The Torch, Spring/Summer 2010

4 TORCH | Spring–Summer 2010 CARGO | GETTY IMAGES The Missing Peace by Dennis M. Sullivan, M.D. A sk someone about health care, and you are almost certain to receive a passionate response. We’ve created a national tug-of-war as we debate one of the most divisive issues in our modern public discourse. And the new health care reform bill has only intensified the conversations. Since we often discuss political solutions without really understanding the problems, it would benefit us to define some ethical concerns about our health care system. First, the good news: our modern system of physicians and hospitals stands as one of the most sophisticated in the world. It has a strong private sector orientation, which facilitates easy access and encourages ongoing innovation. Highly trained specialists are readily available in most regions of the United States. Then there’s the bad news: we have a terribly inefficient and costly system. Preventable illness makes up approximately 80 percent of illness, accumulates 90 percent of all health care costs, and accounts for eight of the nine leading categories of death. The U.S. spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation, and yet its citizens are not the healthiest. When it comes to health care, the problems are many and the answers unclear. But restoring shalom should be our highest priority.