One critical tenet of UNC Health Care’s mission is ensuring that patients have access to excellent and affordable care. The Supreme Court’s action today will continue to help make that possible, as the almost one in five North Carolinians who do not have health care insurance will now have coverage. Evidence clearly shows that those [...]

I recently was interviewed by the People’s Pharmacy about the state of health care in our country. We discussed American medical myths and ways health care access and delivery could potentially be improved. You can listen to the interview here.

Yesterday, I spoke at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) National Summit on Public Reporting for Consumers in Washington, D.C. I have included my remarks below. Thank you for the invitation to speak at this important gathering. I welcome the opportunity – and I ask for your indulgence with my many personal references [...]

President Obama’s upcoming State of the Union speech will be met with high expectations. Not only is this his first chance to address Congress since the November election, but it comes on the heels of eloquent remarks about the importance of civil public discourse following the Arizona shootings that drew praise from both sides of [...]

Health care reform just took a dramatic and unexpected turn. Only a few weeks ago it seemed that the Congress was about to complete action on a fundamental overhaul of health care financing and delivery in America, and send this legislation to President Obama, so that he could sign and complete his top domestic policy [...]

There are two weeks left in 2009, and there will be lots of holiday interruptions so the huge efforts to get agreement on a formula for national health reform, and push it through the Congress will surely go over into the New Year. Each day seems to bring additional twists and turns to the tale [...]

This week we have had a disquieting reminder of one of the challenges we face in overhauling health care in America the public are deeply distrustful of experts. The US Preventive Services Task Force an appointed body of leading clinicians and scientists issued a new recommendation of when women ought to have mammograms. Because it [...]

Last week, President Obama spoke to a joint session of Congress about health reform, and polling afterwards has shown an upturn in support for him and for his recommendations for overhauling health care in America. Today, Senator Max Baucus, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, unveiled his long-awaited proposal. I continue to believe the [...]

Today the news is filled with stories about the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts from an incurable brain tumor. During his almost fifty years in the Congress, Senator Kennedy has been a dominant leader in so many areas of our national life health and health care, education, civil rights, and on and on. [...]

Several people have asked me in the past few days for my perspective on what's happening to health reform in Washington.

For what it's worth, here goes