Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's constituents used
to be folks in need of heart surgery.
On Saturday, the doctor/politician donned a white physician's jacket and
toured Roper Hospital in downtown Charleston, promoting his new bill to make
patient records accessible nationwide via technology.
"I'm here to talk with physicians, nurses and patients, to discuss how we can
adopt more efficient technologies within the hospitals, how government can help
physicians deliver health care free of unnecessary intervention," said Frist,
R-Tenn.
Frist, who came at the invitation of Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said technology
could ensure that records remain secure.
Clinical Manager Markita Ebersole said the legislation is long overdue.
Because Charleston is a tourist destination, she said, visitors sometimes
stop in with medical emergencies. For best treatment, the hospital staff needs
to know a patient's medical history.
Currently the staff must contact the patient's doctor in another city, which
can be hit or miss. Or, Ebersole said, the staff has to hope a travel companion
knows details.
There's often no time for delay. "Health care needs to happen quickly," she
said.
Frist said the bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., has
bipartisan support, and he expects it to become law.
"I think it's a great idea," said Roper Hospital President David Dunlap.
The legislation is endorsed by more than 20 organizations including the
National Partnership for Women and Families, the National Federation of
Independent Business and the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society.
This was Frist's second visit to Charleston in recent weeks. He spoke to
graduates at the Medical University of South Carolina last month.
