Talking Eyes Media

TEM Dives Into the Music World

2012-01-30T12:20:00.005-05:00

Two young, talented Jersey hip-hop artists unleash their creative genius in "Misunderstood." Don't miss Talking Eyes Media's first foray into the world of music video.

2011 Purpose Prize Winners -- Check 'em out!

2012-01-25T14:32:00.021-05:00

A Kenyan immigrant who assists Africans adjusting to life in the United States. A CEO who uses personal tragedy to help others. A stay-at-home mom who saves lives in Guatemala. Each of the five winners of the 2011 Purpose Prize is a changemaker, using his or her "retirement" to tackle society's greatest challenges.

Civic Ventures enlisted Talking Eyes Media to help share these stories.

Meet the winners of the 2011 Purpose Prize Award.

Leaves Keep Falling at MTM11

2011-11-01T11:19:00.010-04:00

The TEM crew is proud to announce that our film "The Leaves Keep Falling" received the Human Rights Award at this year's Media That Matters Film Festival. Leaves showcased at MTM11 on Thursday, October 27th in NYC, along with the festival's other 12 films.

We want to thank MTM11 for the recognition and for allowing us to be a part of such an inspiring festival. We hope our film will raise awareness about the effects of Agent Orange, highlight solutions, and inspire people to get involved and take action to help heal wounds from a war that won't seem to end.

Visit www.mediathatmattersfest.org/watch/11 to view this year's collection of MTM films, and to
"Screen. Act. Impact."

FIRESTORM screening at IAEMSC summit

2011-09-22T18:38:00.013-04:00

On October 30th, FIRESTORM will screen at this year's IAEMSC Annual EMS Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. A lively conversation will follow discussing the overuse of the 9-1-1 system and the impact of hospital closures on EMS.

The Summit will also include updates on other leading policy issues impacting EMS administration and systems, such as the White Paper calling for a federal EMS agency.

To learn more about the EMS White Paper and to endorse its petition, click here. Support TEM, the International Association of EMS Chiefs, and the National EMS Labor Alliance in urging the designation of a lead federal agency for EMS within the Department of Homeland Security.

The Leaves Keep Falling Wins Artivist Award

2011-09-06T16:18:00.002-04:00

We're proud to announce that our latest short film, The Leaves Keep Falling, won the Environmental Preservation Award at the 8th Annual Artivist Film Festival. This outstanding festival draws attention to films that raise awareness for international human rights, children's advocacy, environmental preservation, and animal protection. The awards were announced at a screening in Los Angeles in August, and the films will travel to six cities across the U.S., including: Seattle, Sedona, Austin, Atlanta, Washington, DC and Chicago.

Hospitals left with $49 billion in unpaid tabs

2011-05-10T16:17:00.005-04:00

A new study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that even higher income uninsured families are struggling to meet the high costs of health care.

According to the government report released May 10, 2011 (titled "The Value of Health Insurance: Few of the Uninsured Have Adequate Resources to Pay Potential Hospital Bills"), uninsured Americans (including those with incomes well above the poverty line) leave hospitals with unpaid tabs of up to $49 billion a year. The report states that every year, nearly 2 million uninsured Americans are hospitalized. With 58% of these hospital stays resulting in bills of more than $10,000, most uninsured people are unable to afford potential hospital bills. even the top 10% of uninsured families with the most assets are estimated to be able to pay the full bill for only half of potential hospital stays.

In the HHS press release, the HHS assistant secretary for planning and evaluation says "No family should bear the burden of being one illness or accident away from bankruptcy."

To read the HHS Press Release: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/05/20110510a.html

To read the full HHS Study: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2011/ValueofInsurance/rb.shtml

To read the USA Today article about the study: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-05-09-uninsured-unpaid-hospital-bills_n.htm

FIRESTORM nominated for Emmy!

2011-05-05T16:48:00.005-04:00

Talking Eyes Media is thrilled to announce that FIRESTORM has been nominated for the 2010-2011 Northern California Emmy Awards! We are honored to be included in the "Documentary" category along with the films OUT. The Glenn Burke Story and The Next Frontier-Engineering the Golden Age of Green.

ER Visits Up and Climbing

2011-04-29T13:58:00.002-04:00

A new report from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) shows that ER visits are climbing. But that's not the whole story. What's revealing is that 97% of the ER doctors surveyed said they were treating patients on a daily basis who were either on Medicaid or they were sent by their primary care doctors.

That means the rise ER usage is not tied to lack of insurance, but rather proof of the fact that Medicaid patients don't have access to primary care doctors and that primary care doctors are not serving insured patients for the services and at the time of day they require.

What does that mean in the Big Picture? Unfortunately, it means the new health care law, the Affordable Care Act, could exacerbate rather than alleviate the problem. If Massachusetts is any indication, we're in for a rough ride.

"DENIED" selected as Webby Official Honoree

2011-04-18T14:06:00.004-04:00

We are proud to announce that Talking Eyes Media's short film DENIED has been selected as an Official Honoree of the 15th Annual Webby Awards in the "Public Service and Activism" category. DENIED captures Sheila Wessenberg's fight to win her battle against breast cancer while struggling to save her family from medical bankruptcy. The film reveals the reality behind America's dysfunctional healthcare system and what it means when access to care is denied.

TEM congratulates all of this year's Webby Honorees, Nominees and Winners, including our friends at MediaStorm for their film UNDESIRED.

Watch: DENIED

View the list of Webby Winners: 15th Annual Webby Award Nominees

Screening of FIRESTORM at EMS Today

2011-03-10T17:33:00.003-05:00

Filmmaker Julie Winokur and I traveled to Baltimore last week to present FIRESTORM at this year's EMS Today conference. Although we were only there from Thursday to Friday, our schedules were jammed pack. From attending a few educational sessions and exploring the exhibition floor to meeting up with old EMS friends and networking with new ones, EMS Today was a great success as well as a blast!

Julie was interviewed by GenMed host Natalie Queubedeaux and we also met up with EMS bloggers Chris Kaiser (Life Under The Lights) and Scott Kier (EMS in the New Decade), podcaster Jamie Davis (the Podmedic), and Ted Setla, Justin Schorr, and Sam Bradley of Chronicles of EMS. We also met paramedics from other countries including Switzerland and Germany. It was amazing to hear their thoughts after watching FIRESTORM and to compare notes about each of our country's EMS and health care system.

With a turnout of about 80-100 people, Julie and I couldn't have been more pleased with the screening of FIRESTORM. The more EMS professionals we show the film to, the greater the reach of our outreach campaign. And the greater the outreach campaign, the greater the chance of successfully reducing overcrowding in our nation's EDs.

So many EMTs tell us "ER overcrowding, wall delays, ambulance diversion -- all of this is currently happening in my community too!" Unfortunately, it's the public at large who remain unaware and uneducated about our nation's EMS crisis. Communities across the US (both urban and rural) are facing the same ER problems as seen in Los Angeles, and (as many of us discussed at the conference) 'If these problems exist on a day-to-day basis across the country, then how can EMS be prepared for and adequately respond to a disaster situation?' Americans have no idea that our EMS systems are overwhelmed and facing dire circumstances. That's why opportunities such as screening at EMS Today is so important to our film and campaign's success....We need more EMS members to learn about FIRESTORM so they can then use the film as a tool for advocacy and awareness in their communities.

Thank you to EMS Today for giving us this opportunity and to all our EMS friends for supporting our film and helping us spread the word. Our nation's EMS system is made up of such dedicated, skilled, intelligent, and humble men and women. It was such a privilege to be welcomed into their tight knit community with open arms.

P.S. Thank you to our Swiss fans (Elmar, Helge, and Ra) for sharing your pictures with us!

Health Care Reform Is Here....But Still Far Away

2011-02-23T10:49:00.006-05:00

The Affordable Care Act, the comprehensive health care reform legislation signed into law by President Obama in March 2010, will enable many uninsured Americans to receive health coverage. These changes, however, will not take full effect until 2014 - three years away. Until then, thousands of Americans continue to live without any insurance while many more continue to lose their coverage as a result of the recent recession and state budget cuts.

In two recent stories, NPR captures this unfortunate reality. Click on the links below to listen to the stories.

Uninsured Have Limited Options Until 2014

In Pa., Low-Income Adults Soon May be Uninsured

Who's Killing What?

2011-01-18T16:47:00.005-05:00

Thank you Rep. Frank Pallone and Rep. Henry Waxman for giving us a nuts and bolts analysis of the real costs of repealing the health care reform law. If you want to know exactly who would be penalized by a repeal take a look here:
http://democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?q=news/impact-of-repealing-health-care-reform

In NJ, where we're located, that translates to as many as 300,000 individuals who could be denied coverage and tens of thousands of small businesses that won't get an health insurance tax credits.

True to their word, congressional republicans have initiated their "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act.” What's totally unclear is who would benefit by this 'killing'? The Government Accounting Office estimates that repealing the law would cost $230 billion over a decade.

While the Affordable Care Act is short of perfect, and insurance premiums continue to rise in the double-digits, at least we're moving in the right direction in getting every American covered and facilitating small businesses in solution.

Congratulations to the 2010 Purpose Prize Winners!

2010-11-15T15:52:00.012-05:00

TEM would like to congratulate this year's Purpose Prize winners! What an extraordinary group of individuals! From helping homeowners avoid foreclosures in Ohio, to reducing pollution in West Oakland, to improving the lives of children in Tanzania, each of the winners of the 2010 Purpose Prize is a changemaker and social entrepreneur. Now in its fifth year, the Civic Ventures' Purpose Prize recognizes adults over 60 who make extraordinary contributions in their 'encore careers' to better their communities and the world.

Meet the five $100,000 winners and watch their videos

Denied Screening in Cambridge, MA

2010-10-08T13:46:00.003-04:00

DENIED, our short film about one woman's struggle with breast cancer and her even bigger challenge to survive without insurance, will screen Monday October 11th at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA as part of the 2010 Media that Matters film festival series. DENIED was awarded the Jury Award for this years festival.

If you're in the area, please stop by and support not only our film, but the great work of Arts Engine and the Media that Matters festival. 10 short films will be screened throughout the night, and some of the filmmakers will hold a Q&A afterwards. Tickets are $10 with discounts for students, Brattle, and Chlotrudis members.

More information can be found by clicking here.

If you make it to the screening, let us know what you thought of the films!

ER Wait Times via Cellphone

2010-08-26T09:00:00.007-04:00

A new trend is unfolding: ERs across the country are posting their wait times online, via text, and even on a flashing billboard. With ER usage at a record high, hospitals are struggling to keep the wait times down, and this is one effort to dissipate the patient load.

According to an article by the Associated Press, "There are no statistics on how many hospitals advertise wait times, although they tend to have multiple ERs in a region, usually the suburbs. The idea: People with less urgent conditions — maybe they need stitches for a cut — might drive a bit farther for a shorter wait, possibly helping a hospital chain spread the load without losing easier cases to competitors."

Hospitals are trying everything from "team triage" — where patients are met by a doctor, nurse and paramedics at the front door — to "hallway medicine," where patients on guerneys are divided by the severity of their condition and given nursing attention in hallways.

These measures all point to a shortage of hospital in-patient beds and a poor system for directing non-urgent cases to appropriate places for care. Perhaps it's time to redefine "ER" so we preserve this valuable resource for true emergencies.

New JAMA report highlights America's ER crisis

2010-08-13T13:41:00.002-04:00

Los Angeles is definitely not the only city experiencing a crisis in emergency care. Our film Firestorm captures this national trend, but for those who remain skeptic about the severity of this issue then check out The Journal of the American Medical Association's recent report on national ER visits.

One of the report's findings: the number of patient visits in emergency rooms nationwide rose from 95 million to 117 million in 10 years. You may think "But ER visits will obviously increase with the growth of population, so what's the big deal?" The big deal is that while the number of patient visits grew 23%, only HALF of that increase can be attributed to the population growth. AND as the demand for ERs grew by this surge in visits, the number of ERs dropped by 5%.

So, still not convinced our nation
has an emergency medical care problem??

Learn more about the JAMA report in this LA Times' Health Care blog post: Emergency rooms are getting more crowded everywhere, study finds

Congress Passes Landmark Oil, Gas & Mining Transparency Law

2010-08-04T10:57:00.005-04:00

Two weeks ago Congress took bold steps to increase transparency in the gas, oil and mining industries. In countries all of over the world, the people who live in areas that are rich in natural resources are often the least likely to benefit. The new regulations, which were included in the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation passed by the House and Senate, will require companies to publicly disclose payments for the extraction of oil, gas, and minerals on a country-by-country and project basis as part of financial statements that are already required by the SEC.

We might not be able to control how foreign governments compensate local communities, but we can require our accounting system to make publicly available the value of oil, gas and mining contracts. It's a first step toward ensuring that the wealth generated by these industries is more equitably distributed, and that local communities are armed with information that will allow them to demand a fair share.

We've been working with Oxfam America to shed light on this issue and to support their campaign called "Right to Know, Right to Decide." Our short animation, Follow the Money, helped generate tens of thousands of signatures to support reform.

According to Oxfam's president, Raymond C. Offenheiser, "Congress has made an unprecedented commitment to financial transparency and good governance in a sector that not only affects American wallets, but also some of the most vulnerable communities around the world. Secrecy of oil, gas and mining company payments to governments fosters government corruption and violent conflict in resource-rich countries that are home to more than half of the world's poorest people. Instability in these regions poses a long-term threat to national security, foreign policy, and economic interests in the United States."

This is issue is close to our hearts, having witnessed the gross inequities in the Niger Delta, one of the world's leading oil suppliers where the majority of the population lives on just $1 per day.

To learn more, click here.

FIRESTORM available on DVD!

2010-07-14T12:29:00.006-04:00

TEM's newest feature film, FIRESTORM, is now available to purchase on DVD for institutional use, community screenings, or personal viewing. To buy a DVD online through TEM please click here.

In other exciting TEM news: DENIED wins the top award at the Media That Matters Film Festival, and our Oxfam America video "Follow The Money" makes an impact! Click here to read our July Newsletter and learn more.

The Passing of Aging Expert and TEM Friend

2010-07-07T11:56:00.011-04:00

Talking Eyes Media sadly acknowledges the passing of geriatrics pioneer and Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Robert N. Butler, who died on Sunday from leukemia at the age of 83. Dr. Butler was a visionary in the field of aging and longevity, and TEM is grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him. [Dr. Butler wrote the Preface to Julie Winokur and Ed Kashi's book Aging in America: The Years Ahead, published in 2003.]

In addition to coining the term "ageism," Dr. Butler founded the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health, advocated for the aging before Congress and the United Nations, and helped create the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, the Alzheimer's Disease Association and the International Longevity Center.

He made great contributions as a geriatric researcher, challenged long-held misconceptions about aging, and showed Americans that aging can be a "positive thing" and doesn't have to be feared. Dr. Butler will be remembered with respect and great admiration.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Butler and his accomplishments, please click on the following links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/health/research/07butler.html?ref=us

NYU Symposium on Monday June 21 with Nina Berman, Larry Towell and Ed Kashi

2010-06-16T11:16:00.002-04:00

The lecture season continues for me and I'm very excited to mention an upcoming event next Monday, June 21st at NYU, with myself, Nina Berman and Larry Towell. Please see link below to find out more. It will be a stimulating and lively discussion about photography's ability to impact human rights.

FIRESTORM on NPR Radio Show

2010-06-15T09:18:00.003-04:00

Tune in today at 9am PST or 12pm EST to the Mind Body Health & Politics radio show on the NPR affiliate KZYX to listen as host Dr. Richard Miller highlights our film FIRESTORM in his discussion of the nation's health care crisis.

Dr. Miller will interview FIRESTORM director Julie Winokur, paramedic and EMS District Captain Dave Pimentle, and ER doctor and Regional Medical Director for Emergent Medical Associates Dr. Lee Weiss. A patient who saw firsthand what happens when you don't have access to health care and have to call 911 when sick will also be interviewed.

You can also listen to the show live by clicking on the following link:

http://www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/listen

Have any thoughts, comments, or questions in response to the broadcast? Post them here and start a conversation!

DENIED showcases at Media That Matters Film Festival

2010-06-02T10:46:00.005-04:00

DENIED, our short film about one woman's struggle with breast cancer and her even bigger challenge to survive without insurance, has been selected for the Media That Matters Film Festival (MTM) and will be screening tonight in NYC at the School of Visual Arts Theatre at 7 p.m. Following the screening of DENIED, filmmaker Julie Winokur will participate in a Q&A.

The MTM Film Festival is a project of Arts Engine, a media production company that promotes the use of independent media by advocates, educators and the general public to "spur critical consideration of pressing social issues." Every year, the MTM Film Festival selects 12 short films to showcase at theaters across the country, online and at community screenings. The festival launches in New York City tonight, with a World Premiere and an Awards Ceremony at HBO where each filmmaker is honored and many receive cash awards. Arrive early to take part in the impACT salon with some of MTM's presenting partners for Take Action opportunities, have a chance to meet the festival filmmakers and enjoy free ice cream cones generously donated by the Raw IceCream Company.

Click the link below to learn more about MTM and to buy tickets for tonight's world premiere of the 10th annual MTM collection. (The Center for Social Media community is receiving a special discount; enter the code MTMSPECIAL at checkout and receive $2 off the regular ticket price of $13.)

http://mediathatmatters.eventbrite.com/

We hope to see you there!

Audience Engagement 2.0

2010-05-17T14:25:00.016-04:00

Yesterday was an exciting day for TEM as the staff was deployed across the country to support the broadcast and screening of some of our work. (That means we covered 4 major markets). During the KQED broadcast of FIRESTORM, we teamed up with filmmaker/paramedic Thaddeus Setla and hosted a 3-city simulcast Meetup. We connected the screening party at Gordon Biersch in San Francisco with locations in Chicago and Philadelphia through webcams and Ustream.

Our goal was not only to watch the film with pre-hospital professionals, but to gauge their impressions by capturing the ensuing conversations on camera. Some archived video of the webcam can be viewed at the Ustream site. Setla has fully integrated social networking tools into his filmmaking and outreach. He uses twitter and facebook, etc. to galvanize his audience and keep his content fresh. We enjoyed collaborating with him on this process and look forward to sharing the results.

An attendee of the Philadelphia Meetup, dubbed MedicSK, posted this review on his blog. It's gratifying to have the endorsement of EMTs and Paramedics.

Yesterday I was in Washington, D.C. for the GI Film Festival where our short, The Inner Wounds of War, screened with a block of 4 other shorts. Inner Wounds of War traces Retired Sgt. Juan Arredondo's recovery process from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the impact on his family. Festival co-founder, Brandon Millett said that roughly 70 percent of the films in the festival touched on mental illness. Every short in our block featured a story in which PTSD was a major component.

The other films in the block were eye-opening, in-depth examinations of what happens to the warrior on the homefront and explore whether we as a society are prepared to intervene or offer support. A remarkably executed narrative short, "Head in the Sand," directed by David Baldwin, was an alternately gritty and touching portrayal of a young boy whose dreams of being a soldier in battle come true.

After the screening the filmmakers participated in a Q&A where we fielded questions about the inspiration for our work and whether the Veteran's Administration is doing what it can to address the problems.

USA Today has cited a Department of Defense report that says mental health is the leading cause of military hospitalizations, outpacing pregnancy or injuries. As the Department of Defense has opened up to acknowledge the issue and media attention stays focused on the problems and available resources, the VA is also expanding services. But the mounting costs are quickly overwhelming the DoD budget. From the article:

"Four mental health issues — depression, substance abuse, anxiety and adjustment problems such as PTSD — cost the Pentagon 488 years of lost duty in 2009. That's "the equivalent of 488 soldiers spending an entire year in the hospital for mental disorders," said Army Col. Robert DeFraites, director of the office which produced the study."

But as Dr. JJ Garcia says in Inner Wounds, "You can't fix this with just social workers...nurses...or doctors. Everyone in a community has to be involved if we're going to be successful." Next year maybe the festival will receive a slew of films showing the prevalence of community support systems for the wounded warrior.

New Health Law Supports Preventive Care

2010-05-07T10:52:00.007-04:00

As the details of the new health law become clearer (thanks to those who can wade through 1200 pages of policy speak), we're pleased to hear that there are significant provisions for preventive care and community health centers.

Today's New York Times' Prescriptions blog ran a piece detailing some of the provisions that will guarantee people health screenings and flu shots at no extra cost above insurance premiums. It also provides for primary care visits for Medicare enrolees. There is also money in the law to boost community-based wellness initiatives.

One of the biggest boons to fixing the current dearth in access to care is an $11 billion investment in Community Health Centers, which are federally subsidized clinics for the underserved.

While the law isn't a magic bullet, it definitely moves us in the right direction.

"Follow the Money" live on Oxfam America

2010-01-11T15:55:00.004-05:00

The TEM produced short, "Follow the Money", is now live on Oxfam America's front page. The 2 minute call-to-action video showcases animations from leftchannel and still photos from Ed Kashi.

"Standing at the pump, watching the numbers tick away, do you ever wonder where the money goes? You’re not alone: People on the other end of the pipeline are wondering too. While we feel the pinch in our pockets, citizens of oil-producing countries are often not seeing the profits."

Oxfam is asking everyone to take the extra step and get involved by telling Congress to open the books on mining and drilling. You can lobby your local representative by filling out a form letter on Oxfam's site here.

Share with your friends and family, and urge them to get involved as well.

Final essay from Strayer University

2010-01-07T09:22:00.000-05:00

The Strayer University essays continue. Below, sociology student Windy Clemmons discusses how the film Losing Herbie personally impacted her.

Why can’t I remember you, the one I use to love? How can we help our love one’s remember those special moments and what will happen when they reach the point of no return?

After watching Herbie I immediately felt this sense of despair. What would happen to me if I were diagnosed with Dementia? Could my children handle caring for me each and every day as Herbie’s did? The anxiety struck me beyond belief. I have no affairs in order if I were to become gravely ill or die. This would place such a strain on my three children in so many ways. I have no home that I own, so care taking would have to fall on my children, unlike Herbie’s in home health-aids. I quickly began jotting down all the things I needed to do before anything happened to my health, and putting the plan in motion.

I started thinking about my relationship with my children, my fiancée and my family. Would they really be there for me like they always say they will be if anything happened to me? Herbie and Ruth had been together for 11 years, (a very committed relationship I think), yet when Herbie’s health started deteriorating Ruth made it very clear she wanted no part in caring for him. Ruth would call and casually come by once a week, say hello and away she went. I couldn’t shake the thought that I could be Herbie. Dementia does run in our family, and we just had grandma placed in a home three years ago. Me, the care taker after all these years, living with my son or one of my daughters, and relying on them to care for me. I know my family loves me, but knowing firsthand what it takes to care for someone with this disease I can’t help but question how long they could handle it.

Having Dementia and reaching the point where I would be dependent on family or caretakers for almost everything, brings about many strains such as the financial, emotional, and physical aspects. Having a family and being married makes it even harder. I thought to myself would I be able to pick up on the stress and fatigue my presence and illness was causing? Would I be able to feel guilty for requiring so much time and attention that it took away from my very own grandchildren and where would I end my final days if I became too much on their marriage? If they placed me in a home how often would they visit, and would it slowly lessen as time passed? Would I pass away in a cold empty room alone because my family couldn’t get there in time, or was away for the holiday or a family vacation? I was struck with such emptiness; Herbie was surrounded with family at home. I don’t think anyone wants to die alone, especially me.

Finally it all hit me, love. That’s really what it’s all about. Just like Herbie’s family said they signed up for a sprint and got a marathon, but the important thing was they never quit running. Through the good days and the bad, raising children, working, and marriage they stayed true to their word. I admired the bond Herbie and his daughter had as well as the way the grandchildren interacted with their grandfather.

I have saved this video not just for me but for my family, friends and others in this situation as well. Herbie passed surrounded by love, memories, and respect. He reached the point of no return with open arms and a smile on his face, returned to lost memories and eternal love. Who could ask for anything more? Memories may be lost, but love lives on forever.

- Windy Clemmons

Strayer Univ. student connects with "Losing Herbie" film

2010-01-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

Tegan Webb, from Professor Abramson's "Intro. to Sociology" class at Strayer University, writes a personal essay on Losing Herbie and her personal experience with caregiving.

When I first saw the title of the video, I knew it was going to be about someone dying. Watching this video hit home for me because I was caretaker for my mother before she died. She died in December 2007 from Lou Gehrig’s Disease/ALS. Losing a loved one is never easy, but taking on the responsibility of caretaker can be even more challenging. After watching the video I would say the three things that struck me the most would be how much of a burden it was for his family, the obligation his daughter felt to be caretaker, and the joy his grandchildren brought him while he was there.

A burden can be referred to as some kind of responsibility or duty to be performed. When the video begins, you can see it in Herbie’s daughter and son-in-law’s faces that the responsibility ahead of them was more than they expected. I remember in the video how Julie Winokur, Herbie’s daughter, stated that it was putting a strain on her family. She was forced to juggle everyone’s needs and demands. Her husband felt neglected, putting a strain on their marriage. The children felt neglected, by their mother missing out on important events in their lives. Herbie’s granddaughter was upset with her grandfather, she stated she wished he could “do it himself.” A burden can take an emotional and sometimes physical toll on you. I could see with my mom sometimes how exhausted my father and I would be. You ask yourself how much longer can I endure this, but you keep pressing on, just as the Winokur’s did.

Many of us have the benefit of growing up with our parents. They see us through from beginning to end. As we grow older, so do they. At a point in our lives we have to decide what is in our parent’s best interest. Does it become our responsibility to take care of them? Some people would agree that it is; others may think differently. Julie truly believed that taking care of her father, was her obligation. He committed his life to take care of her and she is returning the favor. Whether the decision she and her family made was a good one, she knew as she stated “we’ll see this decision through to the end,” and that’s what she did. I would agree with Julie in this aspect. My mother carried me for nine months and nurtured me until I was able to care for myself. I could only hope that during the time I cared for her, she was proud of me.

In my opinion, children carry such a sweet spirit. Some children’s spirit is disrupted with negligence they receive from their parents or caregivers, abuse, or any other traumatic experience they face. From the video I could tell that the Winokur’s children were not neglected of love. The love that they received from their parents, they expressed and shared with their grandpa. At times when he may have felt alone, or unaware of his surroundings, they were there to support him and remind him who he was. With their hugs, kisses and laughter he would be assured of who he was. The loved he received I believed kept him going. When I lost my mother I was 4 months pregnant with my son. I know if she had the opportunity to have met him, he would have had the same impact on her, as did Herbie’s grandchildren with him.

Dementia does not have a cure. When a family is told that their loved one is diagnosed with this disease, they know they face a long journey. The Winokur’s got to see it first hand everyday all day with her father. I believe even though she was glad for him to be alive, she was probably more relieved when he passed away. Caring for someone with this disease can be a burden on you. But as children we feel an obligation to be there for our parents when they are in need. We can only hope that through this time they get enough love from us or their grandchildren, and it helps to ease them through. “Losing Herbie” was a very touching video, and made me be more aware of my own father and pray that I won’t have to be in Julie’s place.

- Tegan Webb

FIRESTORM Outreach

2010-01-04T15:59:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to all. I'm off today to Phoenix to show a clip of FIRESTORM to the board of the National Association of Emergency Physicians. I'm excited to share the film with such a distinguished body, who we are hoping will help us deploy the film to help address the many problems plaguing our emergency medical care system.

In October I spoke to the board of the NAEMT - the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. We taped the discussion that followed the screening and I've posted a clip of excerpts from that discussion below.

NAEMT invited us to join them in Washington DC in May for "EMS On the Hill Day" where they will be bringing the issues important to pre-hospital professionals to the attention of national leaders and lawmakers. We're also thrilled to be a part of this effort.

Student reflects "Losing Herbie" film

2010-01-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Losing Herbie helps Strayer University student Shanna Averre realize that she may need to make future plans for her own family. Read Shanna's essay below.

Caring for an aging parent, elderly spouse, domestic partner or close friend presents difficult challenges – especially when a crisis hits and you are suddenly faced with the responsibilities of elder care. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, the number of “unpaid caregivers” is set to reach 37 million by 2050, an 80 percent increase from the year 2000 (Baldauf, 2007). “Losing Herbie” documents the struggles placed on a family when they decide to become the caregiver to their aging father/grandfather who also suffers from dementia. Three major things that stood out the most to me in viewing this documentary was the emotional conflicts placed on the family, the effect on relationships within the family, and financial aspects the family had to face.

Throughout the entire documentary the first thing that stood out to me was the emotional journey each family member experienced. Starting with the aging father we were immediately shown how bad his dementia was and when asked a question about what town he lived in, he earnestly answered “I surely cannot remember.” I was struck by his disappointment and his unwilling acceptance of not having control over his mind anymore and how absolutely devastating that must be. I forget a name of a song or a thought I want to share and it drives me mad! I admired his daughter and her husband for coming back to New Jersey just to take care of Herbie, her resolve to take care of her dad the way he had taken care of her all her life. Yet she experienced conflicting emotions as she realized the effort involved in trying to run a house, a job, be a wife, a mother, and a full-time care-giver to her father. She experienced overwhelming love for her father but frustration, depression, and guilt as the task sometimes was overwhelming. The husband and children also experienced conflicting emotions, the joy and love that Herbie brought to the family and the resentment from him always having to be the number priority in the house.

The second issue I noticed was the strain put on the various relationships in the house and the importance of having a strong loving family that communicates with each other. The husband and wife mentioned that Herbie had definitely put a strain on their marriage. Getting caught up with all the responsibilities they didn’t have time for each other. The children also expressed some resentment in the fact that when trying to have one of their parents’ attentions it always was short-lived, as something would happen with Herbie that would pull their parents away. The kids, even in their disappointment, knew however, that Herbie did require attention and it wasn’t his fault. The kids have to grow up so fast in dealing with aging, sickness and death. The parents mentioned being scared that one day the kids would not come talk to them about something important thinking that they were too busy with Herbie. However, I also notice that the family seemed to grow closer in sharing the responsibilities of helping and providing love to Herbie.

Lastly, the financial strain the family faced definitely caught my attention as I realized that one day I might be in a situation where my parents need full-time care. Herbie’s family chose to provide home care rather than place him in an elderly home. Caring for someone with dementia is one of the most difficult challenges facing caregivers as people with advanced dementia requires 24-hour surveillance. The Winokur family had to hire two nurses to help care for Herbie. In order to cover the cost they had to sell their father’s home. The cost to place a loved-one in an elderly home or assisted living facility is even greater and is often not even a considerable option for most families.

Watching “Losing Herbie” I realized the importance of having a plan for aging loved ones. It is important to talk to your family members early on while they can be part of the decision process. It is important to talk to your family members about personal goals, housing issues, who they trust to make decisions for them when the time comes, sorting legal documents, discussing healthcare issues, and exploring financial options. The emotional aspects of providing care for an aging loved-one are difficult enough; you shouldn't have to worry about the financial and planning aspects as well. With some foresight, planning and a little help, you can be assured of making your loved-ones last days as comfortable as possible for everyone involved.

References

Baldauf, Sarah. (2007). 15 Ways to Take Care of Your Elderly Parents. US News and World Reports. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2007/11/02/15-things-you-can-do-to-keep-mom-and-dad-at-home.html

- Shanna Averre

Ed Kashi interviewed about Sandwich Generation

2009-12-23T15:07:00.002-05:00

Harvard's The Neiman Storyboard recently interviewed Ed Kashi, focusing on the TEM produced film, The Sandwich Generation. The interview dives into Ed's mindset at the time, in exposing himself and his family in such an intimate, personal way.

"I’m not into navel gazing...[but] I realized we could either focus the project on ourselves, or we could pass on it. I thought we should give it a shot."

Click here for more information and links to the film The Sandwich Generation.

LA Times Discloses ER Wait Times

2009-12-23T12:10:00.007-05:00

Can you guess what these activities have in common: Reading a Marquez novella, flying from NYC to London, driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco, walking the NY marathon and waiting to see a doctor in a South LA emergency room? They can all take about 7 hours to accomplish. If you're in an L.A. County ER the wait time is 12 hours, according to an unpublished report by the Hospital Association of Southern California and reported by Kimi Yoshino for the LA Times.

Read Ms. Yoshino's piece here

At a time when the country is poised to enact health care reform legislation, it's alarming that emergency room wait times seem to be increasing, rather than getting better. As we continue working on FIRESTORM, we'll be tracking issues related to emergency medical care, bringing needed attention to ER problems falling under the radar with the goal of contributing to improving conditions.

Another Strayer University student essay

2009-12-21T10:00:00.006-05:00

Thank you again to Strayer University's Professor Abramson and her Intro. to Sociology class for sharing their Losing Herbie essays. Below, Nakisha Patterson discusses the film and the devastating effects of dementia.

This reflection essay is about Herbie, an elderly man who is in the last stages of dementia. In this short film Herbie’s family focused on making his last days as productive as possible. As I reflected back on the film, the following three things stood out: living with dementia, caring for a loved one with dementia, and expressing feelings or emotions associated with elderly family members.

Three aspects to consider

Dementia is a cognitive disorder that deprives the mind and body by causing long term decline in cognitive function. This disease effect the ability to process thought patterns. In the short film, my thoughts of a person living with dementia made me feel sad. I felt sad, because the short film explained how Herbie’s life was before acquiring the disease and then living with the disease. Living with the disease really changed his life. Herbie went from; vibrant and smooth to not knowing what he was doing at times or where he was at.

Imagine caring for a person with dementia like Herbie, knowing him before and after the disease takes a hold of his body can be hard to deal with. One must be cared for, as though; they are an infant or in the beginning stage of life. Bathing, feeding, and assisting them with everyday tasks. Herbie forgot how to do everything, which; really affected his loved ones. In the video Herbie’s girlfriend was unable to handle this situation. Caring for him was too much for her to handle.

Dementia affects everyone associated with the patient including the grandchildren and the in-laws. It has to be hard, seeing your loved one deteriorate before your own eyes. The emotional roller coaster that his daughter went through, had to be very stressful. In the video, Herbie’s daughter had a tough time juggling; work, kids, husband, and her father Herbie. Sometimes she made herself sick, by stressing so much.

When it comes to feeling as though you are losing a loved one to dementia, it is important to remember the good times you had with them. Understand that things will change, and remember that this disease is out of their control. This video was put together, so that; one is able to determine how to care for a person with dementia and possible outcomes that might arise that effects everyone in the family, who attempts to care for family member with Dementia. It takes a lot of time and patience but most of all the love and passion that should never be lost.

- Nakisha Patterson

"Losing Herbie" hits close to home for Strayer Univ. student

2009-12-16T10:00:00.004-05:00

Strayer University sociology professor, Terry Abramson, asked her class to write an essay on our film Losing Herbie. Below is the first of the five student essays that we will be posting here on our blog. Please welcome our first student, John Washington.

The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader about my personnel reaction to the video entitled "Losing Herbie". This essay will convey my feelings about the three subject matters that struck me the most as I reflected on the video. I have first hand experience with this subject matter, as I am the son of an Alzheimer’s victim. I use the term victim to express Alzheimer’s disease as a thief who has yet to be caught.

I realize that this essay is to be written about the three most shocking issues that stand out to me in the video but this topic hit me too close to home to only write about the video. I must say that I was not emotionally or geographically prepared to watch this video. I was not emotionally prepared due to the fact that this essay is the most communication about this issue that I have participated in since my mother’s death from complications of Alzheimer’s disease on September 28, 2007. 20 days after my birthday.

I was not geographically prepared because my internet service has been temporally interrupted; however I found a solution to this problem at my second job. In exchange for computer time in the back, I help my fellow sports bar co-workers with their clean up duties at closing while they manage my area. Someone always goes for the deal because they get to keep my tips.

As soon as I realized what the video was about I stopped it because I could feel suppressed emotions beginning to work their way to the surface and I didn’t want my co-workers to see my reaction. My eyes began to get glassy and my nose started to run just from watching 2 or 3 minutes of the video. Damn! I thought I was done with that part of my life. I never thought I would have to write about it. I decided to watch a little at a time while moving back and forth from work to the video until I got through it.

Finding out

Watching the "Losing Herbie" video for the first time made me think about the very first time that I witnessed my mother’s disease in action. In 2002 I took a vacation to visit my Mom at her home in Asbury Park N.J. While at her home she said she wanted to speak to someone about a bill she was disputing with a local heating and air company who claimed to performed work on her furnace.

While we were sitting in the office of the heating and air company, my Mom vehemently claimed that the service technician had never been to her home and that she had never seen him before and therefore was not paying this bill. Her testimony was so convincing that she had everyone in the room convinced that there must be some kind of mistake about who the bill was sent to and the home the work was performed in.

The manager decided to call the technician who was in the field at the time and asked him to come to the shop. When the technician arrived, he confirmed that my mother was definitely the home owner and in fact she offered him some pistachio ice cream, which also happens to be the only ice cream my mother ever bought home as far as I can remember. At this point I’m thinking to myself, how could he have known about the ice cream?

His statement was so shocking to her that she got up and as though her life depended on it, yelled “you’re a liar”! I still remember how confused I was when the technician described the front room, kitchen and basement area of her home to me.

That was the first time that I knew something was terribly wrong. I convinced her to let me take her to the hospital the next day. They told me that she had been transported to their facility before, because she had become lost while trying to drive home. A copy of her records indicated that she had been diagnosed with dementia in 1995. The only thing I knew about Alzheimer’s disease at that time was that it had something to do with memory loss for elderly people.

Effect on the family

My Second thought about the video was about the level of stress and frustrations that were evident within the family. There are forces that will rip at the fabric of Herbie’s family as the years tic by. I feel like most people who make the decision to take care of a parent with Alzheimer’s don’t really know how it will affect their current lifestyle. I consider myself to be someone who thinks about a problem and then develops steps to solve the problem. In my opinion there is no way for any family to be half way prepared to handle a task of this magnitude.

Long Term care and death

In 2003, I moved my Mother in with my family, this was the third issue the grabbed my attention in the video. We had a 7 and 8 year old boy and girl that needed a lot of attention in school, sports and at home. My wife and I both worked full time jobs and the kids were in sports all year. I felt like the family in the video was very much like my family when in it came to allocating time and resources to Herbie.

The strain on the family budget will become the topic for many late night arguments. There will be bills that will progressively grow larger as the disease progresses. At one point in time I could barely afford the $15 dollar registration fees to get my kids into the seasonal sport because I was spending so much money on my Moms medication.

After my Moms death in 2007, it’s clear that only one half of my family recovered. The kids bounced back with energy, while my wife and I still have not fully recovered from ill feelings of past conversations.

Conclusion

I’m willing to bet that when Herbie’s family found out the bad news about her dad having Alzheimer’s disease they begin to search for all the information they could find on the subject, without devoting too much time to the hunt for information they soon find that they were dealing with a criminal that prays on people from all walks of life. They soon find out that this criminal works slow and steady until he robs his victims of every brain activity that is needed to maintain life.

There are no winners in this battle to hold on to a loved one. The family and the patient take the brunt of this storm head on, and when the clouds clear there are only casualties left to sort through the debris.

I would wager a bet that says regardless of faith, race, or culture. That if a person could see a one hour film summarizing what their life would be like when faced with the onset and final outcome of Alzheimer’s. That 90 out of 100 people would say “I want to be euthanized when I reach a particular stage.”

- John Washington

Welcome back Strayer University students!

2009-12-15T12:30:00.007-05:00

Last April, we posted essays from Professor Terry Abramson's “Intro to Sociology” class at Strayer University. Professor Abramson incorporates Losing Herbie (part 2 of The Sandwich Generation) into her class curriculum by first having her students watch the film and then by having them write an essay about it.

This semester, the students were asked to write an essay describing the three things that struck them the most when watching the video. Below are excerpts from five students' heartfelt essays. We will post the five essays (in their entirety) over the next few weeks.

Student 1: I have first hand experience with this subject matter, as I am the son of an Alzheimer’s victim. I use the term victim to express Alzheimer’s disease as a thief who has yet to be caught....Watching the “Losing Herbie” video for the first time made me think about the very first time that I witnessed my mother’s disease in action.

Student 2: Dementia is a cognitive disorder that deprives the mind and body by causing long term decline in cognitive function. This disease effects the ability to process thought patterns. In the short film, my thoughts of a person living with dementia made me feel sad. I felt sad, because the short film explained how Herbie’s life was before acquiring the disease and then living with the disease.

Student 3: Throughout the entire documentary the first thing that stood out to me was the emotional journey each family member experienced. Starting with the aging father we were immediately shown how bad his dementia was and when asked a question about what town he lived in, he earnestly answered “I surely cannot remember.”

Student 4: Watching this video hit home for me because I was caretaker for my mother before she died. She died in December 2007 from Lou Gehrig’s Disease/ALS. Losing a loved one is never easy, but taking on the responsibility of caretaker can be even more challenging.

Student 5: After watching Herbie I immediately felt this sense of despair. What would happen to me if I were diagnosed with Dementia? Could my children handle caring for me each and every day as Herbie’s did? The anxiety struck me beyond belief.

So welcome Strayer University

and thank you again to Prof. Abramson and her students!

The NYTimes on Military Psycho-Therapy

2009-12-11T12:44:00.006-05:00

A recent article in the New York Times caught our attention. In it, James Dao and Dan Frosch examine doctor-patient confidentiality (or lack thereof) in the United States Military psycho-therapy services.

At the beginning of psycho-therapy sessions, soldiers are asked to sign a waiver "explaining that under certain circumstances, including if he admitted violating military laws, his conversations with his therapist might not be kept confidential."

“There really is no confidentiality,” said Kaye Baron, a psychologist in Colorado Springs who has been treating soldiers from Fort Carson and their families for eight years. “You can find an exception to confidentiality in pretty much anything one would discuss.”

It's so bad, that some Military defense lawyer's recommend their clients avoid Doctor's and instead talk to their Chaplain's, because "the privilege rules on their communications are stronger than for therapists."

This creates a lack of trust between the soldier's and the therapists, and prevents them from truly opening up about the horrors of war and how it effects them. It does not take much to draw a line between the ineffective counseling services soldiers are receiving while in the military, and the mental problems that then plague them the rest of their lives, whether they are still active duty members or discharged.

For more on the effects of PTSD on soldiers who've returned home, check out our short film series The Inner Wounds of War.

Below is a short video we created for Purpose Prize '09 Winner Dr. Judith Broder, who created and runs The Soldiers Project, an organization which provides unlimited, free, confidential therapy to combat veterans.

In Memory of Henry Liu

2009-12-04T15:14:00.011-05:00

On the behalf of Talking Eyes Media, it is with great sadness that we announce the death of 2009 Purpose Prize winner Henry Liu, who was killed in a car accident Tuesday.

TEM got to know Henry during the filming of his Purpose Prize video in August 2009. He was not only an extraordinary person, dedicated to changing the world through his "green" inventions, but Henry was also an especially kind and friendly man. Although I didn't have the chance to meet Henry in person, I was lucky enough to experience his warm and jovial personality through the phone.

Henry's love and passion for his work and "encore" career was as clear as day. During his interview, Henry said that he wouldn't be done working until the last day of his life....and, by the big smile on his face when he said this, anybody can tell that Henry not only meant it but that he would have no regrets about it as well.

Talking Eyes Media extends our deepest condolences to Professor Liu's family and colleagues.

A Beautiful Reaction from Motherrr's Blog

2009-11-23T14:19:00.003-05:00

Barb from Motherrr!’s blog shares:

“I know that when my dad was dying and we were all there holding his hand and talking to him up until the end, my oldest girlfriend and I promised that we’d be there for each other and would hold each other’s hands…not really thinking through the practicality of not both being able to do that!”

She wrote this in reaction to The Sandwich Generation, and her revelation is touching to say the least. Any discussion, reflection, or learning experience brought away from our work is a validation of all the effort spent on it. This paragraph is so heartwarming because it’s moments like these that make us really cherish what’s around us. She concludes her post understanding that time spent with aging parents can be a gift, and that there is an ongoing life lesson in every affair.

Please go to Motherrr!'s blog and read this astonishingly candid blog. The insights that can be found there really are worth the time, if only to remember how important family can be.

Purpose Prize 2009 Winner - Connie Siskowski

2009-11-20T09:33:00.005-05:00

Memories of caring for her grandfather as a pre-teen - giving him medication, even bathing him - often return to Connie Siskowski. She learned firsthand that managing the well-being of relatives at a young age leaves little time for homework or friends and brings stress no child should experience. Her own background guiding her, Siskowski started an organization in Palm Beach County, Florida, that facilitates support groups in middle schools, offers classes on life skills, and provides other resources to ease some of the responsibility and give young caregivers the chance to be kids.

Purpose Prize 2009 Winner - Ann Higdon

2009-11-19T14:31:00.006-05:00

Ann Higdon knows the despair of going nowhere. Homeless as a kid, she grew up with no love for learning and little hope. It took just one teacher's kind words to drive Higdon to try harder and finish school. Through the years, she has convened a chorus of professionals to similarly inspire high school dropouts in Dayton, Ohio. Higdon's organization, which includes three charter schools, helps area dropouts earn their diplomas while training for jobs in health care, construction, computer operations, and manufacturing.

Purpose Prize 2009 Winner - Marcy Adelman

2009-11-17T11:40:00.008-05:00

As some of her friends approached old age, Marcy Adelman worried they would have no place to go without fear of discrimination and loneliness. Through her research, the psychologist appreciated the trials of aging within the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. She saw the group was less likely to have children to care for them or senior housing that welcomed them. Adelman and her partner set out to meet the need by providing affordable, LGBT-friendly housing and eventually training service providers to better support LGBT elderly in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Voice Your Opinion on Health Care to Harry Reid

2009-11-12T14:49:00.005-05:00

Senator Harry Reid is conducting an informal survey about which aspect of health care reform matters most to us. It's critical that we voice our opinions at every opportunity to our elected leaders, so please take a moment to text your response. Just use your cellphone and pick one of these options:

What's the most important aspect of health insurance reform?

TEXT A to 42779 for:
Making sure people with preexisting conditions can get affordable insurance

TEXT B to 42779 for:
Prohibiting insurance companies from dropping people when they get sick

TEXT C to 42779 for:
Creating a public insurance option to lower costs by creating competition

TEXT D to 42779 for:
We should not reform health insurance, status quo is ok by me

TEXT your answer (A,B,C or D) to 42779 (HARRY) to vote

The only caveat is that you'll automatically be registered to receive mobile updates from Reid's campaign in the future (which you can also opt out of).

Purpose Prize 2009 Winner - Henry Liu

2009-11-12T12:08:00.007-05:00

Henry Liu turned poison into possibility. The former engineering professor found a way to transform fly ash - a toxic byproduct of burning coal - into bricks that look and function like the old standards made of clay. The innovation not only removes a harmful substance from the environment, but the related manufacturing process requires less energy, is cheaper, and doesn't contribute to air pollution or global warming. Now that the bricks have been licensed for production in 11 countries, the Missouri-based scientist is working to find out a way to move freight more efficiently through underground pipelines.

We Honor Our Troops

2009-11-11T12:19:00.006-05:00

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the conflict on the Western Front of World War I ceased. Regrettably the celebrations have become more meaningful as the number of conflicts and, inevitably, unnecessary tragedies have grown.

We celebrate our veterans, the work they have done and the bravery they show when they put their lives on the line. But it seems at times we neglect to recognize the struggle they face after their return. Enlistment and service can become a lifelong commitment for those who have suffered the traumas of war.

In 2008, the Discovery Military Channel's website released a video of ours addressing the troubles and triumph of retired Sgt. Juan Arredondo: his recovery after a tragic explosion that resulted in the loss of his left hand and a great deal of his calf muscles. In memory and appreciation of our soldiers, please view this video, pass it along and remind those around you that the perils of war follow our soldiers beyond the battle field.

Purpose Prize 2009 Winner - Judith Broder

2009-11-11T11:46:00.009-05:00

As Judith Broder watched a play documenting the mental anguish some veterans experience after coming come from war, something clicked. As a psychiatrist, she knew that without help some soldiers would never get past what they had seen and done. She also understood that a veteran's distress can painfully affect loved ones. Taking action, Broder created an organization that supports free, confidential, unlimited therapy to service members and their families.

Purpose Prize 2009 Winner - Timothy Will

2009-11-10T12:07:00.007-05:00

Tim Will saw that his adopted community - chosen for its stunning beauty - was decaying. Manufacturing jobs, the Appalachian county's economic base, had moved elsewhere, and the area lacked the infrastructure to support new business in a technology-driven world. So Will used his telecommunications background to connect the North Carolina county's agrarian past to a digitally supported future. After getting the rural area wired (no small feat), he linked local farmers and chefs in the nearest big city through an online ordering system, bringing laid-off factory workers back to farming and lifting the area's economy.

Purpose Prize 2009 Winner - Don Coyhis

2009-11-06T11:29:00.009-05:00

Don Coyhis felt emptiness in sobriety. He found himself going through the motions at support group meetings, disconnected from the reasons why he shouldn't drink. Searching for understanding, he turned to his Native American roots. During a five-day fast in the Colorado mountains, Coyhis saw a white bison rise from the ground - to him, a sign that his recovery would be incomplete without his culture. Coyhis founded a nonprofit offering native-focused recovery resources to communities across the country, and in turn, launched a movement called Wellbriety.

Purpose Prize 2009 Winner - Duncan Campbell

2009-11-04T17:07:00.008-05:00

One night when Duncan Campbell was 3, he went looking for his parents. Police found the couple at a bar. Through boyhood and adolescence, Campbell felt he was raising himself. Somehow, he fought against his disadvantages and eventually established a successful investment firm. Now, he's investing in children. His national organization looks for kids "who have accumulated the most heartache and trouble," promising them a caring adult in their lives from age 5 or 6 until they approach adulthood themselves. The mentors are paid professionals, not volunteers, helping to ensure quality, consistency, and commitment.

Purpose Prize 2009 Winners - Stephen & Elizabeth Alderman

2009-11-03T14:00:00.014-05:00

The death of their son on 9/11 brought Elizabeth and Stephen Alderman merciless grief. Soon afterward, they learned in a news report that a billion people around the world had experienced severe trauma. The Aldermans could relate. They understand: Suffering is suffering. To honor their son and to treat living victims of trauma and terrorism, they created a globally focused foundation that helps create homegrown mental health systems chiefly in Africa, where violence of all kinds - rape, war, kidnapping, the unspeakable - has desecrated communities.

Purpose Prize 2009 Winner - James Smallwood

2009-11-02T15:11:00.017-05:00

This weekend the San Francisco non-profit organization Civic Ventures held their annual Encore Careers Summit, where they introduced to a very large crowd the winners of the 2009 Purpose Prize. Talking Eyes Media produced a short video for each of the winners, traveling all over the United States this fall to meet and film the recipients. Along the way we met many wonderful people doing amazing things with their second or third (or fourth!) careers.

In honor of the Summit, we'll be posting a video a day to our blog, so that you can get to know the winners a little better. If you want to see all the videos right now, head over to our website where we have a special page devoted to the Purpose Prize winners. To read more in depth information on each winner head over to encore.org. We'll start off today with the first winner we filmed, James Smallwood from Camden, NJ.

---

James Smallwood was homeless, drug-addicted, and bug-infested. Knowing he might die on the streets, he got himself into a rehabilitation center and promised God that he if got clean, he would help others. Smallwood beat his cocaine dependency and is now fulfilling his vow through a nonprofit he created to serve ex-convicts, drug addicts, and the homeless in Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. The organization trains program participants for work in the construction trades, while helping them with reading, math, and job-hunting skills.

Change.org and Huffington Post on "Denied"

2009-11-02T11:02:00.009-05:00

More responses are coming in to our short film Denied that msnbc.com published last week.

Change.org picked up the story, commenting "It manages to expose just about every fallacy the enemies of reform like to spread, from supposed safety nets to the horrors of socialized medicine."

Also included in their post is an introduction to Army of Women, a group who "aims to eradicate breast cancer by changing the face of breast cancer research."

Sheila's story was brought to an even wider audience after The Huffington Post published a summary of the film and posted the video on their site. Check it out and leave a comment.

From Election Day to "Labor Day"

2009-10-29T10:26:00.010-04:00

Labor Day, the new film by Oscar nominee and our colleague Glenn Silber, opens tomorrow (October 30) in NYC & Chicago. Watch how one union's mobilization and thousands of activists' ensured the Democratic victory in the 2008 Presidential campaign.

But the film is only in selected theaters for one week only....
so make sure to mark your calendars!

How many lives are enough?

2009-10-28T14:14:00.008-04:00

Within minutes after MSNBC.com published our film, Denied, about Sheila Wessenberg, my phone rang with a call from abroad. It was a frustrated American who has found himself exiled from his own country because his child got sick. He is a health care refugee, an American who now lives in Japan where his son, who is on life support, is able to receive all the care he needs without bankrupting his family. It was a complete contradiction to his experience stateside. After his two-month-old son suffered a series of seizures and was put in an induced coma to quell the seizures, the father was told to take his infant home and allow him to die. The family refused, and has since traveled the globe seeking experimental treatments and a sympathetic health care system. Their son is now 12.

"America has a system where the elites are profiting but they deny children a chance to live healthy," he said to me. He then recounted a conversation he had with a Japanese colleague who asked 'how can America expect anyone in the world to trust what it says when its own children can't trust it to take care of them?'

Please explain to me how any politician debating health care reform in Congress can choose to deny citizens access to health care with a clear conscience? And how can anyone who ostensibly represents the voice of the people justify filibustering as an acceptable course of action?

How many Sheila Wessenbergs have to die before we get genuine health care reform?

Our short film, Denied, on the Daily Kos

2009-10-28T13:21:00.008-04:00

Yesterday MSNBC ran our short film Denied on the front page of their web site. Today the responses are pouring in.

The Daily Kos writer Sven Eberlein (citisven) weighed in with his thoughts on both the film and the current health care debate.

Raising Women's Voices is as outraged as we are at the injustice done to Sheila and her family and want you to share your thoughts as well.

Within minutes of the film being posted on MSNBC, Julie received a call from a father in Japan, an American forced to leave the country to save his newborn son's life after a series of medical horror stories. Look for a future post from Julie for a more in-depth examination of his case.

Sheila's story is touching people in many different ways, all across the globe. If you have a story of your own to share, send us an email or leave it in the comments.

TEM & msnbc.com provide a "Dose of Reality"

2009-10-27T14:49:00.013-04:00

Today Talking Eyes Media published a video on msnbc.com about a woman with breast cancer who struggled to survive without health insurance. Sheila Wessenberg and her family went from living a middle-class life with health insurance to joining the 47 million uninsured Americans. Sheila's story could happen to anyone and shows the critical need to both promote breast cancer awareness and to fix America's health care system.

Talking Eyes Media urges you to watch this one woman's struggle to survive breast cancer....and her even bigger battle to survive without health insurance.

Watch: When Death is the Only Way Out of Medical Debt

News from Paris! Kashi wins Prix Pictet 2009 Commission Prize!

2009-10-26T10:12:00.020-04:00

On Thursday, October 22, Kofi Annan (former Secretary General of the U.N. and Honorary President of the Prix Pictet) awarded this year's Prix Pictet Award to British-based photographer Nadav Kander and the 2009 Commission to our very own Ed Kashi!

The Prix Pictet is an annual search for photographs that communicate powerful messages of global environmental significance under a broad theme. The theme for this year's prize was "Earth," and Ed's portfolio for Curse of the Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta was honored with being one of the 12 talented photographers under consideration for the 2009 Prix Pictet Award.

Ivan Pictet, Senior Managing Partner of Pictet & Cie said, "On behalf of the Partners of Pictet; I am delighted to announce that we have selected Ed Kashi as the photographer to fulfill Pictet's annual commission related to our charitable activities, this year in Madagascar, a country with a remarkable ecological heritage under threat and one of the poorest countries on earth."

Each year Pictet & Cie supports the work of a charity whose work reflects the theme of the prize; for 2009, Pictet & Cie will support Azafady, a UK-based charity and Malagasy-registered NGO. Ed Kashi has been commissioned to visit Madagascar with Azafady in order to produce a series of photographs that will highlight the issues of land degradation and desertification. The commission will also result in a traveling exhibition and printed catalogue.

The prize is also complemented by the Prix Pictet 2009 publication, Earth. Published by teNeues, Earth includes the work of the 12 shortlisted artists and others nominated for the 2009 prize. The full portfolios of each shortlisted artist will be shown at the Passage de Retz gallery in Paris from October 23 to November 24. The Prix Pictet will then tour to other international venues from late 2009 to early 2010.

Click on the following links to learn more about Prix Pictet and the Madagascar Commission:

Prix Pictet 2009 - Press Release

Prix Pixtet 2009 Commission

Financial Times article on Prix Pictet

Thanks to Jill & Gilbert Guide

2009-10-20T11:45:00.013-04:00

On Sunday we had great reference on Gilbert Guide. It always feels good to know you've helped.

And the Countdown Begins

2009-10-08T16:53:00.014-04:00

The Senate Finance Committee's health reform bill seems to have been resuscitated with the announcement by the Congressional Budget Office yesterday that the cost of "America's Healthy Future Act," will amount to $829 billion over ten years. The bill even extends an increase in the amounts paid for ambulance services from December, 2009 until January, 2012. This may satisfy some of the EMS professionals we are working with to develop a public education and outreach strategy for FIRESTORM. I'll share more about this work soon.

Considering $2 trillion is currently spent on health care annually, and $810 billion is reportedly wasted in the system annually, $829 billion (over 10 years) seems like a paltry sum and should not be a stumbling block to passage. There are some in the Senate, however, who may be willing to try. Jonathan Cohn's blog post about Mitch McConnell's aversion to getting any legislation through gave me a chuckle, but alas, this really is no laughing matter, is it? Let's hope the Republicans seize this opportunity to rise above the politics and make health care accessible to millions more Americans.

From the NY Times: "In its analysis of the Senate Finance Committee bill, the budget office said a proposed expansion of Medicaid would add $345 billion to federal spending over the next 10 years. State Medicaid spending would rise by $33 billion, as 14 million people would be added to the Medicaid rolls. The other big federal cost would be subsidies totaling $461 billion over 10 years, to help low- and middle-income people buy insurance."

The measure is hardly ideal as it will provide insurance coverage for about 29 million of the 46 million uninsured OVER 10 YEARS.

From the CBO Director's blog: "By 2019, CBO and JCT estimate, the number of nonelderly people who are uninsured would be reduced by about 29 million, leaving about 25 million nonelderly residents uninsured (about one-third of whom would be unauthorized immigrants). Under the proposal, the share of legal nonelderly residents with insurance coverage would rise from about 83 percent currently to about 94 percent."

The Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill next Tuesday, October 13.

PUBLIC OPTION IN CRITICAL CONDITION

2009-10-01T11:30:00.007-04:00

As I read (with profound disappointment) reports that the Senate voted down two amendments that would have added a public option to the Senate Finance Committee’s health reform bill, I was reminded of this story published in The New York Daily News on Monday. Dr. Frank Huyler wrote the story and he recounts treating a woman in his emergency room who had waited 11 hours to be seen. The woman suffered from a few chronic illnesses, which she had been managing with a private doctor before she was layed off and lost her insurance. Now uninsured, her doctor dropped her. She went to the ER complaining of chest pain and to have her prescriptions re-filled.

Dr. Huyler determined that the woman’s symptoms required a cardio work-up and admitted her and ordered routine tests. The patient was released the next day and her tests were thankfully negative. Not seeking a free ride, she duitifully met with hospital social workers to work out a payment plan. She was handed a bill...for $10,000.

In stories like this the identity of the patient is necessarily kept private. But this woman’s anonymity underscores for me the faceless and voiceless throngs of uninsured Americans who will face bankruptcy or even death because they cannot afford health insurance. Tens of millions of Americans lack insurance and their plight seems trivialized by a congress focused more on appeasing special interests than on protecting the rights of citizens. While lives hang in the balance our lawmakers are determined to protect the integrity of the private insurance industry. Yes, a public option, which is essential, may eventually sink private insurers. What’s so vexing is that our elected officials are unwilling to face down greedy corporate interests and face up to their responsibility as guardians of the public interest.

Interesting Factoids:

63% of physicians support public and private options (NPR)

More people believe in UFOs (34%)(AP Poll) than oppose a public option (26%) (NY Times)

Take Action

If you're in New York tomorrow - appear as an extra in a MoveOn ad starring Heather Graham! The ad will pit the actress against lazy Big insurance companies and the Public Option in a track meet race. Friday, October 2, 12pm-2pm

Location: The Red Hook Running Track at Red Hook Recreation Area. Meet at the corner of Hicks and Bay Street at noon sharp.

companies

Are your elected officials on these committees? Call, fax or email them with your thoughts.

http://finance.senate.gov/

http://help.senate.gov/

Firefighters on the front lines of medical care delivery

2009-09-10T11:05:00.014-04:00

We have been in the trenches documenting some unfortunately common and absurdly archaic health care stories, which we are pulling together into a series of films to be broadcast and webcast in the near future. One of these films is a documentary called FIRESTORM, a one-hour film, (which has advanced to the second round for finishing funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting-funded ITVS/LINCS fund). FIRESTORM follows the firefighters of Station 65 in Watts, Los Angeles and reveals the little-known fact that firefighter/paramedics are on the front lines of delivering health care to the poor, uninsured and underinsured, some of whom mis-use 911 for transport to emergency rooms for treatment of non-urgent medical conditions.

FIRESTORM reveals the depth of the crisis in emergency medical care in Los Angeles. Eleven hospitals have closed in five years and paramedics transport as many as 500 people to ERs every day, many of whom could be treated by primary care physicians. Not surprisingly, this situation plagues EMS workers across the country. Most recently the NY Times reported on the dysfunctional system in the nation's capitol where more than 80% of firefighters' runs are medical, rather than fire-related, just like in LA.

Current Project: the Purpose Prize

2009-08-19T11:43:00.000-04:00

Ed and videographer Peter Trilling are currently working on a series of 10 multimedia shorts for the Purpose Prize. This project is being produced by the Talking Eyes Media team for Civic Ventures. This is a wonderful example of non-profits working together to create rich media for expanding great causes. Ed and Peter have been compiling interviews and stills on the finalists for this prize, which celebrates the decisive change some Americans have made, from being ordinary men and women to life-impacting social entrepreneurs. The final pieces will be completed and released in late October, when the winners are announced.

FIRESTORM - Coming Soon from Talking Eyes Media

2009-08-05T17:28:00.016-04:00

View the trailer for FIRESTORM here

Talking Eyes Media has been toiling away and is happy to share the trailer for FIRESTORM - a one-hour documentary that examines Los Angeles' rapidly unraveling health care safety net from the perspective of LAFD paramedics. With behind-the-scenes vérité, candid interviews and punctuated with stunning still images by Ed Kashi, FIRESTORM follows the paramedics of Los Angeles' station 65 in South LA, where 911 has become the speed dial for an ailing healthcare system.

LAFD Cutting Services

2009-08-05T10:16:00.020-04:00

I was horrified to see yesterday's LA Times report about the LAFD cutting back on paramedic services. During our time in LA shooting for our latest film, Firestorm, we witnessed the Fire Department functioning as a safety net for people who have no access to health care. Over the past few decades, the role of fire departments across the United States has shifted, leaving them with less fires to fight and more health services to deliver. Without sorting out the health care debacle in this country and finding a way to provide universal coverage, it will be catastrophic to reduce ambulance and paramedic resources.

Check out the LA Times story here:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/08/la-fire-department-budget-woes-forcing-cuts-in-rescue-and-paramedic-services-.html

NPR: Triptychs, Technology & Ed Kashi's Archives

2009-07-02T11:28:00.001-04:00

National Public Radio's Claire O'Neill did a wonderful piece on Three, just posted today.
Lots of great images, a multimedia piece, and a nice review complete with interview.

Here's the link:

NPR: Triptychs, Technology, and Ed Kashi's Archives

Student's Thoughts on "Living With Herbie"

2009-06-22T12:20:00.005-04:00

Here is another touching essay on "Living with Herbie," written by a student at Strayer University. Thank you to Prof. Abramson and her student for sharing this with us.

Sadness. How could anyone be anything but sad after watching this video? I noticed tears coming to my eyes almost immediately. I stopped and thought, wait, I am a man…I am not supposed to be crying! But, how could I help myself from tearing up? Studying a disease like dementia means nothing until you put a sweet old man’s face to the condition and what it is doing to his family. I have studied dementia before and its effects, but that twelve minute video did more for me than an entire unit in class. The effects that the disease has had on Herbie’s daughter, Julie, on her family, and on Herbie, himself, were the most impactful parts of the video.

In the video, Julie said, “You have to look at care giving as a marathon, not a sprint.” The sacrifice that she is making for her father is remarkable. She recognizes that she will not stop at anything to provide the care that he needs for a better quality of life. She sacrifices time spent with her children, her husband, her friends, and time spent on herself in order to take care of him. I think that the fact that she does not hesitate to do so, and the fact that she is so committed to dedicating herself to whatever time he has left is admirable.
The commitment that Herbie’s son-in-law is making to his wife and to Herbie is also commendable. I was grateful to see that he was honest in the video. It must be so frustrating at times and anyone can see that he is nervous that life might turn out a certain way that he cannot help but become agitated. I am sure that some of his anger stems from that apprehension of growing old and from knowing who Herbie was before the onset of dementia. The honesty that he displays in the video had a huge impact on me, especially when he said, “What will happen when I can’t do twenty push-ups anymore?” I think it is a real fear that people face when they age. However, he stays committed to allowing Herbie a warm home and a beautiful family with whom he can spend his remaining days.

Finally, the impact that has had the most lasting effect on me was how much this must affect Herbie. In his moments of clarity, I wonder what he thinks about his situation. I wonder if he is looking down from the afterlife and feels appreciative or if he feels guilty? It must be such a struggle for someone who, as his girlfriend Ruth said, was as at one time “very, very savvy, and sophisticated,” to realize that he no longer is. It was easy to watch Herbie in the video because is a nice looking man who seems so sweet and sincere, but it was very hard to watch what this man had obviously become.

The effects that this debilitating disease has had on one family made me stop and think. The video gave me a ton of questions that I want answered. It made me wonder how many people would do for their loved ones what this family has done for Herbie.

THREE, the multimedia piece

2009-06-19T15:05:00.002-04:00

I am thrilled to have my new book featured on the New York Times' blog, LENS, but I want to make sure people look at the moody and magnificent piece that my wife, Julie Winokur, produced as a multimedia companion for the book. The idea of triptychs that formed the book THREE grew from what was really an idea for a print. To transform that initial vision into book form took reinterpretation of the original idea. To create THREE the multimedia piece was a further interpretation of my original idea. Please take a look and if you like it, pass the link on. One of the musical pieces was created by our 11 year old daughter, Isabel, so I am proud of it on multiple levels. Watch, relax and let this piece take you somewhere else.

THREE

Ed Kashi will be teaching a Documentary Photography Workshop in Colorado in August

2009-06-12T05:39:00.002-04:00

Greetings from my last day in the Niger Delta, finishing up on a new film here. I want to mention that I'll be teaching a documentary workshop in August in Fort Collins, Colorado for The Center For Fine Art Photography. I recently juried their photo contest and am looking quite forward to visiting their center and teaching this 3 day workshop. While there I will also be giving a public lecture. If you plan to be in the neighborhood or live close by, please sign up.

Colorado Workshop Info

Our broken health care system MUST be mended

2009-06-09T10:31:00.004-04:00

Decision Makers Differ on How To Mend Broken Health System

By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Nowhere else in the world is so much money spent with such poor results.

On that point there is rare unanimity among Washington decision makers: The U.S. health system needs a major overhaul.

For more than a decade, researchers have documented the inequities, shortcomings, waste and even dangers in the hodgepodge of uncoordinated medical services that consume nearly one-fifth of the nation's economy. Exorbitant medical bills thrust too many families into bankruptcy, hinder the global competitiveness of U.S. companies and threaten the government's long-term solvency.

But the consensus breaks down on the question of how best to create a coordinated, high-performing, evidence-based system that provides the right care at the right time to the right people.

During eight years in office, President George W. Bush took an incremental approach, adding prescription drug benefits to the Medicare program for seniors and the disabled and expanding the number of community clinics nationwide. President Obama, like the last Democrat to occupy the White House, contends that was insufficient and is pushing for an ambitious reworking of the entire $2.3 trillion system.

Framed by President Bill Clinton 16 years ago as a moral imperative to deliver health care to all, this summer's historic debate comes against a more urgent backdrop. As the national unemployment rate nears 10 percent and giants such as General Motors crumble, the expensive, inefficient health system has deepened the country's economic woes.

By virtually every measure, the situation has worsened.

Today, about 46 million Americans have no health insurance, so they go without or wait in emergency rooms for expensive, belated care. Everyone else helps pay for that Band-Aid fix in the form of higher taxes and an extra $1,000 a year in insurance premiums.

Pockets of medical excellence dot the landscape, but at least 100,000 people die each year from infections they acquired in the hospital, while 1.5 million are harmed by medication errors. Of 37 industrialized nations, the United States ranks 29th in infant mortality and among the world's worst on measures such as obesity, heart disease and preventable deaths.

Bright young physicians trained at prestigious and expensive universities enter a profession built on perverse financial rewards. They, like assembly-line workers of the past, are paid on a piecemeal basis, earning more money not by doing better but simply by doing more.

Yet more care rarely translates into better health. Extensive research by Dartmouth College has found the exact opposite: Health outcomes are often best in communities that spend less compared with cities such as Boston and Miami where the medical arms race of specialists and high-tech gadgets often leads to greater risks and injuries.

The Institute of Medicine estimates that one-third of all medical care is pure waste, such as duplicate X-rays, repeat lab tests and procedures to fix mistakes.

"Most Americans don't understand how bad health care in the United States is," said Michael F. Cannon, head of health policy at the libertarian Cato Institute. "We need big reforms."

Across the ideological spectrum, the diagnosis is remarkably consistent.

"Sure, some people here have the best health care in the world, but the average American is paying too much and not getting enough in return," said John D. Podesta, who led Obama's transition team and heads the Center for American Progress, a think tank.

Said Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.): "What's tragic is that so much of this spending is on duplicative or unnecessary care that doesn't improve health outcomes."

Simply put, the goal of health reform is to finally get our money's worth, say industry leaders, policymakers, consumers and business executives.

They envision a health-care system that guarantees a basic level of care for everyone, shifts the emphasis to wellness and prevention, minimizes errors, and reduces unnecessary and unproved treatment. Such a system would coordinate care, track patients and doctor performance electronically, and reward good results. The high-value system of the future would be organized "so that people get the care they need and need the care they get," said Elizabeth A. McGlynn, associate director of the health research division of Rand Corp.

Nowadays, that is often not the case.

On average, Americans receive the recommended, proven care 55 percent of the time, according to Rand studies. Sometimes, doctors or nurses overlook a basic but critical step, such as prescribing a beta blocker medication to patients after a heart attack, a therapy shown to significantly reduce the risk of a fatal attack. At other times, patients undergo procedures when there is no evidence that they are any better than a simpler, cheaper alternative.

Ten years ago, in its landmark report "To Err is Human," the Institute of Medicine estimated that 44,000 to 98,000 people die each year from medical mistakes, highlighting the need for improvement. Since then, the tally has risen, said Janet Corrigan, president of the National Quality Forum, a nonprofit membership organization that promotes quality standards.

"We now know estimates of those who die from hospital-acquired infections is upwards of 100,000," she said. "Many of those, if not most, are avoidable and preventable."

Sen. Robert C. Byrd's recent hospital stay, for example, has been extended because the West Virginia Democrat developed a staph infection.

"Everyone agrees that hospitals are hazardous to your health," said Mitchell Seltzer, a consultant who advises large medical institutions. "For every day a patient is in a bed, they are subjected to a higher probability of medical errors, hospital-acquired infections, inappropriate tests that do not have a direct bearing on the medical condition being treated."

Part of the problem is cultural, said Rand's McGlynn.

"People tend to demand the new thing even if there's not much evidence it will make a difference in the length or quality of life," she said.

Few patients or physicians have any idea who delivers good, or bad, care, because few organizations track results. Consumers have more information to evaluate their cars than they do their surgeons.

"It's like a doctor flying the plane without instruments," said James N. Weinstein, a spine surgeon who directs the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

Obama set aside $19 billion in his economic stimulus package to promote the use of digital records, on the belief that they reduce duplication, produce more consistent care and cut down on errors.

Because the fee-for-service payment system rewards quantity over quality, there is little incentive -- and there are even disincentives -- for doctors, nurses and hospitals to improve, Corrigan said.

"Is it a surprise we have lots of extra imaging tests and lab tests?" she said. "Not at all."

The consequences are especially glaring in regions with larger numbers of specialists and pricey technology, the Dartmouth data show.

Take the case of Miami vs. La Crosse, Wis. In 2006, using inflation-adjusted figures, Medicare spent $5,812 on the average beneficiary in La Crosse, compared with $16,351 in Miami. Yet an examination of health status in both places, adjusted for age, finds no evidence that the extra spending resulted in better care, Weinstein said.

"That's the enigma here," he said. "Less is more, and more isn't better."

Physician behavior and spending patterns in Medicare have been good indicators of broader trends across the nation, Dartmouth has found.

Even the best physicians cannot stay current with all of the drugs, tests and treatments available today -- another reason to digitize modern medicine, Corrigan said.

Many fear that the push to contain costs will result in rationing.

In today's system, "we don't ration care, we ration people," said Donald M. Berwick, president of the independent Massachusetts-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement. "We know that if you are black and poor or a woman, there are all sorts of effective interventions you are not going to get."

Though the transition would be painful and the politics treacherous, Berwick said it is possible to spend less on medical care and have a healthier nation.

"If we could just become La Crosse, think of how much better off we would be," he said.

The original article at The Washington Post

Medical bills cause personal bankruptcy

2009-06-04T11:32:00.005-04:00

According to a new report by the American Journal of Medicine, medical bills are involved in 60% of personal bankruptcies in the United States. If you're still not convinced that our nation's health care system is in dire need of a major overhaul, then how about this fact: More than 75% of these bankrupt families HAD health insurance!

Click on the links below to learn more about the AJM study.

Medical bills underlie 60 percent of US bankrupts-study, Reuters, 6/4/09

A serious illness away from bankruptcy, "Marketplace," APR, 6/4/09

The Final Strayer University Essay....

2009-04-23T09:56:00.005-04:00

Thank you again to Prof. Abramson's Intro. to Sociology class at Strayer University for sharing their essays. Here is the final essay that we will be posting:

Student 3:

This Video was very impressive to me, it basically took me to a different level that made me think about how my parents were there for me when I needed them, and now someday they are going to need me. And the question I keep asking myself is what am I going to do about it? In the video the three things that touched me the most was: the children, the daughter and Mr. Herbie.

First, I would like to express my feelings about the children. The children played a very important role in Mr.Herbie’s life, they were like his medicine. They interacted with him by dancing, singing, brushing his hair, kissing and hugging him and also talking to him. The children made Herbie feel young again. This is a very special time in the children’s lives as well as Herbie. They will always remember the times they spent with their grandfather. It’s a special kind of blessing being able to be there for your grandfather. A lot of children never even meet their grandfather, never the less help take care of them and be in their lives. With Herbie in their lives this makes them more responsible and educated on the matter that their grandfather has a terrible illness called dementia and he don’t have much time on this earth. So every minute they spend with him is priceless. And that they need to get to know their grandfather.

Next, there is Herbie’s daughter who is a very smart and caring person, what she did I really admire her. Not all people are mature enough to handle a situation like that. Herbie is so lucky to have her as his daughter. She didn’t send him away and sell his house for his money. But instead she sold the house and took him in and used the money on his medical care which is awesome. Some children just wait until their parents are dead and gone and sell their house for their use only, and that’s bad. Even though she didn’t know how much of a hassle things were going to be, she still stuck her foot out there and made it happen. There were days when she wanted to just give up, but she hung in there and that’s what counts.

Last, there was my buddy Mr. Herbie, I instantly fell in love with him. Herbie was a very fragile and sweet person. He was suffering from dementia and could no longer take care of himself. Herbie really touched my heart he reminds me of my own father, once a healthy, smart and hardworking man providing for his family and living his life to the fullest. But suddenly gets ill. When I looked at Herbie I saw a person who wasn’t ready to give up on life. Herbie enjoyed and loved his grandchildren, his daughter, the caregiver, his son-in-law and his girlfriend. When Herbie died it was very emotional for me, it felt like I knew him.

In concluding, I have made up my mind. As a parent and daughter I will take my parents in and care for them like Herbie’s family cared for him. On Herbie’s last days I know that they were special knowing that his family surrounded him and that they took very good care of him. So with that in mind I know that Herbie went in peace.

Another Strayer University Essay....

2009-04-21T11:21:00.005-04:00

Student 2, from Strayer University's Intro to Sociology class, questions Julie and Ed's decision to take care of Herbie at home. Student 2 writes, "Does she feel that way because her Father is surrounded by people who love him? Perhaps she feels that love is one of the better medicines out there, and that with Herbie being around people who love him will help him stay alive longer."

Student 2:

Losing Herbie is a short film that illustrates the joys and struggles of a family taking care of their elders when their elders can’t take care of themselves. Herbie, an eighty four year old man, is suffering from dementia, and his family has taken him in to their home to see that he is taken care of. His family consists of his daughter, son in law, and two grandchildren, all with their own part in helping Herbie throughout the day. While watching this story, a few things jump out at me that I find interesting.

The first thing that strikes me when I watch the film is when the daughter of Herbie says, “I have no questions whatsoever, that having Herbie live here means he’s getting the best care he can possibly have”. This quote strikes me because there are possibly other places that Herbie could live that he would get better attention and care, one being a nursing home. The assurance in her voice, though, proves to me that she believes what she is saying whole heartedly. Does she feel that way because her Father is surrounded by people who love him? Perhaps she feels that love is one of the better medicines out there, and that with Herbie being around people who love him will help him stay alive longer. Another theory of mine is that Herbie’s Daughter is afraid to lose him, so she wants to keep him around her as much as possible before he passes.

Another thing that pops out at me while watching this film are the children and the environment they have to live in. The two grandchildren of Herbie, one grandson and one granddaughter, are now living with an extra body that has to be taken care of by their parents. Herbie probably requires more attention, seeing as he can do fewer things for himself than the children. This means that the kids are getting less attention by their parents than they probably should. The son and daughter, even though they seem to notice the lack of attention, take it very well. They help out around the house, and seem to be very good to their Grandfather. These kids are being forced, in a sense, to act much older than they really are, and have to put the being kid stuff on hold to help take care of their Granddad and help out around the house. The question can be raised, what effects, long term and short term, will this have on the children? Will this help them become stronger people or will this situation cause them to have issues such as abandonment, trust, or self respect. Being in a home where the parents have to take care of someone else over their children has to be rough on the kids, and even though they show no signs of any problems now, one has to think about if this is actually helping or hurting these children.

The last thing that grabs my attention while watching Losing Herbie is the stress level that everyone seems to be under. The Daughter of Herbie said herself, “If I gave up my work to make all of our lives calmer, I would be suicidal.” This stress level in the house has me asking the question, what effects will this high tension have on the entire family? How will this affect the marriage Herbie’s daughter and son and how will it affect the children. With stress levels so high, and everyone running around trying to do their part, this family has to be worn out, not only physically, but emotionally. Taking care of the elderly is no small task, and this family didn’t realize what they were in for. We really don’t get to see an ugly side, where the family is fighting or arguing, all that much. Maybe there is no ugly side just yet, but this family is so on edge, that there are bound to be problems ahead for the marriage and the relationship with their children.

Losing Herbie is a classic tale of any average family trying to balance life. When something so big as taking care of an older relative comes into the mix, that balance becomes much harder. This film shows the stresses and the joys of any family in this situation struggling to keep the balance in their lives without going insane. This family may look like they are keeping a good balance, but questions can still arise about the long term effects of what it is like to be Losing Herbie.

Strayer University Student Reflects

2009-04-20T10:20:00.008-04:00

Again, thank you to Strayer University's Professor Abramson and her Intro. to Sociology class for sharing their essays on Losing Herbie.

This student's personal account with dementia provides a unique perspective to the topic of caregiving.

STUDENT 1:

The video clips of losing Herbie was an eye opening experience that I was not ready to face however, one day I could be in the same situation as Herbie or his family. “Dementia affects about 1% of people aged 60-64 years and as many as 30-50% of people older than 85 years. Many people with dementia eventually become totally dependent on others for their care”. (Dementia) Growing up I always said I would never put my mother in a nursing home no matter what but after seeing all of the responsibility that comes with caring for someone with dementia makes me think twice. To watch someone you love decline and not be able to care for their self nor make a sound decision is sad. “It is the leading reason for placing elderly people in institutions such as nursing homes”. (Dementia)

One thing that struck me the most was how courageous and tolerant Julie was in taking care of her dad. In spite of all the responsibilities associated with taking care of him Julie was determined to stick it out because she made a promise to him and because she loved him so much. It was evident at how much she loved him because she could have easily given up or placed him in a nursing home because he became unaware of what was going on around him and would have never known what she has done. I have such a close relationship with my mother and I would want to do the same for her. I love her so much but will I be able to endure to the end as Julie did is a question I asked myself. I am an only child and the idea of raising my children while caring for my mother who would have infant like qualities in an adult body scares me. “I was asked if sibling relationships suffer when a parent has dementia. Often, siblings have varying opinions about how to deal with decisions they are faced with at the present time, as well as those down the road.” (Dementia) Would I be looked upon as selfish if I could not sit around and watch my mother decline or watch the lady I admire the most in this world slip away. On the other hand after working in a nursing home I could not image placing her in a facility that I consider depressing.

I was a bit surprised that his lady friend did not want to care for him but after seeing him decline and not having that spark she was use to I totally understand her position in caring for him. My husband and I share such great times together and trying to image being in that position to have to care for him or even watching him not be able to hold an intelligent conversation is completely mind boggling. However, because of the love we share and in my current state of mind I would have to remember the vow’s we took until deaths do us part and stick it out with him.

Julie’s husband was in agreement in the beginning and after seeing what he was faced with started feeling a bit of resentment towards Herbie. I love my in laws but I feel a little selfish because I would want my husband to be in agreement with me in taking care of my mother. However, I am not sure I would agree with him wanting to do it for his mother. He has other sibling and I would want one of them to take the responsibility. I would probably use the excuse that I am an only child and I do not have options as he does. I would be willing to help out but I would not want the full responsibility of taking care of his mother. “There can be family conflict and less cohesiveness. Yet, sometimes on this journey families come to a place where they say the disease has brought them closer than ever.” (Dementia)

I use to work at a nursing home when I was a teenager and it was easy to get attached to a lot of the elderly folks. However, I remember a time I was afraid of the people who suffered with Alzheimer’s and dementia because you never knew what to expect from them. It made me depressed watching families come and visit their love one and how hurt they appeared to be watching them decline. I also reflect on a time when the head nurse smacked a patient in the face and made her nose bleed because she could not tolerate the patient’s behavior. Although the patient had symptoms of dementia she was able to remember what happened to her. I was glad the nurse was charged with assault, locked up and her nursing license was revoked. However, dealing with this stressful situation could result in such behavior and a fear what may happen if someone lose their patience. This is the main reason I could not place my mother in a nursing home because she could not receive the love we would give her at home. I thank Julie for allowing us to see how much responsibility it would be caring for your parent and for keeping her promise to care for her dad although he was unaware of what was going on, I believe it made a difference.

WELCOME STRAYER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS!

2009-04-16T09:47:00.005-04:00

Exciting news from the world of academia!

Thank you to Strayer University's Professor Terry Abramson for incorporating Losing Herbie into the curriculum for her class "Intro to Sociology." Below are excerpts from three essays written about the film. In the following days, I will post each essay in its entirety. (For privacy, the students will remain anonymous.)

So welcome Strayer University and thank you again to Prof. Abramson and her students for allowing us to post these heartfelt essays!

Student 1:

One thing that struck me the most was how courageous and tolerant Julie was in taking care of her dad. In spite of all the responsibilities associated with taking care of him Julie was determined to stick it out because she made a promise to him and because she loved him so much....I have such a close relationship with my mother and I would want to do the same for her. I love her so much but will I be able to endure to the end as Julie did is a question I asked myself.

Student 2:

The first thing that strikes me when I watch the film is when the daughter of Herbie says, “I have no questions whatsoever, that having Herbie live here means he’s getting the best care he can possibly have”. This quote strikes me because there are possibly other places that Herbie could live that he would get better attention and care, one being a nursing home. The assurance in her voice, though, proves to me that she believes what she is saying whole heartedly.

Student 3:

This Video was very impressive to me, it basically took me to a different level that made me think about how my parents were there for me when I needed them, and now someday they are going to need me. And the question I keep asking myself is what am I going to do about it?

Ed Kashi Featured in Montclair Magazine!

2009-03-23T09:59:00.015-04:00

Guess who's on the cover of this spring's Montclair Magazine?

Our very own photojournalist Ed Kashi!

Click on the images below to read about Ed's experience as a photographer and the coming release of his new book THREE: A Perspective of Triptychs.

Triptych Time!

2009-03-18T09:29:00.005-04:00

The THREE challenge continues....

(click on images to enlarge)

What are your first THREE immediate thoughts, feelings, or emotions
when you see these images?

To learn more about Ed Kashi's upcoming book THREE, check out www.edkashi.com

"THREE" Collaboration Continues....

2009-03-16T16:02:00.008-04:00

We've been receiving great responses on Ed Kashi's blog to our THREE challenge! Thank you everyone and let's keep them coming....on Ed's blog as well as ours!

Here is today's triptych. Let's hear your three words for this one:

(click images above to enlarge)

"THREE" Multimedia Project

2009-03-12T09:23:00.007-04:00

Talking Eyes Media is currently developing a multimedia production of THREE, Ed Kashi's latest book due out in April. We invite you to join in the creative process of this exciting project. Over the next several weeks, we will post different triptychs from the book, and we request your input. In three words (we challenge you!), let us know your gut reaction to the images - feelings, thoughts, ideas, emotions...

Thank you in advance, have fun, and keep on the look-out for more thought-provoking photos.

(click on images above to enlarge)

India's Fast Lane to the Future wins big!!

2009-03-06T09:45:00.007-05:00

Ed Kashi and Julie Winokur's piece India's Fast Lane to the Future, produced for National Geographic Magazine, received the award for BEST ONLINE VIDEO SERIES at this year's Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) Digital Awards!

The multimedia piece, which first premiered on the NGM's website in September 2008 in a 5-part series, documents how India's new super-highway is changing the face of the country and captures India's conflict between the old and the new.

Photographed by Ed Kashi and edited by Julie Winokur, the series accompanied the article Fast Lane to the Future that was featured in the October 2008 edition of National Geographic Magazine.

Click on the link below to watch Fast Lane to the Future:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/10/india-highway/highway-video-interactive

Read: Winners of 3rd Annual MPA Digital Awards Announced

Child Caregivers

2009-02-23T10:17:00.008-05:00

The "Sandwich Generation", those caught between their aging parents and young children, includes some 20 million Americans. But it seems that society has overlooked one other layer: child caregivers, those children caught between childhood and sick parents or grandparents.

In today's NYT article In Turnabout, Children Take Caregiver Role, NYT reporter Pam Belluck reveals the growing issue of child caregivers.

A 2005 nationwide study suggested that about 3 percent of households with children ages 8 to 18 included child caregivers. Experts say they expect the numbers to grow as chronically ill patients leave hospitals sooner and live longer, the recession compels patients to forgo paid help and veterans need home care.

The article is not only extremely interesting (as well as eye-opening), but the various comments left by readers are as well. I encourage all to take a moment to read the article and to browse through the Readers Comments.

In light of TEM's film The Sandwich Generation, which intimately captures how caregiving can take both a physical and mental toll on the caregivers AND the whole family, do you think child caregiving is a necessary and reasonable expectation or an inappropriate level of responsibility?

Read article: In Turnabout, Children Take Caregiver Role

"For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Health Care"

2009-02-19T13:33:00.016-05:00

"They borrow leftover prescription drugs from friends, attempt to self-diagnose ailments online, stretch their diabetes and asthma medicines for as long as possible and set their own broken bones. When emergencies strike, they rarely can afford the bills that follow....."

No, the above paragraph isn't describing a third-world country....it's describing AMERICA's very own heathcare system.

In yesterday's NYT article For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Health Care, journalist Cara Buckley provides an intimate look into one of the nation's latest (and dangerous) trends--people in their 20s shunning health insurance either because their age makes them feel invulnerable or because expensive policies are out of reach. And, if I didn't know better, I would have thought that Buckley had taken a page right out of my own 20-something, uninsured life that I experienced last year before coming to TEM.....

In 2007, as a recent college graduate and newbie to the workforce, I found myself interning at a low-paying job....not offered any insurance, unable to pay for COBRA, and no longer eligible to be on my parents' plan. Luckily (or not so lucky, depending on how you look at it), I was only uninsured for about 3 months....but one of the most nerve-wracking 3 months of my life. Like the other young adults in Buckley's article, I attempted to self-diagnose my ailments online and postpone doctor visits. At one time, I even refused to go to the doctor when I thought I had a stomach ulcer and was left doubled over in excruciating stomach pain. Rather than go to the ER, I chose to suffer through the night and stock up on over-the-counter meds until I could make it home to Massachusetts to see our family doctor...and where my parents could cover the tab. (If you're wondering what was the doctor's diagnosis, sorry but you're out of luck. I dealt with the stomach pains for about a week until they gradually subsided on their own and went away). I felt so vulnerable living without health insurance that I became nervous to even step off the curb!

Thankfully, my bout with Do-It-Yourself Health Care came to an end when my parents came to my rescue and paid for my expensive COBRA plan. Happy to be insured?? Yes! Happy to continue depending on my 60-year-old parents for financial assistance?? Take a guess.

Now a year later, although I am both fully employed and insured, I am still a witness to the "Do-It-Yourself Health Care" system--this time it's my best friend who balances her health with a low-paying job and high-priced city. When the choice comes down to paying for an expensive heart medication that prevents her from fainting or paying the bills, like many of the subjects in Buckley's article, my friend chooses the latter.

Read article: For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Health Care

TEM Featured on AARP.org

2009-02-18T10:58:00.007-05:00

Hometown, Pennsylvania felt the economic crisis long before the rest of the country. First the coal mines shut down, then the steel mills and garment factories followed. Once known as the "Long-Underwear Capital of the World," Hometown is now struggling to hold on to the few jobs that are left.

WHAT HAPPENED TO HOMETOWN?, currently featured on AARP's website, profiles this rural community in light of the nation's current economic crisis. Hometown's economy, like that of the rest of the country, has fallen on hard times, facing layoffs, declining 401k plans, and home foreclosures. Despite the waves of economic shocks, Hometown residents persevere and prove to be a model of resilience for other hometowns across America.

Watch: WHAT HAPPENED TO HOMETOWN?

TEM Can Earn a Donation Every Time You Search the Internet or Shop Online!!

2009-02-18T10:35:00.011-05:00

What if TEM earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting your favorite cause.

Just take a few seconds to go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter "Talking Eyes Media" as the charity you want to support.

And, be sure to spread the word!

The more people use GoodSearch on behalf of TEM,
the more money you will help us raise!

ROCK THE VOTE IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION!!

2008-11-04T10:15:00.001-05:00

On the day of 2008 Presidential Election there's only really one thing to say....

Your future and your childrens' future depend on it.

MSNBC & National Geographic Magazine feature "The Sandwich Generation"

2008-10-29T14:21:00.023-04:00

TEM's documentary The Sandwich Generation continues to gain recognition!

The film, which chronicles filmmakers Julie Winokur and Ed Kashi as they struggle to care for Winokur's 82-year-old father, is featured in the November 2008 edition of National Geographic Magazine. In a four-page Photo Journal spread titled Living With Herbie, Julie's husband Ed Kashi (also a longtime National Geographic photographer) provides an intimate look at what it was like for his family to care for his dementia-stricken father-in-law.

__________________________________________________________________

MSNBC.com currently features the second-half of The Sandwich Generation in the series Losing Herbie: Dad's slide into dementia. TEM's Executive Director Julie Winokur is also quoted in the companion article Alzheimer's offspring confront their own risk.

Watch: Losing Herbie: Dad's slide into dementia

Read: Alzehimer's offspring confront their own risk

If America gets UNIVERSAL healthcare...we better make sure we get more primary care doctors, too.

2008-10-07T12:12:00.015-04:00

Universal healthcare is the magic key that could unlock many doctor offices' doors that currently remain shut and locked to most of the nation's uninsured population....but could universal healthcare also unlock a sort of healthcare "Pandora's Box"? A box that, when opened, creates a shortage of primary care physicians, longer wait times, and a reliance on emergency rooms for routine medical care?

According to two recent Boston Globe articles, Massachusetts, the first state to mandate health insurance in 2006, not only has a chronic primary doctor shortage but also has a wait time as long as 100 days just to see a primary care doctor. In its annual survey of physicians, the Massachusetts Medical Society found that among 100 internists the average wait time for an appointment for a new patient was 50 days, with some reporting waits up to 100 days. As a result, thousands of newly insured Bay State residents are relying on emergency rooms for routine medical care, which the Globe describes as "an expensive habit that drives up healthcare costs and thwarts a major goal of the state's first-in-the nation health insurance law."

So if the entire state of Massachusetts is finally insured, why are its residents STILL having problems receiving medical treatment? Plain and simple: there just are not enough primary care physicians to see the 439,000 newly insured patients.

A national primary care shortage has been looming for several years as doctors retire or leave the specialty and fewer doctors are entering the field. The Massachusetts Medical Society found that fewer primary care doctors are taking on new patients, and 42 percent of internists surveyed have closed their practices to them, compared with 33 percent in 2004. According to a survey published this month in the Journal of American Medical Association, just 2 percent of students graduating from medical school plan to practice primary care. Additionally, physicians are choosing to practice other fields since primary care requires long, unpredictable hours and pays less than most other medical specialities.

With all this said, does this mean then if the United States has a universal health plan that the nation will face the same shortage of primary care physicians and increase in wait time that Massachusetts is currently facing? Frankly, I think this a very likely possibility....BUT, in the same way that Massachusetts was the first state to mandate healthcare in the U.S., it is also the first state to deal with these post-mandate problems and therefore the first to work through them and find reliable solutions. For example, the state's law includes $1.5 million this year to help the University of Massachusetts Medical School expand its class size and to waive tuition and fees for students who agree to work as primary care doctors in Massachusetts for four years after they finish training. Massachusetts is also spending $1.7 million this year to repay medical school loans of doctors who agree to work in community health centers, and at least $500,000 to pay off debt for doctors who agree to work in primary care in underserved areas for at least two years....and considering that the average medical school student graduates with about $150,000 in debt, this $500,000 offer is quite an incentive.

Universal healthcare is a viable solution to the nation's 47 million uninsured and we should not let Massachusetts' problems scare us away from the idea....instead we should learn from the Bay State's ways and urge our government to produce legislative initiatives that would reduce the administrative burden on doctors and, as a result, the wait time for patients. And since such initiatives can have a long lag time, the sooner the government gets started....the better.

Click below to read the Boston Globe articles in their entirety:

Sept. 22, 2008 Boston Globe article:
Across Mass., wait to see doctors grows

Oct. 6, 2008 Boston Globe article:
Costly ER still draws many now insured

What are your thoughts about Massachusetts' healthcare mandate? Do you think national universal healthcare is within our horizon? Share your thoughts and opinions on the topic!

TEM featured on AARP.org

2008-09-30T11:59:00.014-04:00

Homeless...not Hopeless. This is the message that Lieutenant Commander Rick Koca tries to promote through his charity organization Stand Up For Kids.....and this is also the title of TEM's short film currently featured on the AARP Magazine's website.

"In our country, 13 kids die on the streets everyday. That was just more than I was willing to accept that I could go retire, that I could not do anything anymore," 66-year-old Koca says in the film. So in 1990, Koca founded Stand Up for Kids, a national organization run by volunteers who help homeless kids get off the streets.

Written, directed, and edited by Julie Winokur and photographed by photojournalist Ed Kashi, the 9-minute video Homeless...not Hopeless is the first of an AARP online film series focusing on adults who choose to re-career later in life.

Click on the link below to watch the film Homeless...not Hopeless:
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/people/rick_koca.html

Click on the link below to learn more about Stand Up for Kids:
http://www.standupforkids.org/

As Financial Markets Crash, Insurance Premiums Continue to Rise and Put a Strain on American Families

2008-09-26T11:56:00.016-04:00

"Even as Washington and Wall Street debate the best way to avert an economic disaster, increasing numbers of Americans are struggling with another financial crisis: the growing burden of unpaid medical bills." This first sentence of a New York Times' article Health Care Costs Increase Strain, Studies Find specifically describes an issue that many Americans may not realize during this tumultuous financial time--that the nation's economic downturn is having a significant toll not only on Americans' wallets but on their health as well.

The Commonwealth Fund states that "the federal minimum wage is now three dollars an hour lower, in real terms, than it was 40 years ago; gas and food prices are soaring; home values are declining; growth in health care costs is far outstripping income growth; and people are increasingly going without the protection of health coverage--nearly 9 million have lost their health insurance since 2000." As a result of these economic circumstances, more working families are struggling to pay their medical bills, accumulating medical debt, and are forced to make tough financial choices that often involves sacrificing needed health care and health insurance. Need a stat to put this issue into perspective? 41% of working-age adults, or 72 million people, reported a problem paying their medical bills or had accrued medical debt, up from 34%, or 58 million, in 2005 AND, in 2007, more than 28% of U.S. adults (an estimated 50 million people) were uninsured for some time during the past year.

Now, two new studies released September 24, 2008 by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Center for Studying Health System Change, provide further evidence of the mounting strain that medical care is placing on working Americans...and these studies were completed earlier this year BEFORE the financial markets reached their current state of crisis! According to the studies, employees are paying an average of $3,354 in premiums for family coverage, more than double the amount they paid in 1999; and the total cost for family coverage now averages $12,680 a year. Due to these high insurance premiums, more and more families are unable to pay their medical costs and are therefore borrowing money to pay for these expenses or are opting not to have health insurance at all. In a study by the nonpartisan Center for Studying Health System Change, based on its national survey of households, nearly 1 of every 5 families had problems paying medical bills last year AND nearly 20% of those having difficulty said they considered declaring personal bankruptcy as a result of their medical bills.

Wanna know something else? Employees aren't the only ones affected by the increasing health insurance premiums....EMPLOYERS AND COMPANIES are affected as well! Almost all large employers offered coverage but only 62% of small companies did. Employees working for these big companies were also paying about $1,000 less a year for family coverage. So to deal with high-deductible premiums, employers of small companies are faced with the choice of dropping coverage altogether or asking their employees to pay much more in the form of deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses....many haven chosen the latter. A September 24 article in the Boston Globe says that in just ONE year, the percentage of workers enrolled in high-deductible insurance of $1,000 or more increased from 12% to 18%.

Let's give you a bigger picture to think about: insurance premiums have increased 119% since 1999, whereas workers' earnings have only increased 34% during the same time period and overall inflation increased 29%.

So what does this all mean? It means that high-insurance premiums are hitting both the INSURED and UNINSURED, and MUCH MORE needs to be done to make health care coverage more affordable for consumers and employers. In the Boston Globe article, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., and chairman of the health subcommittee within the House Ways and Means Committee, says that "until we have universal coverage, these cost shifts away from insurers to consumers will continue."

TEM's India multimedia piece on National Geographic

2008-09-23T13:38:00.014-04:00

National Geographic Magazine is currently featuring on its website our 30-minute multimedia piece, India's Fast Lane to the Future.

This 5-part film documents India's new 3,633-mile national expressway, and its effects on the the country's diverse population.

The film accompanies the article Fast Lane to the Future featured in the October edition of National Geographic Magazine, created by NG correspondent Don Belt and our very own world-reknowned photojournalist Ed Kashi.

Watch India's Fast Lane to the Future and see how the highway is changing the face of India: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/video/player#/?titleID=1785267177&catID=1

What are your thoughts on India's new superhighway and growing modernization?

What is Medicare...and is it healthy?

2008-09-11T13:43:00.011-04:00

In this week's edition of Newsweek Magazine, Newsweek reporter Mary Carmichael discusses Medicare with Joseph Newhouse, a Medicare expert and professor of health policy at Harvard University. Although Medicare is a key campaign issue in this year's presidential election, Carmichael and Newshouse discuss why NEITHER John McCain or Barack Obama are talking much about it. Click on the link below to read the Newsweek interview:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/156349

CURSE OF THE BLACK GOLD featured on Slate.com

2008-09-05T14:35:00.012-04:00

Check out Slates' review of our film Curse of the Black Gold and watch the film. (Slate is a daily magazine on the web that offers analysis and commentary about politics, news, and culture.)

An excerpt from Slate's September 5 article Curse of the Black - The devastating impact of 50 years of oil exploitation in the Niger Delta:

Fifty years ago, oil was discovered in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Today, at 2.1 million barrels per day, Nigeria is the sixth-largest oil-producing country in the world and a major oil partner of the United States. Although its oil industry generates millions of dollars in revenues daily, the average resident of the Niger Delta struggles to survive on less than $1 per day. These startling facts are portrayed in Curse of the Black Gold, a multimedia video produced by Julie Winokur of Talking Eyes Media.....

American Filmmaker Arrested in Nigeria

2008-09-05T11:10:00.030-04:00

On August 31, a New York-based freelance filmmaker and journalist, Andrew Berends, and his interpreter were arrested and accused of spying while working in the oil-producing Delta region of Nigeria. Berends' passport and equipment were confiscated and he was taken into custody by Nigeria's State Security Service.

Unfortunately, Berends is not the only journalist to be detained while working in the Niger Delta. Our very own photojournalist Ed Kashi was arrested at gunpoint by a Nigerian Naval task force (and later handed over to the S.S.S.) for photographing a flow station from the river without permission. Ed was detained for six days before he was finally released.

The New York Times accurately describes the Niger Delta in its September 3, 20 08 article "American Filmma ker Arrested in Nigeria."

"Despite its oil riches, the Niger Delta is a desperately poor increasingly lawless part of the country, where wealth is siphoned away by corrupt officials. Militants demand a greater share of the area's oil resources and claim to be fighting on behalf of the impoverished residents, but also appear to be engaging in many criminal acts of violence. Hundreds of foreign workers and wealthy Nigerians have been kidnapped for ransom, and oil theft is rampant."

The Agip flow station in Nembe, located in the Nigerian state of Bayelsa,
where Ed Kashi and his interpreter were arrested in June 2006.

Go to www.curseoftheblackgoldbook.com to learn more about the Niger Delta, see Ed Kashi's photos of the region, and to read his journal entries written during his detention (listed under the "EXTRAS!" tab). You can also click on the "Curse of the Black Gold" video listed under the column FILM at the top-right of this page.

Thank You for Supporting TEM

2008-09-03T11:45:00.008-04:00

At Talking Eyes Media, we aim to use the power of pictures to address issues that are too often underrepresented in the main stream media. And when we receive feedback, such as the thoughtful letter Wendy Mahan wrote, we are thrilled to learn that our multimedia has touched someone and made a difference in their life. As we continue to create documentaries, we hope you will continue to share your thoughts with us. Thank you for your support!

[Wendy is an Instructional Designer at Pennsylvania State University's College of Health and Human Development. Below is her letter that she wrote to Julie Winokur, the co-founder of TEM and the director/producer of "The Sandwich Generation."]

August 29, 2008

Julie,

What a poignant video. One of the faculty members dropped by my office while I was watching it, and we just sat in silence (with an occasional, "Oh my goodness!)

You touched on all the elements that the faculty here are trying to get across to the nursing students. They want them to realize that the elderly are people, not "throw a ways." The difficulty of locating services for the elderly and the psychosocial aspects are also well covered here. Thank you so much for sharing this with me.

I'm honestly in awe of you. I am your same age and my parents are in their late 70's, but they are relatively healthy. The sacrifices you have made are incredible, and you seem so strong. I am also impressed with your husband as well - he is a good, decent human being. What wonderful examples you both are for your children.

Wow,

Take care and best of luck to you.

Wendy

Uninsured Americans on the Decline....well, sorta

2008-08-28T12:25:00.018-04:00

According to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau on August 26, 2008, the number of Americans with health insurance declined in 2007....but in order for this statistic to be ENTIRELY factual, you'll have to "ignore the man behind the curtain."

The Census Bureau's report states that, after climbing steadily for six years, the number of Americans without health insurance dropped by more than a million in 2007, to 45.7 million. What's the catch? Health care experts say that the drop was the result of growth in government-sponsored health insurance programs (like Medicare and Medicaid) AND, at the same time, the number of people covered by private health insurance continued to decline. Over all, the percentage of people covered by government programs increased to to 27.8 percent in 2007 from 27 percent in 2006, and private health insurance fell from covering 67.9 percent in 2006 to 67.5 percent in 2007. Additionally, employment-based coverage also continued its decline dropping to 59.3 percent from 59.7 percent.

So, yes, technically, there was a SLIGHT decline in the number of uninsured Americans. This also means: one-million uninsured Americans down, just 45.7 million more uninsured Americans to go......

To read the 8-27-08 NYT article:
A Decline in Uninsured Is Reported for 2007

To read the Census Bureau's press release (includes a PDF link for the report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007):
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html

For Better or Worse, For Richer or Poorer, For Co-Pays and Deductibles.....

2008-08-13T12:37:00.010-04:00

"I [your name] take you [your partners name] for my lawful [wife/husband], to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, for co-pays and deductibles, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

For co-pays and deductibles?? Could health insurance really be included in modern wedding vows? Well, maybe not in the wedding vow itself (unless you want to that is), but according to New York Times' reporter Kevin Sack, health benefits are inspiring many American couples to rush to the altar to marry or rush to the courts to divorce. Read Sack's Aug. 12, 2008 article "Health B enefits Inspire Rush to Marry, or Divorce" to learn more.

In a country where insurance is out of reach for many, what things would you do to obtain health insurance? Is marriage or divorce one of them?

A Riddle or A Hug? Lifestyle Factors That Can Prevent and/or Treat Dementia

2008-08-13T10:39:00.006-04:00

I'd unravel ev'ry riddle,
For an individ'le
In trouble or in pain.
With the thoughts you'd be thinkin'
You could be another Lincoln,
If you only had a brain.
- Scarecrow, The Wizard of Oz

Just to register emotion
"Jealousy," "devotion"
And really feel the part.
I could stay young and chipper
And I'd lock it with a zipper
If I only had a heart.
- Tin Man, The Wizard of Oz

It seems that the Scarecrow and the Tin Man may have been on to something....Although modern medicine has yet to find a cure for dementia, it appears that the prevention and treatment of dementia fall within the areas of cognitive fitness (a.k.a. the power of thinkin') and social interaction (a.k.a. the ability to register emotion). Now, the Scarecrow may have been cravin' a brain and the Tin Man a heart, but in the real world of medicine, it's likely that both the brain and the heart hold equal sway over dementia.

The August 12, 2008 article published on washingtonpost.com, "Is It Really Smart to Teach Old Brains New Tricks?", discusses the recent marketing and popularity of computer brainteasers. What the Post calls "the brain-game craze," first began with the 2005 launch of Nintendo's Brain Age. Inspired by the work of prominent Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, Nintendo advertises that its Brain Age games feature activities designed to help stimulate your brain through cognitive exercise that will improve blood flow to the brain and, therefore, help increase and maintain brain function in aging brains. But as neuroscientist Denise C. Park says in the article, even though epidemiological studies suggest that people who are mentally engaged tend to get Alzheimer's later than others, it's too soon to know if there are long-term gains from computer brain teasers. Additionally, Park worries that "if people get too engrossed in these computer games, maybe they're not exercising or engaging with other people."

This then leads us to an alternative method of healing: the power of the human heart and social interaction....

In an August 10, 2008, Boston Globe article, Neil Munshi profiles 89-year-old Sol Rogers who uses a lot of hugs and kisses to help cope with his 61-year-old, Alzheimer-stricken wife. By singing his wife old songs, taking her out to the garden, or simply lying in bed with her and telling her how much he loves her, Sol has not only boosted his own ability to cope with her dementia but he has also increased his wife's communication and mobility skills. Furthermore, according to a new study reported by the Alzheimer's Association, regular social interaction can be so helpful as we age that those who are unmarried or not living with a partner in midlife could have an increased risk of developing Alzehimer's.

So what does this all mean? Rather than suggesting we all run out and purchase a Nintendo or make a quick dash to the altar, I believe that these articles and studies suggest that, although aging maintains its mysteries, research shows that our brains' destinies don't lie solely with our genetics--we also have the power to make lifestyle decisions that can help maintain healthy brains.

To read the above mentioned articles in their entirety:

Is It Really Smart to Teach Old Brains New Tricks?, Washington Post, 8/12/08

A Healing Touch, Boston Globe, 8/10/08

Lifestyle Factors Contribute to Lowering and Raising Risk of Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer's Association, 7/30/08

Lower Quality of Healthcare Also Means a Lower Quality of Life for Many TennCare Enrollees

2008-08-12T17:04:00.009-04:00

As discussed in our July 31 blog post, TennCare (Tennesse's Medicaid managed care program that provides health coverage for 1.2 million low-income children, pregnant women and disabled Tennesseans) will soon receive drastic cuts in its benefits. As of September 8, 2008, if a person's healthcare services are deemed medically necessary but too costly then he or she will no longer qualify for private duty nursing and will either have to forego at-home treatment or move to a nursing home to receive state care. Despite the severity of the topic however, this new healthcare cut is receiving little (if almost any) national media coverage. To learn more, read the Aug. 11 article TennCare enrollees brace for home health cuts posted on www.nashvillecitypaper.com

The Digital Journalist

2008-08-11T10:22:00.008-04:00

Curse of the Black Gold:
Photographs by Ed Kashi
August 2008
by Dirck Halstead

As anybody who has filled up his or her SUV recently, and watched the cost to do so rise to over $100, is painfully aware, a part of our daily ritual has become prohibitively expensive. All the warnings that went unheeded about our dependence on petroleum becoming unsustainable are now a fearful reality.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

The Digital Journalist featured Curse of the Black Gold with an article, a photo gallery and a video interview. Be sure to take a look at this thorough feature!

Niger Delta up on Moving Walls 14 Website

2008-08-09T03:03:00.007-04:00

Moving Walls 14, the Open Society Institute's current exhibition, includes my work on the Niger Delta. They have just put up the websites with myself and the other photographers in this exhibition. There is a lot to see and listen to, including a trailer of our Curse of the Black Gold multimedia piece and in interview with me.

Moving Walls

TennCare in Trouble

2008-07-31T09:55:00.013-04:00

A year ago we released Collateral Damage, a film that exposes the inhumane outcome of bottom dollar health care politics. The film tracks the story of how Governor Phil Bredesen opted to reel in his state's Medicaid budget by pushing 170,000 people out of the program. It turns out that was only the beginning of the story. TennCare has been under siege ever since. Yesterday we received an email from Michele Johnson, the managing attorney of the Tennessee Justice Center, a non-profit law firm that advocates on behalf of poor Tennesseans. She writes:

"We are feeling a little dé jà vu in TN as the state cuts home health/private duty nursing for about 1,000 medically fragile or vent dependent patients. If they need more than 42 hours a week of care, you lose it. The HMOs are telling patients to go to nursing homes, which of course, cannot meet their need and may or may not even accept them. The Bush administration said it was OK, so our legal hooks are few. No surprise we are having a heck of a time getting the media to cover this."

Here's the only news link we could find on the story

We're asking anyone and everyone we know to raise awareness to the plight of TennCare enrollees, and let Gov. Bredesen know that he can't balance his state's budget on the backs of the sickly and less fortunate.

XM Radio Host Interviews Ed Kashi on THE SANDWICH GENERATION

2008-07-23T15:24:00.018-04:00

The 77-million Americans taking care of their children and aging parents are not only a growing segment of the nation's population, but they are also becoming a popular topic of conversation....

Last month, seasoned New York Times reporter Jane Gross featured our film The Sandwich Generation on her blog The New Old Age, NYT science editor David Corcoran discussed the film with Gross on his weekly Science Times Podcast, and now Lisa Belkin, host of the XM 155 Radio show Life's Work with Lisa Belkin, interviewed Ed Kashi on the film and his personal 'sandwich generation' experience. Read an excerpt from the interview below and click on the following link to hear the full interview.

"One of the things that kills me in our society is that somehow we're not supposed to honor our elders. I think in this fast paced, youth oriented society we're in, we lose sight of the fact that, not only is it detrimental for them, but eventually we want to be in that place, and it sure would be nice to be respected when we reach that place in our lives."

- Ed Kashi, excerpt from the interview with Lisa Belkin

Click here to listen to the full interview!

For more information on Lisa Belkin and XM 155:
http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelbio.xmc?ch=155

AlterNet reports on Nigeria and CURSE OF THE BLACK GOLD

2008-07-14T10:24:00.012-04:00

Did you know that the ongoing conflict in Nigeria's Niger Delta region can affect how much you pay at the pump? Nigeria is Africa's leading producer of petroleum and the world's sixth largest oil producer. This means that any time there is an oil spill or a militant attack in the Niger Delta, the world's gas consumers also feel the impact.

To learn more, check out Alternet.org's article "Africa: The Next Victim in Our Quest for Cheap Oil." The article includes an interview with Michael Watts (UC Berkeley Director of African Studies and editor of Curse of the Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta) and also features our short-film Curse of the Black Gold.