Volume
58, Number 3
Summer 2007
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INTERVIEW
SCMA President Brad Drexler, MD
“I think even with all the concerns we have talked about, that we are just in an amazing position to be able to live in Sonoma County and to be able to practice medicine and take care of patients.”
By Steve Osborn
FEATURE
ARTICLES
Caring for the Uninsured
Specialty Care for the Un- and Underinsured in Sonoma County
“Years ago, many specialists in Sonoma County routinely did a small
percentage of pro bono work in their offices. Today, they are often
reluctant to see Medi-Cal and other underinsured
and uninsured patients, for a variety of reasons.”
By Jeff Sugarman, MD, and Kelly Pfeifer, MD
Medi-Cal Managed Care on the Horizon
“Would you like to see a more rational and better coordinated approach to providing care to Medi-Cal patients, along with higher physician
reimbursement?”
By Mary Maddux-González, MD
Working at Community Clinics
“What is it like to work in these clinics? How do they compare to other forms of practice? To answer these and other questions, we interviewed three doctors who work at local clinics: Drs. Steve Bromer, Deborah
Donlon, and Carol Ahern.”
By Steve Osborn
Care of the Medically Indigent
“The tale of the medically indigent … is a sad, frankly heartbreaking story that few have the guts to face head-on. The cleaned-up versions you read about or see on TV are lacking the smell and painful reality faced daily by staff in our local emergency departments.”
By Gary J. Mishkin, MD
Another Straw on the Camel’s Back
“I look more closely for better detail: Pain for six months. I do a double take. Pain for six months? I ask myself. When did this become an ‘emergency?”
By Joshua Weil, MD
Impact of Sutter Closure on the Uninsured
“Sutter’s parent corporation pledged its resources to support the
Access Agreement, and the county expects Sutter to honor its
commitment.”
By Rita Scardaci, MPH, PHN
Increasing Access for Uninsured Children
“Kids’ Net gives low-income, uninsured children with no medical home access to health care.”
By Marie Ibanez
DEPARTMENTS
Practical Concerns: Solving the Health-Care Worker Shortage
“[T]he community needs to provide quality educational and career preparation options in health care. Santa Rosa Junior College is an active partner in this process.”
By Ezbon Jen, DrPH
Local Frontiers: Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer
“Conflicting data and sensational headlines appear to have made major changes in the way women assess their own risk factors for developing breast cancer.”
By Charles M. Elboim, MD, FACS
Local Frontiers: Making the Link
“Physicians are intimately familiar with the importance of caregivers in maintaining the frail elderly in their own homes.”
By Thomas Maloney, MD
Outside the Office: Please Google Me
“I can’t find real news anymore, anywhere.”
By Sanjay Dhar, MD
Current Books: Nice Car
“SUNY philosophy professor Patrick Grim, in a series of 24 half-hour lectures entitled ‘Questions of Value,’ laments the fact that people so often lead unexamined lives.”
By Brien A. Seeley, MD
SCMA: Working for You: Health Care Reformitis
“This year does seem like a possible historic moment, with both the governor and the leaders of the state Legislature supporting a universal health-care plan.”
By SCMA President Brad Drexler, MD
