08/11/2008
The Lightning Strikes, Snow Patrol
Alright, sorry it has taken me so long to update. I was in class over 40 hours this week and never got my laptop out at nights. Anyway, classes are going well and I’m beginning to fear the day that I have to leave. I only have about three more weeks in San Jose and then it’s off to Guatemala to work on a coffee plantation.
I’m currently working on two large projects, one being the consulting project for the coffee farm and the other being a ‘personal project’. Since many believe that Obama is planning on ruining the healthcare system (he can’t change it in 4 years, don’t worry), and the fact that I enjoy learning about healthcare systems work; my personal project is a look into the ins and outs of equalities and the quality of care given to people of the Americas. The first thing that I realized is how odd it is that the US is the last of the developed nations with no publicly funded healthcare and we’re ranked (36th) by the World Health Organization (WHO). Yep, that is just on place after Costa Rica. People here laugh at the thought of paying for healthcare. However, some do pay a little in order to go to a “private care” clinic which consists of a quicker process depending on your needs ie. If you have a cold, go to a private clinic, but if you have cancer, go to the public clinic. Anyway, I just started thinking about the US and the insurance policies that at times don’t cover the importance stuff like ambulance rides or necessary tests. If you guys have any examples of insurance falling short, or doing a great job, send me an email at jdt05h@acu.edu. Or , if you would like to look into the topic of healthcare inequalities on a global level, I would suggest starting with the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. It is a story about one of my biggest heroes, Paul Farmer. Another big hero being Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea).
Good news, I’m back on a running schedule, but I think I’ve been talked into the 50k-ultramarathon (31 miles) at Cowtown. Good ol’ brother-in laws.
At some point I need to tell you people the story of my mom and Dwight zip lining in the cloud forests when they were down here. Good stuff, but best saved for a later date.
peace
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November 18, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Tim Elliott
Joel,
The Healthcare discussion is interesting. From a theoretical point of view publicly funded healthcare looks pretty interesting. After spending time in over 40 Canadian hospitals I can tell you that it does not work so well in practice. I would love to have that discussion with you sometime since you are interested in becoming a Healthcare expert. I can help enlighten you on how things work on the front lines. Think about it this way…If you were told today you had cancer.. does a publicly funded hospital sound good or is MD Anderson in Houston have a sweeter ring to it?
“I’m just sayin???”
Tim