tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74866587276912758682024-03-13T21:15:39.624-07:00CMDA's "the point"An electronic news publication of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. Each edition features breaking news stories in bioethics, a short commentary by a CMDA expert and links to more information and resources. With CMDA's "the point", you can stay up-to-date with what is happening in public policy, healthcare and medical ethics.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger249125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-58669631743607061172015-05-07T14:46:00.004-07:002015-05-07T14:46:59.203-07:00The Point Blog is Moving!You can now read and comment on <a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication_by_type/the-point-blog">The Point blog on CMDA's website</a>!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-31468622562405978452015-05-07T08:49:00.001-07:002015-05-07T08:49:40.415-07:00Senate passes human trafficking billExcerpted from <strong>"<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/22/sex-trafficking-bill-abortion_n_7120028.html" target="_blank">Senate Passes Human Trafficking Bill With Abortion Restrictions On
Victims</a>,"</strong> <em>Huffington Post</em>. April 22, 2015 — The Senate
passed a sex trafficking bill on Wednesday after a bitter, weeks-long fight over
an anti-abortion provision tucked into it. The Justice for Victims of
Trafficking Act passed 99-0.<br />
<br />
At its core, the bill has had broad support. It provides resources to law
enforcement officials and collects fees from sex traffickers that go into a new
fund for victims. But Republicans included language subjecting the victim fund
to the Hyde Amendment, the federal provision that bars the use of taxpayer funds
for abortions except in cases of rape and incest. Democrats refused to let the
bill advance over the Hyde language, particularly because, for the first time,
it would have applied to non-taxpayer funds.<br />
<br />
It took a month of back-and-forth between Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the
bill's author, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to find a compromise. They
settled on creating two funding streams in the bill. One collects fines from
traffickers and uses them for survivor services, excluding health care. That
stream doesn't include Hyde restrictions. The second one comes from community
health center funds already subject to the abortion limits.<br />
<br />
The deal lets both parties walk away with a solid talking point: Democrats
can say they prevented an expansion of Hyde, and Republicans can say they
prevented victims of sex trafficking from using federal funds for abortions.<br />
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<img align="left" alt="Dr. Jeffrey Barrows" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JeffBarrows.jpg" width="110" /><strong>CMDA Health Consultant on Human Trafficking Jeffrey J.
Barrows, DO, MA (Bioethics):</strong> “This legislation passed unanimously by
the Senate focuses on the trafficking of children under age 18 and will provide
many resources should it become law. There are provisions that apply to the
healthcare profession, especially those who are “first responders” and
healthcare officials. The bill provides grants to train professionals who
commonly encounter victims of trafficking on how to identify victims of human
trafficking, address their unique needs and facilitate their rescue. Emergency
department personnel are a prime example.<br />
<br />
“One study has shown that almost 88 percent of victims of domestic sex
trafficking regularly encounter healthcare professionals while being trafficked,
especially those working within emergency departments.<sup>1</sup>
Unfortunately, fewer than three percent of emergency department personnel have
been trained on human trafficking and so these victims are rarely
identified.<sup>2</sup><br />
<br />
“<a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/detail/commission-on-human-trafficking" target="_blank">CMDA’s Commission on Human Trafficking</a> has addressed the issue
of training by developing a series of online educational modules on human
trafficking specifically designed for the healthcare profession which can be
found at <a href="http://www.cmda.org/resources/publication/human-trafficking-continuing-education" target="_blank">www.cmda.org/tip</a>. In addition, the commission is planning an
in-depth training seminar later this year in Atlanta on November 13-14. More
information will be forthcoming and registration will be open to anyone who
desires to learn more about the interface between healthcare and human
trafficking. Any questions about CMDA’s work against human trafficking can be
addressed to <a href="mailto:humantrafficking@cmda.org">humantrafficking@cmda.org</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>1</sup>Lederer L, Wetzel, CA. The Health Consequences of
Sex Trafficking and Their Implications for Identifying Victims in Healthcare
Facilities. <em>The Annals of Health Law</em> 2014;
23:61-91.<br /><sup>2</sup>Chisholm-Straker M, Richardson LD, Cossio T. Combating
Slavery in the 21st century: The role of emergency medicine. <em>J Healthcare
for Poor and Underserved</em> 2012; 23:980-987.</span><br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/human-trafficking-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA’s Human Trafficking Ethics Statement</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/detail/commission-on-human-trafficking" target="_blank">Commission on Human Trafficking</a><br /><a href="http://www.cmda.org/resources/publication/human-trafficking-continuing-education" target="_blank">Human Trafficking Continuing Education</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-39112926818824242052015-05-07T08:48:00.002-07:002015-05-07T08:48:50.110-07:00The key to a thriving practiceExcerpted from <strong>“<a href="http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/article/126130/majority-of-etsus-quillen-graduates-heading-into-primary-care" target="_blank">Majority of ETSU’s Quillen graduates heading into primary
care</a>,”</strong> <em>Johnson City Press</em>. April 25, 2015 — As the world
of health care dramatically changes around East Tennessee State University’s
Quillen College of Medicine, Dr. Kenneth Olive, a professor and associate dean
for academic and faculty affairs, is still seeing medical students follow
specialties about which they’re most passionate. The majority of the time,
ETSU’s statistics show that this passion is involved with primary care, which
includes family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and general obstetrics
and gynecology. For the May 8 graduating class, 52 percent of the students are
going into the primary care field.
<br />
<br />
Olive meets with each and every one of the 59 graduates, getting a sense of
their time at the Quillen College of Medicine and what path they’re currently
on. They discuss job options and how to be competitive as well, citing the
changes in health care. Changing reimbursement models, electronic health
records, the effects of the Affordable Care Act and the use of team
collaboration among health care professionals are some of the topic issues in
the field.<br />
<br />
Dr. Brian Cross, an associate professor and vice-chair of the Department of
Pharmacy at ETSU’s Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, and Dr. Reid Blackwelder, a
medical professor in the Quillen College of Medicine, recently delivered the
keynote address at the American Pharmacists Association annual conference in San
Diego in late March, centering their talk on the ongoing transformation of the
health care system and the need for collaboration to meet the needs of a
community and the outcomes a patient meets.<br />
<br />
Citing egos and the established hierarchy among health care providers, the
pair have made it their mission to start a collaborative mentality early on in a
student’s education. “That’s something that we’ve been doing at ETSU,”
Blackwelder said. “There’s no question that this is a very powerful and readily
available way to improve outcomes.”<br />
<br />
Through team collaboration, ETSU’s involvement is leading the charge in the
way a patient receives health care in this area, which is getting noticed across
the country. In his opinion, the use of team collaboration is huge for
community-based medical schools and health care systems.<br />
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<img align="left" alt="Dr. Peter Anderson" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/Peter-Anderson-for-CDD.jpg" width="110" /><strong>Family Practice Physician Peter Anderson,
MD:</strong> “As a family physician of 30 years, I was negatively impacted by
the changes that came from an aging population, health information technology
and declining reimbursement. But teamwork became my practice’s salvation. As
much as ‘collaboration’ is needed between the larger entities of healthcare like
pharmacy, nursing, behavioral medicine and community resources, it would not
have fixed the difficulties I faced daily in the exam room.<br />
<br />
“Two main responsibilities are associated with the primary care exam room.
The first is the compilation of a complete medical picture and decisions for the
patient’s care. The second is the documentation of data and explanation of
decisions to the patient with the necessary education and implementation of
actionable steps. The first part is physician work; the second is non-physician
work. The first part is effective today because it evolved as medicine advanced.
The second is broken and archaic because the process has not changed for the
last century.<br />
<br />
“We have accepted the notion that only the physician belongs in the primary
care exam room. This belief has led to a delivery process that absolutely fails
to make primary care physicians accessible. And this failure of the delivery
process is the only reason primary care practices are not thriving.<br />
<br />
“The problem is the delivery process, not primary care itself. Primary care
is incredibly valuable and desperately needed. But the lack of teamwork in the
exam room has kept our product from our culture.<br />
<br />
“Build a team inside your exam room and your practice will thrive.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="https://cmda.org/resources/publication/christian-doctors-digest-june-2015" target="_blank">June 2015 Christian Doctor's Digest Interview with Peter Anderson,
MD - Joyful and Efficient Patient Care</a> (CMDA member only content)<br />
<br />
The summer edition of <em>Today’s Christian Doctor</em> includes an article
by Dr. Anderson with more information about team care medicine. Visit <a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/todays-christian-doctor" target="_blank">www.cmda.org/tcd</a> for more information when this article
becomes available.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-56747764907676375422015-05-07T08:47:00.003-07:002015-05-07T08:47:25.684-07:00German mom expecting quadruplets at 65Excerpted from <strong>“<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/german-mom-65-expecting-quads-irresponsible-bioethicist-n340991" target="_blank">German Mom Expecting Quads at 65 Is 'Irresponsible':
Bioethicist</a>,”</strong> <em>NBC News</em>. April 14, 2015 — Berlin school
teacher Annegret Raunigk is proudly prolific and, at age 65, not done making
babies — pregnant with quadruplets that would enlarge her family from 13 to 17
children. Raunigk said she became pregnant again because her 9-year-old daughter
asked for a younger sibling. (Her first 12 children — by five men — are ages 22
to 44). She told German tabloid <em>Bild</em> that donated eggs were fertilized
and implanted at a clinic in Ukraine. Multiple attempts were required to get the
eggs to fertilize. She did not say whose sperm was used or if the egg donor was
paid.<br />
<br />
What she is doing is unethical. She doesn't think so. But she left her
country to receive an infertility treatment that's illegal in Germany due to her
age. And she sought that help on the sole grounds that her youngest daughter
wants a sibling. Of course, given that logic, future requests by any of her
newest kids apparently guarantee no end to her pregnancies.<br />
<br />
The number of reasons why this very-late-in-life pregnancy is morally wrong
nearly equates to the number of children Raunigk has conceived. But let's stick
to the main issues. First, she likely will not live long enough to raise her
current children, much less any new kids. It is not fair to children, as
adoption agencies know when they limit adoption to those under 55, to
intentionally create a family where mom and dad will enter a nursing home as the
kids enter junior high.<br />
<br />
Making four kids in a 65-year-old body also is irresponsible. The quadruplets
are likely to be premature and, if they survive, may pay a steep price for this
decision in terms of their health. Her older body makes the pregnancy extremely
high risk all the way around. There will be a C-section, which is dangerous for
her. And there certainly will be no breast-feeding by mom.<br />
<br />
And what clinic would agree to accept as a patient a woman with 13 children —
simply because her daughter wants a sibling? What clinic would not insist on a
surrogate mom? What clinic would not demand she stay nearby during the
pregnancy? What clinic would even let her try to deliver four fetuses?<br />
<br />
The answer: One looking to gain fame and clients by engaging in a publicity
stunt with nascent lives. Then again, this theoretically could have happened as
well in the U.S. where there are no restrictions about who can use technology to
have a baby — grandparents, mentally ill, very old single parents, even child
molesters. Despite the headlines babbling about "miracles" and "gifts," and
despite Annegret Raunigk's insistence that she should be free to reproduce
however and whenever she wants, what's needed is a far more thoughtful, moral
stance to govern reproductive technology.<br />
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<img align="left" alt="Dr. John Pierce" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JOHNPIERCE.jpg" width="110" /><strong>CMDA Member John Pierce, MD: </strong>“The case of Annegret
Raunigk is another clear example of doing what is ‘…wise in your own eyes’
(Proverbs 3:7a, NIV 2011). In the world, there are arguments for age limits on
IVF including the multiple health risks for the older mother and her infant, as
well as arguments against age limits purporting reproductive freedom, equality
for women (as older men can father a child) and social factors ‘to help fulfill
lifelong dreams.’ Moral arguments might ask questions such as, ‘Is it right to
have a child when the average life expectancy (about 80 years old for women in
the developed world) means the child would be without a mother before driving a
car?’ or ‘On what grounds do you deny the patient her rights?’<br /><br />
“Clear
thinking using the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and
justice has been supplanted with situational ethics incorporating intense
emotions and cultural relativism. Why would we not have these struggles when
there is no standard and a crumbling foundation? The law is silent on age in
reproductive rights and most medical organizations provide weak
recommendations,<sup>i</sup> leaving the decision up to individual
clinics,<sup>ii</sup> or refute the need for practitioners to use their
conscience.<sup>iii</sup>
<br />
<br />
“Solomon sincerely asked the Lord, ‘So give your servant a discerning heart
to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong...’ (1 Kings
3:9, NIV 2011). While we may argue vehemently, the loudest voice will be
undeniable examples of healthy relationships, thriving marriages, happy families
and renewed minds.”<br />
<br />
<sup>i</sup>Ethics Committee of the ASRM. Oocyte or Embryo Donation to Women
of Advanced Age: A Committee Opinion. Fertil Steril,
2013;100:337-40.<br /><sup>ii</sup> Fisseha S and NA Clark. Assisted Reproduction
for Postmenopausal Women, AMA Journal of Ethics, Jan 2014, Vol 16, No
1:5-9.<br /><sup>iii</sup>Committee on Ethics. ACOG Committee Opinion: The Limits
of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine. Obstet Gynecol, 2007
(reaffirmed 2013);110:1203-8.<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/assisted-reproductive-technology-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA’s Assisted Reproductive Technology Ethics Statement</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/library/doclib/intertility-02-04-14.pdf" target="_blank">Standards4Life – Infertility and Reproductive Technology</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-4413135935971255712015-04-23T12:00:00.002-07:002015-04-23T12:00:55.708-07:00How assisted suicide corrupts medicineExcerpted from "<a href="http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2015/04/physician-assisted-suicide-corrupts-the-practice-of-medicine" target="_blank">Physician-Assisted Suicide Corrupts the Practice of Medicine</a>,"
Heritage Foundation Issue Brief by Ryan T. Anderson, PhD, April 20, 2015 - The
heart of medicine is healing. Doctors cannot heal by assisting patients to kill
themselves or by killing them. They rightly seek to eliminate disease and
alleviate pain and suffering. They may not, however, seek to eliminate the
patient. Allowing doctors to assist in killing threatens to fundamentally
corrupt the defining goal of the profession of medicine.<br />
<br />
Physician-assisted suicide will not only corrupt the professionals who
practice medicine, but also affect patients because it threatens to
fundamentally distort the doctor–patient relationship, greatly reducing
patients’ trust of doctors and doctors’ undivided commitment to the healing of
their patients.<br />
<br />
Our laws shape our culture, and our culture shapes our beliefs, which in turn
shape our behaviors. The laws governing medical treatments will shape the way
that doctors behave and thus shape the doctor–patient relationship.<br />
<br />
Physician-assisted suicide will create perverse incentives for insurance
providers and the financing of health care. Assisting in suicide will often be a
more “cost-effective” measure from the perspective of the bottom line than is
actually caring for patients. In fact, some advocates of PAS and euthanasia make
the case on the basis of saving money.<br />
<br />
Instead of helping people to kill themselves, we should offer them
appropriate medical care and human presence. We should respond to suffering with
true compassion and solidarity. Doctors should help their patients to die a
dignified death of natural causes, not assist in killing. Physicians are always
to care, never to kill.<br />
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<img align="left" alt="Farr A. Curlin, MD" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/FarrCurlinSpeaking.PNG" width="150" /><strong>Video Commentary by Josiah C. Trent Professor of Medical
Humanities at Duke University School of Medicine Farr A. Curlin, MD:</strong>
"The question that arises is, 'Why is [the Hippocratic oath prohibition on
physician-assisted suicide] there?' Why is that something that physicians, with
tremendous consistency, over 2,000+ years, have continued to affirm and profess?
A commitment to never participate in assisted suicide is essential for the
possibility of doctors continuing to care well for patients who are dying."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=44UCZ1vXBEc#t=1030" target="_blank">Listen to the rest of Dr. Farr’s commentary from “Living Life to
Its Fullest: Supporting the Sick and Elderly in their Most Vulnerable Hours” as
part of the Heritage Foundation symposium.</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<br />
If your state is included on this <a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">list of states considering assisted suicide</a>, join with CMDA
and others in your state to protect your patients and the medical profession. To
learn more, contact <a href="mailto:communications@cmda.org">communications@cmda.org</a>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/issues/detail/physician-assisted-suicide-and-euthanasia" target="_blank">CMDA Resources on Physician-Assisted Suicide and
Euthanasia</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/physician-assisted-suicide-fact-sheet" target="_blank">Physician-Assisted Suicide Fact Sheet</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/physician-assisted-suicide-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA Physician-Assisted Suicide Ethics Statement</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-71601732454852203382015-04-23T11:20:00.002-07:002015-04-23T11:20:25.155-07:00A new national religion?Excerpted from "<a href="http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/27177" target="_blank">The
Shifting Definition of Religious Freedom</a>," <em>Breakpoint</em> commentary by
Eric Metaxas, April 13, 2015 - Just this month, we watched a family-owned
pizzeria close its doors after its owners received hate mail and death threats
from around the country. Their offense? Giving the wrong answer to a question
about whether they'd cater a gay wedding.<br />
<br />
But gay columnist Frank Bruni recently took it to the next level in the
<em>New York Times</em>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-same-sex-sinners.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Ffrank-bruni&_r=0" target="_blank">writing</a> that it's time Christians get with the program and
“take homosexuality off the sin list.” The lived experience of same-sex couples
ought to trump what he calls the “scattered passages of ancient texts”
condemning his lifestyle. Wow.<br />
<br />
As for freedom of religion, Bruni suggests a new definition: “freeing ...
religious people from prejudices that they ... can indeed jettison, much as
they’ve jettisoned other aspects of their faith’s history, rightly bowing to the
enlightenments of modernity.”<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/416421/church-left-yuval-levin" target="_blank">Writing</a> at National Review, Yuval Levin says what we're
witnessing isn't so much the suppression of free exercise of religion as it is
the establishment of a new national religion; the religion of secular
liberalism. And dissenters must be forced to worship at its altar and affirm its
creed of anything-goes sexuality.<br />
<br />
Given the likely outcome of this summer's Supreme Court case on same-sex
marriage, Rod Dreher asks what will it be like to be a Christian in our brave,
new society—and what will become of orthodox Christianity now that the price of
professing it could be our credibility and livelihoods.<br />
<br />
Friends, the fight for religious liberty is far from over. And as John
Stonestreet and I have been saying again and again, it’s time for the Church to
wake up, to pray, and to publicly defend our religious rights and our brothers
and sisters under assault for their beliefs.<br />
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<img align="left" alt="Jonathan Imbody" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JonathanImbody2014.jpg" width="100" /><strong>CMA VP for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody,
MEd:</strong> “Beyond the significant public policy battle over what marriage
means, social issues agitators both inside and outside the church are advancing
arguments that try to pry Christians off of our moral foundation, the
Scriptures. <em>New York Times</em> commentator Frank Bruni suggests that ‘the
continued view of gays, lesbians and bisexuals as sinners is a decision. It’s a
choice. It prioritizes scattered passages of ancient texts over all that has
been learned since — as if time had stood still, as if the advances of science
and knowledge meant nothing.’ Clearly Bruni has little understanding or respect
for the divine inspiration, authority, unity, integrity and timelessness of the
Scriptures that many of us trust with our lives both here and for eternity.<br />
<br />
“Even some within the church are making similar arguments. These arguments
seem to boil down to the notions that Bible writers injected personal bias and
that science had not yet enlightened the early church. Therefore, Scriptures
prohibiting and condemning homosexual behavior (and by extension, it would seem,
Scriptures prohibiting any sex outside of marriage) can be thrown out like
potshards from an ignorant, ancient culture.<br />
<br />
“The trouble is that in the pursuit of social activism, these views undermine
Scripture in order to reinterpret Scripture, leaving no real Scriptures at all.
For if Bible writers did not actually write God-breathed words but instead
injected their own personal bias, why would we elevate the Bible over, say, the
Aeneid, or the works of Shakespeare, or the <em>New York Times</em>?<br />
<br />
“If today's claims of science trump millennia of biblical truths, why would
anyone persist in believing in the miracles described in the Bible or in
anything supernatural at all? Following this train of thought, Jesus' virgin
birth, healings, miracles, resurrection and promised return become a bunch of
bunk to be debunked by science and social activists. Jesus Himself becomes
suspect, since He unwaveringly treated Scripture as divinely inspired and
authoritative. (What can we expect from an unschooled Galilean?)<br />
<br />
“Rejecting this Bible-devaluing approach is not to say that nothing in the
Bible is culturally based, but that we must discern between superficial cultural
symbols and deep and consistent moral teaching in the Bible. Contrary to the
assertions of those who would remake in their own image the Bible's teachings on
sexuality, the evidence from Genesis through Revelation is far too compelling,
deep and consistent that God clearly designed sex for marriage between one man
and one woman in a lifelong relationship uniquely geared to raising
children.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<br />
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has introduced legislation that would shrink
religious freedom and marginalize faith-based organizations simply because they
view boys as boys and girls as girls based on biology. By inserting "gender"
issues into federal program requirements and by leaving the definition of gender
open to liberal interpretation, while also leaving out any exemptions for those
who view gender biologically and according to faith tenets, this legislation
holds the potential to unfairly discriminate against and exclude faith-based
organizations from funding. Click here to <a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/app/bill/483814" target="_blank">learn more</a>
and to send your senators an editable pre-written message to <a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/app/write-a-letter?2&engagementId=81676" target="_blank">oppose S 262</a>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/same-sex-marriage-public-policy-statement" target="_blank">CMDA’s Same-Sex "Marriage" Public Policy Statement</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/marriage-public-policy-statement" target="_blank">CMDA’s Marriage Public Policy Statement</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/library/doclib/Coalition-Letter-on-MARFA-and-CWPIA-House-Final-3-17-15.pdf" target="_blank">CMDA’s group letter supporting Marriage and Religious Freedom
Act</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-60347450185986731842015-04-23T11:09:00.002-07:002015-04-23T11:09:28.186-07:00Silence on religious persecution and killingsExcerpted from "<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/04/21/christians-religious-persecution-migrant-ship-italy-column/26083829/" target="_blank">Christians thrown overboard left to drown by Obama</a>,"
commentary by Kirsten Powers in USA Today - When a throng of Muslims threw a
dozen Christians overboard a migrant ship traveling from Libya to Italy, Prime
Minister Matteo Renzi missed the opportunity to label it as such. Standing next
to President Obama at their joint news conference Friday, Renzi dismissed it as
a one-off event and said, "The problem is not a problem of (a) clash of
religions."<br />
<br />
As Renzi was questioned about the incident, Obama was mute on the killings.
He failed to interject any sense of outrage or even tepid concern for the
targeting of Christians for their faith. He just can't seem to find any passion
for the mass persecution of Middle Eastern Christians or the eradication of
Christianity from its birthplace.<br />
<br />
Religious persecution of Christians is rampant worldwide, as Pew has noted,
but nowhere is it more prevalent than in the Middle East and Northern Africa,
where followers of Jesus are the targets of religious cleansing. Pope Francis
has repeatedly decried the persecution and begged the world for help, but it has
had little impact. Western leaders — including Obama — will be remembered for
their near silence as this human rights tragedy unfolded. The president's
mumblings about the atrocities visited upon Christians (usually extracted after
public outcry over his silence) are few and far between. And it will be hard to
forget his lecturing of Christians at the National Prayer Breakfast about the
centuries-old Crusades while Middle Eastern Christians were at that moment being
harassed, driven from their homes, tortured and murdered for their faith.<br />
<br />
A week and a half after Obama's National Prayer Breakfast speech, 21 Coptic
Christians were beheaded for being "people of the cross." Seven of the victims
were former students of my friend and hero "Mama" Maggie Gobran, known as the
"Mother Theresa of Cairo" for her work with the poorest of the poor. She told me
these dear men grew up in rural Upper Egypt and had gone to Libya seeking work
to support their families. They died with dignity as they called out to their
God, while the cowardly murderers masked their faces.<br />
<br />
Rather than hectoring Christians about their ancestors' misdeeds, Obama
should honor these men and the countless Middle Eastern Christians persecuted
before them.<br />
<br />
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</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Jonathan Imbody" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JonathanImbody2014.jpg" width="100" /><strong>CMA VP for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody,
MEd:</strong> The president's reticence on the international persecution of
Christians, coupled with his administration's <a href="http://www.freedom2care.org/" target="_blank">policies</a> that threaten
domestic religious freedom, is puzzling yet alarmingly consistent.<br />
<br />
As the <em><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/wanted-a-new-ambassador-at-large-for-religious-freedom/2014/01/15/180ef580-7e32-11e3-97d3-b9925ce2c57b_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post</a></em> reported, the Obama administration waited
months before appointing a replacement for Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, a reputedly
ineffective ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, a position
that should function as the State Department’s religious freedom watchdog. The
administration had taken more than two years to appoint Cook, a failure of
action that evidenced an extremely low priority on religious freedom.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.uscirf.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Commission on
International Freedom</a>, by contrast, <a href="http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/USCIRF%202014%20Annual%20Report%20PDF.pdf" target="_blank">explains</a> that "As Americans, religious freedom reflects who
and what we aspire to be as a nation and people. For the vast majority of people
across the globe, religion matters: Fully 84 percent of the world’s population
identifies with a specific religious group."<br />
<br />
Pro-life colleague and Catholic scholar Dr. Robert P. George serves as vice
chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). He
notes, "Abuses against Christians span the globe. A key reason is the confluence
of two factors. First, there are more than 2 billion Christians in the world.
Second, according to a Pew Research study, in one-third of all nations,
containing 75% of the world's people, governments either perpetrate or tolerate
serious religious freedom abuses. A six-year Pew study found that over six
years, Christians were harassed in 151 countries, the largest of any group
surveyed."<br />
<br />
Though our own political leaders may shrink back from responsibly responding
to the worldwide persecution of Christians, our persecuted brethren are standing
tall as a shining example of courage and faithfulness.
<ul>
<li>The <em><a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/heartbreaking-egyptian-christians-were-calling-for-jesus-during-execution-by-isis-in-libya-134340/" target="_blank">Christian Post</a></em> reports, "A number of the 21 Coptic
Christians who were recently shown being beheaded in a horrific video by Islamic
State militants in Libya were reportedly whispering the name of Jesus as their
heads were being hacked off their bodies."
<li><em><a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2015/april/more-martyrs-isis-executes-ethiopian-christians-libya.html" target="_blank">Christianity Today</a></em> reports, "The Archbishop of
Canterbury, Justin Welby, arrived in Cairo to offer condolences for the previous
martyrs in Libya: 20 Coptic Orthodox Christians and a sub-Saharan African. 'Why
has Libya spoken so powerfully to the world?' asked Welby during a public
sermon. 'The way these brothers lived and died testified that their faith was
trustworthy.'"</li>
</li>
</ul>
As we move on our government to stand up to persecution, may we also
personally imitate the trustworthy faithfulness of this great cloud of
witnesses.<br />
<br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Write to your elected officials (simply enter your zip code under "Find your
elected officials" on our <a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/Action" target="_blank">legislative action website</a>) and urge them to take appropriate
and strong legislative, diplomatic and military action to stop the persecution
and killings of Christians overseas and to advance religious freedom worldwide
and at home.
<li>Consider serving our brethren overseas, some of whom experience great
hardship under governments hostile to Christians, on a <a href="http://www.cmda.org/missions/detail/global-health-outreach" target="_blank">Global Health Outreach</a> or <a href="http://www.cmda.org/missions/detail/mei" target="_blank">Medical Education
International</a> trip.</li>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br /><a href="http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/USCIRF%202014%20Annual%20Report%20PDF.pdf" target="_blank">USCIRF 2014 Annual Report</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-13821835208185095382015-04-09T08:59:00.000-07:002015-04-09T08:59:58.239-07:00Global campaign to protect disabled infantsExcerpted from <strong>"<a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/irish-families-and-medical-experts-launch-geneva-declaration-on-perinatal-c" target="_blank">Irish group Every Life Counts launches global campaign to end
‘incompatible with life’ label</a>,"</strong> <em>LifeSiteNews</em>. March 11,
2015 — Irish families have joined with international medical experts and
disability advocacy groups to launch the Geneva Declaration on Perinatal Care at
the United Nations. The Declaration, which is the centerpiece to a global
campaign to end disability discrimination caused by the “incompatible with life”
label, has already been signed by more than 200 medical practitioners and
researchers and 27 disability and advocacy NGOs. It aims to improve care for
mother and baby where a life-limiting condition has been diagnosed before or
after birth.<br />
<br />
At the event, families from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Spain and
Switzerland said that the label “incompatible with life” was not a medical
diagnosis and was causing “lethal discrimination against children diagnosed with
severe disabilities, both before and after birth.”<br />
<br />
Barbara Farlow, whose ground-breaking research led to a new understanding of
the experiences of families where children had a life-limiting condition, said
that the label “incompatible with life” had been shown to lead to sub-optimal
care after birth and the phrase dehumanised children.<br />
<br />
Professor Giuseppe Benegiano, former director of special programmes for the
UN, said that the UN should give support for this important initiative against
disability discrimination. Professor Bogdan Chazan, an imminent obstetrician
from Poland, said that babies with a challenging diagnosis deserved better care
than abortion.<br />
<br />
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</tbody></table>
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Dr. Sandy Christiansen" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/Christiansen-Sandy.JPG" hspace="10" margin="10" width="110" /><strong>CMDA Member and <a href="https://www.care-net.org/" target="_blank">Care Net</a> Medical Advisor Sandy Christiansen, MD,
FACOG:</strong> “The mark of a civilized society is the degree to which it
protects its weakest most vulnerable members. Psalm 82:3 admonishes us to
‘Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the
oppressed’ (NIV 2011). The Geneva Declaration is a beautiful example of the
fulfillment of this passage.<br />
<br />
“Routine prenatal testing seeks to detect fetal abnormalities before birth.
With the discovery of a problem, what choices are offered? Data across the globe
report that anywhere from 29 percent to 85 percent of fetuses with Down Syndrome
are aborted.<sup>123</sup> But some families are choosing a different path and
finding joy in the journey. Turning away from the offered termination of
pregnancy for a fetal anomaly that has been pronounced ‘incompatible with life,’
some couples have instead chosen to embrace every minute of life their child
has—both inside and outside the womb. They face pressure from healthcare
professionals to abort and experience lack of understanding from family and
friends. Yet, 97 percent of respondents in a 2012 study of families with
children with trisomy 13 and 18 described their child as happy and parents
reported these children enriched their family.<sup>4</sup> Their experience was
incongruent with the dismal picture predicted by their physicians. The most
common negative comment made by parents in this study was a sense that
healthcare professionals did not see their baby as having value, as being unique
and as being a <em>baby</em>.<br />
<br />
“A recent study looked at women who aborted and women who carried after
learning their babies were diagnosed with a life-limiting diagnosis. The
abortion group experienced more grief, depression and emotional stress, and they
also had symptoms consistent with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for up
to seven years after the abortion as compared to the women who chose to carry
group.<br />
<br />
“Evidence is mounting to support the benefits of taking a hands-off approach
to a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis and simply allowing couples to spend time
with their unborn babies for as long as they have them. As Christian healthcare
professionals, we should be prepared to offer families a different option to the
default termination solution so often given for an adverse prenatal diagnosis.
Words need to be chosen carefully, avoiding terms like ‘incompatible with life;’
instead, we should use words that affirm the baby’s life and value as a human
being. Couples who choose to carry their child should be connected to resources
that provide the support and understanding they desperately need.<br />
<br />
“Perinatal hospice<sup>5</sup> is a unique solution and can be thought of as
‘hospice in the womb.’ It is easily incorporated into routine prenatal care and
birth planning. A team approach can include obstetricians, perinatologists,
labor and delivery nurses, NICU staff, chaplains/pastors and social workers, as
well as genetic counselors and traditional hospice professionals. It enables
families to make meaningful plans for the baby's life, birth and death, honoring
everyone.”<sup>6</sup><br />
<br />
<sup>1</sup>Siffel, C., Correa, A., Cragan, J., & Alverson, C. (2004).
Prenatal Diagnosis, Pregnancy Terminations And Prevalence Of Down Syndrome In
Atlanta. Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology,
70(9), 565-571.<br />
<sup>2</sup>Khoshnood B, De Vigan C, Vodovar V, Goujard J,
Goffinet F (2004) A population-based evaluation of the impact of antenatal
screening for Down's syndrome in France, 1981–2000. BJOG 111:
485–490.<br />
<sup>3</sup>Leroi, A. (2006). The future of neo-eugenics. Now that
many people approve the elimination of certain genetically defective fetuses, is
society closer to screening all fetuses for all known mutations? EMBO Reports,
7(12), 1184-87. Retrieved April 2, 2015, from <a href="http://embor.embopress.org/content/7/12/1184" target="_blank">http://embor.embopress.org/content/7/12/1184</a>.<br />
<sup>4</sup>Janvier
A. Farlow B. Wilfond B. (2012)The Experience of Families With Children With
Trisomy 13 and 18 in Social Networks Pediatrics Vol. 130:293 -298 (doi:
10.1542/peds.2012-0151).<br />
<sup>5</sup>Hoeldtke, N., & Calhoun, B. (2001).
Perinatal Hospice. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 185(3),
525-29.<br />
<sup>6</sup>Calhoun, B., Napolitano, P., Terry, M., Bussey, C., &
Hoeldtke, N. (2003). Perinatal hospice. Comprehensive care for the family of the
fetus with a lethal condition. Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 48(5),
343-8.<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://perinatalhospice.org/Perinatal_hospices.html" target="_blank">Perinatal Hospice Resources in the U.S.</a><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/abortion-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA’s Abortion Ethics Statement</a><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/human-life-its-moral-worth-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA’s Human Life Ethics Statement</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-17836322547199146822015-04-09T08:46:00.003-07:002015-04-09T08:46:51.086-07:00Bringing empathy back into the doctor’s officeExcerpted from <strong>“<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/26/health/doctor-empathy/index.html" target="_blank">Instilling empathy among doctors pays off for patient
care</a>,”</strong> <em>CNN</em>. March 26, 2015 — Developed by medical faculty
at Duke, the University of Pittsburgh and several other medical schools,
"Oncotalk" is part of a burgeoning effort to teach doctors an essential but
often overlooked skill: clinical empathy. Unlike sympathy, which is defined as
feeling sorry for another person, clinical empathy is the ability to stand in a
patient's shoes and to convey an understanding of the patient's situation as
well as the desire to help.
<br />
<br />
Clinical empathy was once dismissively known as "good bedside manner" and
traditionally regarded as far less important than technical acumen. But a spate
of studies in the past decade has found that it is no mere frill. Increasingly,
empathy is considered essential to establishing trust, the foundation of a good
doctor-patient relationship.<br />
<br />
Studies have linked empathy to greater patient satisfaction, better outcomes,
decreased physician burnout and a lower risk of malpractice suits and errors.
Patient satisfaction scores are now being used to calculate Medicare
reimbursement under the Affordable Care Act. And more than 70 percent of
hospitals and health networks are using patient satisfaction scores in physician
compensation decisions.<br />
<br />
"The pressure is really on," said psychiatrist Helen Riess. The director of
the empathy and relational science program at Massachusetts General Hospital,
she designed "Empathetics," a series of online courses for physicians. "The ACA
and accountability for health improvement is really heightening the importance
of a relationship" between patients and their doctors when it comes to boosting
adherence to treatment and improving health outcomes.<br />
<br />
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<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Dr. Al Weir" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/AlWeir.jpg" width="110" /><strong>CMDA Past President and Oncologist Al Weir, MD:</strong> “Is
it possible to ‘instill empathy’ into our healthcare professionals, and is it a
good thing to try?<br />
<br />
“It is certainly good for us to have and demonstrate real compassion for our
patients. Those of us who love Christ should have His compassion flowing
naturally from us to those who are suffering. If we do not, there is something
wrong with our relationship with the Christ. Perhaps, if we learn to love Him
more, we will indeed love our patients more and demonstrate that compassion
better.<br />
<br />
“This is foremost, and all the training in the world cannot mimic true love
for those we serve.<br />
<br />
“However, though our character of love is most important, we certainly also
need to develop communication skills to best demonstrate that love in a way that
best demonstrates the heart of God. Communication skills can indeed be learned
and practiced so that we ‘do best’ what we ‘are’ inside. I am familiar with the
training instruments listed in this article. They, among others, can be quite
valuable tools for Christian healthcare professionals to use in honing our
skills, so that our communication actions might match our hearts of
compassion.<br />
<br />
“Just as a missionary physician must learn new roads to carry his message of
Christ into the deserts of northern Sudan, all of us should learn new skills of
communication through which we may best carry the message of God’s love to each
patient we serve.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/grace-prescriptions" target="_blank">Grace Prescriptions – Learn how to share your faith in your
practice</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/tcd-spring-2015-spiritual-assessment-in-clinical-care-part-1" target="_blank">Spiritual Assessment in Clinical Care – Part 1: The
Basics</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/tcd-fall-2014-the-practice-of-medicine-more-than-science" target="_blank">The Practice of Medicine: More Than Just Science</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-62159033091973516922015-04-09T08:41:00.000-07:002015-04-09T08:41:10.805-07:00HIV epidemic hits IndianaExcerpted from <strong>“<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/indiana-hiv-epidemic-n330206" target="_blank">HIV ‘Epidemic’ Triggered by Needle-Sharing Hits Scott County,
Indiana</a>,”</strong> <em>NBC News</em>. March 25, 2015 — An HIV "epidemic"
fueled by needle-sharing opiate addicts has infected at least 72 people in one
southern Indiana county as Gov. Mike Pence plans to declare a public health
emergency in that community on Thursday. The outbreak's swift acceleration in
Scott County — beginning with seven known HIV-positive patients in late January
— has prompted state officials to ask the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention to deploy investigators to test residents and to help control further
spread of the virus, Pence said.<br />
<br />
The epidemic's true epicenter is the town of Austin, in northwestern Scott
County, said Dr. William Cooke, medical director at Foundations Family Medicine.
He opened the facility in Austin about 10 years and, since then, he's watched
opiate abuse take a far deeper hold.<br />
<br />
Used needles litter roadsides, ditches and yards, said Cooke, who has been
publicly voicing his concerns about a brewing HIV outbreak. On Wednesday, Cooke
also lobbied Indiana lawmakers to launch a clean-needle program — a strategy
that, in his vision, would offer safe fresh needles and safe places to dispose
of dirty needles while also connecting participating residents to addiction
therapists.<br />
<br />
Austin's population is about 4,200 people, according to the U.S. Census
Bureau, and the majority of the nearly 80 known HIV cases are people who live in
that town, Cooke said. Poverty is driving the mass opiate-addiction rate — and,
now, the HIV epidemic, Cooke said. “We need help. But that costs money. My
clinic serves the poorest people in Indiana, potentially the poorest in the
country," Cooke said. "We do a sliding scale here. If they can, they may pay us
10 dollars for care. I'm hopeful this declaration provides the funding we have
needed.”<br />
<br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
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<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
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<br />
<img align="left" alt="Dr. Reginald Finger" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/Finger-Reg-2014.jpg" hspace="10" margin="10" width="110" /><strong>CMDA Member and Assistant Professor at Indiana Wesleyan
University Reginald Finger, MD, MPH: </strong>“The HIV infection outbreak in
Scott County, Indiana, straddling I-65 between Indianapolis and Louisville,
occurred because at least three unfortunate factors came together at once. Lying
astride a heavily traveled north-to-south transportation corridor in the Eastern
U.S., it unfortunately acts as a pipeline for illegal drugs. The county
struggles with poverty and poor health, ranking last among Indiana counties for
health indices by the <a href="http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/indiana/2013/rankings/outcomes/overall" target="_blank">Robert Wood Johnson Foundation</a>. Many communities nationally,
however, are just as much at risk. Any one of them has enough people injecting
illegal drugs with shared needles to fuel a lethal epidemic if the right virus
were introduced, as it was to Scott County. Even in this age of anti-retroviral
medications, HIV still makes a mess of human lives, while piling up millions of
dollars in healthcare costs onto a community already struggling to make ends
meet.<br />
<br />
“What is the lesson for healthcare professionals in similar communities
across the country? First: one needs a high index of suspicion not only for HIV
infection itself but for any of the associated risk factors and conditions.
Hepatitis C infection is often seen first. Not every injecting drug user fits a
‘stereotypical’ profile. I have decided never to be offended when a doctor,
pastor or counselor asks me a blunt question about lifestyle choices, even ones
that may be far from my experience. My response is ‘No, sir, but thank you for
asking.’ By the question, I know that this professional is on the ball,
interested not only in whatever may affect my health—as important as that is—but
on protecting my community as well. Next, be well connected to social, legal and
spiritual resources in your community. You may be the only human services
professional that your patient has seen in a long time, especially if the person
has low regard for ‘the system’ and came to you only because their need is
acute.
“Finally, each clinician must remember that better health for our nation
depends on community and environmental factors, yes, but also on individual
decisions and interventions that can only occur one patient or family at a time.
The person whose life you touched in the office today may be the index case of
the epidemic that did not happen—because you were there!”<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/tcd-summer-2010-our-obligation-to-the-poor" target="_blank">Professionalism in Peril – Part 5: Our Obligation to the
Poor</a><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/missions/detail/healthcare-for-the-poor" target="_blank">Healthcare for the Poor</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-7599186205437977222015-03-26T11:31:00.003-07:002015-03-26T11:31:29.359-07:00Abortion and human trafficking: CMA commentary in Washington Post<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JonathanImbody2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="right" alt="Jonathan Imbody" border="0" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JonathanImbody2014.jpg" width="100" /></a>Reprinted from “The Hyde Amendment’s effect on human-trafficking victims,”
commentary by CMA VP for Govt. Relations <strong>Jonathan Imbody</strong>,
published in the <em><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-hyde-amendments-effect-on-human-trafficking-victims/2015/03/20/0bba8d54-cda9-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post</a></em>, March 21, 2015: In annual appropriations
bills since 1976, Democrats routinely have united with Republicans in passing
the Hyde Amendment, which simply prevents taxpayer monies from funding abortions
except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. Americans
overwhelmingly oppose opening public coffers to the abortion industry.
<br /><br /></div>
Nevertheless, Democrats increasingly have been injecting abortion
partisanship into human trafficking programs. Congressional hearings revealed
how Obama administration officials <a href="http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/06/federal-program-denies-grant-to-catholic-group-to-help-sex-trafficking-victims/" target="_blank">denied a grant to a faith-based organization</a> over abortion and
other morally objectionable issues.<br /><br />Many would note that abortion would only add to the trauma that human
trafficking victims have already experienced. Yet even the Hyde Amendment does
not disallow government-funded abortions in cases of rape, nor does it prevent
abortions paid for with nongovernment funds. So protests over the Hyde Amendment
in this trafficking-victims program are little more than partisan politics
designed to enforce a radical abortion ideology. Jonathan Imbody, Ashburn. The
writer is vice president for government relations for the Christian Medical
Association.<br /><strong><br />Resources</strong><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/issues/detail/human-trafficking" target="_blank">CMDA
Resources on Human Trafficking</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/issues/detail/abortion" target="_blank">CMDA Resources on
Abortion</a><br /><strong><br />Action</strong><br />
<br />
Educate yourself (CME credit available) with CMDA’s comprehensive online
education modules on recognizing, reporting and caring for victims of human
trafficking: <a href="http://www.cmda.org/resources/publication/human-trafficking-continuing-education" target="_blank">www.cmda.org/TIP</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-16960706922705731692015-03-26T11:31:00.002-07:002015-03-26T11:31:24.662-07:00Marriage merits: CMA commentary published in The Tennessean<img align="right" alt="Jonathan Imbody" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JonathanImbody2014.jpg" hspace="10" margin="10" width="100" />Reprinted from “Tennessee affirms opposite-sex marriage, not bigotry,”
commentary by CMA VP for Govt. Relations <strong>Jonathan Imbody</strong>,
published in <em><a href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/03/13/letters-editor-march/70273886/" target="_blank">The Tennessean</a></em>, March 13, 2015 - Re: "<a href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/03/05/letters-editor-lgbt-discrimination/24435941/" target="_blank">Discriminated after crossing state lines</a>," March 6, 2015 - In
a letter to the editor, a Chicago resident complains that Tennessee does not
recognize in law the fact that Illinois considers him married to another man; he
labels Tennessee's legal definition of marriage a matter of discrimination and
inequality.<br /><br />
The state of Tennessee retains a constitutional right, highlighted in the
Supreme Court's recent Windsor decision, which deemed a federal definition of
marriage as usurping states' rights, to determine by objective qualifications
and definitions who qualifies for a marriage license. Tennessee also uses
objective qualifications to determine which of its citizens can vote, practice
medicine, own a gun or teach in public schools.<br /><br />
These qualifications only constitute "discrimination" in the sense of
discerning the relevant factors that merit granting legal status and
privileges.<br /><br />
Why would Tennesseans legally define marriage as between a man and a
woman?<br /><br />
Social science research clearly demonstrates that marriage between a man and
a woman in a lifelong, exclusive commitment offers society, and children in
particular, unique benefits — economical, educational, psychological — that no
other relationship offers as well.<br /><br />
These benefits have led governments for millennia to recognize and endorse in
law the marriage of a man and a woman.<br /><br />
A state's recognition of the unique benefits of man-woman marriage does not
preclude love, respect, dignity or the extension of a host of government
benefits and privileges to non-married citizens.<br /><br />
It's simply an objective affirmation of what marriage is and an endorsement
of the unique benefits it provides to society and children.<br /><br />
Jonathan Imbody, VP Government Affairs, Christian Medical Association<br /><br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/marriage-public-policy-statement" target="_blank">CMDA Marriage Public Policy Statement</a><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/same-sex-marriage-public-policy-statement" target="_blank">CMDA Same-Sex "Marriage" Public Policy Statement</a><br /><br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
Learn how to legislatively counteract the politics of same-sex marriage to
prevent harm to children served by faith-based groups providing social services:
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/app/bill/453006" target="_blank">Child
Welfare Provider Inclusion Act - S 667</a> - would ensure that organizations
with religious or moral convictions are allowed to continue to provide services
for children
<li>Youth services bill OPPOSED for gender / religious freedom issues
threatening services by faith-based organizations to runaway youth - <a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/app/bill/483814" target="_blank">S 262</a></li>
</li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-1254495681950915502015-03-26T11:31:00.001-07:002015-03-26T11:31:16.834-07:00DC tramples religious freedom in healthcareExcerpted from "Sen. Ted Cruz seeks to upend D.C. laws on contraception
coverage, gay rights," <em><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/sen-ted-cruz-seeks-to-upend-dc-laws-on-contraception-coverage-gay-rights/2015/03/18/c36b3e02-cda0-11e4-8a46-b1dc9be5a8ff_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post</a></em>, March 18, 2015 - Last month, more than a
dozen prominent conservative groups and Catholic institutions asked Capitol Hill
leaders to overturn the two D.C. laws, calling them “unprecedented assaults upon
our organizations.” The laws would restrict the ability of private groups to
discriminate based on religious beliefs.<br /><br />
One, the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014, would
prevent employers from taking action against workers based on their decision to
use birth control or seek an abortion. The other, the Human Rights Amendment Act
of 2014, repeals a longstanding, congressionally imposed measure exempting
religiously affiliated educational institutions from the city’s gay
nondiscrimination law.<br /><br />
As is the case for all D.C. laws, the two are now under a mandatory 30-day
review period before Congress. Without congressional action, they could take
effect as early as next month. That happened last month with the city’s
marijuana-legalization law, when, despite threats from House Republicans, no
lawmaker introduced a measure to stop it. Some Republicans feared a vote on
marijuana legalization could expose a rift between conservative and libertarian
wings of the party.<br /><br />
Freshman Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who co-introduced the measures
[disapproval resolutions of Congress to overturn the DC laws], issued a
statement Wednesday saying “what the D.C. Council has done is a major threat to
the fundamental right to religious freedom for D.C. residents and organizations,
and a brazen display of intolerance.” As evidence that Congress would be within
its rights to disapprove the D.C. measures, Lankford pointed to a Supreme Court
decision last year that family-owned businesses do not have to offer their
employees contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act if doing so
conflicts with owners’ religious beliefs.<br /><br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Jonathan Imbody" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JonathanImbody2014.jpg" width="100" /><strong>CMA VP for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody:</strong>
“The <em>Washington Post</em> suggests that these recently enacted DC ‘laws
would restrict the ability of private groups to discriminate based on religious
beliefs.’ In fact, the laws target and discriminate against religious groups by
dictating that they must hire individuals who directly contradict the groups'
tenets, standards and mission.<br /><br />
“That's a flagrant violation of First Amendment freedoms, as upheld by a
unanimous Supreme Court in the <em><a href="http://www.becketfund.org/hosannatabor/" target="_blank">Hosanna
Tabor</a></em> case and by Congress in the Religious Freedom Restoration
Act.<br /><br />
“What the ironically entitled Human Rights Amendment Act of 2014 actually
does is repeal a measure that for decades had advanced tolerance by ensuring
that the DC Human Rights Act could not be used to coerce religiously affiliated
schools into violating convictions of conscience.<br /><br />
“The DC Council apparently has decided, however, that there is not enough
room in the District for religious dissenters who question the Council's edicts
on sexual morality. Their discriminatory laws inject unconstitutional
governmental coercion that subverts the democratic process of free speech and
debate that historically has shaped American public opinion and values.<br /><br />
“Intolerance does not advance tolerance.”<br /><br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br /><a href="http://www.freedom2care.org/" target="_blank">www.Freedom2Care.org</a> - CMA's one-stop-shop for news, analysis
and resources on freedom of faith, conscience and speech.<br /><br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/app/take-action?engagementId=82157" target="_blank">Protect conscience freedom in healthcare - HR 940</a>, which would
preserve patient choice and protect pro-life professionals from discrimination
for moral and ethical views.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/app/take-action?engagementId=80495" target="_blank">Protect freedom of faith and conscience related to abortion - S
50</a>. No health professionals should be forced to choose between their careers
and following the principles of ethical medicine.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-34559018997983702712015-03-12T14:40:00.002-07:002015-03-12T14:40:53.709-07:00New study finds link between doctor’s office and deadly bacteriaExcerpted from <strong>“<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/25/health/deadly-bacteria-doctors-offices/index.html" target="_blank">CDC investigates deadly bacteria’s link to doctors’
offices</a>,”</strong> <em>CNN</em>. February 26, 2015 — The Centers for Disease
Control is raising a red flag that a potentially deadly bacteria may be lurking
in your doctor's office. The bacteria, C. difficile, is typically found in
hospitals, but a study out Wednesday, February 25 reports a substantial number
of people contracted the bug who hadn't been in a hospital, but had recently
visited the doctor or dentist.<br />
<br />
The bacteria can cause deadly diarrhea, according to the CDC, with infections
on the rise. The new report shows nearly half a million Americans infected in
various locations in one year, with 15,000 deaths directly attributed to C.
diff. The CDC is so concerned that they're starting a new study to try to assess
nationally whether people are getting C. diff in doctors' offices.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, patients should wash their hands after visiting the doctor's
office -- with soap and water, because alcohol-based gels don't get rid of C.
diff. Another tip: Question your doctor whenever you're prescribed an
antibiotic. Powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics wipe away good bacteria in your
gut that fight off the bad bacteria, which leads the way to C. diff. Johns
Hopkins safety expert Dr. Peter Pronovost recommends asking your doctor if you
really need an antibiotic, if there's a less powerful one that will treat your
infection, and if you're being prescribed the antibiotic for the shortest time
possible.<br />
<br />
The CDC study, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine,
said 150,000 people who had not been in the hospital came down with C. diff in
2011. Of those, 82% had visited a doctor's or dentist's office in the 12 weeks
before their diagnosis. The CDC is hoping its new study will help determine
cause and effect, because it's possible the patients had C. diff to begin with
and went to the doctor to get help. It's also possible that antibiotics
prescribed during the doctor's visit, and not microbes at the doctor's office,
caused the infection.<br />
<br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Dr. Eva Quiroz" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/Quiroz-Eva.jpg" hspace="10" margin="10" width="110" /><strong>Infectious Disease Specialist and CMDA Member Eva Quiroz,
MD: </strong>“Clostridium difficile infections are of significant concern given
the recent CDC reports of increased incidence, mortality and changing
epidemiology of the disease. <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_infect.html" target="_blank">CDC reported</a> half a million infections in the year 2011, and
29,000 people died within 30 days of initial diagnosis.<br />
<br />
“Two of the most common preventable risk factors are: antibiotic prescription
and infection control practices. (There are also many other risk factors being
investigated such as food, animals and household contacts.) Antibiotics disrupt
intestinal microbiota which renders a person more susceptible to illness. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Fecal-Bacteria-Michael-Sadowsky/dp/1555816088" target="_blank">One study showed</a> that some bacteria remain disrupted for long
periods of time: up to two years following treatment with Clindamycin and up to
four years after treatment for H. Pylori with Clarithromycin, Metronidazole and
Omeprazole.<br />
<br />
“I recommend screening our patients for diarrhea much like we screen for the
flu. I would ask about history of diarrhea more than three times per day, any
antibiotic exposure and exposure to anyone in the household who is ill with
diarrhea. You can then test for c. diff if pertinent. We can also educate our
patients about the perils of taking antibiotics when not needed, the importance
of hand hygiene and how to avoiding handling food while sick with diarrhea.<br />
<br />
“The organism is a spore and it might survive longer in the environment, so
you need to decontaminate exposed areas with a sporicidal agent and wash your
hands with soap and water between patients, even if you use gloves. The danger
of acquiring the infection not only lurks in our offices but anywhere we are
exposed to the spores excreted in the feces of an infected person.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff-patient.html" target="_blank">More information from CDC</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-81485832538276614582015-03-12T14:39:00.000-07:002015-03-12T14:39:38.156-07:00Colorado seeks to extend abortion protectionsExcerpted from <strong>“<a href="http://www.9news.com/story/news/local/politics/2015/03/02/colorado-abortion-born-alive-infant-protection-act/24287781/" target="_blank">Abortion bill scheduled for state house committee</a>,”</strong>
<em>9News</em>. March 2, 2015 — The third abortion bill sponsored by Republicans
in the Colorado legislature appears in committee on Tuesday. The "Born-Alive
Infant Protection Act" addresses infants born alive during a botched abortion.
<br />
<br />
HB15-1112, sponsored by Rep. Lois Landgraf (R-Fountain), would require a
physician to "take all medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve
the life of a born-alive infant" and prohibits denying nourishment to a
born-alive infant with the intent of ending the infant's life. It also prohibits
using a born-alive infant for scientific research or other experimentation.<br />
<br />
In 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the "Born Alive Infants
Protection Act" recognizing that every infant born alive at any stage of
development is to be recognized as a person and a human being. This act,
however, only applies to providers and hospitals operated by the federal
government or which receive federal funding. HB15-1112 would expand born-alive
infant protections to all hospitals and providers in the state.<br />
<br />
The bill sponsor acknowledged that there are no cases of born-alive infants
being refused life saving measures in the state of which she is aware, but, she
says, the bill puts guardrails around the practice to prevent it from happening
and "keeps doctors from coming into Colorado and doing this."<br />
<br />
Rep. Lois Court (D-Denver) feels that the legislation is unnecessary. "It is
already illegal to kill a living human being," Court said, also adding, "I am
really tired of my Republican colleagues bringing forward divisive social issues
when we really should be focused on rebuilding our middle class here in
Colorado."<br />
<br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Steven Aden" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/SteveAden.jpg" /><strong>Senior Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom Steven H.
Aden, Esq:</strong> “From the time of <em>Roe v. Wade</em> in 1973,
medical-legal evidence has played a critical role in shaping courts’ views of
the nature of abortion and its risks. This is all the more true since the U.S.
Supreme Court’s last pronouncement on abortion in 2007, <em>Gonzales v.
Carhart</em>, in which the Court held that as long as the legislature had ‘some
evidence’ on its side, it will be enough for the statute to pass constitutional
muster. ‘The Court has given state and federal legislatures wide discretion to
pass legislation in areas where there is medical and scientific uncertainty,’
the Court instructed.<br />
<br />
“Consider Texas’ admitting privileges and chemical abortion regulations,
which effectively closed approximately three-quarters of the state’s abortion
clinics. The court of appeals that upheld the law particularly credited trial
testimony offered by pro-life physicians Dr. John Thorp and Dr. James Anderson.
The court found that Dr. Thorp ‘offered the most comprehensive statement of the
requirement’s rationale,’ and quoted his testimony on the benefits of admitting
privileges verbatim. Dr. Anderson, an ER physician and CMDA member, testified
that ‘an abortion provider with admitting privileges is better suited than one
not admitted to know which specialist at the hospital to consult in cases where
an abortion patient presents herself at an ER with serious complications.’<br />
<br />
“While the work that testifying experts do is best known to the public, it
should be noted that there are other levels of involvement available, such as
reviewing medical records or serving as a ‘consulting expert’ who equips the
lawyers to understand medical evidence but does not testify. The process of
testifying as a medical expert is a little more involved, but not terribly
complicated. Court rules qualify expert witnesses to render opinions when they
have ‘scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge [that] will help the
[court] to understand the evidence....’ Thus, even physicians in general
practice may be able to offer opinions in cases involving specialties, depending
on their particular education, training and clinical experience. Doctors who
enable lawyers to put on evidence in abortion defense cases provide an
invaluable service to both professions and the sanctity of human life
itself.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
If you are interested in getting involved by
testifying, reviewing medical records or serving as a consulting expert, sign up
for CMDA's Freedom2Care coalition's <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2996363&trk=hb_side_g" target="_blank">Federal Registry</a> on LinkedIn (registration is free) and stay
updated with notices of opportunities plus tips, updates and discussions.
<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/standards4life" target="_blank">CMDA Standards for Life - Abortion</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/abortion-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA’s Abortion Ethics Statement</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-60482078879988123152015-03-12T14:37:00.001-07:002015-03-12T14:37:39.809-07:00Smart implants making a difference for patientsExcerpted from <strong>"<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/cyborgrx-how-smart-implants-could-change-medicine-n300771" target="_blank">CyborgRx: How Smart Implants Could Change Medicine</a>,"</strong>
<em>NBC News</em>. February 17, 2015 — The cyborgs are coming ... and that's a
good thing. A new breed of smart devices designed to be implanted in the brain,
heart and other body parts could be used to treat everything from epilepsy to
Parkinson's disease. They're already helping people like Chelsey Loeb. The
26-year-old can't feel the responsive neurostimulator (RNS System for short)
firing electrical pulses into her brain. It's about the size of an iPod Nano and
is constantly monitoring electrical activity from under her skull, looking for
signs of a seizure so it can send out a targeted pulse to cut one off before it
begins.<br />
<br />
Designed by Silicon Valley-based NeuroPace, the RNS System is on the frontier
of this new technology. But there are hopes that devices implanted under the
skin could one day do things like automatically regulate glucose levels in
diabetics or tell someone when their knee is about to give out. Right now, smart
implants are giving hope to epilepsy patients like Loeb. Across the nation, 128
of them have been installed since the FDA approved the device in 2013. Clinical
trials showed a 38 percent drop in the average number of seizures per month.<br />
<br />
DARPA, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense, is also looking
into smart implants. In August 2014, it announced the Electrical Prescriptions
(ElectRx) program, which encourages the development of "ultraminiaturized
devices" the size of nerve fibers that would "continually assess conditions and
provide stimulus patterns tailored to help maintain healthy organ function."<br />
<br />
Researchers are also starting to think about how multiple smart devices might
work together. The EU-funded WISERBAN is a project aimed at creating a 'wireless
body-area network' (WBAN) that would let smart implants communicate wirelessly
with each other and the outside world without draining their limited power
resources.<br />
<br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Dr. William Cheshire" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/BillCheshire.jpg" width="110" /><strong>CMDA Ethics Committee Chair and Academic Neurologist William
P. Cheshire, MD, MA:</strong> “As physicians, we have become doctors of cyborgs,
and that's a good thing, provided we meet the ethical challenges. The wise
application of sophisticated technology always requires proportionately
thoughtful ethical analysis to enable appropriate use, prevent inappropriate use
and limit unintended harmful consequences.<br />
<br />
“Talk of cyborgs conjures up fantastic science fiction images of men and
women whose bodies have been taken over by powerful runaway technologies
threatening to supersede our humanity. The present reality, by contrast, is that
technology is being used to rescue patients. Nearly all physicians in the
developed world care for patients who have been implanted with artificial joints
or pacemakers. A smaller but growing number of patients are living healthier
lives with implanted cardiac monitors, nerve or brain stimulators, cochlear
implants and programmable catheters. These and other biomedical electronic
devices are to be welcomed for their therapeutic potential to bring healing and
restoration to patients with disease and disability.<br />
<br />
“Cyborg biomedical technologies also touch on profound questions about what
it means to be human and what it might mean to be a redesigned human. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2344398/Google-futurist-claims-uploading-entire-MINDS-computers-2045-bodies-replaced-machines-90-years.html" target="_blank">Futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts</a>, ‘We're going to become
increasingly non-biological to the point where the non-biological part dominates
and the biological part is not important any more.’ Taken to the extreme, the
philosophy of transhumanism looks to the day when the human organism will be
radically redesigned, if not inevitably replaced, by synthetic, artificial
intelligences.<br />
<br />
“Aside from the practical question of whether radical re-engineering of the
human species is technically possible is the more immediate concern—if we were
to become too enamored by technological bodily enhancements, how would we then
regard our biological neighbors? We know one another not as amalgams of flesh
and silicon but as embodied persons bearing the image of God. Would we value
people less if we believed that bodily parts were easily replaceable or that
minds could be uploaded to computers? Would remaking humanity in our own image
cause us to lose sight of the face of Christ in those who suffer?<br />
<br />
“Chelsey Loeb's story reminds us that each and every one of us is unique and
special. ‘It's like a big puzzle,’ she says, ‘because my brain is unlike any
other.’ Chelsey's experience is yet another example of how advances in
neuroscience and biotechnology do not lead to a cold, mundane, materialistic
understanding of humanity. Rather, through science we discover new levels at
which human life is a great mystery.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/eugenics-and-enhancement-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA’s Eugenics and Enhancement Ethics Statement</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/tcd-winter-2008-till-we-have-minds" target="_blank">Till We Have Minds by Dr. William Cheshire</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/tcd-winter-2008-why-human-bioenhancement-technologies" target="_blank">Why Human Bioenhancement Technologies Are a Bad Idea</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-48489826040519700462015-02-26T07:43:00.001-08:002015-02-26T07:43:21.570-08:00CMA commentary in Washington Times magazine<img align="right" alt="Jonathan Imbody" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JonathanImbody2014.jpg" width="100" />Excerpted from "Selling suicide," commentary by
<strong>CMA VP for Govt. Relations Jonathan Imbody</strong>, published in
<em>The Washington Times</em> online magazine, <em>American CurrentSee</em>,<br />
<br />
Compassion & Choices, the never-say-die advocates for state-sanctioned
assisted suicide, seem to have mastered the art of putting lipstick on a pig.
Whether or not Americans learn to see through their euphemisms and illogic may
well determine the fate of many vulnerable patients, including those in
California and 20 other <a href="https://www.compassionandchoices.org/what-you-can-do/in-your-state/" target="_blank">states</a> where the organization now is leading a well-funded
lobbying campaign to legalize assisted suicide.<br />
<br />
Reincarnated from a previous life when known as The Hemlock Society, the more
politically correctly named Compassion & Choices non-profit organization
claims on its <em>website</em>, "For over 30 years we have reduced people’s
suffering and given them some control in their final days."<br />
<br />
That claim would come as news to the medical and pharmaceutical professions,
which, unlike non-profit advocacy groups, actually are trained and authorized to
prescribe and provide medications that reduce suffering. Pain medication reduces
suffering; lethal pills end lives. Suicide does not control death; it merely
accelerates it.<br />
<br />
The group also claims to "increase patient control and reduce unwanted
interventions at the end of life." Yet the law has long recognized patients'
right to decline "unwanted interventions at the end of life." Given the pressure
by insurers, unscrupulous heirs and uncompassionate caretakers on vulnerable,
depressed and disabled patients to end their lives early, assisted suicide
represents the real threat of an "unwanted intervention at the end of life."<br />
<br />
[As evidenced by polling], government-leery conservatives tend to critically
analyze the smooth rhetoric designed to advance state-sanctioned assisted
suicide, no doubt wondering:
<ul>
<li>Would state governments that sanction suicide block the media, watchdog
groups and the public from investigating suspected abuses? (Yes; Oregon's
assisted suicide <a href="http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/ors.aspx" target="_blank">law</a> actually stipulates that "information collected shall not
be a public record and may not be made available for inspection by the public.")
<li>Might activist judges liberally construe and expand the phrase "pain" to
mean not only physical but also psychological pain? (Yes; <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/archive/news/1999/NRL999/slope.html" target="_blank">European courts</a> already have slid down that slippery slope.)
<li>Could courts determine that disabled persons' inability to ingest lethal
pills means that they must be allowed to request euthanasia--thus empowering
doctors to actively kill their patients? (Almost certainly, under equal access
principles.)</li>
</li>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
Critical thinkers who have studied history and health may also ask probing
questions such as:
<ul>
<li>Can physicians help kill their patients and still follow the Hippocratic
ethic, which protects patients by forbidding physicians to "give poison to
anyone though asked to do so" and insists on, "first, do no harm"? (No.)
<li>Can physicians can accurately predict a patient's life expectancy? (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19782929" target="_blank">No</a>.)
<li>Can physicians treat most patients' pain? (Yes, and updating <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-106shrg72844/html/CHRG-106shrg72844.htm" target="_blank">legislation</a> could ensure even more aggressive pain
treatment.)</li>
</li>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
Anyone with a loved one facing a difficult illness, depression or financial
hardship should ask:
<ul>
<li>Might family members not learn of their loved one's suicide until after
she's dead? (Yes--as under <a href="http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/ors.aspx" target="_blank">Oregon's law</a>.)
<li>Could legalizing suicide send suicide-vulnerable young people a deadly
message? (How could it not?)
<li>Would vulnerable patients be pressured into requesting assisted suicide?
(Only when heirs, insurance companies and governments could save money with a
quick death rather than expensive healthcare ... or when caregivers became tired
or uncaring ... or when a depressed patient felt like a burden on
others.)</li>
</li>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<a href="http://freedom2care.blogspot.com/2015/02/my-op-ed-in-washington-times-magazine.html" target="_blank">Read rest of commentary...</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<ol>
<li>Check this list of <a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">states</a> considering legalizing assisted suicide.
<li>If your state is included on this <a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">list of state legislative issues</a>, will you join in your local
state efforts to help stem the tide and defeat physician-assisted suicide?
Contact <a href="mailto:communications@cmda.org">communications@cmda.org</a> to
get involved.</li>
</li>
</ol>
<strong>Resources</strong><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/physician-assisted-suicide-fact-sheet" target="_blank">Physician-Assisted Suicide Fact Sheet</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/physician-assisted-suicide-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA Physician-Assisted Suicide Ethics Statement</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">State Legislative Issues</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-9825634331004240432015-02-26T07:28:00.000-08:002015-02-26T07:28:14.971-08:00Hippocratic physicians face "medical martyrdom"Excerpted from <em>The Coming of Medical Martyrdom</em>, commentary by Wesley
J. Smith, <em><a href="http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2015/02/the-coming-of-medical-martyrdom" target="_blank">First Things</a></em>, February 20, 2015 - Despite abortion’s
ubiquitous legality and the accelerating push to normalize assisted suicide,
space remains for dissenting doctors to practice their art in the traditional
Hippocratic manner.<br />
<br />
But that space is diminishing. Today, “patient rights” are paramount; the
competent customer is always right and, hence, held to be entitled to virtually
any legal procedure from “service providers” for which payment can be made—be it
abortion, assisted suicide or, someday perhaps, embryonic stem cell therapies
and products made from cloned and aborted human fetuses.<br />
<br />
Hippocratic-believing professionals ... are increasingly being pressured to
practice medicine without regard to their personal faith or conscience beliefs.
This moral intolerance is slowly being imbedded into law. Such laws are a
prescription for medical martyrdom, by which I mean doctors being forced to
choose between adhering to their faith or moral code and remaining in their
profession.<br />
<br />
Canada is heading in [this] direction regarding euthanasia. Quebec legalized
doctor-administered death last year and allows no conscience exemptions along
the lines of Victoria’s abortion law. Meanwhile, the Canadian Supreme Court just
made access to euthanasia a Charter right for those with a diagnosable medical
condition that causes “irremediable suffering,” including “psychological”
pain.<br />
<br />
Recognizing that some doctors will have moral qualms about “terminating
life,” the Court gave Parliament twelve months to pass enabling legislation,
stating that “the rights of patients and physicians will need to be reconciled”
by law or left “in the hands of physicians’ colleges.” That doesn’t bode well
for medical conscience rights.<br />
<br />
If these trends continue, twenty years from now, those who feel called to a
career in health care will face an agonizing dilemma: either participate in acts
of killing or stay out of medicine. Those who stay true to their consciences
will be forced into the painful sacrifice of embracing martyrdom for their
faith.<br /><br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
<tbody>
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<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Jonathan Imbody" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/Worthen-Larry.jpg" width="100" /><strong>Executive Director of the Christian Medical and Dental
Society of Canada Larry Worthen, MA (Th.), LLB:</strong> “Comments by Wesley
Smith regarding conscience rights for healthcare professionals in Canada should
sound an alarm for our friends in the United States about the dangers of
complacency. Advocates for a rationalistic and exclusively secular approach to
healthcare are gaining ground and are shamelessly flexing their muscles behind
the scenes with the provincial colleges that regulate the practice of healthcare
in Canada.<br />
<br />
“Buoyed by a recent unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of Canada which
struck down sections of the Criminal Code dealing with assisted suicide and
euthanasia, they are setting about the work of forcing physicians to refer for,
and in some cases provide, procedures that go against the conscience of the
physician. This has already resulted in physicians questioning whether they
should move from their jurisdiction or dramatically alter their practice.<br />
<br />
“However, all is not lost. In the recent case, the Supreme Court cited a
previous decision that acknowledged that a physician could not be forced to
participate in a procedure that went against the physician's conscience. CMDS
Canada is currently using this argument in lobbying efforts with the two
provincial colleges that have proposed policies that encroach on the freedom of
conscience.<br />
<br />
“If those lobbying efforts fail, then we will be forced to commence legal
action to vindicate our rights to freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed
by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We ask our friends in the United
States for your prayer support in this challenging time.”<br /><br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<br />
Use our easy, pre-written forms at our Freedom2Care legislative action
website to contact your senators and <a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/app/take-action?engagementId=80495" target="_blank">protect freedom of faith and conscience in healthcare - S
50</a>.<br /><br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br /><a href="http://www.freedom2care.org/" target="_blank">Freedom2Care</a> - Visit CMDA's one-stop source for news,
commentary and resources on freedom of faith, conscience and speech.<br />View
Canada CMDS's <a href="http://www.cmdscanada.org/" target="_blank">video
interviews</a> with doctors on this issue (navigate to right-hand column on home
page).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-42441065988335255132015-02-26T07:19:00.002-08:002015-02-26T07:19:24.521-08:00CMA commentary in Baltimore Sun<img align="right" alt="Jonathan Imbody" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JonathanImbody2014.jpg" width="100" />Excerpted from "Assisted suicide is not 'death with
dignity'," commentary by <strong>CMA VP for Govt. Relations Jonathan
Imbody</strong>, published by the <em><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-assisted-suicide-letter-20150221-story.html" target="_blank">Baltimore Sun</a></em>, February 21, 2015 - An advocate for a
Maryland "death with dignity" bill complains, "Why is it that I can put my dying
pet to sleep to end its suffering, then have to sit with my dying spouse at a
hospice?" (<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-assisted-suicide-letter-20150217-story.html" target="_blank">"Md. needs a death with dignity law,"</a> Feb. 18).<br /><br />
The comments suggest exactly why assisted suicide is far from "death with
dignity."<br /><br />
Unlike animal pets, human beings possess the ability to transcend their
physical bodies to achieve dignity and purpose.<br /><br />
The fact that a caretaker expresses regret at "having to sit with my dying
spouse at hospice" unwittingly illustrates the pressures that can be brought to
bear on the vulnerable, the disabled and the dying to end their lives
prematurely.<br /><br />
The unpleasant truth is that when sick, elderly or disabled individuals are
experiencing challenges that render them weak, depressed and extremely
vulnerable, their caretakers will all too often prefer emotional relief to
persevering in care-giving; insurers and governments will save money with a
quicker end to life; overeager heirs may want to cut care short to preserve
their inheritance; and coldly pragmatic health workers may want to clear the bed
that patients nearing the end of life "uselessly" occupy.<br /><br />
As former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop observed, the "right to die"
becomes the duty to die. We should instead focus on palliative care, assisting
families with vulnerable patients and upholding the true human dignity that
transcends our frail bodies.<br />
<br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<ol>
<li>Check this list of <a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">states</a> considering legalizing assisted suicide.
<li>If your state is included on this <a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">list of state legislative issues</a>, will you join in your local
state efforts to help stem the tide and defeat physician-assisted suicide?
Contact <a href="mailto:communications@cmda.org">communications@cmda.org</a> to
get involved.</li>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/physician-assisted-suicide-fact-sheet" target="_blank">Physician-Assisted Suicide Fact Sheet</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/physician-assisted-suicide-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA Physician-Assisted Suicide Ethics Statement</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">State Legislative Issues</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-70445136177500465322015-02-12T14:00:00.000-08:002015-02-12T14:00:00.509-08:00Illinois approves child use of medical marijuanaExcerpted from <strong>“<a href="http://www.bpnews.net/44032/child-use-of-medical-marijuana-ahead-in-ill" target="_blank">Child use of medical marijuana ahead in Ill.</a>,”</strong>
<em>Baptist Press</em>. January 13, 2015 — Children in Illinois will be eligible
for medical marijuana prescriptions, according to rules announced by state
health officials in late December. The rules by the Illinois Department of
Public Health amend the medical marijuana pilot program approved by lawmakers in
June. A handful of parents subsequently spearheaded a campaign to open the
program to children under age 18, especially those who suffer from epileptic
seizures.
<br />
<br />
Under the new rules, which went into effect on New Year's Day, children
diagnosed with a qualifying debilitating condition will be able to obtain
marijuana-infused products but not raw marijuana for smoking. To obtain the
treatment, children need a signature from their own physician, an additional
doctor's review and authorization and parental permission.<br />
<br />
Supporters see the Illinois action as a step toward allowing children the
potential benefits of medicinal marijuana. A hybrid marijuana strain called
Charlotte's Web has a growing following of parents who believe it's an effective
treatment for children suffering from severe seizures. Two U.S. drug companies
have launched studies into the effects of CBD on childhood seizures but results
will not be available for years. In the meantime, skeptics question whether the
treatment is truly helpful.<br />
<br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
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<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Dr. J. Scott Ries" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/Dr-Ries-Headshot.jpg" width="110" /><strong>CMDA’s National Director of Campus & Community
Ministries Dr. J. Scott Ries, MD: </strong>“It didn’t take long. The marijuana
joy-ride train that seems to be traversing the nation stopped at a station in
Illinois. With that state’s legislature legalizing the use of so-called ‘medical
marijuana’ for children, it begs the question of what’s next.<br />
<br />
“To be sure, there is hardly a more difficult scenario for a family and their
physician than to see a child suffering from painful and tragic disorders that
are difficult to control. I have sat beside parents as they bear the intensely
painful burden of their child’s last moments on earth. I have held seizing
children as yet another episode of their refractory seizures takes hold.
However, this move opens a Pandora’s box of ethical and clinical concerns
related to using marijuana products in children.<br />
<br />
“Though it may be that newer genetically modified marijuana plant derivatives
may have a lower THC component, low-THC is not no-THC. The truth is we simply do
not know the ramifications of allowing children access to marijuana—be they
short-term or long-term consequences.<br />
<br />
“We do know that: the younger a person is exposed to marijuana, the greater
their likelihood of addiction; the majority of the limited studies available on
‘medical marijuana’ are limited to animal models, not human subjects; and safer,
better studied options are available for the scenarios for which marijuana has
been legalized in Illinois.<br />
<br />
“It seems political agenda and emotional response have trumped scientific
rationale and a cautious <em>primum non nocere</em>. At best, what we can say
pertaining to the use of marijuana in our children is we simply don’t know its
consequence. At worst, it hails of even more problems to come.<br />
<br />
“As I mentioned in a <a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/the-point-may-8-2014#Article 3" target="_blank">previous commentary</a>, we would do well as Christian healthcare
professionals to remember Paul’s counsel that while everything may be legal,
everything is not necessarily good. ‘We are free to do all things, but there are
things which it is not wise to do. We are free to do all things, but not all
things are for the common good’ (1 Corinthians 10:23, BBE).”<br />
<br />
<strong>Editor's Note:</strong> Though proponents claim that medical
marijuana (ie. cannabinoid) has less addictive THC, "low THC is not the same as
"no THC."<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.drwalt.com/blog/?s=marijuana" target="_blank">A five-part
series on marijuana from Dr. Walt Larimore</a><br /><a href="http://www.frc.org/marijuanaeffects" target="_blank">The Effects of
Marijuana</a> by Donal O'Mathuna<br /><a href="http://oade.nd.edu/educate-yourself-drugs/marijuana-or-cannabis-sativa/marijuana-manual/myths-and-current-research/" target="_blank">University of Notre Dame Myths and Current Research</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-49861144573783155852015-02-12T12:09:00.002-08:002015-02-12T12:09:20.461-08:00The death of physician-assisted suicide in ColoradoExcerpted from <strong>“<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/07/us-usa-colorado-suicide-idUSKBN0LB07L20150207" target="_blank">Colorado lawmakers vote down assisted suicide bill</a>,”</strong>
<em>Reuters</em>. February 7, 2015 — After 10 hours of emotional testimony and
debate, Colorado lawmakers late on Friday voted down a proposed assisted-suicide
law that would have allowed terminally-ill patients to end their lives with
prescription drugs.<br />
<br />
By an 8-to-5 bipartisan vote, the so-called "Death with Dignity" bill was
rejected by the Public Health and Human Services Committee in the state's House
of Representatives. The measure was sponsored by two Democratic lawmakers.<br />
<br />
The Colorado proposal would have required two physicians to verify that the
patient is terminal, had made both verbal and written statements of their
intentions, and was able to self-administer the lethal medications. Hundreds
packed the committee room in Denver, as lawmakers heard testimony from both
advocates and opponents of the measure. A poll conducted last month by Colorado
pollster Talmey-Drake Research showed 68 percent of state residents surveyed
favored the bill.<br />
<br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Natalie Decker" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/NatalieDecker.jpg" width="110" /><strong>Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Natalie Decker:
</strong>“The bill Colorado legislators rejected sought to override a historic
governmental commitment that has existed since the beginning of time: preserve
and protect human life. Alliance Defending Freedom highlighted in testimony the
numerous problems with the proposed law. The bill lacked safeguards to prevent
abuse and mistakes which would have resulted in people being killed without
their consent. Indeed, there could never be adequate safeguards.<br />
<br />
“Despite assertions to the contrary, the bill did not require lethal drugs to
be ‘self-administered,’ nor did it even define what that term meant. In fact,
the bill provided no oversight of lethal drugs once dispensed, nor did it
require consent, legal capacity to consent or the presence of any witnesses (not
even the attending physician) during the administration of the lethal drugs. In
addition, the bill defined ‘terminal’ illness or disease broadly and
arbitrarily. Understandably, some of the bill’s proponents presented emotional,
heartrending stories to which any compassionate person can relate. Those cases
are very rare, however, particularly given the high quality of healthcare and
technology in our nation.<br />
<br />
“Many Coloradans from diverse backgrounds and perspectives told their
legislators why they opposed physician-assisted suicide. Their testimony was
based on a sound and rational analysis of the facts and the law.<br />
<br />
“The poll referenced by Mr. Coffman was commissioned by Compassion &
Choices (formerly known as the Hemlock Society), the organization promoting the
bill. The questions C&C asked were based on false premises, which resulted
in skewed responses. It is highly unlikely that anyone asked directly if doctors
should be permitted to kill their patients would respond ‘yes.’ Indeed, that is
why the Legislature voted ‘no.’<br />
<br />
“It is a hallmark of our society to expect healthcare professionals, as well
as the legal system, to protect its more vulnerable members—the elderly, the
infirm, infants and the disabled. The Colorado Legislature rightly rejected the
idea that our state and its healthcare professionals should be agents of death
instead of protectors of life.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Editor’s Note:</strong> CMDA staff and CMDA Colorado State
Representative Dr. James Small participated in the coalition Coloradans Against
Physician Assisted Suicide which developed educational tools and strategies as
well as obtaining testimonies at the hearing.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">Late Breaking News</span></strong>: SB 202 (to
legalize assisted suicide in Montana) was tabled in Montana. CMDA State
Representative Dr. David Hafer and his wife Bobbie have labored continuously and
provided leadership in opposing PAS for the last six years after a Montana judge
ruled PAS was legal. CMDA members who gave testimony at the hearing this week
were Dr. David and Bobbie Hafer, Drs. Chris and Jennifer Gilbert and Dr. Annie
Bukacek. In addition, CMDA members Dr. Samuel Reck, Dr. Dennis Dietrich and Dr.
Rick Blevins provided written testimony.<br />
<br />
<strong>Action Item</strong><br />
<br />
We praise God for His faithfulness in defeating physician-assisted suicide in
Colorado. Unfortunately, more than 25 states in the U.S. are now considering
legislation to legalize this dangerous practice. We need your help. If your
state is included on this <a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">list of state legislative issues</a>, will you join in your local
state efforts to help stem the tide and defeat physician-assisted suicide?
Contact <a href="mailto:communications@cmda.org">communications@cmda.org</a> to
get involved.
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/physician-assisted-suicide-fact-sheet" target="_blank">Physician-Assisted Suicide Fact Sheet</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/physician-assisted-suicide-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA’s Physician-Assisted Suicide Ethics Statement</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">Ongoing State Legislative Issues</a><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">
</a><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank"></a><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-57657437366850163952015-02-12T11:56:00.005-08:002015-02-12T11:56:37.889-08:00Measles outbreak raising national concernsExcerpted from <strong>"<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-very-concerned-about-potential-for-large-measles-outbreak/" target="_blank">CDC ‘very concerned’ about potential for large measles outbreak</a>,"</strong> <em>Face the Nation</em>. February 1, 2015 — Tom Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said his agency is "very concerned" about the possibility of a large measles outbreak in the U.S. because of the growing number of people who have not been vaccinated against the disease.
<br /><br />
"What we've seen is, as over the last few years, a small but growing number of people have not been vaccinated. That number is building up among young adults in society, and that makes us vulnerable," Frieden said in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday. "We have to make sure that measles doesn't get a foothold in the U.S. It's been actually eliminated from this country for 15 years. All of our cases result, ultimately, from individuals who have traveled and brought it back here."
<br /><br />
There are at least 102 reported cases of measles in 14 states, according to CDC statistics. Frieden said there will likely be more cases going forward, and the CDC is taking "aggressive public health action" to identify contacts and isolate those infected in order to stop the spread.
<br /><br />
But, he said, the disease is preventable and the best way to do that is with the vaccine, which he said is "safe and effective." There is a 92 percent vaccination rate in the United States, but the number of unvaccinated children is higher in certain states. In California, where an outbreak of the disease has been linked to Disney theme parks in the southern part of the state, 8 percent of kindergarteners fail to get the required immunizations against measles, mumps and rubella. In Pennsylvania, that number rises to 15 percent of kindergarteners.
<br /><br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc"><tbody>
<tr><td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br/>
<img align="left" alt="Dr. David Stevens" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/DavidStevens.jpg" hspace="10" margin="10" width="110" /><strong>CMDA CEO David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics):</strong> “I didn’t see a single case of measles during my training. You probably didn’t either. Parents didn’t need to be convinced to immunize their children in those days because they probably had measles as a child or knew of children in their community who had complications or died before the vaccine was available. As a young missionary in Kenya, I took care of a entire isolation ward full of children with severe measles complications. (We had a total of 427 admissions in 1984). Children had pneumonia, encephalitis and died because the immunization rates in our service area were under 20 percent. The problem was so severe that despite working long days and every third night, I started a community health program that, among many other initiatives, sent staff on motorcycles to vaccinate children under trees, in school rooms, churches and in the marketplace. Volunteers were trained to teach and motivate their neighbors on this issue. Five years later, we had dropped our measles admissions by 95 percent, and measles was almost completely wiped out in seven years. My passion for immunization is not academic. I saw it save many lives.
<br /><br />
“But how do we balance parental rights and the need to have children immunized? CMDA has an eloquent and practical <a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/immunization-ethics-statement" target="_blank">ethics statement available on this topic</a>. Read it and add it to your files. You will be better equipped to educate others about this issue in the news.”
<br /><br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/immunization-ethics-statement" target="_blank">CMDA Ethics Statement on Immunization</a><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/library/doclib/vaccinationsinformationandrecommendations.pdf" target="_blank">Vaccinations Information and Recommendations</a><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/is-vaccination-complicit-with-abortion" target="_blank">Is Vaccination Complicit with Abortion?</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-36562281360189374922015-01-29T11:57:00.000-08:002015-01-29T12:08:18.258-08:00Assisted suicide activists ramp up national campaignExcerpted from "<a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/21/assisted-suicide-movement-gaining-traction-in-acro/print/" target="_blank">Assisted suicide movement gaining traction across U.S.</a>,"
<em>Washington Times</em>, January 21, 2015 - The highly publicized
physician-assisted suicide of 29-year-old brain cancer patient Brittany Maynard
has given the ailing right-to-die movement a new lease on life. A national
campaign advocating state right-to-die legislation kicked off Wednesday in
Sacramento with the introduction of the California End of Life Option Act,
modeled after Oregon's 1994 law allowing doctors to aid terminally ill adults
who want to end their lives.<br />
<br />
Another dozen states are expected to follow with similar legislation,
including Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware and Missouri. The D.C. Council is
considering a "death with dignity" proposal introduced last week by council
member Mary M. Cheh, Ward 3 Democrat, and the New Jersey Assembly passed an
Oregon-style bill in November.<br />
<br />
"We have a goal of 10 in 10. In the next 10 years, we're anticipating having
10 more states," said George Eighmey, a former Oregon state legislator who
serves as vice president of the Death with Dignity National Center in Portland,
Oregon. "It's sort of like the other social movements that are out there — the
gay rights movement, the legalizing marijuana movement. All those things get to
a critical mass and once they get to that critical mass, you start seeing other
states get on board very quickly," said Mr. Eighmey, who advised on the
California bill.<br />
<br />
Plugging Maynard's story behind the scenes was Compassion & Choices, a
right-to-die group funded by liberal billionaire George Soros that emerged from
the ashes of the now-defunct Hemlock Society.<br />
<br />
After Oregon voters approved the Death with Dignity Act, the movement
stalled. It took until 2008 for voters in a second state, Washington, to enact a
similar law. In 2013, Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law the Patient
Choice and Control at End of Life Act.<br />
<br />
The Montana and New Mexico high courts have ruled that physicians may
prescribe lethal drugs to the competent terminally ill. At the same time, state
legislatures have snuffed dozens of right-to-die bills over the years, and
Massachusetts voters defeated in November 2012 a "death with dignity" initiative
by 51 percent to 49 percent. One big reason: The disabled community, led by
groups such as Not Dead Yet, has mobilized against assisted-suicide measures,
including the California bill, arguing that they are ripe for abuse.<br />
<br />
"If this bill passes, some people's lives will be ended without their
consent, through mistakes and abuse," Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst for
the Disabled Rights Education & Defense Fund, said in a Wednesday statement.
"No safeguards have ever been enacted or proposed that can prevent this outcome,
which can never be undone."<br />
<br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Dr. David Stevens" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/DavidStevens.jpg" hspace="10" margin="10" width="100" /><strong>CMDA CEO David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics):</strong> “A tidal
wave of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) legislation is hitting the shores of
state capitals across the country. CMDA is tracking efforts in 23 states, not a
dozen as this article reports. Last fall, I completed statewide speaking tours
in Montana and New Jersey to train church leaders, healthcare professionals and
community leaders for this battle. I’m representing you in radio, TV and print
interviews as well responding to op-ed pieces. In New Jersey, I met with
individual legislators and was invited to address the minority party caucus in
the state assembly. I stood with disability rights and other activists to speak
your concerns at a news conference in the state capital.<br />
<br />
“In Montana, where there is no law legalizing it, Compassion & Choices
(C&C) representatives showed up at four of the five cities where I spoke to
challenge my points during the question and answer period. During the first
night’s session, a physician heading a hospice organization proudly and
publically announced that she was already prescribing lethal drugs to her
patients.<br />
<br />
“The poignant Brittany Maynard story received enormous positive media
coverage, and C&C is now using Brittany’s husband to lobby legislators.
Billionaire activist George Soros’ money is funding an enormous effort and I’m
extremely concerned that a half dozen more states will legalize PAS this
year.<br />
<br />
“CMDA staff members cannot stem this tide alone. As Christian healthcare
professionals, we must link arms to halt this flood. I’m asking you to step up
and be part of a leadership team in your state if it is targeted. My staff and I
will come alongside each team to train and give you the tools and direction
needed for this battle. We will guide you each step of the way.<br />
<br />
“Once PAS is legalized, I doubt it will ever be reversed. Now is the time to
halt this evil tide that will affect you and your patients.<br />
<br />
“All that is required for evil to win is for good men and women to be too
busy to fight it. This is a battle we dare not lose.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<br />
If you would like to help, contact Margie Shealy, who leads our state
initiatives, at <a href="mailto:margie.shealy@cmda.org">Margie.Shealy@cmda.org</a> or call
423-844-1000.<br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/page/public-policy/state-legislative-issues" target="_blank">State Legislative Issues</a><br />
<a href="http://cmda.org/resources/publication/cdd-stat-october-2014" target="_blank">Kara Tippets Interview</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cmda.org/pas" target="_blank">CMDA Resources on physician-assisted suicide</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-49514621214483453562015-01-29T11:44:00.001-08:002015-01-29T11:44:41.733-08:00CMA recognized at March for Life<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/2015MarchforLife.png" width="400" /></div>
Excerpted from "<a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/22/march-for-life-reflects-abortion-awareness-among-y/?page=all" target="_blank">March for Life reflects abortion awareness among young
generation</a>," <em>Washington Times</em>, January 23, 2015 - The 42nd <a href="http://marchforlife.org/" target="_blank">March for Life</a> again lived up
to its reputation, drawing hundreds of thousands of mostly young marchers who
oppose abortion.
<br /><br />
Sara Silander, a 21-year-old senior from Jacksonville, Florida, who is
president of Georgia Tech Students for Life, said, “I have always been taught
that we should respect the dignity of everyone, including the unborn. We’ve
always been told to protect the minorities, the impoverished and everyone, and
that is so important, but we have also include the unborn.”<br /><br />
“I drove all the way from Michigan with my friends to be here. And I wanted
to be here to walk for the unborn. I believe that little babies are just as
precious inside of the womb as they are outside of it,” said Stephanie Mestizy,
25.<br /><br />
Several speakers talked about choosing life even when the unborn child is
found to be imperfect. Eight or more of every 10 unborn children with
disabilities are aborted. “That’s just wrong, isn’t it?” said Jeanne
Monahan-Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund.<br /><br />
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington Republican and a leader of the
Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus, said her son, who was born with that
distinctive chromosomal anomaly, has strengthened her convictions that every
life matters. “That extra chromosome has brought my family a whole bunch of
joy,” she said.<br /><br />
Mrs. McMorris Rogers and other speakers addressed the legislative drama on
Capitol Hill: Instead of voting as promised Thursday for a bill that would ban
most abortions after 20 weeks because of the ability of a fetus to feel pain at
that stage of life, the House took up — and passed — a bill to block federal
funding of abortions, especially in the new health care insurance plans.<br /><br />
Rep. Christopher Smith, New Jersey Republican, said the No Taxpayer Funding
for Abortion Act, which he introduced, is necessary to end people’s “complicity”
in paying for abortions, especially when they oppose the procedures. The House
will soon take up the pain-capable bill, Mr. Smith added. “We will bring it to
the floor and we will pass it.”<br /><br />
“The Senate will stand with the House” as it passes pro-life legislation,
said Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina Republican.<br /><br />
The now-massive March for Life is held on the Jan. 22 anniversary of the Roe
v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/supreme-court/" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a> rulings that made abortion a federal
constitutional right.<br /><br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Jonathan Imbody" hspace="10" margin="10" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JonathanImbody2014.jpg" width="100" /><strong>CMA VP for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody:</strong> “I
enjoyed the privilege of representing you on stage just moments before the
massive crowd of half a million pro-life marchers took to the streets to
peacefully and impressively mark the Supreme Court's tragic 1973 decision
opening the door to abortion on demand. Besides demonstrating the visible
strength of the swelling pro-life movement, the March for Life also aims to
influence public policy by having marchers visit their lawmakers after the
march.<br />
<br />
“This year a few otherwise pro-life GOP lawmakers managed to delay a planned
vote on a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks. That is the stage of fetal
development at which when <a href="http://cmda.org/library/doclib/Wright-Jean-Fetal-Pain-November-1-2005.pdf" target="_blank">our own members</a> and <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg74261/html/CHRG-112hhrg74261.htm" target="_blank">others</a> have <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/fetalpain/AnandPainReport.pdf" target="_blank">testified</a> that babies have all the architecture needed to feel
pain yet lack the pain inhibitors that protect fully developed individuals. A
few GOP representatives questioned a rape exception requirement that simply
ensured reasonable compliance by stipulating that the rape must have been
reported to authorities. The bill does not affect abortions sought during the
first five months of pregnancy.<br />
<br />
“As an alternative, the House of Representatives passed another CMA-backed
bill, the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/7?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22abortions%22%5D%7D" target="_blank">No Taxpayers Funds for Abortions Act</a>. That's good, and we
expect in this new, more pro-life Congress to pass more bills backed by popular
opinion, which disfavors government abortion funding, favors a ban on late-term
abortions and favors parental involvement when minor girls are considering an
abortion.<br />
<br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<ol>
<li>Maybe marching in the streets hasn't been on your bucket list, but you might
consider joining next year's <a href="http://marchforlife.org/" target="_blank">March for Life</a> simply to join hands with hundreds of thousands
of other committed believers to demonstrate your support for the notion that
every life is a sacred gift from God. Perhaps you could organize a passel of
students or fellow church members to join you. You will be standing alongside
many people just like you--normal, church-going believers who may not be
politically inclined but sense a call to put some kind of action to their
life-honoring values.
<li>Voice your values by urging your lawmakers to support the <a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/app/bill/451450" target="_blank">Pain-Capable
Unborn Child Protection Act</a>. This bill will ban abortions after 20 weeks,
when <a href="http://cmda.org/library/doclib/Wright-Jean-Fetal-Pain-November-1-2005.pdf" target="_blank">our own members</a> and <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg74261/html/CHRG-112hhrg74261.htm" target="_blank">others</a> have <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/fetalpain/AnandPainReport.pdf" target="_blank">testified</a> that developing babies have all the architecture
needed to feel pain at intense levels. <a href="http://cqrcengage.com/f2c/app/write-a-letter?2&engagementId=59671" target="_blank">Click here</a> to use our Freedom2Care pre-written, customizable
form.</li>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br /><a href="http://marchforlife.org/" target="_blank">March for Life</a><br /><a href="http://cmda.org/issues/detail/abortion" target="_blank">CMDA resources on
abortion</a><br /><a href="http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/fetalpain/AnandPainReport.pdf" target="_blank">Fetal pain testimony</a><br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/22/statement-president-42nd-anniversary-roe-v-wade" target="_blank">President Obama's statement</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486658727691275868.post-51463768135142139932015-01-29T11:38:00.001-08:002015-01-29T11:38:44.387-08:00President proclaims "National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month"Excerpted from "<a href="http://www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2014/01/january-is-national-slavery-and-human-trafficking-prevention-month" target="_blank">January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention
Month</a>," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services blog, January 6, 2014,
by George L. Askew, MD, FAAP, Chief Medical Officer: Human trafficking is a form
of modern-day slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force,
fraud or coercion for the purpose of commercial sex, debt bondage or forced
labor. It is estimated that more than 20 million women, men and children around
the world are victims of human trafficking. Among the diverse populations
affected, children are at particular risk for sex trafficking and labor
trafficking.<br />
<br />
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the federal agency
responsible for providing victims and survivors of human trafficking access to
benefits and services needed to help them restore their lives and achieve
self-sufficiency. The Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services to Victims of
Human Trafficking in the United States calls for coordinated, effective,
culturally appropriate and trauma-informed care for victims and survivors.<br />
<br />
Trafficking victims and survivors may suffer from an array of physical and
psychological health issues stemming from inhumane living conditions, poor
sanitation, inadequate nutrition, poor personal hygiene, brutal physical and
emotional attacks at the hands of their traffickers, dangerous workplace
conditions, occupational hazards and general lack of quality health care.<br />
<br />
Preventive health care is virtually non-existent for these individuals.
Health issues are typically not treated in their early stages, but tend to
worsen until they become critical, even life-endangering situations. In many
cases, health care is administered at least initially by an unqualified
individual hired by the trafficker with little if any regard for the well-being
of their “patients” — and even less regard for disease, infection or
contamination control.<br />
<br />
A few months ago in response to the <a href="http://ideascale.com/userimages/accounts/91/912839/Victim-Services-SAP-2013-04-09-Public-Comment-B.pdf" target="_blank">Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services to Victims of Human
Trafficking in the United States</a>, our office collaborated with the HHS
Office of Women's Health to develop a pilot project that will create a national
technical working group to strengthen coordination of medical and health system
responses to human trafficking. Specific actions include:
<br />
<ul>
<li>Supporting the development of protocols to manage and provide services to
victims of human trafficking
<li>Training and educating health care providers to recognize signs of human
trafficking, identify potential cases, and respond effectively
<li>Creating a referral mechanism for healthcare professionals to inform and
connect with law enforcement agencies, social service providers, and
community-based organizations
<li>Promoting effective, culturally relevant, and trauma-informed care to
improve the short-term and long-term health of victims.</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<table bgcolor="#cccccc" style="width: 90%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Commentary</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<img align="left" alt="Jeff Barrows" src="http://cmda.org/library/imglib/JeffBarrows.jpg" hspace="10" margin="10" width="100" /><strong>CMDA Health Consultant on Human Trafficking and Direct of
U.S. Training for Hope for Justice Jeff Barrows, DO, MA:</strong> “I was honored
to serve on the technical working group mentioned by Dr. Askew that was
established by the Department of Health and Human Services in response to the
Federal Strategic Action Plan on Human Trafficking. This past year, that
technical working group developed a two-hour training for healthcare
professionals on human trafficking and piloted that training in five different
locations across the country.<br />
<br />
“There is need for standardized training curriculum on human trafficking that
is evidence-based and shown to be effective in helping identify victims of human
trafficking within the healthcare setting. A study published last year found
that almost 88 percent of victims of domestic sex trafficking encountered a
healthcare professional while being trafficked.<sup>1</sup><br />
<br />
“The <a href="http://cmda.org/ministry/detail/human-trafficking" target="_blank">CMDA Commission on Human Trafficking</a> is about to undertake a
randomized survey of a portion of the membership of CMDA regarding their
knowledge of human trafficking. This survey is being conducted in association
with Liberty University and is an effort to add to the limited existing data
regarding healthcare professional knowledge of human trafficking. A survey of
emergency room personnel in 2012 found that less than 6% were confident in their
ability to identify a victim of human trafficking, while only 2% had received
any formal training on human trafficking.<sup>2</sup><br />
<br />
<strong>Action</strong><br />
<ol>
<li>If you think you have come in contact with a victim of human trafficking,
call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-373-7888. For more
information on human trafficking, visit <a href="http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking" target="_blank">www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking</a>.
<li>If you are chosen to participate in this survey, please help us gather this
critical data by taking the few minutes necessary to complete the survey. It
will help us develop evidence-based training curricula that will eventually lead
to victims being identified and freed.
<li>Equip yourself to recognize and respond to victims of human trafficking by
taking CMDA's CME-credit online course at <a href="http://www.cmda.org/TIP" target="_blank">www.cmda.org/TIP</a>.</li>
</li>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>1</sup> Lederer, L. and Wetzel, C.A. “The Health
Consequences of Sex Trafficking and Their Implications for Identifying Victims
in Healthcare Facilities.” (2014) The Annals of Health Law 23:1.
61-91.<br /><sup>2</sup> Chisholm-Straker, M., Richardson, LD., and Cossio, T.
“Combating Slavery in the 21st century: The role of emergency medicine.” (2012)
J Healthcare for Poor and Underserved 23:980-987.</span><br />
<br />
<strong>Resources</strong><br />
<a href="http://marchforlife.org/" target="_blank">CMDA resources on human trafficking</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0