As I sit here and suck on a hard cinnamon candy, I wait. I wait for the receptionist to call my clients number and I wait for just one good experience at Highland Community Hospital in Oakland. Nothing here surprises me anymore. There’s a clinic for just about everything; eyes, throat, teeth, healing wounds, hand, diabetes, the list goes on and the waiting rooms are always full. We’re sitting in the breast clinic today. I’ve been to Highland, now, 7 times this year. I’m still waiting for decent treatment for my client.
I typically schedule at least six hours for our trips here. I’ve never gotten out of here in less than 5. Each time we come, we get the run around. Our last visit, for example, we were told it was our fault for not bringing papers that they never sent my client. We come an hour early to each appointment, as they request, and usually don’t get called until an hour after her scheduled appointment time. Her appointment today was a half hour ago; we’re still waiting.
I wish we could get up and walk out to prove a point, make a statement, yell loud enough to be heard, but our business doesn’t have much weight to them. It’s a free health clinic and my client really has no other options. We’ve searched endlessly for other facilities and, sadly no others will accept her. We are still waiting for something better to come her way.
Sherry and I heard an alarming statistic on the news late last night. One half of all bankruptcies in the US are caused by medical expenses. Frankly, if I had to chose between having a family member jerked around by a clinic or pay for someone to help them in a timely matter, I would chose the latter.
My client might have breast cancer. They spotted calcifications early this year. Between trying to get referrals, redoing mammograms that they’ve “misplaced”, twice, and being seen by a million different doctors (none of whom left a record of what was done), we’re still waiting to get a biopsy of the calcifications.
I’m not saying I have a solution to a horrendous health care system or even know where to begin rectification, but I do know I am sick of waiting. I am sick of waiting for her to get treated for a condition that may be getting worse and sick of waiting for something to change.
Blabbing about a problem doesn't fix it, I know, but right now that's all I can do. I am no longer sorry for having a screw the system attitude.
5 comments:
That's never fun. I guess it goes to show that we take going to normal Doctor's offices for granted.
Thank you for being a voice to the voiceless. I love you for that.
Ugh! Thanks for the thoughts Kim! I hate to think about all of the people who don't have health insurance fighting for decent health care! In addition, I hate that the people who do have health insurance have to deal with insurance companies making decisions about the kind or amount of care patients need as opposed to the doctors who are trained to do so!
It's frustrating, but it's nice, too, that there are doctors and nurses who go out of their way to help.
:/
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