The following letter was written by a physician to the president over a year ago. It is now becoming the newest thing on social networking sites. I'm so disappointed by it. I'll allow you time to read it then I'll proceed to explain my disappointment.
Pictured is a young physician by the name of Dr. Roger Starner Jones. His short two-paragraph letter to the White House accurately puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis"..
It's worth a quick read:
Dear Mr. President:
During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.
While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one pack of cigarettes every day, eats only at fast-food take-outs, and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer. And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture" a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.
Respectfully,
ROGER STARNER JONES, MD
While I know exactly what point he is trying to make, I certainly hope I never have to see a physician with the attitude of Dr. Roger Starner Jones. Shouldn't he worry first about helping his patient, not about whether or not they are wearing name brand shoes?
I have been in the same position as the patient that is described here. Does that mean that they need to dress poorly? Is it an unwritten law that people receiving assistance need to dress "POOR" ???? I think most people that receive any type of public assistance TRY to dress nicer so as to avoid any conflict of being judged and looked down upon. It's embarrassing! Embarrassing to rely on everyone else to pay your medical bills, food bills, housing...whatever the case may be. {I was a single mom for a few years, I know because I had to rely on it also} But let's face it-some insurance companies simply REFUSE to cover an individual. Whether it be a preexisting condition or what have you. Some people that are on public assistance have not always been on it. People do fall on hard times...and it can happen to ANYONE! I'm sure had he been working following a recent natural disaster that he may think it okay. I'm disappointed that someone of his profession would publicly lash about someones appearance and wealth...or lack of it. What happened to the day when citizens looked up to, respected and cared about what a doctor had to say?? I think that went out the window when doctors threw out courtesy and bedside manners.
In agreement to the remainder of the letter, particularly: "It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear."-there will ALWAYS be those that look for and find loopholes to every law and rule. Therefore, there will ALWAYS be those that don't report their income and still receive medicaid, food stamps, housing...etc. etc. That will never go away. Some will always look for a handout or the easy way out.
i had similar feelings as you did.
ReplyDeletei taught in inner-city schools. sure, there were those who took advantage of the system. but the thing about people in poverty is that they're looking for an "escape". so saving their money (for months on end) to buy good shoes, a cell phone, etc...is their way of escaping.
not to mention that some of my students parents worked multiple jobs to make ends meet -- and those ends still never ended up meeting.
and even if -- EVEN IF -- a person is taking advantage of the system, to say their children should be somehow punished for that is heartless.
i became a much more compassionate person when i was teaching, because i saw so many more layers to the depths of generational poverty, situational poverty, and just plain bad luck.
and then a few years later, job loss, job search, foreclosure and not much money left self later...i get it. life is not all black and white, and not all of us have a steady physicians salary to depend on. so my REAL feeling is this doctor can stuff it, but i'm trying to remember that his experience hasn't really taught him much about life yet. ironic, no?
Thanks for the feedback Lora! It's always nice to have other opinions!
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this.
ReplyDelete