Past Programming

Illinois Supreme Court Rules Limits on Medical Malpractice Awards Unconstitutional

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From the Press Briefing Room at the State Capitol: members of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, along with a victim of medical malpractice, meet with reporters in the wake of the Illinois Supreme Court decision that overturned a law that placed limits on damages in medical malpractice cases. This law had limited non-economic damages to $500,000 for doctors and $1,000,000 for hospitals.

Video Courtesy of BlueRoomStream.com.

Recorded February 4, 2010.  Aired the week of February 8, 2010.  30 minutes.

Canadians' Insights on the Canadian Healthcare System

From the State Capitol in Springfield: with proposals to offer a government healthcare option being discussed, we talk with two Canadian citizens, one a patient and one a nurse, and hear their assessment of the upside and downside of the government-run Canadian healthcare system.

Recorded October 14, 2009.  Aired the week of October 26, 2009.  13 minutes.

Preparing for the Worst:

Dr. Damon Arnold on Fighting the H1N1 Virus

From Springfield: we go one-on-one with Dr. Damon Arnold, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, to learn how his department is preparing for the fall flu season and how they plan on combating the H1N1 virus.

Recorded August 18, 2009.  Aired the week of August 31, 2009.  40 minutes.

CAPITOL INSIGHTS:

Howard Peters, Senior Vice President of the Illinois Hospital Association

From the State Capitol in Springfield: we hear from Howard Peters, Senior Vice President of the Illinois Hospital Association.  With many proposing the state save money by adopting a "managed care" approach to healthcare spending, we hear why hospitals think that could undermine their financial position and harm patients.

Recorded July 2009.  Aired the week of July 13, 2009.  5 minutes.

The Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act

From Mercy Hospital in Chicago: Attorney General Lisa Madigan discusses an agreement she has reached with healthcare providers to carry out a new law called the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act.  This new law, which took effect April 1, caps what hospitals can charge patients without health insurance and places other limits on medical charges to the uninsured.

Recorded March 30, 2009.  Aired the week of April 6, 2009.  10 minutes.

Legalizing Medical Marijuana in Illinois

From the State Capitol in Springfield: State Senator Bill Haine of Alton tells us about his bill to make the use of marijuana legal for some patients suffering from illnesses that cannot be treated with standard medical prescriptions.

Recorded March 2009.  Aired the week of April 6, 2009.  10 minutes.

The National Push for Health Care for All

From the Press Briefing Room at the State Capitol in Springfield: reporters are briefed on a new national effort being launched to promote reform of the health care system.  The reforms will be promoted on television, radio, and in print, and are meant to influence debate in the Fall elections.

Recorded July 8, 2008.  Aired the week of July 21, 2008.  40 minutes.

CAMPAIGN 2008: U.S. Senate Race

Dr. Steve Sauerberg's (R) Healthcare Reform Plan

From the State Capitol in Springfield: Dr. Steve Sauerberg, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, releases his plan to fix the nation's healthcare system.

Recorded March 10, 2008.  Aired the week of March 17, 2008.  30 minutes.

Improving Health Care

From the Civic Center in Peoria: Glen Barton, the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Caterpillar, Inc., discusses America's troubled healthcare system.  Mr. Barton offers his perspective on the problems healthcare is creating for employers and what changes need to be addressed to balance quality health care with available economic resources.

This program is underwritten in-part by the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service at Bradley University.

Recorded November 14, 2007.  Aired the week of March 3, 2008.  30 minutes.

Implementing Bipartisan Health Care Reform

From Peoria: with health care frequently listed near the top of voters' concerns, we will hear a panel discuss how to successfully enact health care reform and gain bipartisan support for the effort.

This program is underwritten in-part by the Institute of Principled Leadership in Public Service at Bradley University.

Recorded November 14, 2007.  Aired the week of January 21, 2008.  55 minutes.

Thomas Donohue:

President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

This program is underwritten in-part by the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service at Bradley University.

Recorded November 14, 2007.  Aired the week of December 3, 2007.  30 minutes.

Launching a Statewide Medical Broadband Network

From the Press Briefing Room at the State Capitol in Springfield: Lt. Governor Pat Quinn and healthcare providers brief reporters on the launch of a new statewide broadband healthcare network, the Illinois Rural Health Network (IRHNet).  Backers say the $21 million project, which is funded by a federal grant, will allow urban specialists to confer with rural healthcare providers in real time on massive data files, such as patient MRI scans.

Recorded November 28, 2007.  Aired the week of December 3, 2007.  25 minutes.

Rural Healthcare and the Medically Underserved

From the State Capitol in Springfield: members of a task force examining rural healthcare discuss their findings and why rural communities' healthcare issues differ from those in urban areas.

Recorded February 23, 2007.  Aired the week of May 7, 2007.  25 minutes.

Universal Healthcare in Illinois

From the Union League Club of Chicago: a review of Governor Blagojevich's healthcare plans.  We hear from a panel that includes the Governor's Healthcare Advisor, Anne Marie Murphy; representatives of California & Massachusetts where universal healthcare plans have already been proposed; and from the University of Illinois' Institute of Government & Public Affairs, Professor Robert Kaestner, an expert on the economics of health policy.

Recorded April 5, 2007.  Aired the week of April 16, 2007.  1 hour & 20 minutes.

Improving Downstate Emergency Healthcare Access

From Belleville: a press conference on a new effort to improve emergency healthcare access in downstate Illinois.  Organizers of this event say many of Illinois' rural counties suffer from a lack of emergency room physicians and equipment needed to diagnose patients properly.  We hear of a new foundation being formed to meet those challenges and others.

Recorded March 19, 2007.  Aired the week of April 2, 2007.  20 minutes.

Legal Issues Facing the Medical Profession

From the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana: legal experts discuss current issues impacting the medical community.  Included in the discussion is the effect of Medical Malpractice Reform and the proposal to have nonprofit hospitals provide eight-percent of their revenues to charity care.

Recorded Spring 2006.  Aired the week of January 8, 2007.  25 minutes.

Regulating Dietary Supplements

From the State Capitol in Springfield: Senator Dick Durbin announces his four-year effort to increase oversight of dietary supplements resulted in a legislative breakthrough.  Senator Durbin is joined at this press conference by Kevin Riggins, whose 16-year-old son Sean died in 2002 after taking a supplement containing Ephedra.

Recorded December 12, 2006.  Aired the week of December 18, 2006.  25 minutes.

Prevention and Detection of Kidney Disease

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Springfield: Willa Lang, Executive Director of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, discusses the development of the first Kidney Mobile in the nation.  She also talks about the cost of undetected kidney disease to patients and the healthcare system.

Click here for more information on the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois.

Recorded November 29, 2006.  Aired the week of December 11, 2006.  20 minutes.

Medical Malpractice Reform After One Year

From Chicago: a review of the impact of the Medical Malpractice Reform Bill one year after it went into effect.  We hear from two leaders who were on either side of the Bill's passage: Ed Murnane, President of the Illinois Civil Justice League, who favored Medical Malpractice Reform; and Keith Hebeisen, Past President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, who opposed the Bill's passage.

Recorded September 29, 2006.  Aired the week of November 13, 2006.  45 minutes.

Finances and Future of Illinois' Healthcare System

This program is underwritten in part by the Center for State Policy & Leadership at the University of Illinois at Springfield and the Institute of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Illinois.

Recorded October 12, 2006.  Aired the week of November 6, 2006.  1 hour.

Lessons Learned Providing Medical Care to Hurricane Katrina Victims

From Carle Clinic in Urbana: Dr. James Gregory tells us of the lessons learned by the Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team (IMERT) in treating victims of Hurricane Katrina last year and what we need to do now to be better prepared for another major medical emergency.

Recorded August 22, 2006.  Aired the week of August 28, 2006.  45 minutes.

Update on Medical Malpractice Reform

This program is archived.  Click on the photo to view via video-stream.

From Northern Illinois University in DeKalb: the U.S. Senate will soon debate Medical Malpractice Reform, a topic of heated debate in Illinois last year.  Keith Hebeisen, current President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, offers his analysis of Medical Malpractice Reform one-year after it was passed in the Illinois Legislature.

Recorded April 13, 2006.  Aired the week of May 1, 2006.  30 minutes.

Hospitals Reject Proposed Charity Care Mandate

From the State Capitol in Springfield: legislators join with members of the Illinois Hospital Association to oppose the call by Attorney General Lisa Madigan to require nonprofit hospitals to provide eight-percent of their revenues for charity care.

Recorded February 7, 2006.  Aired the week of February 13, 2006.  15 minutes.

ER Physicians Rally for Emergency Services Act

From Capitol Hill in Washington, DC: Illinois Emergency Room doctors join with physicians from around the nation to rally for passage of legislation called the "Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 2005."  The doctors say emergency rooms across the country are under-funded and over-crowded.

For more information on H.R. 3875, the Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 2005, visit thomas.loc.gov.

Recorded September 27, 2005.  Aired the week of October 2, 2005.  8 minutes.

The Constitutionality of Caps on Medical Malpractice Awards

From Chicago: one of the most significant pieces of legislation to pass in the Spring 2005 session was the Medical Malpractice bill.  This bill set limits, or caps, on non-economic damage awards.  The limits were supported by the medical community, but opposed by trial lawyers, among other groups.  In this program, we discuss this bill and get the trial lawyers' perspective from Keith Hebeisen, President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

Recorded June 14, 2005.  Aired the week of June 19, 2005.  45 minutes.

Medical Malpractice Reform Agreement

From the State Capitol: Illinois Hospital Association Senior Vice President Howard Peters III discusses Medical Malpractice reforms and the legislative agreement that will place caps on non-economic damages in Medical Malpractice awards.

Recorded May 26, 2005.  Aired the week of May 29, 2005.  12 minutes.

Health Care Coverage for Veterans

From the State Capitol: State Representative Mike Boland discusses a proposal to help provide Veterans with health care coverage that would be paid for through a new lottery game.

Recorded May 26, 2005.  Aired the week of May 29, 2005.  10 minutes.

Sen. Frank Watson (R) on the Budget & Medical Malpractice

From Springfield: Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson appears as a guest on WFMB's morning radio program, hosted by Sam Madonia and Jeff Hofmann.  Senator Watson comments on and takes listeners' questions concerning the state budget, online pharmaceutical sales, and next year's race for Governor.

Recorded May 17, 2005.  Aired the week of May 22, 2005.  45 minutes.

Lawyer v. Lawyer: Medical Malpractice

Recorded May 17, 2005.  Aired the week of May 22, 2005.  1 hour.

Senate Republicans on Medicaid Reform

From the State Capitol: Senate Republicans propose changes to Medicaid, the federal program designed to provide healthcare for the poor.  Republicans say Illinois could save millions of dollars annually if Medicaid operated as a "managed care" program.

Recorded May 10, 2005.  Aired the week of May 15, 2005.  20 minutes.

Causes & Consequences of Childhood Obesity

From Chicago: Federal Reserve Economist and Policy Researcher Kristin Butcher outlines her research into the causes behind a tripling of childhood obesity rates since 1980.  Butcher's research takes a look at changing menus at schools and the growing access to junk foods.

Recorded November 30, 2004.  Aired the week of April 24, 2005.  20 minutes.

Comparing the Quality of Medical Care

From the State Capitol: healthcare providers launch a new service which allows consumers to research the quality of hospital care in Illinois.  The healthcare providers discuss the need for this service and take reporters questions on a series of health-related topics.

For More Information, Visit: www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov or www.medicare.gov

Recorded April 11, 2005.  Aired the week of April 17, 2005.  45 minutes.

Dr. Malkin Goes to Washington

From Washington, DC: medical malpractice, access to healthcare, and medical reimbursement payments are among the top issues on the legislative agenda of the Chicago Medical Society's President-Elect, Dr. Steven Malkin.  He recently traveled to Capitol Hill to make his case with members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.  We spoke with him about these issues and followed him as he walked the halls of Congress in an effort to talk with members about his concerns.

Recorded March 16, 2005.  Aired the week of March 20, 2005.  10 minutes.

Website Rx for Drug Savings

From Chicago: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is joined by Wisconsin Governor Doyle (D) at a press conference in which the two governors announce a plan to allow citizens to buy prescription drugs from outside the U.S.  Using a website set up by the state of Illinois, citizens of both Illinois and Wisconsin can enroll to buy their prescriptions, or just check to compare the costs of their prescriptions against what they could pay if they join the new I-SaveRx program.

Recorded October 5, 2004.  Aired the week of October 10, 2004.  28 minutes.

Small Business Health Insurance

From Springfield: U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama discusses his plan to help small businesses afford health insurance.  Holding his press conference at a Springfield restaurant, he also takes reporters' questions concerning his positions on a variety of issues.

Recorded September 9, 2004.  Aired the week of September 12, 2004.  25 minutes.

Improving Healthcare on a Limited Budget

From Springfield:  Beth Hackman, Senior Director at the Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care (IFQHC), discusses how to improve Medicare health care.

Recorded August 18, 2004.  Aired the week of August 29, 2004.  48 minutes.

A New Plan for Prescription Drugs

From Washington, DC: Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D) says the current Medicare pharmaceutical benefit passed by Congress is inadequate.  She is sponsoring a new bill to increase benefits, and is working to get the bill to the House floor, though it is opposed by the House leadership.

Recorded July 22, 2004.  Aired the week of August 8, 2004.  13 minutes.

Proposal to Close Health Facilities Planning Board

From Springfield: State Representative Elizabeth Coulson and several of her House Republican colleagues host a press conference to announce the introduction of House Bill 7310. This bill calls for the complete elimination of the Health Facilities Planning Board. This state board, which has only been in existence one year, reviews hospital construction and expansion plans. The board has recently been under fire for alleged influence-peddling. At this press conference, Representative Coulson and her colleagues explain their reasoning behind calling for this elimination.

Recorded July 13, 2004.  Aired the week of July 18, 2004.  10 minutes.

Controlling Medical Malpractice Costs

From Springfield: Healthcare lobbyist Clark Gyure discusses the legislative solutions that are available to combat the rising costs of medical malpractice insurance.

Recorded June 29, 2004.  Aired the week of July 4, 2004.  15 minutes.

Diverting Local Government Health Funds

From Springfield: Legislators allege Governor Blagojevich is diverting funds set up to fund local government health care.  They claim the Governor is using these funds to offset state expenses.  The legislative members say this use is illegal as the funds are collected for local government use and are not a part of the state's budget.

Recorded May 28, 2004.  Aired the week of June 6, 2004.  15 minutes.

OB/GYN Healthcare Shortage

From Springfield: Lawmakers and OB/GYN doctors discuss the impact rising malpractice rates are having on their patients and their practices.  The physicians note the rising malpractice premiums are leading to a decline of those doctors willing to treat women in Illinois.

Recorded May 25, 2004.  Aired the week of May 30, 2004.  30 minutes.

Proposals to Avoid a Malpractice Crisis

From the State Capitol in Springfield: Republican legislative leaders, Senator Frank Watson and Representative Tom Cross, are joined by other members of the Republican caucus to announce a series of proposed changes that they believe would avoid the flurry of medical malpractice lawsuits aimed at Illinois doctors.

Recorded May 12, 2004.  Aired the week of May 16, 2004.  40 minutes.

Ryan Addresses Chicago Medical Society

From Chicago: Senate candidate Jack Ryan lays out his policy agenda before members of the Chicago Medical Society.  Ryan focuses his comments to the physicians on his support for medical malpractice reforms.

Recorded March 27, 2004.  Aired the week of May 16, 2004.  15 minutes.

Opposition to Caps on Jury Malpractice Awards

From Springfield: At the State Capitol, victims of alleged medical malpractice voice their opposition to legislative efforts to place caps on malpractice judgments.  Some of those attending were family members of patients who had died.

Recorded May 4, 2004.  Aired the week of May 9, 2004.  25 minutes.

Malpractice Maladies

From Springfield: Doctors from across Illinois came to the State Capitol to lobby for legislation designed to lower malpractice insurance rates.  In this press conference, they discuss their concerns and explain how legislation would help.

Recorded April 28, 2004.  Aired the week of May 2, 2004.  40 minutes.

Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn and Representative Mike Boland on Prescription Drug Costs

From Springfield: Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn and Representative Mike Boland (D-Moline) meet with reporters to discuss the rising cost of prescription drugs and their efforts to control the cost of prescription drugs.

Recorded April 28, 2004.  Aired the week of May 2, 2004.  30 minutes.

A Health Care Plan for Small Business

From Springfield: US Senator Dick Durbin met with small businessmen and nonprofit groups to propose a health care plan that would offer coverage to small business owners and their employees.  Senator Durbin lays out his plan, which he says is modeled after the health care plan now available to members of Congress and other federal employees.

Recorded January 12. 2004.  Aired the week of January 25, 2004.  45 minutes.

Illinois Healthcare Issues

From Springfield: Members of the Illinois legislature discuss a number of health issues affecting both rural and urban areas of the state. This forum was organized by the SIU School of Medicine.  Participating legislators include Rep. Patty Bellock (R) of Westmont , Sen. James Clayborne (D) of East St. Louis, and Sen. Dale Righter (R) of Mattoon.

Recorded November 2,  2003.  Aired the week of January 11, 2004.  1 hour and 25 minutes.

Federal Healthcare Policy for Rural Areas

From Springfield: Dr. Marsha Brand, Director of the Illinois State Office of Rural Health Policy, discusses the Bush Administration's policies directed toward helping rural healthcare providers.  Dr. Brand spoke to the healthcare forum organized by the SIU School of Medicine.

Recorded November 2, 2003.  Aired the week of January 11, 2004.  25 minutes.

The Healthcare Workforce

From Springfield: For a variety of reasons, experienced personnel healthcare workers are leaving the profession.  Rural and Urban hospitals, retirement homes, as well as the Illinois Department of Public Health, are affected. This exodus of workers is affecting the care of patients.  This forum, organized by the SIU School of Medicine, examines the issues -- both federal and state -- and the consequence of existing policies.

Recorded November 2, 2003.  Aired the week of January 4, 2004.  1 hour and 20 minutes.

Health Disparities in the Minority Community

From the NAACP Annual Convention in Chicago: A forum on health issues as they impact minority communities.  Among the panelists are Dr. Eric Whitaker, Director of Illinois' Dept. of Public Health, and Dr. Neil Winston, the first African-American to serve as President of the Chicago Medical Society.

Funding for the NAACP Health Disparities program is made possible by a grant from Santanna Energy Services.

Recorded October 4, 2003.  Aired the week of December 28, 2003.  1 hour and 20 minutes.

Women Physicians and the Changing Face of Medicine

From Washington, DC:  Women continue to join the ranks of physicians, in what was once an entirely male profession.  Our cameras visit the National Library of Medicine to see an exhibit on  "Changing the Face of Medicine" and what contributions Illinois women made in the field of medicine once they joined the ranks of physicians.

To access the exhibit's website, click here.

Recorded November 3, 2003.  Aired the week of November 16, 2003.  Re-Aired the week of August 8, 2004.  10 minutes.

Rosalynn Carter on Helping Those with Mental Illness

Recorded July 11 & 12, 2003.  Aired the week of July 27, 2003.  35 minutes.

House Committee on Development Disability and Mental Illness

Recorded March 26, 2003.  Aired the week of March 31, 2003.  1 hour.

Dr. John Lumpkin, Illinois Director of Public Health

From Springfield: First appointed Acting Director of Public Health by then Governor Jim Thompson and appointed as Director by Governors Edgar and Ryan, Dr. Lumpkin is the key public official in developing the state’s public health policies.  In this extensive interview, he discusses the state’s preparedness against bio-terrorism, the developing nursing shortage in Illinois, use of the tobacco settlement money in combating smoking, and growing levels of obesity within the state.

Recorded July 23, 2002.  35 minutes.

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