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HER HEART'S IN HEALTH CARE:
Ellen Kagan's Brookline Access TV Show is Regional Hit
THE BROOKLINE TAB December 25, 1997
By Dan O'Sullivan, Tab Staff Writer

As host of the public access television show, "Your Health Care Choice or Chance?", each month Ellen Kagan casts a skeptical gaze on the health care system in the United States."It's very hard to get good health care nowadays," said Kagan. "My mission is to show people how to do that. Everyone has the right to good health care."

" Kagan's show debuted in March 1995 at Brookline Access Television. Initially, the show aired only in Brookline. It has since expanded to 36 other Massachusetts communities and two New Hampshire communities.Kagan attempts to educate her viewers by discussing topics such as wellness programs, public health issues, the need for universal health care access and navigating the health care system."As health care consumers, it's important to be well-educated. You have to learn to take charge; that's what my show's about," said Kagan.

Over the past two and a half years, Kagan has attracted an impressive array of guests. In October, 1996, former Governor Michael S. Dukakis appeared to discuss the need for universal health care. Other notable guests have included Dr. Arnold S. Relman, editor-in-chief emeritus of the New England Journal of Medicine; Professor Marc Roberts of the Harvard School of Public Health; and James Roosevelt, chairman of the Massachusetts Hospital Association.

Kagan makes no attempt to mask her views on important health care issues. The need for universal health care, for instance, is one of her mantras. "With all other industrialized countries,health care is a much greater priority," Kagan said In 1994, alarmed at the dramatic rise in her health care premiums, Kagan co-founded Mass-Care, an organization dedicated to instituting universal health care. Mass-Care has since become politically active and has the support of 38 state legislators, including state Rep. John Stefanini (D-Framingham).Stefanini is the lead House sponsor of the "Massachusetts Health Care Trust" bill, which would phase out the current health care system to provide comprehensive, cradle-to-grave coverage for all Massachusetts citizens.

Kagan also rails against the commercialization of health care in the United States. In her opinion, two of the disturbing trends have been the rise of for-profit hospitals and managed care. Commenting on for-profit hospitals,she said, "They're not providing patient care. I wouldn't want to go to one. The whole thing with them is the bottom line. To them,the person is a unit,but you can't quantify people like that. I think all for-profit hospitals are terrible. There's no heart there."

She also believes that health maintenance organizations leave much to be desired. "HMO's eliminate necessary tests and limit doctor-patient time. They're like an assembly line. You have to see the right number of patients to make money. The way it is now, managed care is not good," Kagan said.

Kagan does not claim to have an even-handed perspective of the health care landscape. However, her show has covered a wide range of topics. Among the ethical dilemmas she has discussed are the lack of patients' rights, how the system ignores minority patients and how women with breast cancer receive inadequate care.Two upcoming shows will tackle intriguing topics. The first will explain how doctors have lost their joy for medicine. The second will feature Dr. Mitchell Rabkin, Chief Executive Officer of CareGroup, an organization consisting of 1800 physicians and a network of seven hospitals. Rabkin will talk about various issues in the health care system.

Recently, "Your Health Care:Choice or Chance?" received tax-exempt status, which will allow Kagan to solicit funding from foundations,corporations and individuals. Her ultimate goal is to bring the show to a wider audience through such channels as colleges, businesses,hospitals and the Internet. For the time being, Kagan is happy with her show's success. She lauds public access television for enabling her to broadcast her strong opinions to a potential audience of more than a half-million viewers. "Brookline Public Access Television has been supportive of me from the beginning. I can do this show on a shoestring budget and have all these wonderful people come on. It's an amazing thing. It's the only place on TV to go for information on the health care system. Cable TV and the networks don't do this, which I think is disgusting," said Kagan.

WRINKLES

FROM IMMAGINE NEWSMAGAZINE, FEBRUARY, 1999

Here's a new wrinkle on how to become a television producer: Be an angry advocate. "Health Care: Choice Or Chance" is as innovative a use of public access television as iMMAgine has seen in awhile. Ellen Kagan is its creator. Her mission is to teach the public how to navigate the health care system, to discuss public health issues and wellness programs and to talk about the need for universal access health system.

Kagan's advocacy began in anger when unrealistic and extraordinary demands were placed on her when her mother was sent home too soon from the hospital to recover from a serious illness. But today her heart is in the right place. Kagan has put her anger to work as producer and host of her informative show and uses it as a forum to educate the public about the problems and dangers of the American Healthcare system. The Brookline-based show is produced at Brookline Access Television (BAT). It now airs in forty-seven communities in Massachusetts, including Boston, and can be seen by more than a half-million viewers.

Her guests now read like who's who of the health care world, but it wasn't always like that. When she first started out, doctors refused to be on her show. Now she attracts heavy hitters."There's no other place to go to talk about what's going on in health care." Kagan says. "This show can help reach people, to have them see that they are not alone. Everyone can potentially have a problem with the health-care system as it is."

Kagan has done nearly 50 shows. " I am committed to my mission of changing the system," she says adamantly. "I'm successful if I help just one person." Consult your local cable access channels for times in your area to see what one shining commitment can do.

PRODUCER'S PERSPECTIVE BY ELLEN KAGAN FROM ACCESSABILITY,

THE NEWSLETTER OF BROOKLINE ACCESS TELEVISION, JULY 1998

Since March 1995, I have been producing and hosting "Your Health Care:Choice or Chance?" monthly at Brookline Access Television (BAT). From the first, the mission of this exciting and innovative health care series has been to: (1) teach the audience how to navigate the health care system; (2) discuss public health issues and wellness programs; and (3) talk about the need for a universal access health plan.

A veritable Who's Who in Health Care have appeared as guests: Dr. Bernard Lown, world-renowned cardiologist and Nobel Prize Winner; Dr. Arnold Relman, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the New England Journal of Medicine; Dr. Howard Koh, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; and Judith Kurland, New England Regional Director of the Department of Health and Human Services - to name just a few. Because of the strong support provided by BAT, Your Health Care has developed strong roots in Massachusetts, airing in thirty-nine communities, as well as in Boston and the Boston neighborhoods, for a potential audience of 515,000.

At present the networks and commercial cable television stations have shown little interest in providing the audience with in-depth coverage of our health care system, which is in deep crisis. Brookline Access Television, however, has afforded me the opportunity to tackle such topics as the changing face of AIDS, the Good Grief Program at Boston Medical Center, the Pros and Cons of HMO's, how to develop a good Doctor-Patient Relationship...and the list goes on and on.

Therefore, the importance of Brookline Access Television to the community cannot be overstated. This tiny station is in reality what PBS has always tried to be but failed: the voice of the people. By scheduling a series like Your Health Care, BAT is focusing on the major health issues of our time and giving the audience the tools to help solve these problems. Clearly, BAT is performing a much-needed public service and I am proud to be one of its producers.

PRAISE FOR "YOUR HEALTH CARE:CHOICE OR CHANCE?"

Dr. Nancy Dickey,President, American Medical Association:
"Kudos to you for taking the bull by the horns and taking information to the public. Steps such as these will truly put the decisions back in our patients' hands."

Dr. Howard Koh, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Health:
"..'Your Health Care:Choice or Chance?' is making an outstanding contribution to the citizens of Massachusetts. I appeared as a guest and was impressed by the level of detail about public health issues in which Ellen and I engaged. It was a very rewarding experience for me."

Dr. Bernard Lown, world-renowned cardiologist and Nobel laureate:
"I deeply believe that professionals need to reach out into the community for social change. This show can help people, to have them see that they are not alone. Everyone can potentially have a problem with the health care system as it is."

Dr. Arnold S. Relman, Editor-In-Chief Emeritus, New England Journal of Medicine:
"The public badly needs to understand what is going on with the health care system. Television is a powerful medium and there needs to be more public service programs like this."

Diane Lardie, National Director, Universal Health Care Action Network:
"Your commitment and professionalism in the production of this show have made it the gem that it is. It is a rare accomplishment to attract consistently the high level of guests you have interviewed; but what is even more exciting to UHCAN! is the subject matter you address."

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WRINKLES

PRODUCER'S PERSPECTIVE BY ELLEN KAGAN FROM ACCESSABILITY,

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PRAISE FOR "YOUR HEALTH CARE:CHOICE OR CHANCE?"