Honoring healthcare

Perhaps the most famous of the deaths this year is that of Senator Edward Kennedy.

As demographics in the U.S. change and as the political tides sway, we have been watching the baton pass from the Old-Guard to the new hopeful brand of grassroots politician.

As the country changes, We The People changes, and so do our leaders.


While Senator Kennedy’s passing is tragic, it was not unexpected. His death highlights how, even with the best of modern Medicine, we are all still victims of fate and mortality. Great strides have been made in the detection and treatment of cancer, yet many succumb yearly to primary and metastatic brain tumors (including glioblastoma multiforme or GBM).

I hope that Kennedy’s death gives us all pause to weigh and consider (on both sides of the aisle) what our goals, expectations, and strategies are for meaningful healthcare reform. The danger is that there will be a rush to pass healthcare reform simply as a tribute to Kennedy and his lifelong goals, without taking careful consideration and reflection to the will of many Americans.

There is genuine fear among many segments of American society concerning the potential hazards in the way of a smooth transition to affordable universal healthcare. While there are many stakeholders, most of whom are not the front-line of medical care (only the patient, care partner and physician are unified in a unbreakable bond of striving for optimal health), we must recognize that the rush to pass a healthcare bill is not in the best interest of the nation.


Yes, healthcare is an urgent matter, but we have waited this long for reform, why do we have to rush to pass it through (without widespread support) now?


- Dr. Daniel Kantor, MD BSE
Medical Director
Neurologique

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