President and Ebola upstaged

The Affordable Care Act was the original topic for Patrick Gavin, president of Crozer Chester Medical Center, who addressed the Business and Professional Association of Western County (BPA) last week.  However, when members assembled for their monthly meeting at Brandywine Prime, they got a surprise: 8-year-old Hannah Burella opened the program.

Burella told a story about wanting to have fun and fit in. But her efforts to do that presented a challenge. She explained that she has to pay particular attention to her health before doing things that other children her age do without thinking. Last summer, Burella got to “feel normal” when she went to Camp Kweebec in Schwenksville.

The zip lining was fun, she said, but meeting other children with Type 1 diabetes and talking to them about their shared difficulties was even better.  Burella said the camp and her insulin pump - a touch-screen device that resembles an iPhone - are supported by the American Diabetes Association. The ADA’s mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.

Burella invited to the group to watch her You Tube video “Candy General.”

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She closed with a pitch to support ADA. “Can I count on you guys?” The board of the BPA pledged support to the ADA.

Acknowledging that Burella was a hard act to follow, Gavin began his presentation. Although he was initially scheduled just to talk about the Affordable Care Act, Gavin agreed to the audience’s request that he discuss Ebola as well.

He explained that Ebola is not spread by casual contact, air, water or food grown or legally purchased in the United States. So the virus is different from the flu, which is spread by casual contact.

Ebola is also different in that the “viral load,” the number of particles needed to get sick is much lower than flu viruses.  “One little breach” could cause the illness.  The breach could be a touch of the face by a hand that had been in direct contact with the fluids of a person with Ebola or who died of Ebola, he said.

Ebola can only be spread after symptoms appear. Symptoms are fever, headache, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle pain, and unexplained bleeding or bruising.

Gavin was peppered with questions from the audience.

Can you get Ebola again if you are lucky enough to survive it? You cannot get the same exact disease, but you can get a mutant of the virus that infected previously.

Is Crozer Chester Medical Center prepared? “We are following the CDC guidelines for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).” The procedure calls for double-gloving, masks, shields and boots affording no trans-dermal contact. Plus, every patient presenting with flu-like symptoms is asked if they have traveled to affected country within 21 days.

Will there be a vaccine? According to a GlaxoSmithKline press release last week, “development of the vaccine candidate is progressing at an unprecedented rate.”  If the phase 1 trials are successful, the next phases of the clinical trial will begin in early 2015. Gavin added that the virus has not mutated in the 40 years it has infected humans, which makes development of a vaccine easier.

Can you catch Ebola from a doorknob? There is a seven- to eight-hour viability. “As it dries, it dies,” Gavin said. Bleach is a good way to kill the virus. Regarding gym equipment, Gavin recommended wiping it before and after you work out.

Moving on to the Affordable Care Act, Gavin warned that the subject could be a whole presentation itself. Business owners said they wanted some overview for decisions they are facing about insuring their employees.

Gavin explained that everyone must have health insurance or pay a fine. Businesses with over 50 full-time employees must provide health insurance for their employees or pay a fine. Full-time employees are defined as working at least 30 hours a week. Health plans must contain 10 core benefits.

The annual enrollment period was Oct. 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014. Open enrollment for next year will begin Nov. 15, 2015.

The State of Pennsylvania declined Medicaid expansion in 2014 and proffered its own plan, “Healthy PA.” The plan was approved and will start Jan. 1, but implementation may stop depending on the outcome of the election for governor.

“The donut hole” - those making too much to be covered by Medicaid and too little to afford insurance - is being closed. In Delaware County, the number of uninsured has been reduced by 25,000. In Pennsylvania, the number has decreased by 702,000, Gavin said.

From the providers’ point of view, Gavin sees a problem with people who take the minimum coverage, which leaves them exposed to potentially large co-payments. Those bills can be for thousands of dollars, which is out of the reach of many. Asked how he feels about the ACA, Gavin said he is an agnostic. As the leader of his health organization, his job is to make it work.

Lisa Dort, BPA president, tried to give Gavin a chance to sit down and eat, but questions were fast and furious throughout the evening. The evening closed with the offer that Gavin would revisit these topics in the future.

In addition the titles of president of Crozer-Chester Medical Center and executive vice president and chief operating officer of Crozer-Keystone Health System, Gavin is co-chair of this year’s Midatlantic ADA Fundraising Run on Nov 1.

About Emily Myers

Emily Myers has lived and worked in Chadds Ford for over thirty five years.  She founded the parent company of Chadds Ford Live, Decision Design Research, Inc., in 1982.  ChaddsFordLive.com represents the confluence of Myers' long time, deep involvement in technology and community. Myers was a founding member of the Chadds Ford Business Association and currently serves on its board of directors.  Her hobbies include bridge, golf, photography and Tai Chi. She lives with her husband, Jim Lebedda, in Chadds Ford Township.

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