i am almost speechless..but the 50mg may be making me more rational...or irrational...
either way...yes, this email comes from a fellow resident colleague..the email and the responses thus far sadly expose such embarrasing failure as americans....isnt to be american to be radical and rebellious and different and fight for the GOOD fight...didnt we break outta stuffy england for FREEDOM and rights?
yet medical care is not a RIGHT in this country. it is a privelage. economic darwinism at its finest.
what is so utterly maddening is where do we begin as physicians to reclaim control over the art, practice, and delivery of medicine? this must occur soon. and how do we define ourselves as any sort of "god fearing," christian valued type culture when we willingly invoke economic darwinism and eat our young alive?
this is why i need 50 mg..probably 100 mg..
Dear All,
> >I have just learned from one of our aweseome
> Spanish interpreters that as of May 20, 2005 we
> will no longer have Spanish interpreters in
> house on Fiday and Saturday nights from 11p to
> 7am, due to cuts in overtime. This is an
> outrageous and unacceptable move by the Stroger
> administration, and should be strongly
> protested by all of us who depend on this
> critical service. The administration's view is
> that we can use operator/AT&T hook up service
> to provide the interpretation, but during our
> busiest times, this is inpractical. I urge
> each of you to call the Stroger administration,
> call the local newspapers and the t.v media,
> call the office of civil rights, and force the
> administration to correct this ridiculous
> action.
> >For all of you who are fluent in Spanish, this
> move will affect you as well, since many of
> your colleagues may call on you to interpret
> (even more than we already do!)
> > Please, please make your voices heard on
> this critical issue..it affects our patients
> and our ability to do our jobs.
> >
RESIDENT RESPONSE:
hours worked: not more than 79.99 per week (not
more than 29.99 consecutively)
overtime paid: $0.00
Senior resident book money (stipend) for fiscal
year 2005: $0.00
Resident physicians: still the best bang for the
buck when it comes to patient care.
ESTEEMED MALE ATTENDING RESPONSE:
Hi ,
If your interpreters are so awsome and so "concerned", why don't they, out of their genuine goodness of their hearts, take turns working the weekend midnight shifts to help out the poor non-english speaking hispanics.
Attending.
ESTEEMED FEMALE ATTENDING RESPONSE:
Although I cannot ask you not to express your right to speak your mind and as I am sure you are all aware on some level I clearly agree with you, I ask you all to consider a few things:
1. Stroger signs our paychecks.
2. This situation is not unique. The whole hospital is suffering from the cuts.
3. The executive medical staff is aware of the consequences of these cuts and is in the process of responding since patient care is likely to be effected throughout the hospital (and in some departments siggnificantly more than ours)
4. Our patient population is growing and our resources are not.
5. There is only so much money. Although many who work here think that $$$ is not spent as effectively as it could be (myself included), we do have the largest functioning county hospital that still provides free medication and care with little if any support from the State.
6. If you expose this as the travesty that you suggested, what will be gained?? Will more money appear?? If it does, will we see any of it? Will the taxpayers say "oh please raise our taxes, the interpreter's are not available 24-7"?
To be a doctor here as the resources seem to dry up more and more is frustrating for all of us who are trying to provide optimal patient care but the reality is that medical care is not a right in this country. We have to do the best we can with what we have. I will provide you with updates regarding progress may be the medical staff but I suspect this is an uphill battle on an icy slope.
Finally, try to do the best you can with what you have and realize without Cook County many of these people would not be able to get care at all.
MANAGEMENT:
There are a lot of rumors and possible scenerios being floated out there to help remedy and respond to a true budget crisis and a negative portrayal in the press.
The possibility of no overnight interpreters is a possibility but will not be implemented until the earliest until 5/20. as you know alot changes in a week. I have prepared the ED with numerous telephones for 3 way calls and easy access to ATT in case this happens-I will be on call and available if we go live-if this is a disaster I would not hesitate to call the senior administrator and ask for an immediate remedy. We must advocate for our patients and our department but we must be open minded to changes. I am working on making the best out of the worst and am open to other suggestions. I would urge all not to get involved with the press and commisioners as this will usually hurt us
On a good note the ED in the first 1/3 of this fiscal year has brought in almost as much medicaide money as we did in all of last fiscal year-keep filling out the billing sheets and the clerks are doing an excellent job get insurance info-administration knows this and this will help-keep marking any and all procedures
Thanks
edit: or one could look at this in the positive and hope that this budget cuts teaches people who live in america to learn fucking english!!!
edit: one could look at this as no time to be diplomatic...workers rights! god dammit!
edit: one could freak out and go smoke up to kill the pain of the implications of such issues and its impact on my sorry little life.
exit interview complete. not too painful. even got a hug for challenge.
its a sunny day in the neighborhood, cool spring..sleep really helped.
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