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Volume 126 Issue 68
kansan.com
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
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NATION
YEAR OF ACTION
The President touched on college graduation rates and clean energy in his annual address
President Barack Obama speaks to an audience full of Ford employees at the Ford F-150 Factory in Claycomo, Mo., on Sept. 20, 2013. Obama delivered his sixth State of the Union address last night.
TOM DEHART
news@kansan.com
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
President Barack Obama stated in his State of the Union Address last night that he believes 2014 "can be a breakthrough year for America."
The President spoke in the House Chamber about recent developments in energy resources that have the potential to create jobs. He also expressed his desire to raise the minimum wage, to help students struggle less with debt and to assure that more American citizens are given the access to a good job—something that Obama said is "the best measure of opportunity."
Here are significant points from last night's address that will hold a level of importance to future University students.
1. Increased college graduation rates
Obama brought the subject of the College Opportunity Summit into his address. Taking a step toward assuring that more people are granted the opportunity to attend—and graduate from—college. In his speech, Obama said "the White House just organized a College Opportunity Summit where already, 150 universities, businesses and nonprofits have made concrete commitments to reduce inequality in access to higher education – and help every
hardworking kid go to college and succeed when they get to
campus."
2 Increasing minimum wage
Besides stating that he will be issuing an Executive Order in coming weeks to raise the minimum wage for federally-funded employees, he also stated a desire to raise the minimum wage for all "Today the federal minimum wage is worth about 20 per-
all. "Today, the federal minimum wage is worth about 20 percent less than it was when Ronald Reagan first stood here. Tom
Harkin and George Miller have a bill to fix that by lifting the minimum wage to $10.10. This will help families," Obama said. "It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. It doesn't involve any new bureaucratic program. So join the rest
3. Capping student loan payments
Obama also stated that lawmakers are "shaking up our system of higher education to give parents more information, and colleges are incentive to offer better value, so that no middle-class
to work with Congress to see how we can help even more Americans who feel trapped by student loan debt."
more incentive to offer better value, so that no middle-class kid is priced out of a college education." The President also said
"we're offering millions the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to 10 percent of their income,and I want
4. Emphasis on climate change and clean energy The President spoke about the government's energy policy, something that he said is "creating jobs and leading to a cleaner, safer planet." He expressed a sense of urgency, claiming the "changing climate is already harming western communities struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing with floods." He stated his administration was directed "to work with
utilities, and others to set new standards on the amount of carbon pollution our power plants are allowed to dump into the
5. Thanking veterans and the military
Obama also introduced an American hero, U.S. Army Ranger Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg, who was badly wounded—and nearly killed—by a roadside bomb while deployed in Afghanistan. Sgt. First Class Remsburg has spent recent years recovering while going through multiple surgeries and hours of rehab. He received a standing ovation from those in attendance. Obama then placed Sgt. First Class Remsburg's personal words and story into a perseverant context, saying that "men and women like Cory remind us that America has ne
story into a perseverant context, saying that "men and women like Cory remind us that America has never come easy. Our freedom, our democracy has never been easy."
freedom, our democracy, has never been easy."
Edited by Allison Kohn
State agencies request more psychiatrists
MCKENNA HARFORD news@kansan.com
The University of Kansas Medical Center must work to meet a request from state agencies to train more psychiatrists to meet a widespread shortage, but the request will face many challenges.
"The problem has percolated up in the state and mental health centers and has reached such a point of fervor that they need feel it's time to address it," said William Gabrielli, chair of KUMC's psychiatry department.
All but five counties Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte — in Kansas are federally designated mental health professional shortage areas. The Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services hired a consultant who found that the agency should budget for at least three more psychiatrists in order to meet the service needs.
Rural areas in Kansas are having an especially hard time because there aren't enough doctors to replace those that are retiring. Trying to attract doctors is hard because doctors who train outside of the
rural community often stay in the city to practice.
"It's hard to transplant doctors from where they train because they develop roots in the residency stage," Gabrielli said.
Another contributing factor to the shortage is a change in the Kansas Medical Student Loan program that limited the program to primary care and emergency medicine. The program used to allow students to train at KUMC and return home to practice, but with the limitations, fewer doctors are returning to rural areas.
"The consequence of this is doctors who went to KU and had their residency at KUMC can't go home, so they aren't going into these programs or if they are then they are going where they can earn more money and make connections," Gabrielli said.
KUMC will attempt to battle the shortage despite the cost and difficulties. They are currently exploring a rural training tract program that would be secondary to the general psychiatry program. Gabrielli hopes that this will create a program that's "friendly to doctors who want to train in
rural areas."
Unfortunately, another obstacle KUMC faces is time. In order to train more doctors, KUMC must first adapt the infrastructure to accommodate more faculty, mentors, training sites and doctors. Then they have to find finding and get approval from the accrediting agencies. Finally they must recruit new doctors.
Currently, KUMC has around 10 general psychiatry residents in each year's class, with each residency costing around $100,000 per year. The expense is one of the challenges standing in the way of adding additional psychiatry residents each year.
"To add additional training positions will be a substantial amount of work," Gabrielli said.
If you really like practicing medicine and prescribing medicine then you are probably more drawn to the medical route than the psychology route," said Michael Rosen, counseling psychology doctoral student.
Edited by Stella Liang
KUMC is asked to undertake the training of more psychiatrists because they are they only public state medical school.
KUMC is currently exploring a rural training track to combat the shortage.
Important points
Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services and directors at mental health centers communicate a shortage of mental health professionals.
Mental health by county
Five counties with the biggest mental health professionals shortage (based on HSPA scores for geographic area):
1. Franklin
2. Miami
3. Atchison
4. Leavenworth
Five counties with the least shortage:
4. Leavenwort
5. Jefferson
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Index CLASSIFIEDS 11 CRYPTOQUIPS 5 SPORTS 12 CROSSWORD 5 OPINION 4 SUDOKU 5
7. Johnson
8. Sedgwick
9. Shawnee
10. Wyandotte
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2014 The University Daily Kansan
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