportunity is unarguably in the area of health information technology or health IT. Will all the changes related to healthcare reform stimulate the economy and save our nation?

Non-Clinical Medical Careers in Politics

Do you think that it's a good time to get into healthcare politics? So many healthcare issues are being discussed in Washington right now. If you're passionate about politics, maybe you'd be interested in investing in some formal education.

The Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) at the George Washington University offers a Master of Professional Studies in Political Management. The George Washington University's programs are co-developed by university content specialists and outside partners, including government agencies, professional associations, consulting organizations, business and industry leaders.

Students networked with respected fellow professionals across the nation including:

• Public Policy Project Managers
• Government Department Managers
• Disability Advocacy Consultants
• Directors for R&D campaign planning

My favorite FAQ about this program is: "How do the GSPM's political programs differ from political science or public policy programs?" Here's the answer:

The School's curriculum focuses on applied or practical politics, not on theory-building. Public policy or public administration programs focus upon decision-making integral to the machinery of government, notably executive branch agencies. In contrast, students of political management concentrate upon the political processes that influence those agencies from outside the formal apparatus of government, through such activities as lobbying or elections. Our faculty are experienced political professionals: our full-time professors have extensive political experience, and our adjunct faculty are professionals working at the top level in the field.

Social networking is so important in the corporate world and even more critical in the world of politics. Maybe you can get a head start through this program. I don't have a love for politics, so I'm not interested, but perhaps you may want to learn more. Visit: http://www.gspmonline.com/

Of course, you could also pursue one of these degrees:

• Master of Health Administration (MHA)
• Master of Health Care Administration (MHA)
• Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA)
• Master of Public Health (MPH)
  
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Health Care

Of course, you could always consider these options:

• Master of Public Administration in Health Policy and Management (MPA) - I suggest NYU Wagner
  
• Master of Science in Health Policy Research (MSHP) - I suggest the University of Pennsylvania
  
• Master of Science in Health Services Research - I suggest Stanford
  
• Master of Science in Health Policy and Management - I suggest Harvard
  
• Master of Science in Health Care Management - I suggest Harvard
  

If you want to cover it all:

• Master of Science in Health Services Research, Policy and Administration (MS-HSRP&A) - you can get this degree at the University of Minnesota
  

A Career in Healthcare and Politics

If you're a physician and you love politics, then maybe you'll end up like Congressman Michael C. Burgess, MD (Texas- 26). He gave the Opening Keynote Address at the HIMSS Virtual Conference titled, "Congress’ Role in Advancing 21st Century Medicine."

Read about Dr. Burgess in my blog post about HIMSS: Congressman Michael C. Burgess at HIMSS

Working for the HHS

You've probably heard that Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has been appointed as the next HHS secretary. So how do you work for the HHS? Begin by getting involved in politics and lobbying efforts. People are always at Capitol Hill trying to rally and get support for some type of health issue. Stay updated with the reports produced by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG). It's critical that you stay current with all the political issues that surround healthcare. You may want to get an MPH so that you can have a better population health perspective.

Business Opportunities in Health IT for Clinicians

There's an interesting article in BusinessWeek about Health IT (or HITECH if you prefer). If you don't get BusinessWeek, then you should consider subscribing. The world of EHRs (electronic health records) and e-prescribing solutions will experience a major change over the next several years. However, it's also good to make sure that you're about to go beyond the hype of digital health. This article talks about how the UK is currently four years behind schedule in its initiative to digitize its government-run health system. Where will the USA be in four years?

If you have a strong interest in medical informatics, but you're not sure where to begin, then start by learning more about some of the major players. Specifically, here are some of the really big companies to research:

• Allscripts
  
• Cerner
• Epic
• GE
  
• McKesson
• Siemens

The economic stimulus plan includes $19.6 billion towards health IT and hardware and software vendors will be thriving if they play their cards correctly and collaborate to provide the most effective EHR services. If you're thinking about a transition into the non-clinical world, then maybe you should subscribe to BusinessWeek and learn more about health IT.

Health IT is an Integral Part of Healthcare Reformation

We will probably see some significant changes to the healthcare system in the next few years. The big push is on Health IT or HITECH, so let's see how doctors and other clinicians adopt to all this change. We all know that Health IT will play a major role in healthcare reform. The bigger question is: how will clinicians adjust to the changes in medicine and technology? Will they become more productive or will they reluctantly adapt so they don't get penalized? There are non-clinical jobs in health IT for clinicians who have that level of interest. Are you qualified?

Major Growth of Small Businesses

Because of the current economic climate, I think we will start seeing many different types of small businesses start to pop up everywhere. Corporate executives are getting laid off and many are having a difficult time finding a new job. Others are going back to full-time school with hopes that opportunities will be available when they graduate. Entrepreneurs are getting excited because our country is entering uncharted territory and there are some unique business opportunities. If you're a practicing clinician, you probably have more stability compared to people working in banking/finance/investments/etc. However, I feel that this is also a unique time for clinicians to put their heads together and come up with some opportunities to leverage the potential future needs/wants of doctors and other healthcare professionals who may face some major changes under this new administration. We all know that healthcare IT is moving forward with tremendous traction because of Obama. This includes EHR/EMR/PHR and other elements of health-related information technology. We also know that if some type of universal healthcare coverage rolls out, then primary care clinicians will have additional burdens placed on them. So, what are we to do? Start a company? Are you ready to take out a small business loan? Will the banks be willing to provide loans during times of such economic uncertainty?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta - Won't be the Next Surgeon General

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the chief medical correspondent on CNN. He had been approached for the position of the US Surgeon General. However, he recently announced that he will not be pursuing this position and he will focus his time on neurosurgery and on his family. I'm sure he finds his current lifestyle fun and exciting - he gets to practice surgery at Emory and he travels the world to report for CNN. He has done an excellent job blending the clinical and non-clinical worlds.

The current Acting Surgeon General is Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H. and the Acting Deputy Surgeon General is Rear Admiral Robert C. Williams, P.E., DEE. John Maynard Woodworth (1871-1879) was the first Supervising Surgeon of the Marine Hospital Service.