Staten Island University Hospital Behavioral Sciences Department
(718) 226-2807
www.siuh.edu
Key Extended Entry Program
392 Seguine Avenue
Staten Island NY 10309

Rehabilitation Services

Primary Focus: Substance abuse treatment services
Services Provided: Substance abuse treatment, Detoxification, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Detoxification
Type of Care: Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups: Persons with HIV/AIDS, Seniors/older adults, Women, Men

Overloaded Physicians

All of the professionals in our healthcare system struggle under the crushing weight of cost control measures imposed by insurers and medical institutions, which force doctors to minimize the time they spend assessing, treating, and discussing options with patients and their families. Protecting a family in an overtaxed healthcare system requires expertise. The statistics on medical errors, while often quoted, are still disturbing. In the United States, over 70,000 people die every year because of preventable medical errors that occur in hospitals. That means these avoidable mistakes kill more people than breast cancer or traffic accidents, making medical errors the eighth leading cause of death in the country. The report found that these errors were not the result of individual recklessness on the part of caregivers, but basic flaws in the organization of the American healthcare system. The treatment of over 50% of patients with diabetes, hypertension, tobacco addiction, hyperlipidemia, congestive heart failure, asthma, depression, and other chronic illness is inadequate. Due to cost constraints and resource limitations, doctors are not able to spend adequate time with their patients and do not necessarily have access to information on all available forms of treatment. In addition, when patients see more than one doctor, their care, medical records, and medications are rarely effectively coordinated. The burden of managing treatment most often falls on the shoulders of the patient and family who are already overwhelmed by having to deal with a serious illness. The average office visit is 10 minutes and physicians may be seeing as many as 40 patients a day. In addition, there are long waits for rushed appointments, the confusion about what types of care are available and best suit the needs, and the stress of navigating the U.S. healthcare system. When dealing with a serious medical situation, it is only natural to be overwhelmed. People tend to be confused about their options and too distracted or upset to ask the important questions. IPA Health provides private health management services.

Encourage Healthy Eating Habits

Buy and serve more fruits and vegetables fresh, frozen, canned or dried. Let the child choose them at the store. Buy fewer soft drinks and high fat or high calorie snack foods like chips, cookies and candy. These snacks may be okay occasionally, but always keep healthy snack foods on hand. Offer the healthy snacks more often at snack times. Make sure the child eats breakfast every day. Breakfast may provide the child with the energy he or she needs to listen and learn in school. Skipping breakfast can leave a child hungry, tired and looking for less healthy foods later in the day. Eat fast food less often. When visiting a fast food restaurant, encourage healthier options choices, such as salads with low-fat dressing or small sandwiches without cheese or mayonnaise. Offer a child water or low fat milk more often than fruit juice. Low fat milk and milk products are important for development of any child. One hundred percent fruit juice is a healthy choice but is high in calories. Limit the amount of saturated and trans fats in the family diet. Instead, most fat intake should come from sources such as fish, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Plan healthy meals and eat together as a family. Eating together at meal times helps children learn to enjoy a variety of foods. Do not get discouraged if a child will not eat a new food the first time. Some kids will need to have a new food served to them 10 times or more before they will eat it. Try not to use food as a reward when encouraging kids to eat. Promising dessert to a child for eating vegetables, for example, sends the message that vegetables are less valuable than dessert. Kids learn to dislike foods they think are less valuable.