Brendon's Update

This is an exciting time in our lives, with news of our little boy and the anticipation of what the future holds. We are keeping pretty busy. My ankle is getting better. I'm going to try it out tomorrow night on the volleyball court. A four week break has done wonders, but I'm too anxious to wait any longer.

This Friday, we'll find out where we will be living for the next two years of our life. Our school holds a lottery match where each student ranks their top 6 choices of the available locations. The current and practically permanent top 6 are:

1. Wichita, KS
2. Provo, UT
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. Phoenix, AZ
5. Denver, CO
6. Logan, UT

As you can tell, we want to go west from here. The current plan after those two years is to get into a Pediatrics residency program in Southern California. I say "current" because I never know what other opportunities might come my way. Three years of residency should be enough time to know if California is the place for our family. I have been doing some research on the programs and here is the tentative ranking:

1. Loma Linda Children's Hospital
2. Children's Hospital of Orange County
3. UCI Medical Center
4. UCLA-Harbor Hospital
5. Kaiser Hospital - Los Angeles
6. Los Angeles Children's Hospital

As for my thoughts, I wish I had more time to think. My time is filled to the brim with classes, tests, and assignments. I try to glean what's important from the news and usually have no trouble keeping up on sports for sanity's sake (did you hear that College Game Day is coming to Provo on Oct. 24?). But what has naturally struck me as a future health professional is... you guessed it... the nation's state of "health care reform."

Everything I see seems to have some kind of underlying bias. Each lobbyist is not there because they want what's best for the United States, but because they want what's best for the hands that fill their pockets. The Health Insurance lobby just switched from being a major player in the plans to opposing the legislation. Every major media program has people at the top with strong opinions of what should and should not be put on air. Fox News has been exchanging blows with the White House, while other news channels are slow to criticize the Obama administration. In short, I take everything I hear with a grain of salt. But here's my own opinion:

People that know me and my religious beliefs will understand why I really ache for everyone in this country to have access to health care, without fear of how it will cripple their finances. Jesus Christ is the personification of idealism. He would have us take care of the poor, the sick, and the needy out of our own desire, and not for gain.

With this idealism in mind, we live in an economy that is driven by capitalism. It would be fantastic if everyone would work hard at what they are good at and allow all things to be equal, so there would be no poor among us. However, at this time, this is not realistic.

I firmly believe that in our economy there should be financial rewards for the sacrifice it takes to gain a higher education. There should also be rewards for innovators and entrepreneurs. We are taught from a young age that hard work pays off. Do I think some doctors are paid too much? I sure do. What about some lawyers? Yes. Some CEO's? Yes. But curtailing salaries is not how citizens of this country become motivated to work hard. The return on investment of time and resources has to be significant enough to motivate our citizens.

At the same time, I see Americans wasting resources on things they don't need. How many people have a three-year payment plan on a $20,000 car that would cringe to pay $5,000 a year for their personal health.

It has been shown that business becomes more successful when they give (sorry, no citation, but I know I've heard it before). One business based their whole model and marketing scheme on giving. Stories like theirs are inspiring, and continue to prove to everyone that America is full of ideas that continue to help others while helping our economy. So where are the ideas that can combine Health Care coverage with philanthropic ventures? I think they are germinating beneath the surface. We will see them sprout and grow soon enough.

I am personally reluctant to let the government decide how to spend funds. The thought of how much is wasted on petty arguments makes me quiver. From experience in a rural clinic, I am led to believe that many who use government health care abuse government health care. I am nearly convinced that when more handouts are made available, more people will do what they need to in order to qualify for said handouts. This causes budget shortages - an all-too common result.

I believe that the public can rise to the occasion if it is a big enough issue for them. Health Care Reform gives me the impression of a partisan concern, a sort of trophy for the leftists. Democrats, simply stated, believe that government should play a role in alleviating poverty and use a system of progressive taxation. Republicans essentially believe that the free market should govern such concerns, keeping taxation to a minimum.

In short, I believe reform needs to be made, but I think Americans can figure out the details. I believe the public coverage option is on the legislative table because it will be considered a great accomplishment, not because it is what we need at this point in time.