Dr. Francis X. Rockett

Addressing the "State of the State of health care as of April 2, 2002," Dr. Francis X. Rockett didn't paint a rosy picture. But the news wasn't all bad. Despite the current crisis in health care, the medical profession is still "highly respected," he told a roomful of hospital staffers, members of the press and other guests at a noontime gathering in the DNH Founder's Room.

The state's doctors have collective clout, Rockett said. When 17,000 people speak, government listens. That's the number of physician and student members in the Massachusetts Medical Society, the oldest organization of its kind in the country.

The medical community has plenty to say, according to Rockett, who cited a grocery list of issues lawmakers should address. Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements, for starters. Payments are too little and too late. Also, malpractice suits and how they affect insurance rates. The snowball scenario continued as Rockett discussed how these problems have led to a declining number of general practitioners and anesthesiologists in the state. Many medical school graduates choose research over private practice, he explained. Others leave for states where the "practice climate" is better. He also talked about the "devastating" effects of state budget cuts on public health programs. Some have disappeared, he said; others struggle to survive.

Rockett practices neurosurgery in Newton, holds appointments in several area hospitals, including Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and teaches at Tufts and Harvard Medical Schools. Among other things, he is a consultant to Harvard's health services and athletics departments and to the Sports Medicine Dept. at Boston College, He also served on the Governor's Committee on Fitness and Sports and has published numerous articles in medical journals.

Getting to the Point

Working within a lunch-hour time frame, Rockett made his remarks brief and to the point, visuals and all. The health care crisis in Massachusetts is real, and the system needs an overhaul from the Statehouse down. Rockett sketched a picture of what is happening in physicians' offices and hospitals across the Commonwealth today. Emergency rooms are closing as more people seek emergency care. With fewer practicing physicians to carry the load, New England physicians put in long hours, especially residents. To augment meager salaries, they moonlight, not a good idea in their line of work, Rockett added.

Physician's incomes are not keeping pace with the cost of a practice, among other negatives. On the positive side, there are plenty of medical school students in Massachusetts. But, Rockett pointed out, graduates may not stay here after they get a medical degree, or even practice at all. Despite the roster of med school graduates, reportedly one of the largest is the country, the list of practicing physicians is shrinking, and there aren't enough anesthesiologists to go around.