Tulsa's OU School Of Community Medicine Expecting Big Changes

By Emory Bryan, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa's OU School of Community Medicine expects to see big changes because of health care reform -- new patients, more preventative care and eventually more doctors.

Dr. Gerard Clancy, the dean of the school, says he has read the bill and believes it really will improve health care. But he is worried about the transition to government paying for more patients, especially since part of the plan is a major cut to Medicare.

"Oklahoma is virtually last in the country in the number of doctors per capita, so we've really got some work to do here," said Clancy.

Dr. Clancy says one of the big challenges ahead is graduating enough doctors and nurses to handle an increase in patients. He says the expansion of government provided health care will mean more people in the waiting room.

"There will be a significant increase in demand for health care provider time, so those who are insured might have more difficulty accessing their physician because there's going to be that many more people trying to access health care at the same time," said Clancy.

The OU School of Community Medicine already uses computerized medical records as mandated by the reform bill. The OU Physicians already work in teams and after treating patients who are insured, and those who are not, they have seen the benefits of encouraging routine care.

"And it's something we see almost every day, someone who has waited on health care and now what they have to tend with for treatment is very expensive and very extensive," said Clancy.

The OU School of Community Medicine has worked to expand the availability of health care for people, whether or not they can afford it. 

Their experience is that people covered by insurance are healthier and their health care costs less.

"They come in early with treatment, they get preventative care, and they get care for their hypertension and high cholesterol and their chances of heart attack and stroke is much less," said Clancy.

Clancy says most of the changes that will affect the school are at least three years away. He believes with government paying the cost of insurance for more people, more people will get basic care instead of waiting until they need very expensive emergency care.

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