With DMH, Common Sense Goes Out The Window...
As a patient who has been hospitalized three times in this town, I know what I as a patient would want during my stay. I want MY DOCTOR to see me, I want to be seen by a DOCTOR in the Emergency Room if I am seriously ill, and I want to be in a hospital that PROMOTES AND ENCOURAGES DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES TO BE AVAILABLE TO ME IF NEEDED.
Unfortunately, that is NOT the case with the administration of Decatur Memorial Hospital.
DMH administration has removed it's employed family physicians from seeing patients in the hospital. The biggest majority of patients seen in their ER are seen by Physician Assistants, EVEN PATIENTS WHO ARE CRITICALLY ILL!!! PA's and nurse practioners have their place in medicine, and I agree they have played a vital role in Decatur (my Grandmother's life was literally saved by a nurse practioner.) I'm not sure how many PA's/NP's have considerable ER experience, but even so, does two years of post-college school make one equivalent to a doctor taking care of critically ill patients in the ER? (Anyone seen the new St. Mary's ads yet? I hear they hit on just these issues!)
AND NOW....with the ongoing FBI investigation of their hospital, DOCTORS IN DECATUR ARE LEAVING!!!
Not too long ago, doctors left Decatur because of medical malpractice costs driving them out of business. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS SINCE THE FBI INVESTIGATION STARTED, DECATUR HAS LOST A NEUROSURGEON, A NEUROLOGIST, AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, AND NOW ANOTHER NEUROLOGIST WILL BE LEAVING IN A FEW MONTHS! Since the medical malpractice law was passed, I would hope that the rates would stay the same, or even go down (I must admit, I don't know much about this issue, other than what I've read.) Even with the law in place, doctors are still LEAVING!! Even when there's hope that their insurance rates might go down, DOCTORS IN DECATUR ARE LEAVING!!
Why is that? Decatur's economy IS GROWING!! Yet, with patients reportedly being conned into thinking they had to go to DMH, St. Mary's suffered financial setbacks. Now with DMH's FBI investigation coming to the forefront, DMH IS NOW FEELING THE PINCH, TOO.
Thanks a lot, Ken and Tim. You've successfully torpedoed healthcare in Decatur. I hope it can somehow stay afloat.
Unfortunately, that is NOT the case with the administration of Decatur Memorial Hospital.
DMH administration has removed it's employed family physicians from seeing patients in the hospital. The biggest majority of patients seen in their ER are seen by Physician Assistants, EVEN PATIENTS WHO ARE CRITICALLY ILL!!! PA's and nurse practioners have their place in medicine, and I agree they have played a vital role in Decatur (my Grandmother's life was literally saved by a nurse practioner.) I'm not sure how many PA's/NP's have considerable ER experience, but even so, does two years of post-college school make one equivalent to a doctor taking care of critically ill patients in the ER? (Anyone seen the new St. Mary's ads yet? I hear they hit on just these issues!)
AND NOW....with the ongoing FBI investigation of their hospital, DOCTORS IN DECATUR ARE LEAVING!!!
Not too long ago, doctors left Decatur because of medical malpractice costs driving them out of business. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS SINCE THE FBI INVESTIGATION STARTED, DECATUR HAS LOST A NEUROSURGEON, A NEUROLOGIST, AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, AND NOW ANOTHER NEUROLOGIST WILL BE LEAVING IN A FEW MONTHS! Since the medical malpractice law was passed, I would hope that the rates would stay the same, or even go down (I must admit, I don't know much about this issue, other than what I've read.) Even with the law in place, doctors are still LEAVING!! Even when there's hope that their insurance rates might go down, DOCTORS IN DECATUR ARE LEAVING!!
Why is that? Decatur's economy IS GROWING!! Yet, with patients reportedly being conned into thinking they had to go to DMH, St. Mary's suffered financial setbacks. Now with DMH's FBI investigation coming to the forefront, DMH IS NOW FEELING THE PINCH, TOO.
Thanks a lot, Ken and Tim. You've successfully torpedoed healthcare in Decatur. I hope it can somehow stay afloat.
posted by Watcher2300 at 1/13/2006 08:00:00 PM
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