RWL Newsletter #86
Greetings from wicked hot Durham! We've made it through our first week of classes, but just barely. Being a northern New England state, our HVAC systems aren't really designed to handle 90+ degrees. I left my first two classes dripping with sweat and my students wilting. You just need a few days like those to say, "Bring on winter!"
Our country lost a real leader and hero this week. The above illustration was inspired by Joe Biden's eulogy. Their friendship represented the best of America. We need leaders like McCain, and it is a real loss to the country that he is gone.
Read
What: John McCain's farewell letter
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/27/politics/john-mccain-farewell-statement/index.html
Why: If you haven't read it yet, you should. I'll leave it at that.
Watch
What: CNBC, Kaiser Permanente CEO on health costs, the economics of health care
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/08/16/kaiser-permanente-ceo-on-health-costs-the-economics-of-health-care.html
Why: Bernard Tyson talks about the social determinants of health, prevention, and improving outcomes. Kaiser Permanente was one of the first HMOs in the US. If you are from the West Coast, you've almost certainly heard of them, and maybe you are part of the millions of people who use them. They have been a successful market model for decades.
Listen
What: Econtalk, Vincent Rajkumar on the High Price of Cancer Drugs
http://www.econtalk.org/vincent-rajkumar-on-the-high-price-of-cancer-drugs/
Why: In my introductory lectures for my management class, we discussed some issues from the policy environment that are driving the evolution of healthcare delivery organizations (hospital consolidation, shift to outpatient treatment, etc.). My students wanted to know, why is healthcare so expensive? Pharmaceuticals are a big part of that expense. This is a nice discussion of some of the dysfunction in the pharmaceutical market.
Thanks for reading and see you next week! If you come across any interesting stories, won't you send them my way? I'd love to hear what you think of these suggestions, and I'd love to get suggestions from you. Feel free to drop me a line by e-mail, or you can tweet to me at @mbonica .
Also, if you find these links interesting, won’t you tell a friend? They can subscribe here: https://tinyletter.com/markbonica
Have a great weekend and do amazing things!
Mark
Mark J. Bonica, Ph.D., MBA, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Management and Policy
University of New Hampshire
(603) 862-0598
mark.bonica@unh.edu
Health Leader Forge Podcast: http://healthleaderforge.org
"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." - Henry David Thoreau