Leslie Boyd
Campaigning against women’s health
The current attacks on Planned Parenthood and on the insurance coverage of contraception are nothing less than a campaign against women’s health. At the turn of the 20th century, women routinely died during childbirth, or they had child after child after child until they wore out and died. I’m not overstating the facts here. Poor women [...]
It’s all connected
I’ve said this plenty of times before, but it needs to be repeated, especially since the leader of our NC House said his objective is to “divide and conquer.” What he meant was that if he attacks the public systems and structures we all built together, each group will stand up for itself, trying to [...]
Why the “free market” can’t handle health care
Proponents of complete deregulation would have us believe that regulations are standing in the way of progress, that the so-called free market will regulate itself and result in an industry that will do the right thing for consumers. Here’s the truth: It can’t work that way. And here’s why: Businesse are responsible, first and foremost, [...]
Hangin’ with Thom
I’m out in Goldsboro, NC, tonight, staying with my high school friend, Thom Welch. Thom retired from the Air Force today, and he invited me and our friends Pat and Barry Ryan, to the retirement ceremony. The four of us graduated from North Attleboro High School in 1970. Barry got a PhD in public health [...]
The policy details matter
I spent the morning in a meeting of the panel that is making decisions on what North Carolina’s insurance exchange will look like. I know most people would have found the meeting unbearably dull, but the points being discussed could make the difference between an exchange that works best for consumers or one that works [...]
Go bankrupt or die — or both
A couple of stories caught my eye this week: A young Canadian skier who was gravely injured in an accident here in the US and ultimately died. The Utah hospital that tried to save her then billed her family some $550,000 (That’s one estimate of the amount; others are as low as about $280,000). An 18-year-old young woman [...]
New poll shows most want health reform
A new poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that 44 percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of the Affordable Care Act; 37 percent have a favorable view. But the people who want to see the law expanded or kept in its current form (50 percent) is still larger than the percentage of people [...]
Just two brief mentions
I watched the State of the Union address last night and two things jumped out at me: John Boehner looked constipated, and health care was barely mentioned. I counted two brief mentions, one when the president said he would not go back to the days of unchecked power for insurance companies to raise rates, cancel [...]
Frustrations over Medicaid in North Carolina
North Carolina’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Lanier Cansler, resigned from his post recently, effective Jan. 31. When Gov. Bev Perdue was elected, I ran into Lanier at a party and asked if he was going to be the next HHS secretary. I got an odd stare in responsse, and then he smiled and [...]
The local numbers
I was filling out a grant letter of intent this morning with one of my board members. She was looking up the numbers and I was interpreting them, and they’re pretty dismal. For one thing the two top causes of death here are suicide and infection — both largely preventable. An estiumated 40,000 people in [...]
Have a beer in May
Stop into Altamont Brewing, 1042 Haywood Road, West Asheville, any time in May and ask for their "charity" beer of the day. Buy one and Life o' Mike gets $1. In fact, we get a buck for each one sold. So go in every day and have one to support Life o' Mike.
Thanks, Altamont!
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.