Government Gives Law Enforcment Access to Medical Records

By Eric Wade

               A Michigan Bill passed in 2002 and amended in 2011, was passed to set up a prescription monitoring system that tracks the dispensing of medication and the patents receiving the medication. What looks like a safety net for the pharmacies also serve as a way for law enforcement to look at private medical records.

                In section 333.7333a of Michigan legislation it states that Veterinarians and Pharmacist dispensing prescription drugs must enter into a data base the identification of patients, the drug prescribed, dosage and when and who prescribed the drug.

                Written into the law under section eight it states that law enforcement, officers of the court and state agencies may use the information for investigation and prosecution.

                Pharmacies are required to obeyed by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act laws, as stated by the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. HIPAA laws require patients information kept private.

                HIPAA laws do not allow records given to government agencies.

                “No. The Rule does not require a physician or any other covered entity to send medical information to the government for a government database or similar operation.” The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services said, “This Rule does not require or allow any new government access to medical information.”

"Suicide takes a walk"

Suicide takes a walk

Out of the Darkness events raise awareness, provide community

By ERIC WADE

Voice Correspondent

            Chase Edwards was an active, charismatic and enthusiastic teenager. He served on the student council. He played on a traveling soccer team. He was intensely interested in art, sketching his heroes and idols. He freehanded what was on his mind, but he does none of that now.

             Chase loved the Detroit Red Wings. He drew pictures of players. He had collectables and figurines. Chase and his dad, Jeff, traveled from their home in Brighton to the Hockey Hall of Fame Toronto in 2002 to see the Stanley Cup – which Detroit won that year.

What Chase didn’t know was that when they were in Toronto his father had gotten tickets for that night’s game. Chase wore his Red Wings’ jersey to the game, and before the game he managed to get some of the players to sign it.

The next morning, they went to the hotel where the Red Wings stayed. They were in luck. As they arrived, the players were getting ready to board the bus to the airport back to Detroit. Chase and his dad managed to get autographs from every member of the team.

            Jeff Edwards loves to tell those stories about his son. He has to because Chase cannot. He has to because it helps Jeff to heal. He has to because Chase attempted suicide on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2003, and died on March 3, after his parents made the unthinkable decision to remove him from life support. He was 12.

Jeff tells his story to help others better understand what the signs are, and he tells his story in hopes that he can prevent other parents from having to look back and wonder what it was they didn’t notice, and why.

To his parents Chase’s drawings showed potential for a future in art. Chase drew sketches of his idols. He would draw anywhere he went.

            “He would always have a sketchpad with him,” Jeff recalls. “Even when he would go Up North to the family cabin, he would draw.”

            Like Jeff, those left behind, devastated parents, siblings and friends, tell stories like these at support groups, at charities and memorials and at awareness-raising events like “Out of the Darkness,” a community walk held at Kensington Metro Park in Milford on Sept. 22. They tell the stories to heal – and to make others aware.

            A normal boy by all accounts, Noah Miller, 13, a seventh-grader from Westland, loved to play baseball and hoped to try out for track. He also loved to hunt.

The year before his death, Noah’s Little League team won the league championship, and he managed to get in some hunting with his family.  Noah and his stepbrother, Austin Clark, loved playing pranks on people at the mall – which sometimes resulted in security inviting them to leave.

Noah also loved the Marines.

            “From the minute he could say the word Marine, he wanted to be one,” Kelly Miller, Noah’s mother, said.

            Noah drew sketches of tanks, and warplanes, and he could name every piece of military equipment he saw. He went to recruiters for posters to hang in his bedroom, and thought about whether he wanted to go to college and earn a degree first so he could join the military service as an officer.

            Kelly Hale, 43, of Taylor, loved everything outdoors. She would visit Kensington Metro Park to bike or roller blade often, and she took her nieces there whenever she could. She was the type of person who would stop her car in the road get out to help an elderly couple cross.

            “She was unforgettable. She would meet people, and they would remember her for life,” Kari Hale, Kelly’s sister said.

            Kelly was willing to help anyone.

            “When a neighbor of Kelly’s was sick, she took care of him for a long time, without a thought,” Kimberley Pellegrino, Kelly’s sister said.

            That’s why it shocked so many when Kelly took her own life, too.

            What Chase, Noah, Kelly and thousands of others have in common is that they were sick and needed help. And those who loved them tragically missed the signs – but they hope to stop others from missing it, too, by spreading awareness.

            Out of the Darkness events are community walks held throughout the United States and hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The events are meant to raise funds for prevention, and to provide community for the survivors.  

            Most victims of suicide show signs of depression before they die, the AFSP said.

            Noah started eating less, and sleeping more. He started dating someone and started giving personal belongs to her.

            “That’s one of the signs, they start giving away their personal belongings,” Kelly Miller said.

            Noah also showed an increase in happiness, which is another sign that someone is about to die of suicide, Miller said.

            Kelly Hale was sad, but what compounded the symptoms was that she was injured. Because of the injuries and the pain medication, Kelly couldn’t be as active as she wished.

            “She was sad because she couldn’t do the things she loved to do anymore,” Sandry Hale, Kelly’s mother, said.

              At the time leading up to their son’s death, Jeff and Laura Edwards had no idea that something was wrong. In hindsight, they now see the warning signs. Chase, too, was showing signs of depression. He cleaned his room immaculately before he died. He was happy, almost as if he was at peace with his decision.

The Edwards now know the signs, and say they wish they had another chance to get Chase the help he desperately needed.

            “My son was sick and undiagnosed,” Jeff said, “and he died.”

Out of the Darkness Brings light to Families

                ChaseEdwards, 12 of Brighton, is an active, charismatic and enthusiastic teenager. He is on the student council. He plays on a traveling soccer team. He is heavily interested in art. He sketches his heroes and idols. He freehand what’s on his mind, but he does none of that now.

                 Chase loved the Redwings. He would draw pictures of players. He had collectables and figurines. Chase and his dad went to Toronto to see the Stanley cup the year Toronto won it. What chase didn’t know was that when they were in Toronto his father had gotten tickets for that night’s game. Chase was wore his Redwings jersey to the game, and before the game he managed to get some of the players to sign it. Chase had an amazing time at the game, but couldn’t get more players to sign the jersey. The next morning they went to the hotel were the Redwings stayed. They were in luck when they got to the hotel the players were getting ready to board the bus to the airport back to Detroit. Chase and his dad managed to get autographs from every member of the team.

                Chase’s father, Jeff Edwards of Brighton, tells the story of Chase. He has to because Chase cannot. He has to because it helps Jeff to heal. He has to because Chase attempted suicide on Sunday February 23, 2003, and removed from life support on March 3. He tells his story to help others understand what the signs are, and he tells his story in hopes that he can prevent other parents from having to look back and wonder why they didn’t notice.

                Chase loved to draw. To his parents Chase’s drawings showed potential for a future in art. Chase drew sketches of his idols. He would draw anywhere he went.

                “He would always have a sketchpad with him. Even when he would go up north to the family cabin, he would draw,” Jeff said.

                The ones left behind tell the stories, the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends, at support groups, at events and at community walks. Walks like Out of the Darkness held at Kensington Metro Park in Milford on September 22. They tell the stories here to heal and for awareness.

                A normal boy, Noah Miller, 13, a seventh grader of Westland, loved to play baseball, and started running to try out for track. The year before his death his little league team won the league championship. Noah loved to hunt, and was able to get a short session in with his family the year before his death. His stepbrother Austin Clark and he would walk to the mall and play pranks on people, some resulting in them being asked by security to leave. Noah loved the Marines.

                “From the minute he could say the word Marine he wanted to be one,” Kelly Miller, Noah’s mother, said.

                Noah drew sketches of tanks, and warplanes, and he could name every piece of military equipment he saw. He went to recruiters for posters to hang in his bedroom, and thought about if he wanted to go to college to get a degree first and go in as an officer.

                Kelly Hale, 43 from Taylor, loved everything outdoors. She would visit Kensington Metro Park to bike or roller blade often, and she took her nieces there whenever she could. Hale loved her family and loved her nieces. She was the type of person that would stop her car in the road get out to help an elderly couple cross.

                “She was unforgettable, she would meet people and they would remember her for life,” Kari Hale, Kelly’s sister said.

                Kelly had a big heart and was willing to help anyone.

                “When a neighbor of Kelly’s was sick she took care of him for a long time, without a thought,” Kimberley Pellegrino, Kelly’s sister said

                What Chase, Noah, Kelly and Thousands of others have in common is that they were sick and needed help. Those who loved them tragically missed it, but they hope to stop others from missing it by spreading awareness. Out of the Darkness are community walks, held throughout the United States, hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The events are held to raise funds for prevention, and as an additional effect provide community for the survivors.  

                Most all of the victims of suicide show signs of depression before they die.

                Noah started eating less, and sleeping more. He started dating someone and started giving personal belongs to her.

                “That’s one of the signs, they start giving away their personal belongings,” Kelly Miller said.

                Noah showed an increase in happiness, which is another sign that someone is about to die of suicide.

                Kelly Haul was sad, but what compounded the symptoms was that she was injured, because of the injuries Kelly couldn’t be as active and was on pain medication.

                “She was said because she couldn’t do the things she loved to do anymore,” Sandry Hale, Kelly’s mother said.

                  At the time, Jeff and Laura had no idea that something was wrong. In hindsight, the great gift of 20/20 vision, they now see the warning signs. Chase too was showing signs of depression. He cleaned his room immaculately before he died. He was happy, almost as if he was at peace with his decision. The Edwards now know the signs, and wish they had another chance to get Chase help.

                “My son was sick and undiagnosed and he died,” Jeff said.

Pet Store Twinkie

It is almost a tradition that every time I go by the pet store I have to stop and see the puppies. I’ve never bought a puppy from a pet store, and I’ve been against it for a while. You hear horror stories of bringing home sick pets, and having them die shortly after they get home. This trip to the pet store was different.

                Walking down the row of glass cages I saw the normal assortment of toy dogs and miniature mixed breeds, all barking their yippy pleas to be taken home. To me these small dogs somehow represent our current society, a society of the soft and week. The only purpose for these dogs is to annoy and have a fluffy thing to cuddle. Passing these dogs with no more than a glance I headed for the real dogs, the working dogs, the hunters and farmers of the K9 world, the labs, spaniels, mastiffs, and hounds. I saw a few fine specimens of K9s waiting to be adopted into families that most likely wouldn’t even know what to do for a true working dog. They would take the young pup home to their suburban home, with their small fenced-in-backyard let them out to potty and wonder why their anxious dog won’t stop chewing the legs off of the dining room table.

                In one of the glass kennels, with a German shepherd and mastiff I saw the dog that would force me to go against my rule of buying a pet shop puppy. He was sitting there in the corner of the cage being picked on by his larger more aggressive cage mate, the German shepherd. He saw me and laid down on the cage floor, put his large cinnamon and white paw to the glass and licked the glass wall while staring at me. It was as if he was saying, “Take me home, I’ll be a great pup”. I asked to take this floppy eared Basset hound out of the cage.

                Gage, the pet store employee was more than happy to do so. The Basset pup and I got our own little play area to become acquainted, and my heart was his within minutes. He was the dopiest little pup I’ve ever sense. Every other step he took he tripped on one of his long oversize ears. He had that distinct puppy smell and the puppy breath when he gave me little puppy kisses. We sat with each other for more than a half hour, and he fell asleep in my lap. I couldn’t put this dog back in that glass box, I knew this now.

                Twinkie my Basset puppy slept most of the car ride home on my lap. When he got to his new home the first thing he did was pee on the floor and chased the poor cats down into the basement. Sense I’ve had him home he has many of the problems that are associated with pet store pets, and some to the point where I didn’t think he was going to make it through one of the nights. He is getting better, and every day I wake up to him whining to go outside, and every afternoon I come home to his little wagging body, it is a better day.