I know “the bill” just passed – the one everyone is talking about, with rage and fury. {But that’s not what this post is about}.

I just want to share 3 of my ideas for making healthcare better:

Switch to a midwifery model of care for births.

Did you know that:

• The death rate of women giving birth in the US is worse than in 40 other countries, including nearly all the industrialized countries {Amnesty International, March 2010}.
• Nearly a third of all deliveries in the US are by Cesarean section, which is a rate twice as high as that recommended by the World Health Organization.

This seems absurd when we have highly skilled surgeons and the latest & greatest technology. Women give birth in posh hospitals with flat screen monitors and continuous monitoring, but the maternal mortality rate is INCREASING.

If you want the very best birthing outcomes for both mother and baby, you should probably move to the Netherlands, where the Cesarean rate hovers at about 12%. The Netherlands (and, indeed, almost all of Europe) utilize midwives as the first line of care for normal pregnant women. The country also has the highest rate of home births in the western world at 30 percent and only 10 percent of women in labor are given pain relief. Compare that to the United States where “Less than 1 percent of all births in the United States take place outside the hospital (ABC News, March 2010).”

Encourage and support breastfeeding.

The benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented. So well-documented, in fact, that I almost feel they don’t need to be stated here. Breastfed babies are less likely to get diabetes, cancer, asthma, liver disease, ear infections, diarrhea, allergies, even cavities. They’re less likely to die of SIDS, less likely to be obese, etc.

Although the initiation rate for breastfeeding in the US is 73% (CDC, 2009 Breastfeeding Report Card), the percentage of moms exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months drops to 33% and then to 13% at 6 months. There are many, many reasons behind this (lack of support, not knowing what to expect, the fact that breastfeeding can hurt, etc.) – but I do believe that we could do a much better job of educating and championing new mothers with regards to breastfeeding.

Treat obesity as a threat to our economy and the future of our country.

The United States has one of the highest obesity rates in the world, with 67% of adults being overweight and 34% being obese. Should current trends continue, 75% of adults in the United States are projected to be overweight and 41% obese by 2015.

It goes without saying that obesity puts a huge strain on healthcare. Indeed, obesity has increased health care use and expenditures, costing society an estimated $117 billion in direct and indirect costs. This accounts for 6% to 12% of national health care expenditures in the Unites States! Unreal.

How should the government go about tackling these issues?

I have ideas. A lot of ideas. The government could make it easier for midwives to practice, for example. They could support birth centers and home births or, better yet, work toward a positive relationship between midwives and OBs. They could give insurance cuts or tax credits to people who breastfeed or who stay within a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index). They could channel the incredible power of social media to get the word out about nutrition and exercise.

Or…WE could just do it ourselves. I’m not really a “BIG Government” kind-of girl. I appreciate the government and its role to keep our country safe and thriving, but – overall – I like the idea of individual people working together to improve their communities. Grassroots efforts, if you will.

The truth is that we need to vote with our voices, our hands, and our pocketbooks.

Choose a midwife. Breastfeed your baby. Go for a walk. Buy eggs, milk, and meat from a local farm with ethical standards. Use facebook as more than just a place to say what you ate for dinner. Love your family. Your small actions have a ripple effect that can rock your local and global community.

So, vote for me. Stephanie Sheaffer.

Actually, scratch that. Vote with your actions. Find your causes. Pursue them…with humility, hard work, and plenty of kindness. That last sentence is particularly important.

YOUR TURN: What do you think our country’s most important healthcare issues are?