Dr. Niran Al-Agba

The Orphans of Hahnemann University Hospital

This past summer, Hahnemann University Hospital—a teaching site for Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia—closed their doors. When Hahnemann closed, its’ residents were essentially “orphaned,” losing their jobs overnight. Residency refers to the post-graduate training period following medical school graduation compulsory for a physician to be licensed to practice medicine. After “matching” to an open residency position at a given teaching hospital, resident training begins across the entire nation on July 1st every year once a contract is signed with the employing organization.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-15T00:57:26+00:00October 28, 2019|Categories: Physician, Policy|Tags: Consolidation, Corporatization, Doctors in Training, Hahnemann, Hospitals, Medical Education, Northwest Family Medicine Residency, Residency|

There are Ways to Save – and Expand – Medicare

First, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 capped the number of residency slots in teaching hospitals which were eligible for Medicare payments. This mistake has facilitated a shortage of primary care physicians across the country. A larger supply of primary care physicians is associated with a lower mortality rate. In fact, adding 10 primary care physicians per 100 000 population increases life expectancy by nearly two months, whereas the same increase in specialty physicians only improves life expectancy by 19 days.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-15T01:25:50+00:00May 17, 2019|Categories: Patient, Policy|Tags: Balanced Budget Act, CMS, Corporatization, Healthcare Costs, Hospitals, Medicare, Part A, Physician Shortage, Residency|

Physicians are Eagles Who Believe They are Chickens

There are 800,000 physicians in America and more than 65% believe the Maintenance of Certification process, known as MOC, has no clinical value for patients. For the first time in the history of our profession, physicians have a fighting chance to topple a Goliath-esque organization, the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-26T02:31:54+00:00April 19, 2019|Categories: Physician, Policy|Tags: ABMS, Anti-MOC, Hospitals, MOC, MOC Reform|

The B & O Tax Increase Harms the Independent Physician

Research shows that physician-owned practices provide better quality of care. For example, in comparison to organizations employing more than 100 physicians, practices with 3 to 9 physicians had 27% fewer preventable hospital admissions and those comprised of one or two physicians had 33% fewer preventable hospital admissions. Fewer days spent in the hospital leads to fewer bills for consumers to pay.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-26T02:28:56+00:00April 16, 2019|Categories: Policy, Practice|Tags: B and O tax, Hospitals, Independent Practice, nonprofit, tax exemptions|

“Say on Pay” Legislation: Giving Patients a Say on CEO Pay

Health care inflation continues to exceed the base inflation rate. Health insurer CEO compensation has ballooned out of control –in 2017, Cigna CEO David Cordani took home $43.9 million, Humana CEO Bruce Broussard made $34.2 million, and Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini earned nearly $59 million. That’s approximately $162,000 per day.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-31T00:19:50+00:00January 22, 2019|Categories: Patient, Policy|Tags: CEO, Consolidation, Corporatization, Health Policy, Hospitals|

Medicaid Expansion: Nothing But an Empty Promise for Children

For the first time in a decade, the number of uninsured children in the United States increased in 2018. Apple Health seemed like the quintessential success story because it expanded Medicaid coverage for children — in Kitsap County alone, the number enrolled grew from 9,000 to over 21,000 in the last 10 years. However, Medicaid reimbursement also decreased by more than 35 percent, after a federal provision that kept Medicaid payments on par with Medicare expired in 2015. Some states set aside funding to maintain rates equal to those of Medicare, but Washington was not one of them.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-31T00:17:12+00:00January 8, 2019|Categories: Patient, Policy|Tags: ACA, Affordable Care, Child Advocacy, Consolidation, Corporatization, Government Medicine, Health Policy, Hospitals, Medicaid, Obamacare|

Can CEO’s Dean and Lofton Perform A Miracle through the CommonSpirit Health Merger?

Nonprofit hospitals, in general, are facing challenging times. And that challenge is going to reverberate through our county, whether that means a major facility on a new construction timeline or further corporate creativity to reduce health care costs.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-31T00:13:03+00:00January 2, 2019|Categories: Patient, Policy|Tags: Affordable Care, CHI, Dignity, Franciscan Health, Government Medicine, Health Policy, Hospital Consolidation, Hospitals, Merger|

The Reasons Childbirth is safer in Libya than the United States

During the same period, the U.S. maternal mortality more than doubled, skyrocketing from 9.8 to 21.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. That’s six times higher than most Scandinavian countries and three times higher than Canada and the United Kingdom. In the U.S., around 700-900 women die and another 65,000 experience life-threatening complications during or after childbirth. By any standard, the U.S. has the worst performance on this crucial measure of any country in the developed world.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-31T00:05:12+00:00October 16, 2018|Categories: Equality, Policy|Tags: ACA, Affordable Care, Consolidation, Health Policy, Hospitals, Life Expectancy, Patient Physician Relationship, Physician Autonomy, Quality|

To Learn, Physicians Must Teach

I want to share information about a new program that can help Kitsap County buck the trend by bringing a whole crop of enthusiastic young physicians to our area. It’s called the Northwest Washington Family Medicine Residency Program.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-30T23:55:14+00:00August 21, 2018|Categories: Patient, Physician, Practice|Tags: Education, Health Policy, Hospitals, medical training, Physician Training, Residency|

27 Pediatricians on the Chopping Block

In the fiscal fight over health care costs, pediatricians are on the chopping block. In hospitals and clinics across the country, pediatricians are being laid off in droves, leaving the clinical burden to mid-level providers, family physicians, and emergency room doctors. These decisions are being made by suits over scrubs, and they are putting patients at risk.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-30T23:36:02+00:00June 19, 2018|Categories: Physician, Policy|Tags: ACA, Burnout, Consolidation, Corporatization, Health Policy, Hospitals, Mid-level Care, Nonphysician, Obamacare, Physician Autonomy|