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Ms. Laurene West's testimony
Ms. Laurene West's testimony to the Senate Year 2000
Technology Committee
October 7, 1998 Hearing
Washington, D.C.
Standing here before you this morning I probably appear to be in good
health. I am not. Without daily medication
and a coordinated effort from the health care community, I will be a
casualty of the Year 2000 I will die.
I had a tumor removed from the center of my brain and now I require
daily medication to prevent re-growth.
Additionally, when I had the first of 13 surgeries on my head, I
acquired a staph infection which does not respond
to any known oral antibiotic. I am dependent on IV antibiotics which I
can not stockpile as they expire in less than
30 days. A disruption to the supply of IV antibiotics will kill me.
I am a Registered Nurse for more than 20 years I have worked in
Critical Care areas of the hospital.
Concurrently for the past 14 years, I have worked to develop and
implement medical information systems. For the
past two years I have worked with various health care organizations to
help them prepare for the Year 2000 crisis.
I know health care. I know what impact the Year 2000 will have on
healthcare.
My message today is two fold.
First - we have all read media reports expressing concern about
potential power outages in the Year 2000 and
the resulting effect on national security, financial institutions, air
traffic control, etc.all hospitals and health care
facilities will be at significant risk without power. However, today,
I want to suggest that a disruption in the
medication supply will be more important than a disruption to the
power supply. Nurses can keep patients alive
with manual procedures doing CPR for extended periods of time but we
can not keep patients alive without
medications.
The second message is that all Americans will be affected if there is
a disruption in the supply and
distribution of medications, particularly for those of us who are
alive only because we have uninterrupted access
to prescription medications.
Ladies and Gentlemen, my medication requirements are minimal compared
those of many other Americans.
Millions of insulin dependent diabetics, cardiac patients, transplant
patients (kidney, heart, lung, cornea all
organs) all will die if their medication requirements are not met.
We need to begin immediately to teach the American public what they
can do to prepare. We need a massive,
national public awareness/education program so that we can minimize
the number of Year 2000 related
casualties. An informed and educated public will be less likely to
panic.causing social unrest because
prescription drugs are not available.
All medication dependent Americans are looking to you to help mobilize
national resources to help us
survive. I want to help with this process, all I need are funding and
your influence.
Lets work with the Rx2000 Solutions Institute, the American Medical
Association, AARP, The International Red
Cross, as well as federal resources to develop plans for a coordinated
national preparedness program so that the
Year 2000 does not cause unacceptable risks.
We need legislation allowing for a one time exclusion for Medicare or
health plans allowing patients to receive a
90 day supply of medications instead of a 30 day supply. We need
creative processes for distribution of controlled
substances and radioactive isotopes. (All health plans should
volunteer this option). Just in time inventory is a big
problem.
We need to work with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) to prevent
global epidemics from a lack of antibiotics
or immunizations.
We should compose a National "Patient Advocacy Council" to monitor Y2K
efforts within all health care
organizations. This could be an attachment to the Rx2000 Institute.
Health care organizations should be required to stockpile medications
and supplies as well as disclose their Y2K
compliance progress with their patient population.
And, if worst case scenarios do occur, and health care is rationed,
the public needs to know what procedures and
diagnoses will be treated
Thus far, most health care organizations have taken the stance that
their liability exposure ca be limited by
keeping "in check" their due diligence efforts. (This may be
politically and legally correct but I do not consider this
to be ethical.) If WE do not teach the public, who will? There is no
harm if we over react, many may die if we do not
act.
I am willing to do whatever I can to help save as many lives as
possible mine included. My story is not unique,
there are millions of people who know there is a problem but they do
not know where to turn for suggestions or
help. Lets help them!
Rx2000 Solutions Institute
4620 W. 77th Street, Suite 245
Minneapolis, MN 55435
Phone: 612-835-4478
FAX: 612-830-0931
This site maintained by the support team of
Mint City Internet. (517)224-4714
Copyright © 1996,1997, 1998 Rx2000 Solutions
Institute. All Rights Reserved.
Ms. Laurene West's testimony to the Senate Year 2000
Technology Committee
October 7, 1998 Hearing
Washington, D.C.
Standing here before you this morning I probably appear to be in good
health. I am not. Without daily medication
and a coordinated effort from the health care community, I will be a
casualty of the Year 2000 I will die.
I had a tumor removed from the center of my brain and now I require
daily medication to prevent re-growth.
Additionally, when I had the first of 13 surgeries on my head, I
acquired a staph infection which does not respond
to any known oral antibiotic. I am dependent on IV antibiotics which I
can not stockpile as they expire in less than
30 days. A disruption to the supply of IV antibiotics will kill me.
I am a Registered Nurse for more than 20 years I have worked in
Critical Care areas of the hospital.
Concurrently for the past 14 years, I have worked to develop and
implement medical information systems. For the
past two years I have worked with various health care organizations to
help them prepare for the Year 2000 crisis.
I know health care. I know what impact the Year 2000 will have on
healthcare.
My message today is two fold.
First - we have all read media reports expressing concern about
potential power outages in the Year 2000 and
the resulting effect on national security, financial institutions, air
traffic control, etc.all hospitals and health care
facilities will be at significant risk without power. However, today,
I want to suggest that a disruption in the
medication supply will be more important than a disruption to the
power supply. Nurses can keep patients alive
with manual procedures doing CPR for extended periods of time but we
can not keep patients alive without
medications.
The second message is that all Americans will be affected if there is
a disruption in the supply and
distribution of medications, particularly for those of us who are
alive only because we have uninterrupted access
to prescription medications.
Ladies and Gentlemen, my medication requirements are minimal compared
those of many other Americans.
Millions of insulin dependent diabetics, cardiac patients, transplant
patients (kidney, heart, lung, cornea all
organs) all will die if their medication requirements are not met.
We need to begin immediately to teach the American public what they
can do to prepare. We need a massive,
national public awareness/education program so that we can minimize
the number of Year 2000 related
casualties. An informed and educated public will be less likely to
panic.causing social unrest because
prescription drugs are not available.
All medication dependent Americans are looking to you to help mobilize
national resources to help us
survive. I want to help with this process, all I need are funding and
your influence.
Lets work with the Rx2000 Solutions Institute, the American Medical
Association, AARP, The International Red
Cross, as well as federal resources to develop plans for a coordinated
national preparedness program so that the
Year 2000 does not cause unacceptable risks.
We need legislation allowing for a one time exclusion for Medicare or
health plans allowing patients to receive a
90 day supply of medications instead of a 30 day supply. We need
creative processes for distribution of controlled
substances and radioactive isotopes. (All health plans should
volunteer this option). Just in time inventory is a big
problem.
We need to work with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) to prevent
global epidemics from a lack of antibiotics
or immunizations.
We should compose a National "Patient Advocacy Council" to monitor Y2K
efforts within all health care
organizations. This could be an attachment to the Rx2000 Institute.
Health care organizations should be required to stockpile medications
and supplies as well as disclose their Y2K
compliance progress with their patient population.
And, if worst case scenarios do occur, and health care is rationed,
the public needs to know what procedures and
diagnoses will be treated
Thus far, most health care organizations have taken the stance that
their liability exposure ca be limited by
keeping "in check" their due diligence efforts. (This may be
politically and legally correct but I do not consider this
to be ethical.) If WE do not teach the public, who will? There is no
harm if we over react, many may die if we do not
act.
I am willing to do whatever I can to help save as many lives as
possible mine included. My story is not unique,
there are millions of people who know there is a problem but they do
not know where to turn for suggestions or
help. Lets help them!
Rx2000 Solutions Institute
4620 W. 77th Street, Suite 245
Minneapolis, MN 55435
Phone: 612-835-4478
FAX: 612-830-0931
This site maintained by the support team of
Mint City Internet. (517)224-4714
Copyright © 1996,1997, 1998 Rx2000 Solutions
Institute. All Rights Reserved.
Technology Committee
October 7, 1998 Hearing
Washington, D.C.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
. Ms. Laurene West's testimony to the Senate Year 2000
Technology Committee
October 7, 1998 Hearing
Washington, D.C.
Standing here before you this morning I probably appear to be in good
health. I am not. Without daily medication and a coordinated effort from
the health care community, I will be a casualty of the Year 2000 ? I
will die.
I had a tumor removed from the center of my brain and now I require
daily medication to prevent re-growth. Additionally, when I had the
first of 13 surgeries on my head, I acquired a staph infection which
does not respond to any known oral antibiotic. I am dependent on IV
antibiotics which I can not stockpile as they expire in less than 30
days. A disruption to the supply of IV antibiotics will kill me.
I am a Registered Nurse ? for more than 20 years I have worked in
Critical Care areas of the hospital. Concurrently for the past 14 years,
I have worked to develop and implement medical information systems. For
the past two years I have worked with various health
care organizations to help them prepare for the Year 2000 crisis.
I know health care. I know what impact the Year 2000 will have on
healthcare.
My message today is two fold?.
First - we have all read media reports expressing concern about
potential power outages in the Year 2000 and the resulting effect on
national security, financial institutions, air traffic control, etc?.all
hospitals and health care facilities will be at significant risk without
power. However, today, I want to suggest that a disruption in the
medication supply will be more important than a disruption to the power
supply. Nurses can keep patients alive
with manual procedures ? doing CPR for extended periods of time but
we can not keep patients alive without medications.
The second message is that all Americans will be affected if there
is a disruption in the supply and distribution of medications,
particularly for those of us who are alive only because we have
uninterrupted access to prescription medications.
Ladies and Gentlemen, my medication requirements are minimal
compared those of many other Americans. Millions of insulin
dependent diabetics, cardiac patients, transplant patients
(kidney, heart, lung, cornea ? all organs) all will die if
their medication requirements are not met.
We need to begin immediately to teach the American public what
they can do to prepare. We need a massive, national public
awareness/education program so that we can minimize the number of Year
2000 related casualties. An informed and educated public will be less
likely to panic?.causing social unrest because prescription drugs
are not available.
All medication dependent Americans are looking to you to help mobilize
national resources to help us survive. I want to help with this process,
all I need are funding and your influence.
Let?s work with the Rx2000 Solutions Institute, the American Medical
Association, AARP, The International Red Cross, as well as federal
resources to develop plans for a coordinated national preparedness
program so that the Year 2000 does not cause unacceptable risks.
We need legislation allowing for a one time exclusion for Medicare
or health plans allowing patients to receive a 90 day supply of
medications instead of a 30 day supply. We need creative processes
for distribution of controlled substances and radioactive isotopes. (All
health plans should volunteer this option). Just in time inventory is a
big problem.
We need to work with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) to prevent
global epidemics from a lack of antibiotics or immunizations.
We should compose a National "Patient Advocacy Council" to monitor Y2K
efforts within all health care organizations. This could be an
attachment to the Rx2000 Institute.
Health care organizations should be required to stockpile medications
and supplies as well as disclose their Y2K compliance progress with
their patient population.
And, if worst case scenarios do occur, and health care is rationed, the
public needs to know what procedures and diagnoses will be treated.
Thus far, most health care organizations have taken the stance that
their liability exposure can be limited by keeping "in check" their due
diligence efforts. (This may be politically and legally correct but I do
not consider this to be ethical.) If WE do not teach the public, who
will? There is no harm if we over react, many may die if we do not act.
I am willing to do whatever I can to help save as many lives as
possible ? mine included. My story is not unique, there are millions of
people who know there is a problem but they do not know where to turn
for suggestions or help. Let?s help them!
Copyright © 1996,1997, 1998 Rx2000 Solutions Institute. All Rights
Reserved.
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