The mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers that Americans remember each May are strikingly different from "Julia," the star of Obama's political campaign.

We cannot see helpless Julia as Molly Pitcher, stepping up to fire a cannon in the Revolutionary War in place of her fallen husband. We can't picture Julia taking risks to free slaves in the War Between the States, or doing demanding work nursing dying soldiers in battles, or being willing to endure walking alongside a wagon train to settle the West.

Julia does not work from dawn to dusk to build shelter, plant crops, harvest food to eat, sew clothes, haul water, or clean up waste as our ancestors did. Julia does not stand side by side with her parents, brothers, sisters, and husband to build a community and fight to defend it.

Julia does not seem to have any of those natural relationships most women have?she only has the parasitic "relationship" with the "government" with her from cradle to grave.

Julia doesn't need the skills our foremothers had...or even the skills of women today who work in fields previously only available to men. Everything is done for Julia through government benefits!  But remember, those benefits come from taxing someone else's work.

Poor hapless Julia can't even "focus" on her web design work without free contraceptives provided by the government to "ease her worries" about getting pregnant. When Julia does "decide" to have a child, she then sends the child off on a bus to be raised at a government school.

Our foremothers showed strength, independence, and courage. They had no guarantee of the basics of life, even water, food, or shelter, and endured unbelievable hardship. They persevered through hard times, held their families together, and passed along their culture, their traditions, their standards, and dreams of liberty to the next generation.

American women have helped build the strongest and most prosperous nation in the history of the world.  Through their own hard work, women reached the pinnacle of success in many fields: business, medicine, law, the military, engineering, space exploration, mining, construction, science, and government. They achieve through their effort and initiative and development of skills, a process we call earned success.

Julia, on the other hand, exemplifies learned helplessness and dependency. Her life shows the stark contrast between the vision of our Founders and the vision of modern "progressives." Instead of having the freedom to choose her own path and to succeed based on one's work, one's intellect, one's right to keep property, and one's personal values, Julia's life is subservient to Big Daddy government for protection to help her day to day. Although Julia doesn't realize it, she could lose her favored "protection" at any time her protectors lose an election.

Government will take care of Julia?after it decides she is one of the chosen. Julia will be allowed to live as long as she is perceived to be an asset to the state. Once she becomes too old, or too sick, she will be "comforted" and "assisted" in dying when the government decides it is her time to go so that "society's" resources can be spent on someone younger or more politically valuable.

It is a cruel irony that the very progressives who are reducing our women to this pathetic state are accusing others of making "war on women." This government nanny kills the soul and the creative spirit of strong women, and creates passive, helpless shells of women living a shadow life.

The spirit of America is not embodied in the faceless, passive cartoon character of Julia, holding out her hand for government benefits.

The true spirit of America is embodied in The Lady Liberty, a strong woman who values the law, stands proudly holding her torch high as a beacon to victims of tyranny and oppression throughout the world.

The spirit of women we celebrate each Mother's Day is embodied in the millions of women who dared to dream, who dared to take risks, who dared to explore the unknown and work alongside men to build a great nation.

I have spent a career in Medicine focused on empowering women, not creating dependency.  Let it not be said that freedom to choose one's path in life died on our watch while we made passive, parasitic "Julias" out of our young women.

http://www.aapsonline.org/

###

WASHINGTON - Senators Chuck Grassley and Chris Coons today won unanimous support from the Judiciary Committee for their legislation to clarify when a federal law enforcement agent is acting under the color of his office.

The Officer Safety Act, S.2276, would allow a federal law enforcement agent who stops a violent crime while off-duty and is indicted in a state court for those actions to petition for the state criminal prosecution against him to be removed to federal court.

The senators said the bill is narrowly drawn in order to benefit only those officers who have acted appropriately.

"The existing federal removal statute was created so that the agents would not fear prosecutions for performing their jobs, and their duties include assisting victims even when are technically off duty," Grassley said.  "As it stands, however, when the officer, say on a weekend, steps in to protect a victim from a crime of violence that is occurring in his presence, he risks state prosecution and damage to his career.  That might lead him to hesitate.  This is contrary to good public policy."

"Police officers look out for our communities and our families every day, risking their own safety to do so," Coons said. " When I was a county executive, I worked closely with our local law enforcement professionals and witnessed firsthand how our brave officers are trained to detect and prevent dangerous situations, whether they are on-the-clock or not. The Officer Safety Act of 2012 will ensure that 'off duty' federal officers who intercede to protect the lives of others will be held to the same standards as when they are performing their official duties. I applaud my colleagues' work today and for coming together during National Police Week to support our nation's first responders. I hope the bill will be considered by the full Senate soon."

Grassley serves as ranking member and Coons is a member of the Judiciary Committee.  The proposal adopted during the committee meeting this morning was co-sponsored by Senators Tom Coburn, Jeff Sessions, Dianne Feinstein, Amy Klobuchar, Chuck Schumer, Richard Blumenthal, and Richard Durbin.

It is supported by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association, and the National Border Patrol Council.

 

-30-

EPA, FDA, NPS, National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention Highlight Sun Safety Tips for 'Don't Fry Day': May 25th

WASHINGTON - As summer quickly approaches, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has joined the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Park Service (NPS) to emphasize the dangers of skin cancer and has provided simple steps Americans can take to protect themselves. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention designated the Friday before Memorial Day "Don't Fry Day" as a way to highlight sun safety.

"Skin cancer prevention and sun safety are important issues for EPA - our primary mission is to protect people's health and the environment," said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "While the agency has made steady progress protecting the Earth's ozone layer, the SunWise program and Don't Fry Day help teach children and families simple steps to stay safe in the sun and protect themselves from harmful UV rays."

"The risk of skin cancer is very real. It's therefore important that consumers prevent sunburn and protect themselves from the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging throughout the year," said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, M.D. "The FDA strongly recommends that consumers regularly use a Broad Spectrum sunscreen with an SPF value of 15 or higher in combination with other protective measures to more effectively protect themselves and their families whenever they are in the sun."

"Whether you hike or stroll, paddle a canoe or kayak or just sit in a mountain meadow watching the clouds go by, remember to put on your hat, apply sunscreen and have plenty of water to drink," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "These sun safety tips will protect your skin and I think guarantee that we'll see you often in your national parks."

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. and the most common cancer among 20 to 30 year-olds. It's estimated that one American dies every hour from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Approximately 76,000 new cases of melanoma will occur this year.

To help protect people's health, EPA's SunWise program, one of the nation's largest environmental and health education programs, encourages kids and their caregivers to practice safe sun habits and raises awareness about UV sunlight that penetrates the Earth's ozone layer.

Here are some tips to help Americans continue to exercise, get outside and be SunWise this Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer:

Check the UV Index app: Check the ultraviolet (UV) index anytime by downloading EPA's app (epa.gov/enviro/mobile) to help plan outdoor activities in ways that prevent overexposure to the sun. UV rays from the sun (and from artificial light sources such as tanning beds) can lead to skin cancer.

Apply sunscreen and wear protective clothing: Apply a palm-full of sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher that provides broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays to exposed skin about 15 minutes before heading outdoors. Reapply every two hours. Wearing protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses also prevents sun damage.

Seek shade, not sun: The sun's UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so seek shade during this time.

Although less common in individuals with darker complexions, skin cancer does not discriminate and is more often fatal for individuals with darker skin. Overexposure to the sun also causes immune suppression and up to 90 percent of wrinkles, brown spots, leathering of the skin and sagging.

EPA's SunWise program offers factsheets online that have state-specific information (epa.gov/sunwise/statefacts.html). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the states with the highest melanoma death rates include Nebraska, Vermont, Colorado, Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Idaho.

More on SunWise: http://www.epa.gov/sunwise

More on FDA sun safety: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm258416.htm

More on NPS Healthy Parks Healthy People: http://www.nps.gov/public_health/hp/hphp.htm

More on CDC skin cancer prevention efforts: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/

The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention social media opportunities: http://twibbon.com/cause/Don39t-Fry-Day-7/Join

Report examines how many rural Americans benefit from provisions of the Affordable Care Act

Lyons, Nebraska -  Today, the Center for Rural Affairs released a new report that documents findings about how many Americans have used or benefited from particular provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

Where possible, this report also estimates how many rural residents and families have used or benefited from Affordable Care Act provisions. These estimates on rural participation are unique to this report, extrapolating rural participation from general public participation data and, thereby, demonstrating the importance of these provisions to America's rural communities.

The report entitled, The Affordable Care Act: Real Help for Real Rural People, can be viewed and downloaded at: http://files.cfra.org/pdf/real-help-rural-people.pdf.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Since then numerous provisions have gone into effect or been implemented that impact health insurance coverage and provide new health care benefits for millions of Americans.

"As we have documented in a series of reports, many of these provisions are particularly applicable to rural people because of the demographics and unique economic circumstances of rural areas," said Jon Bailey, Director of Rural Research and Analysis at the Center for Rural Affairs and author of the report. "Of course, rural people and families in large numbers have also benefited from the more general provisions of the Affordable Care Act."

Key findings in the report include :

Provision People Helped Overall Rural People Helped
Young Adults with Health Insurance 2.5 million 440,000 additional
Medicare "Donut Hole" Beneficiaries 5.1 million seniors 1.1 million seniors
Medicare Annual Wellness Checks 2.3 million 500,000
Medicare Preventive Services 32.5 million seniors 6.8 million seniors
Preventive Services (Insured) 54 million 8.9 million
Lifting Lifetime Limits 105 million 17.3 million
Children with Pre-existing Conditions 17 million 3 million
Unreasonable Rate Increase Protection 76 million 12.5 million
Children's Preventive Services 40 million 6.6 million

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: Some individuals will qualify for more than one provision

"On March 23rd the Affordable Care Act entered its third year as the nation's fundamental public health care policy," continued Bailey. "We believe it is crucial at this time to reflect on what the Affordable Care Act really does... what it actually has to offer, especially to rural Americans who have faced stern challenges in finding and accessing quality, affordable health care coverage."

This is the 16th report in a series dealing with how health care reform and the Affordable Care Act is impacting rural America. Visit http://www.cfra.org/policy/health-care/research to review or download earlier Center for Rural Affairs health care reports.

###

Federal funds available through We Choose Health program

CARBONDALE - May 14, 2012. As the only statewide elected official from Southern Illinois and the chair of the Governor's Rural Affairs Council, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon is urging rural communities to apply for grants from a new public health program before the end of the week.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is making $3.3 million available through the We Choose Health program to communities across the state. Grants will be given to projects that expand access to healthy foods, increase nutrition and physical activity in communities, promote bike- and pedestrian-friendly travel and create smoke-free environments. At least 35 percent of funds must go to applicants in rural communities.

Eligible applicants include local health departments and other government bodies, educational organizations such as colleges and school districts, hospitals and other health care providers, and community-based organizations such as non-profits and volunteer organizations located in rural and suburban counties excluding Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will County. Applicants must submit a letter of intent by May 18 with complete proposals due by June 15.

"I urge rural communities across the state to take advantage of these federal dollars," said Simon. "A healthier state will help improve the quality of life in rural Illinois and lower healthcare costs."

Simon, as chair of the Governor's Rural Affairs Council, has advocated for expanded use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at farmers markets as a way to increase access to local foods and promote healthier eating and lifestyles. IDPH is represented on the council.

According to the IDPH, within the counties eligible to receive funding, less than a fifth of high school students report eating five or more servings of fresh fruit and vegetables a day, nearly two-thirds of adults and more than half of adolescents do not meet recommended physical activity guidelines, and 22 percent of adults and 19.2 percent of adolescents smoke.

Applicants must choose to implement at least two of eight We Choose Health strategies, which include coordinated school health, baby-friendly hospitals, worksite wellness, smoke-free multi-unit housing, smoke-free public places, safe routes to school, street planning models that accommodate bicycle and pedestrian traffic, and joint-use agreements.

"Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are leading causes of death, disability and rising health care costs," said IDPH Acting Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck.  "But this is not something the health department, community organizations or health care can solve on its own.  Similar to the proverb, it takes a village to raise a child, it will take all of us working together to reduce chronic diseases and help people live longer, healthier lives."

The Community Transformation Grant (CTG), funded from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides IDPH with $4.8 million a year. As part of its CTG, IDPH developed We Choose Health, a sub-award program to fund organizations and coalitions working on chronic disease prevention at the local level. Organizations can apply for a grant of up to $300,000 per year for a period of a little more than four years. Organizations interested in applying should visit www.wechoosehealth.illinois.gov.

###
The Facts:
-Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. 1
-More than three million skin cancers are diagnosed annually - 11,590 cases will be fatal.1
-Non-melanoma skin cancer in the older population increased 77% from 1992-2006.2
-People under 30 years old that use tanning beds increase their risk of skin cancer by 75%.3
-Between 1973-2004, melanoma among women aged 15-39 has more than doubled. 4
-In an international study, melanoma has been linked to tanning bed usage. 4

Soderstrom Skin Institute will provide a FREE Skin Cancer Screening from 8 am to 12pm Saturday, May 19 at 1800 E. 54th Street in Davenport.  No appointment is necessary.

About 35 years ago, Soderstrom Skin Institute began FREE skin cancer screenings.  Today, more than 25,000 patients have been checked for atypical spots and changing moles, at Soderstrom Clinics. Moles or spots that have changed in size, shape, or color, have irregular borders that vary in color, that bleed or itch, or are larger than a pencil eraser, should be examined.

Soderstrom Skin Institute encourages anyone with a changing mole or spot on their skin to have it evaluated for the possibility of skin cancer. According to Soderstrom, one in 69 people will be diagnosed with a melanoma. The earlier melanoma is detected and removed, the better a patient's chance for survival.

"If you can spot it, you can stop it," Dr. Soderstrom says.

Over the past 35 years, Soderstrom Skin Institute has grown into one of the most comprehensive skin care facilities in the country. To learn more, visit SoderstromSkinInstitute.com.  To schedule an appointment at the Davenport office, please call (563) 344-7546.

1 American Cancer Society

2 Archives of Dermatology

3 International Agency for Research of Cancer

4
Skin Cancer Foundation

###

Report examines how many rural Americans benefit from provisions of the Affordable Care Act

Lyons, Nebraska - On Tuesday, May 15, 2012, the Center for Rural Affairs will release a new report entitled, The Affordable Care Act: Real Help for Real Rural People, the report documents findings about how many Americans have used or benefited from particular provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

Where possible, the report also estimates how many rural residents and families have used or benefited from Affordable Care Act provisions. These estimates on rural participation are unique to this report, extrapolating rural participation from general public participation data and, thereby, demonstrating the importance of these provisions to America's rural communities.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Since then numerous provisions have gone into effect or been implemented that impact health insurance coverage and provide new health care benefits for millions of Americans.

"As we have documented in a series of reports, many of these provisions are particularly applicable to rural people because of the demographics and unique economic circumstances of rural areas," said Jon Bailey, Director of Rural Research and Analysis at the Center for Rural Affairs and author of the report. "Of course, rural people and families in large numbers have also benefited from the more general provisions of the Affordable Care Act."

A full copy of the embargoed report can be viewed and downloaded at: http://files.cfra.org/pdf/real-help-rural-people.pdf, immediately and will remain available after the embargo is lifted. Center for Rural Affairs contacts are available for interview in advance of the lifting of the embargo.

Key findings in the report include
:

 

Provision People Helped Overall Rural People Helped
Young Adults with Health Insurance 2.5 million 440,000 additional
Medicare "Donut Hole" Beneficiaries 5.1 million seniors 1.1 million seniors
Medicare Annual Wellness Checks 2.3 million 500,000
Medicare Preventive Services 32.5 million seniors 6.8 million seniors
Preventive Services (Insured) 54 million 8.9 million
Lifting Lifetime Limits 105 million 17.3 million
Children with Pre-existing Conditions 17 million 3 million
Unreasonable Rate Increase Protection 76 million 12.5 million
Children's Preventive Services 40 million 6.6 million

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: Some individuals will qualify for more than one provision

"On March 23rd the Affordable Care Act entered into its third year as the nation's fundamental public health care policy," continued Bailey. "We believe it is crucial at this time to reflect on what the Affordable Care Act really does... what it actually has to offer, especially to rural Americans who have faced stern challenges in finding and accessing quality, affordable health care coverage."

IOWA CITY - Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-2nd District) and three SEIU Local 199 Registered Nurse members from University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) will hold a press conference Friday, May 11 at 3:45 pm at the UIHC to highlight the many benefits for patients and providers in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. For instance, despite the difficult financial picture for next year that UIHC officials recently painted for the Board of Regents, the ACA will actually help hospitals' bottom lines, said Pauline Taylor, an SEIU Member and an operating room nurse.
"Simultaneously it will drive down costs and improve patient outcomes. That is why it is so important to fight for it no matter what the Court ultimately does," added Matt Sinovic, Executive Director of Progress Iowa, which shares SEIU's support for the ACA. In Massachusetts, where healthcare reform has been in full swing for several years, the Massachusetts Hospital Association reports that hospitals have taken billions of dollars out of the rising expense trend over the last three years.
We have been going around the hospital over the past few weeks, educating our members about the ACA and how critical it is for us as providers and for the Iowans we care for, said Taylor.

###

With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, and nearly 6,000 in Iowa, SEIU is the fastest-growing
union in the Americas. SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while
uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs-
-benefit from today's global economy.
Progress Iowa is a multi-issue progressive advocacy organization. Year-round, we promote progressive ideas and causes with creative earned media strategies, targeted email campaigns, and cutting-edge new media. With our allies, we work to significantly improve the communications effort of the entire progressive community in Iowa.
BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO FREEZE AWAY BODY FAT NOW AVAILABLE

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- May 9, 2012 -- CoolSculpting®, an innovative technology that freezes away unwanted fat, is now available at Genesis Plastic Surgery Specialists, making the medical practice the first in the region to offer this breakthrough in non-invasive fat reduction.

"CoolSculpting is an exciting new approach that is non-invasive and has shown significant results in clinical studies for removing fat without the potential risks and downtime of invasive procedures," said Anne Cramer, M.D., who is in practice with John Searles, M.D. "We have found the procedure to be extremely effective, especially on resistant, localized areas such as back fat, love handles and the isolated belly fat. CoolSculpting is comfortable and patients are highly satisfied."

Cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CoolSculpting cools unwanted fat cells in the body, thereby inducing a natural, controlled elimination of fat cells. Based on science developed by the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass., this breakthrough is based on thorough research that demonstrates fat cells are more susceptible to cold and are selectively, painlessly and permanently destroyed. Starting several weeks after the procedure, cooled fat cells begin a process called "apoptosis" and begin to shrink and disappear. The body proceeds to naturally and gradually eliminate the cooled fat cells, reducing the thickness of the fat layer.

Unlike many other methods of fat reduction, CoolSculpting involves no needles, surgery or long periods of recovery. During the procedure, a non-invasive applicator delivers precisely controlled cooling to the treatment area, specifically targeting fat. Treatments last one hour. Some patients will benefit from a repeat procedure to the area.

On average, each CoolSculpting procedure results in an undeniable reduction of fat in the treated area, and patients can start to see results as soon as three weeks following treatment, with the most dramatic results occurring over a period of two to four months in most patients.

Surgeons Dr. Anne Cramer and Dr. John Searles provide board-certified services in breast surgery, body contouring, liposuction, face and eyelid surgery and post-bariatric plastic surgery. They also specialize in breast reconstruction after cancer, skin cancer and burn care.

Genesis Plastic Surgery Specialists is located at 5335 Eastern Ave., Davenport. For more information, call (563) 323-0026 or www.genesishealth.com/pss. For information about CoolSculpting, go to www.thefatfreeze.com.

###

Finance Leaders Investigate Whether Pharmaceutical Companies Encouraged Non-Profit Beneficiaries to Promote Misleading Information about Narcotic Painkillers

 

Washington, DC - Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and senior Committee member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) initiated an investigation today into the connections of drug manufacturers Purdue Pharma, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Johnson & Johnson with medical groups and physicians who have advocated the increased use of narcotic painkillers, or opioids.  The Senators also asked seven other medical groups to produce information about their financial ties and collaborations with opioid manufacturers.  In letters sent to each yesterday, Baucus and Grassley requested documents and financial information from the companies and noted that deaths resulting from opioid overdoses have recently skyrocketed, growing nearly 400 percent between 1999 and 2008, the most recent year for which data was available.  They also highlighted news reports suggesting the increase may be driven by misinformation and dubious marketing practices used by the pharmaceutical companies and the medical organizations they fund.

 

"Overdoses on narcotic painkillers have become an epidemic, and it's becoming clear that patients aren't getting a full and clear picture of the risks posed by their medications," Baucus said.  "When it comes to these highly-addictive painkillers, improper relationships between pharmaceutical companies and the organizations that promote their drugs can put lives at risk.  These painkillers have an important role in health care when prescribed and used properly, but pushing misinformation on consumers to boost profits is not only wrong, it's dangerous."

 

"The problem of opioid abuse is bad and getting worse," Grassley said.  "Something has to change.  A greater understanding of the extent to which drug makers underwrite literature on opioids is a good start.  Doctors and patients should know if the medical literature and groups that guide the drugs' use are paid for by the drugs' manufacturers and if so, how much.  Education on the proper use of pain medication is a key step in preventing abuse and misuse, so it's important to understand what material is out there."


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have declared overdoses from opioid painkillers to be a public health epidemic.  Deaths from painkiller overdoses have tripled over the last decade and led to the deaths of 14,800 Americans in 2008, exceeding those caused by heroin and cocaine combined.  The increase in deaths from opioids has pushed drug poisoning ahead of automobile accidents to be the leading cause of accidental death in the United States.

Inquiries directed at the American Pain Foundation, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the American Pain Society, the Center for Practical Bioethics, the Wisconsin Pain and Policy Study Group, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the Federation of State Medical Boards will help to establish whether they have promoted misleading information about the risks and benefits of opioids while receiving financial support from opioid manufacturers.

 

Baucus and Grassley have conducted oversight on fraud against the nation's health care programs and sponsored legislation to improve the government's ability to fight fraud.  They released a report last fall detailing tactics used by home health companies meant to increase their profits by gaming Medicare.  Earlier last year, when their investigation found that the drug company Sanofi interfered in the approval of generic alternatives to its blood-thinner drug Lovenox, the Finance leaders called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help guarantee consumers have access to affordable generic medications.  The previous December, Baucus and Grassley released a report detailing the relationship between Abbott labs and a Maryland doctor who allegedly implanted nearly 600 unnecessary cardiac stents into his patients, costing the federal government as much as $3.8 million in overpayments.  The specific stent case highlighted in the Senators' report is indicative of a widespread, national problem of unnecessary stenting.  The Senators also spearheaded a two year inquiry which revealed undisclosed side effects of the diabetes drug Avandia.  This resulted in the FDA restricting use of the drug, ensuring that patients and doctors have the information they need to make safe, informed decisions about their medication.

 

The full text of the letter to Purdue Pharma appears below.  The text of each remaining letter is available on the Finance Committee's website here.

 

 

 

May 8, 2012

 

John H. Stewart
President and Chief Executive Officer
Purdue Pharma L.P.
One Stamford Forum
201 Tresser Boulevard
Stamford, Connecticut 06901-3431

 

Dear Mr. Stewart:

 

As Chairman and a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, we have a responsibility to the more than 100 million Americans who receive health care under Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.   As part of that responsibility, this Committee has investigated the marketing practices of pharmaceutical and medical device companies as well as their relationships with physicians and non-profit medical organizations.

 

It is clear that the United States is suffering from an epidemic of accidental deaths and addiction resulting from the increased sale and use of powerful narcotic painkillers such as Oxycontin (oxycodone), Vicodin (hydrocodone), and Opana (oxymorphone).   According to CDC data, "more than 40% (14,800)" of the "36,500 drug poisoning deaths in 2008" were related to opioid-based prescription painkillers.[1] Deaths from these drugs rose more rapidly, "from about 4,000 to 14,800" between 1999 and 2008, than any other class of drugs,[2] killing more people than heroin and cocaine combined.[3] More people in the United States now die from drugs than car accidents as a result of this new epidemic.[4] Additionally, the CDC reports that improper "use of prescription painkillers costs health insurers up to $72.5 billion annually in direct health care costs."[5]

 

In Montana, prescription drug abuse is characterized by the state's Department of Justice as an "invisible epidemic" killing at least 300 people per year and contributing to increases in addiction and crime.[6] The University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research estimated that prescription drug abuse is costing the state $20 million annually in additional law enforcement, social services, and lost productivity.[7]

 

In Iowa, "the use of opioid painkillers such as hydrocodone and oxycodone has increased dramatically in the last decade," according to the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy. Annual overdose deaths from opioids "increased more than 1,233% from 3 deaths in 2000 to 40 deaths in 2009."[8] Data from Iowa's prescription drug monitoring program demonstrates that in 2010, 89,500,000 doses of hydrocodone and oxycodone were prescribed totaling nearly 40% of all controlled substance prescriptions.[9]

 

Concurrent with the growing epidemic, the New York Times reports that, based on federal data, "over the last decade, the number of prescriptions for the strongest opioids has increased nearly fourfold, with only limited evidence of their long-term effectiveness or risks" while "[d]ata suggest that hundreds of thousands of patients nationwide may be on potentially dangerous doses."[10]

 

There is growing evidence pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and market opioids may be responsible, at least in part, for this epidemic by promoting misleading information about the drugs' safety and effectiveness.  In 2007, top executives from Purdue Pharma, the original manufacturer of OxyContin, one of the most notorious and heavily abused painkillers, "pleaded guilty...in federal court to criminal charges that they misled regulators, doctors and patients about the drug's risk of addiction and its potential to be abused."[11]

 

In addition to illegal off-label marketing, which has been prevalent in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, drug and device companies have been found to engage in marketing, regulatory, and public relations activities through supposedly independent medical organizations financed by industry.[12] Recent investigative reporting from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today and ProPublica revealed extensive ties between companies that manufacture and market opioids and non-profit organizations such as the American Pain Foundation, the American Pain Society, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the Federation of State Medical Boards, and the University of Wisconsin Pain and Policy Study Group.

 

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today, a "network of national organizations and researchers with financial connections to the makers of narcotic painkillers...helped create a body of dubious information" favoring opioids "that can be found in prescribing guidelines, patient literature, position statements, books and doctor education courses."[13] For example, the Sentinel reported that the Federation of State Medical Boards, with financial support from opioid manufacturers, distributed more than 160,000 copies of a model policy book that drew criticism from doctors because "it failed to point out the lack of science supporting the use of opioids for chronic, non cancer pain."[14]

 

In a ProPublica story published in the Washington Post, the watchdog organization examined the American Pain Foundation, a "health advocacy" organization that received "nearly 90 percent of its $5 million funding from the drug and medical device industry." [15] ProPublica wrote that its review of the American Pain Foundation's "guides for patients, journalists, and policymakers play down the risks associated with opioids and exaggerate their benefits.  Some of the foundation's materials on the drugs include statements that are misleading or based on scant or disputed research."[16]

 

In 2003, a GAO report pointed to Purdue's partnership with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO) as possible means for Purdue to have "facilitated its access to hospitals to promote OxyContin."[17] The report revealed that Purdue "funded over 20,000 pain-related educational programs through direct sponsorship or financial grants" in addition to funding the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's (JCAHO) pain management programs.[18]

 

Although it is critical that patients continue to have access to opioids to treat serious pain, pharmaceutical companies and health care organizations must distribute accurate information about these drugs in order to prevent improper use and diversion to drug abusers.

 

As part of our effort to understand the relationship between opioid manufacturers and non-profit health care organizations, please provide the following information:

 

1)      Provide a detailed account of all payments from 1997 to the present between Purdue and the following organizations in table format:

 

a.       Organizations

i.      The American Pain Foundation

ii.      The American Academy of Pain Medicine

iii.      The American Pain Society

iv.      The American Geriatric Society

v.      The Wisconsin Pain and Policy Study Group

vi.      The Alliance of State Pain Initiatives

vii.      The Center for Practical Bioethics

viii.      Beth Israel Medical Center, Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care

ix.      The Joint Commission (and all related entities)

x.      The Federation of State Medical Boards

b.      Individuals

i.      Russell K. Portenoy, M.D. - Chairman, Department of Pain Medicine And Palliative Care at Beth Israel Medical Center

ii.      Scott M. Fishman, M.D. - Chief, Department of Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis

iii.      Perry G. Fine, M.D. - Professor of Anesthesiology, Pain Research Center, University of Utah School of Medicine

iv.      Lynn R. Webster, M.D., F.A.C.P.M., F.A.S.A.M. - Medical Director and Founder, Lifetree Clinical Research & Pain Clinic

v.      Rollin M. Gallagher, M.D., M.P.H. - Director of Pain Management, Philadelphia Veteran Affairs Medical Center

vi.      Bill McCarber, M.D. - Founder of the Chronic Pain Management Program for Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, CA

vii.      Martin Grabois, M.D. - President, American Academy of Pain Medicine

viii.      Myra Christopher - Kathleen M. Foley Chair for Pain and Palliative Care, Center for Practical Bioethics

c.       For each organization or individual identified in 1(a) and 1(b), provide:

i.      Date of payment.

ii.      Payment description (CME, royalty, honorarium, research support, etc.).

iii.      Amount of payment.

iv.      Year-end or year-to-date payment total and cumulative total payments for each organization or individual.

 

2)      All documents and communications from 2004 to the present pertaining to the book, "Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician's Guide," distributed by the Federation of State Medical Boards.

a.       Provide the names, titles, and job descriptions of all employees who collaborated with the Federation of State Medical Boards, Dr. Scott Fishman, or third-party contractors on the development of this book.

b.      For each employee identified in 2(a), provide a summary of the work performed pertaining to the book.

 

3)      All documents and communications from 2007 to the present pertaining to the development or changes to JCAHO's[19] pain management standards, including but not limited to communications with the American Pain Society and other organizations involved in developing JCAHO pain management standards.

 

4)      All documents and communications from 2007 to the present pertaining to the development or changes to The American Pain Society's pain guidelines.

 

5)      All documents and communications from 2004 to the present pertaining to the American Pain Foundation's Military/Veterans Pain Initiative.

6)      All documents and communications from 2007 to the present pertaining to any policies, guidelines, press releases and/or position papers distributed by the American Pain Foundation.

 

7)      All presentations, reports, and communications to Purdue's management team or board of directors from 2007 to the present pertaining to the funding of and/or collaborations with of any of the organizations or individuals specified in request 1(a) or 1(b).

In cooperating with the Committee's review, no documents, records, data, or other information related to these matters, either directly or indirectly, shall be destroyed, modified, removed, or otherwise made inaccessible to the Committee.

 

We look forward to hearing from you by no later than June 8, 2012. All documents responsive to this request should be sent electronically, on a disc, in searchable PDF format to my staff.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact [staff redacted] with Senator Baucus at (202) 224-4515 or [staff redacted] with Senator Grassley at (202) 224-5225.

 

 

Sincerely,

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Charles E. Grassley                       Max Baucus

Senator                        Chairman

 

 

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