Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/745998
t m c » p u l s e | n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6 2 TMC | PULSE Vol. 3 No. 10 November 2016 President and Chief Executive Officer Robert C. Robbins, M.D. Vice President of Communications Christen David Pulse Editor Maggie Galehouse mgalehouse@tmc.edu Digital News Editor Shea Connelly sconnelly@tmc.edu Staff Writers Alexandra Becker Shanley Chien Christine Hall Britni N. Riley Photojournalist Cody Duty Contributing Photographers Scott Dalton Nick de la Torre NEWSROOM 713-791-8812 news@tmc.edu ADVERTISING 713-791-8894 newsads@tmc.edu DISTRIBUTION 713-791-6130 distribution@tmc.edu TMC Pulse is an award-winning monthly publication of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Permission from the editor is required to reprint any material. Editorial/advertising information is available upon request. Texas Medical Center News is a mem- ber of Houston Press Club, American Medical Writers Association, Association of Healthcare Journalists, and American Advertising Federation. PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE ROBERT C. ROBBINS, M.D. President and Chief Executive Officer, Texas Medical Center H ealth care has been a polarizing issue for voters throughout the election season. Here at the Texas Medical Center, though, health care is a central, unifying force in our lives. It's the reason we all come to work every day. In this issue of Pulse, we asked a few members of the TMC community to weigh in on the biggest health challenges facing the country—from the large numbers of Americans without access to care, to our fragmented electronic medical records system. If I had to recommend one big fix for the country, it would be to make the Affordable Care Act more affordable. Tim Garson, M.D., who directs the Health Policy Institute at the TMC, has written about this issue. As he points out, if we change the way we pay physicians, we might waste a lot less money in overtreat- ment. Instead of the "fee-for-service" system, in which physicians charge per procedure, why not pay physicians' salaries? Already, physicians at the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics are salaried, delivering the highest quality care at a lower overall price. I'd also like to see the future leaders of the country encourage people to take charge of their own bodies, to understand their own numbers. What do you weigh? What is your body mass index? How many steps do you take each day? Knowing these numbers and talking regularly with your doctor is empowering. And when the numbers are good, you've gone a long way toward fighting illness and fatigue. Certainly, diet is a pathway to good health. The Pulse cover story this month explores plant-based medicine and a meat-free diet. Thirty years ago, you'd be hard-pressed to find a vegan or gluten-free plate on a menu. Today, you can find these healthy options at the TMC's new Third Coast restaurant, at eateries across Houston, across Texas, and beyond. In an ideal world, health care would focus less on medication and intervention, and more on education and prevention.