Re: epidurals ... and NY C-section rates, Re: Dr. Harvey!!!
From: Barbara (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri, 27 Feb 1998 18:38:22 -0600 (CST)
Hi Emma,
I am sorry I missed your post when you wrote earlier but; I was at the
dentist all morning...
Now to the Why did you feel you had to write this bit of news to "Our
Doctor Harvey Marchbein" post.... My question to you dear Emma is Why
did you feel you needed to write it???
Dr. Marchbein is of course not the Only Physician practicing at this
hospital so therefore I do not feel he should be the one to b questioned
about cesarean section rates at a hostital that he is affiliated with
but; does not do the Sole Delivery Of Newborns.
I do think you have picked the Wrong Doctor to confront as Dr. Marchbein
has certainly proven himself to the women on this forum as a dedicated,
knoweldgeable, kind, understanding, compasionaate, and sometimes,
witty,....need I say more? physician that Donates, many, many hours each
day to US!!! For FREE!!!
As the Editor Of Women's Health at OBGYN.net, I take offence to Any
remark towards him OR Any of our Wonderful Physicians and Medical
Professionals that give Freely, of their time and knowledge to help all
of us on our road to better understanding of our health conditions.
Barbara Ann Nesbitt
At Fri, 27 Feb 1998, Emma wrote:
>
>>>Do you know what
>>>the hospital's cesarean rate is? Just curious.
>
>>At Thu, 26 Feb 1998, Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. wrote:
>>Don't have those figures available.
>
>Since Dr. Marchbein doesn't seem to know what the C-section rate is at
>the hospital(s) where he practices, I attached an article that seemed
>helpful. The information is a bit dated, but seems better than no
>information at all.
>
>Additionally, there was a very informal survey (and a very interesting
>discussion) on epidurals held on obgyn-l. Check out the obgy-l archives
>on Sept 25, 1997. Look for a post by rjwooley entitled "re: epidural
>survey."
>
>--
>Emma
>
>Copyright 1996 The Hearst Corporation
> The Times Union (Albany, NY)
> September 5, 1996, Thursday, THREE STAR EDITION
>
>SECTION: CAPITAL REGION, Pg. B2
>
>LENGTH: 361 words
>
>HEADLINE: Region's C-section rate too high
>
>BYLINE: JANE GOTTLIEB; Staff writer
>
> HIGHLIGHT:
>Numbers are below the state average, though
>
> BODY:
> ALBANY -- Doctors in the area that takes in
> the Capital Region perform the fewest Cesarean
>sections in the state, but will need to bring the
> number down significantly to meet federal goals.
>
>A study released Wednesday by a private research firm
>mirrors nationwide data suggesting C-sections are
>performed in excess, and far more often on privately
>insured women than the Medicaid patients most likely
> to need them.
>
> The surgery raises risk of infection and injury to
> internal organs. The American Insurance Association
> of America found in 1991 that a vaginal birth cost
>$ 4,720; C-sections, $ 8,826.
>
> The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
> wants doctors to reduce them to 15 percent by 2000.
>
> A study of 41 states by the Public Citizen Health
>Research Group found the procedures skyrocketed
>from less than 5 percent in the early 1970s to 24 percent
>in 1988, the last year looked at.
>
> ''When they were doing about 5 percent C-sections,
>they were probably doing too few. When they started
> doing more they saw a better outcome and started
>doing even more,'' said Mary Gabay, a researcher
>with Public Citizen Health, a consumer organization
>formed by Ralph Nader. ''It got to the point where they
>were doing them for indications that were probably
>not necessary.''
>
> In the 17-county area that includes the Capital
> Region, 20 percent of expectant mothersdelivered
>by C-section in 1994, compared to a statewide
>average of 23 percent, according to HealthShare
> Technology, the Massachusetts software company
>that conducted the New York study. The state
>Health Department said that rate has dropped
>slightly to 21 percent in 1995.
>
> HealthShare's figures, gleaned from Health
>Department data, placed Albany, Schenectady,
>Saratoga and Rensselaer counties in a 17-county
>region stretching from Columbia to Hamilton counties.
>
> In New York, Long Island women were most
>likely to deliver by C-section, at 27 percent, with
>the Bronx posting the lowest rate, at 19 percent,
> the study said. Only one in five Medicaid mothers
>had C-sections, compared to 26 percent for those
> with other ways of paying for them.
>
> AL6 0080 960906 N S 0905960072 00003400
>
>LOAD-DATE: September 6, 1996
>
--
Barbara Nesbitt
Editor, Women's Health at OBGYN.net
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