From the Blogosphere
A NAIL IN THE PATIENT-PHYSICIAN RELATIONSHIP COFFIN
Kathy Neider, MD
B
renda works as a nurse at the other
big health care system in town. She
is a bit of a stoic. During our 25+
year relationship there were times I thought
she didn’t like me until I realized what a nononsense personality she possesses. Thus it
was upsetting to see distress in her face and
hear her frustrated tone as she said, “You’ve
been my doctor a long time, but I have been
told that I can only see doctors in our system for my visits to be
covered on my insurance.”
This came as no surprise to me. Just a few weeks earlier our
hospital president made the same announcement to our employees.
It is infuriating to hear relationships destroyed with a flippant “We
have good doctors here. There is no reason for our employees to
see doctors in other systems.”
First of all, a 25-year relationship with someone makes for a damn
good reason to continue to see them. And yes, we have great doctors
in our system. But sometimes better talent is in another hospital.
I want my patient to benefit