P.J. Parmar: How doctors can help low-income patients (and still make a profit)
PJ 帕爾馬: 醫生如何幫助低收入病人(且仍有利潤)?
Physician P.J. Parmar founded Ardas Family Medicine, a private practice that serves resettled refugees, and Mango House, a home for refugees with activities and services that include dental care, food and clothing banks, churches, scout troops and afterschool programs. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
wickedest street in America.
且最邪惡的街道。
it's a medical desert.
這裡是醫療荒漠。
and hospitals nearby,
the poor who live in the area.
20 percent of this country is on Medicaid.
全國有 20% 的人接受醫療補助。
and make less than $33,000 a year,
低於三萬三千元的四口家庭,
of the family doctors in Denver
like five Medicaid patients a month.
每個月最多只肯為五名這種病患看診。
wait months to be seen,
等數月才會能去看診。
if you have Blue Cross.
他們今天就可替你看診。
discrimination is legal
doctors in the country
than private insurance
比私人保險給付的還要少,
are seen as more challenging.
看病是項艱鉅的事。
some don't speak English
following instructions.
while in medical school.
that caters to low-income folks
只為那些低收入的民眾服務,
and very little competition.
而且幾乎沒有人會跟我競爭。
doing underserved medicine.
專門服務受政府醫療補助的人。
but as a private practice.
而是私人開業診所。
seeing only resettled refugees.
已定居的難民看診的小診所。
50,000 refugee medical visits.
五萬次的難民醫療看診。
have Medicaid,
make money on Medicaid,
你在醫療補助病人的身上賺不到錢,
then I wouldn't tell you,
我肯定不會告訴你們,
"bleeding-heart" capitalism.
「軟心腸的資本主義」。
not less, so here's how.
以下是我們如何辦到的。
of our medical maze
of Medicaid patients,
and pocketing the difference.
並且從其中獲得利潤。
may seem simple, but they add up.
不過它們確實能成大事。
at the emergency room,
也是這樣運作的。
at family doctor's offices.
for an appointment.
doesn't have phone minutes.
and she can't navigate a phone tree.
也不會使用電話的語音系統。
for an appointment
she takes the bus,
plus her disabled father.
以及有殘疾的父親。
than 15 minutes to be seen.
with us as she needs.
usually it's less than five.
不過通常都少於五分鐘。
staff to do scheduling,
因為我不需聘用員工來安排預約。
and a zero late-show rate.
right to the waiting room,
room their own patients,
instead of alternating between rooms.
不必在不同房間來回。
and increases customer satisfaction.
並且提升病人的滿意度。
right from our exam room:
and some prescription ones, too.
還是一些處方藥都有。
or amoxicillin right in her hand.
(退燒/鎮痛劑)
instead of stopping at the pharmacy.
而不是還要去藥局購買。
just looking at all those choices.
這琳瑯滿目的選擇就頭痛。
we've never had to advertise,
我們完全不用打廣告。
at working with Medicaid,
insurance company we deal with.
我們唯一合作的保險公司。
chase 10 insurance companies
多間保險公司追討醫療給付,
it just works better.
它能更好地奏效。
by tax payers like you,
這樣的納稅人所繳稅而來的,
"How much does this cost the system?"
「這個制度花了多少納稅錢?」
might go to the emergency room,
just for a simple cold.
就只是為了一個小感冒。
and let their problems get worse.
病情變得更嚴重。
at a clinic that's part of the system
在這醫療補助體制下的門診。
Qualified Health Centers.
of safety-net clinics
government funding per visit
比我們這樣的私人醫生,
one in each area.
只能有一個這種診所。
on special funding for the poor.
專給窮人的特設資金。
and quality to go down.
I'm not a nonprofit.
我也不是非營利組織,
and culturally sensitive.
以及對文化敏感度高。
且長的英俊挺拔。
to move a stapler.
移動一個釘書機去開會。
(掌聲)
are new or unique --
沒有一個是新的或獨特的,
while making money.
同時也賺到錢。
that money home,
as a business expense.
回饋給難民社區,
to feed and clothe the poor,
提供食物以及衣服給窮人,
mental health and the scout groups.
精神健康問題協助以及童子軍團。
by tenant organizations
form profits from my clinic.
利潤中收取一些錢。
health care system to serve the poor.
低效率來幫助窮人。
they would be going.
我們收取更少的費用。
to doing this as a private business,
or a government entity.
and specialists who don't take Medicaid.
和不看醫療補助病人的專科醫生。
所以這句話意思應該像是
all you refugees!"
all you refugees,
to your English class, instead."
"This guy's a bit different."
「這傢伙有點怪怪的。」
(不在意世俗眼光的人)。
then other doctors would be doing it.
那其他醫生早就在做了。
you can do this in most of the country.
在我們國家大部分地方這麼做。
good money doing it.
application essays
those less fortunate.
beaten out of you in training.
就打消了這理想的目標。
給醫療不足的人做為你的生活方式。
as a lifestyle specialty.
low-income folks.
who don't work in health care,
to make a difference.
並做出改變。
successful in your career
a few dollars or a few hours;
to innovate new ways of serving others.
去創造一個新的方法來服務他人。
the underserved medicine gap
醫療服務不足的方法是
the inequality gap
and using them to help others.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
P.J. Parmar - PhysicianPhysician P.J. Parmar founded Ardas Family Medicine, a private practice that serves resettled refugees, and Mango House, a home for refugees with activities and services that include dental care, food and clothing banks, churches, scout troops and afterschool programs.
Why you should listen
P.J. Parmar is a family doctor who started and runs a primary care clinic, dental clinic, youth programs and other endeavors for resettled refugees in the Denver area. He focuses on process efficiencies in underserved primary care medicine and challenges the notion that private practices can't thrive while serving low-income patients. He has also been covered widely for his work founding a Boy Scout Troop for resettled refugees.
P.J. Parmar | Speaker | TED.com