Published: 08-25-08
TYLER—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas today visited the Texas Spine & Joint Hospital and discussed the pressing need for Congress to pass bipartisan health care reforms that start with strengthening the physician-patient relationship boosting competition and transparency and providing more options to business owners and employees.
“As I’ve traveled throughout Texas this month I continue to hear from Texas families and seniors about the challenges of affording health care and being able to access the kind of specialized care they need. The number of uninsured individuals in Texas is unacceptably high and our nation’s health care system is in serious need of broad reforms” Sen. Cornyn said.
“Unfortunately like many other pressing issues health care reform has taken a back seat to partisan games in Congress. As a result many families are foregoing important preventive health care services and physicians across the state and country are closing their doors because of a broken reimbursement system. Congress cannot afford to delay action any longer on these serious challenges.
“I strongly believe our first step should be strengthening and preserving the patient-physician relationship. I had the opportunity today to visit the Texas Spine & Joint Hospital in Tyler—a facility that has excelled in this arena. This physician-owned hospital provides specialized care to its patients and places a strong emphasis on relationship-building. This is the kind of strong foundation our health care system must build on and to get there we need to provide incentives to both patients and providers.
“We should allow small business owners to pool their buying power and gain the same access to insurance rates that larger businesses enjoy. We also need to streamline the health care industry by making the full transition to electronic health records. Just as important there needs to be greater transparency in pricing and outcomes from hospitals insurance companies and doctors to prevent fraud and give patients greater confidence in the care they’re receiving.
“Health care is a tough issue that requires all hands on deck working for the long-term interests of patients and providers. We need to make sure all Texans have access to top-notch health care facilities like the Texas Spine & Joint Hospital.”
Background:
The Texas Spine & Joint Hospital opened its doors in December 2002. It is a fully equipped 20-bed hospital dedicated to spine and orthopedic services and currently performs more than 16000 procedures and surgeries a year. The hospital has been distinguished nationally as a top facility for spine surgery joint replacement total knee replacement and back and neck surgery.
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services Judiciary and Budget Committees. In addition he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee.
