Pissydoc Says…

Here’s a relevant email I recently received from an acquaintance:

Alvin,

Had an issue at the hospital today and need to blow off some steam. I would love to see this posted on your site. It says a good deal for problems in our current health care system.

Today I had to meet with my hospital’s medical staff president, chairman of medicine, and the boss of my hospitalist group. Two patient complaints made against me over the last 3 months. One had to do with a daughter of a patient who the daughter did not wish to have discharged to the daughter’s home because the daughter had things to do. I recall the conversation as polite and I did inform the daughter that staying in the hospital without cause posed a health care risk to mom and could also be considered insurance fraud if we billed for even room and board. I ended up keeping the mom for another day but the daughter filed a complaint. The other case involved me telling a young guy after surgery that he needed to try harder to get up and moving. He was reluctant (you are probably familiar with the term “milking”) and one day I told him I had 90 year old women trying harder than he was. I guess he did not like that. He got up and eventually was discharged before catching MRSA or having any other complication from his previous lack of motivation. I remember thinking “sorry it came to that, but it worked and you are better for it”. He reported me as well.

I think you know what I’ve done in my career and what the administration, nurses and the other 99.996% of patients think of me. The medical staff president didn’t have a clue. My god, XXXXX, the hospital administrator, has asked me to put out patient conflicts on several occasions in the past including a jerk ex-senator we had last year. Some people obviously think I communicate well. When this staff president made the suggestion that I need to learn how to communicate better and that I seek “professional” help before he mandates it (OK, I told him he was full of crap –in so many words–first, My bad) I almost quit.

So, this all ended (I think)when my boss communicated to me—in so many words—“shut up and relax”.  I agreed to think more before saying inflammatory things to patients and their families but even now I want to scream out loud! I get 2 complaints in 600 patient encounters and the DA wants me to get counseling! This is the same medical staff office that swept under the rug the recent incident when we responded to a “Man down in the parking lot” just to discover one of our anesthesiologists with a syringe of Propafol sticking out of his arm. It’s the same medical staff office that can’t rein in specialists committing EMTALA violations (but it’s OK for me to spend hours trying to fix things for the patient). Talk about a lack of credibility.

With everything going on in health care today, I’m not sure it’s worth it anymore. They want me to put up with this crap, make me see more patients, order only the tests the government approves of or the families demand, call everyone’s aunt Barbara when the patient farts, and they think I should get paid less–I don’t know.

I remember enjoying the practice of medicine, now all I want to do is find some way to retire early.

 Well, there’s a side of medicine ya just can’t get on da boob tube. I know why you got called out when others don’t; most docs these days go with the flow and give people what they want, whether or not they think its right. You just don’t get it my friend.