I've been reading this Dr's blog for a couple of years now mostly because she's a Lightworker and holds principles and integrity that I align with. Over the last year or so she's begun to discuss the issues within the healthcare system more and more as it takes it's toll on her. ...and she's an Anesthesiologist. I know most of you here are young...and aren't facing these kinds experiences with your body yet....but all of us need to see what's going with the Medical Industry. I mean what if you get in to an accident and end up in the emergency room or need an operation? This is a concern for all Americans...
20160819******Carla's view from the OR*****
There are HUGE changes ahead for medicine. It's under the surface, but I see it behind the scenes and I think you should know.
Medicare is getting nasty with hospitals and caregivers.
Even now, for a straight medicare patient, all my information on the care needs to be reported to a database for 'key factors'. This costs ME $250 a year just to have someone manage my data. And there is a form I must complete for every patient and send it in.
They are setting the stage so that if a patient smokes on the day of surgery before going to the OR I will not get paid for my services, even if I do a huge complex case that takes all day...because it is their 'criteria' for payment.
This is why patients wet themselves on the table at the end of the case. Medicare doesn't want a foley intraop. Due to 'infection' (cost control). If a patient gets a bladder infection during their hospital stay, Medicare won't pay for anything. So now surgeons are terrified of the foley. We just have the patient pee in pre-op and I limit fluids. I used to need to see one half to one cc of urine for every kilogram of patient in a foley to prove the kidneys were not taking a hit during the anesthesia and surgery (low blood pressure isn't good for the kidneys). That was how I was trained. Now our patients who cough when they wake up pee all over the bed. It's sad.
My lady urologist friend works for another hospital and mine too. They used to pay her to come care for indigent patients. But now her specialty isn't on a 'list' by Medicare of 'essential services'. She gets no stipend. She got up in the middle of the night for three nights in a row, working five hours a case each night, for FREE. Her patients were sick and they couldn't pay.
How is she supposed to stay in business like that?
She is considering making a deal with the devil--the other hospital. She will become their employee and they will pay her overhead. She will get paid vacation. She can still work on the outside if she wants (I'm sure there won't be much time for that). But she says if they hire two urologists this way so she doesn't have to take call every day she will go for it.
The government has gained complete control over medicine. It is only a matter of time before my specialty and practice with my group gets bought up by the hospital and we are employees too.
At a hospital near me, all the management quit and many nurses have left. She transferred to our sister hospital. A LOT of very experienced people have had it with 'management'.
At my O.R. they want a hundred thousand dollar savings with new gloves for the surgeons. You know, the sterile ones. I tried them on. The new samples. You can't feel. You just can't feel through it like you could with the other ones. You need to feel when a needle is going in, for a spinal, or a central line, or for surgery. There are gloves where you can feel just the same sensations as you do with your ungloved hand--a little less, but still the texture and feel of the tissues. One hundred thousand dollars a year--reads as 'huge bonus for manager'--at the expense of patient care quality.
Everyone needs to eat. Managers too, right?
This manager used to manage the other O.R. at the hospital that's making a deal with the devil with my lady urologist friend. All the insurance companies are contracted with them. They are a 'for profit' hospital. And their O.R. is a freaking MESS. Huge delays. Working all hours day and night. Staff on call way too much, so much that people quit.
Welcome to the future of Managed Care.
It's messed up.
Now ''the tables have turned'' though and I've issues with health, oh well...