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Topeka doctor airs frustrations with health care system in new bookBy Karrey Britt Dr. Kipp Van Camp, an interventional radiologist in Topeka, is frustrated with the health care system and instead of just grumbling about it, he decided to write a book. Among his frustrations are the high costs for care and the need for tort reform. He’s really irked about global health care rankings. He said often organizations are not comparing apples to apples, especially for infant mortality and life expectancy. He said the U.S. should be near the top in both categories. “That’s been insulting. Health care in America is good and someone needs to talk about this stuff,” he said. Van Camp said the book, “Misdiagnosis: A Practicing Physician’s Case Study in Health Care Reform,” covers the history of how we got to where we are, identifies what’s wrong and right with the system, provides details about the Affordable Care Act, and provides solutions. “My goal is to bring about an awareness, to educate, and to debunk some myths,” he said. Van Camp, 48, grew up in Colby and graduated from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. For three years, he was a family doctor in Weston, Mo., were he did everything from deliver babies to appendectomies. He decided to go back to school because he didn’t like the demanding hours and pushing paperwork instead of caring for patients. He became a radiologist and then an interventional radiologist, who does image-guided procedures. For example, if a woman finds a lump in her breast, an interventional radiologist does the biopsy to see if it’s cancerous. Van Camp owns a radiology company called Critical Imaging Associates in Topeka. He’s also one of two hosts on a medical radio talk show called Doctor’s Orders, which airs on stations in Topeka and Kansas City. BOOK HIGHLIGHTS In a 45-minute telephone interview this week, Van Camp covered a variety of topics contained in his book. Here are a few of the highlights: • Pushing paperwork — He said navigating the increasing mandates for insurance coverage is reducing the time doctors are caring for patients. In 1979, there were 252 state mandates in place across the country, an average of five requirements per state. By 2009, there were 2,133, an average of 42 per state. “Patients are noticing the impact when they are increasingly being treated by nurse practitioners and not physicians,” he said. “It’s a trend that’s not going away. • Tort reform — He said Congress should have included tort reform in the Affordable Care Act. “There are so many frivolous lawsuits that come in this country that it’s absolutely ridiculous,” Van Camp said. He said doctors are afraid they will get sued if they don’t do every high-tech test possible, which drives up costs. He said Texas has done an overhaul of their legal system and studies have shown it’s lowered health costs and drawn more doctors to the state. “Tort reform affects everyone because of the unnecessary costs it adds to already costly health care.” • High-tech generation — Van Camp also blames the high cost of health care on society. He said Americans want the latest, greatest technology and medicine and as quickly as possible, but they aren’t willing to pay for it. “When you have high technology, you are going to spend a whole lot of money and America wants technology,” he said. • Decision-making — While everyone wants the best medicine and tests, not everyone gets it. He said insurance companies have started making those decisions instead of doctors and patients. Van Camp said if an insurance company won’t pay for a drug, we have the ability to appeal it at the state level. He fears with health reform that appeals process will be taken away. • Mandating insurance —He believes there is merit to a mandate because there are Americans who can afford insurance, but choose to spend their money elsewhere. When those Americans end up in the emergency room, hospitals are required to care for them. He said there may be years of wrangling over the bill but if it’s not paid, it costs the taxpayers. Under health reform, Van Camp thinks there should be an option to buy just catastrophic coverage. He’s also concerned about the exemptions that fall under the Affordable Care Act. Among them: Christian scientists, American Indians, Muslims and Scientology. “I could claim Scientology and not have to buy insurance. That’s ridiculous,” he said. • Insurance portability — Under health care reform, insurance will become portable, meaning if you have insurance in Kansas and move to Missouri, providers have to accept your insurance. That’s a good thing, he said. • All or nothing — Instead of passing the Affordable Care Act, he said the country should have tried changing just one area, like tort reform or outlining what’s considered basic health care under insurance. Does it include: all vaccines, high blood pressure, smoking cessation and weight loss? That’s still to be determined. “We never do anything in steps. We didn’t try something in one area, instead we pass this monstrous bill that’s out of control and affects the whole country,” he said. SOLUTION: LESS GOVERNMENT Van Camp, a Republican, said he tried not to play politics in his book, although he does “throw stones” at Congress for a lot of problems. “I tried to be as objective as a person can be carrying with them all of their biases,” he said. Van Camp believes less government involvement is one of the keys to fixing the broken system. “My philosophy and my belief is that the private sector works. Get out of the way and don’t regulate too much and they will find the most cost-effective way to get things done,” he said. He thinks people should be able to put money into health savings accounts for medications and procedures without being taxed for it. Van Camp said he’s spent his medical career — 25 years — working on the book, but it only took six weeks to write. “What I’ve realized is the system is broken but what I’ve been so upset about is that the system isn’t broken because the quality of care is bad,” he said. The book is available online at www.drkipp.com. ONLINE CHAT Dr. Kipp Van Camp, an interventional radiologist in Topeka, will be available Jan. 11 to discuss his new book, “Misdiagnosis: A Practicing Physician’s Case Study in Health Care Reform.” Van Camp will be participating in an online chat at 3 p.m. Jan. 11 on WellCommons.com. And, you can submit your questions anonymously at anytime at WellCommons/chats. Make sure to log back to WellCommons.com during or after the chat to see if your questions were answered. Dr. Van Camp owns a radiology company called Critical Imaging Associates in Topeka. He also is owner and medical director of Rejuvenate Medical Spa, providing minimally invasive cosmetic medical procedures. He serves as an adjunct professor at Washburn University and Kansas University. Van Camp is one of two hosts on a medical radio talk show called Doctor’s Orders, which airs on stations in Topeka and Kansas City. |
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  Perry
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Nine years of post medical school education, three different Board Certifications; practiced family medicine in Weston, Missouri; completed residency in diagnostic radiology at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa, followed by a fellowship in interventional radiology at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC; co-owner of radiology practices in Kansas City, Missouri and Topeka, Kansas; owner and Medical Director of Rejuvenate Medical Spa; adjunct professor at Washburn University and the University of Kansas; Medical Director of Precise Clinical Research; public speaker and author. 1. What brought you from your practice to doing radio? What led you to do a radio show?Twenty years ago when I started the practice of medicine, I said one day to my wife, "someday, I would like to host a medical radio show." It took nearly two decades for the opportunity to present itself, but when it ultimately did, I jumped at the chance. I always believed radio was a unique medium where I could reach a large number of people, and provide an educational show that was up-to-date and entertaining. My twenty years of practice have prepared me for nearly every topic and medical question. The show provides the listeners with an open, approachable forum to have their questions answered. 2. When you get callers and listeners who you know are likely to be on the wrong path to health -- eat too much, eat poorly, don't exercise -- what should be the first step they can take to get well? What should they do every day to start themselves on the road to better health?We all have ways that we can make ourselves healthier and happier. For anyone who is struggling to get through the challenges and difficulties of life each day, and for those same people who say I'm just too tired at the end of my busy day to add another activity like exercise to my schedule, I challenge this person that adding 30 minutes of walking for days a week would actually improve their energy level. But in actuality, it's a riddle. The extra effort provides you with more energy. In essence, you can't afford to not exercise. 3. One of the roadblocks to wellness in some people's minds is the health insurance situation, whether it's poor coverage from an employer-arranged plan, wildly expensive individual coverage, or no coverage at all. What, if anything, as a physician, do you think should be done about this? Do you foresee health coverage as a problem that persists, something that will be solved in the foreseeable future... and what will the consequences be if a solution isn't found?First off, Obamacare isn't the answer, as the government and media have told us. The answer to affordable coverage must begin with tort reform. However, we will never engage in an honest discussion about this for many reasons, of which one is that Congress is made up of over 40% of attorneys and this is a topic they refuse to discuss. Secondly, the only way I see to make health insurance affordable is to offer a basic level of care that covers patient's routine medical needs; like primary physical examination, routine milestone care such as mammograms, PSH screenings, colonoscopies and baseline labs. The patients and families should be given tax breaks and financial incentives to purchase various insurance plans. Finally, instead of saying this is the lowest amount that the government or tax payer will cover, the government should say any catastrophic medical treatment above a certain ceiling (such as $250,000 or $500,000) will be covered. 4. What differences are there between your show and other medical shows on radio and TV -- what do you bring to the table to differentiate yourself from other "doctor shows"?My show is educational, like all the medical shows I have heard. However, Doctor's Orders is entertaining as well. We have fun. The show takes a fresh and new look at tired and old medical topics. My vast knowledge in Family Medicine, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Cosmetic Medicine afford me a unique understanding of nearly all topics. My years of family medicine including literally hours of patient care enabled me to develop excellent communication skills in which I take difficult medical topics & jargon and make it easily understood in everyday vernacular. 5. There's more information, accurate or not, good or bad, about health and medicine available to the average consumer than ever before. Everyone races to the web to look up every symptom. Do you see this as a good or bad thing, and what do you advise listeners about seeking information about health issues? What should they be looking out for, or be aware of, when Googling whatever ails them?Education and awareness is always a good thing. I do not have a problem with patients looking up medical topics or ailments on the internet. It use to be grandma who had all the answers. When I practiced general obstetrics, a patient would come into my office and say "my grandma says the baby is a boy," or "grandma says the baby is breach." More times than not, grandmas were wrong, so when looking up information on the web, just understand from where the information is coming. Stick with reputable sites like Web MD or Mayo Clinic. Beware that grandma's and wives' tales are on the internet, too. Ultimately, trust your doctor when you seek their advice. Don't take what Web MD says over your doctor. A professional, face to face opinion, with a reputable, qualified physician still remains the best source for information. 6. Who have been your mentors and inspirations in your career?My dad is a retired veterinarian. He was the one who first got me interested in science and medicine. I'd say I'd decided a career in medicine because of my father. The second most influential doctor was our local general practitioner. He mentored me and allowed me to shadow him and observe firsthand what a people doctor did. Because of him I first became a family physician. 7. You do some cosmetic procedures, like Botox, at your medical spa. What are the right reasons for someone to do cosmetic procedures? Are there wrong reasons?We all want to feel about how we look and how we age. Botox slows down the effects of aging. It minimizes the natural wrinkles of the skin. Whenever a person becomes obsessed with the way they look and finds they are not satisfied with the results it has approached an unhealthy level. A good measuring stick is this: every patient must ask themselves if they can do with or without the procedure. Sure, you'd like to do it, but if you can't get to it for a few months, this is a healthy attitude regarding cosmetic procedures. Conversely, if you can't do without the procedure it's probably boarding upon an unhealthy obsession. 8. Of what are you most proud?I left a group practice several years ago. I went out on my own and entered solo practice. Many, if not all of my colleagues expected and even hoped I would fail on my own. Instead, not only did I succeed, I thrived. My practice grew. I even found time and effort to complete several things that I had always wanted to do. Like write a book, start a radio show, and still participate in coaching for my son's sport activities. And have a quality home life with my wife and sons. I am most proud that I had the inner strength and courage to succeed in the face of doubt, adversity and difficult odds. 9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ________________....a diet Mountain Dew. Excepting that, I would be remiss if I didn't say that I am grateful for my family, my abilities and my health. This is only possible because God has granted me these blessings. 10. What's the most important lesson you've learned in your career?Winston Churchill said, "Never, never, never, never, never give up." Even when it looks impossible, it probably isn't. When a difficult case seems impossible to treat successfully, keep looking at the case from all angles, there is always an answer. It may take much time and great effort, but don't give up. Not only does that apply to medicine but all of life. |
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Author emphasizes power of the Human-Animal BondDr. Kip Van Camp to sign new book Always Allie at Mara Conference centerDr. Kipp Van Camp, son of Dr. Robert Van Camp, DVM 1957, will be making a special trip to campus on April 16 to discuss the power of the human-animal bond and for a book signing. Dr. Kipp considered following in his father’s footsteps of pursuing animal medicine but decided to go into people medicine instead. Even though Dr. Kipp went into people medicine, it does not mean that he underestimates the power of the Human-Animal bond. This bond inspired him to write the story about his dog Allie in his book “Always Allie.” Dr. Kipp and his wife Tracy adopted their four legged daughter Chelsea Alexis, or better known as Allie, in 1991. The book shares the story of the loveable Allie and how she was treated as a member of the Van Camp family. They felt as if Allie provided the perfect parent training course to help them raise their two sons. “For a type A person, I couldn't believe how this feisty little Bichon could shape my thinking,” said Dr. Kipp. “When I was observant enough to study her behavior, I realized I could learn some valuable life lessons, like: take time to stop and smell the roses, or don't take yourself so seriously, or routines, consistency and structure are the keys to raising well adjusted children (and dogs) in a safe and healthy environment.” |
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After enjoying Allie’s unique personality for 17½ years, Dr. Kipp had to make the difficult decision of putting Allie down. Dr. Kipp realized Allie was suffering and he considered the most important gift he could give her, was to let her go.
The day they put Allie down was the day Dr. Kipp started writing the story about his canine companion.
“The unique animal-human bond appeared more extensive than I understood,” Dr. Kipp said. “Dogs sense our mood and respond accordingly, in their own way, to improve our current condition, whatever that might be. Pets enhance our lives in more ways than we truly comprehend. They love and accept us unconditionally. Status and position mean nothing to our dogs, and therefore we can completely be our uncensored self around our pets.” Dr. Kipp will be at K-State for the Human-Animal Bond Fair on April 16 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Mara Conference Center in Trotter Hall on the 4th floor. He will be one of five speakers. The Human-Animal Bond Fair is being held in conjunction with the annual campuswide Open House. |
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| For more information,contact Skip Joeckel at 719-579-6676 or skip@talkshowsusa.com |
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NAME: Dr. Kipp Van Camp
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