Muhlenberg: From Plainfield to Summit
Tomorrow I join the Muhlenberg diaspora when I trek to Summit to see my endocrinologist for my annual checkup.
I am better off than most, because I do not have multiple conditions that require frequent exams. Or maybe I am living in a fool's paradise by not knowing all the problems I have, due to lack of the old-fashioned doctor-patient relationship.
When I lived in Millington, Dr. Foley was just down the road and insurance companies had not yet become the unwanted bed partner in the transaction. Even when Dr. Foley looked at a rash and declared, "Never saw that one before," or assumed the rash I contracted from my special ed students was an STD, I gladly paid my $67 or whatever and carried on.
FYI, the latter rash was Fifth Disease, not evidence of naughty behavior. It seems there are four classic rashes from childhood diseases and the next one was just called Fifth Disease.
Now, like many people and especially seniors, I feel bereft of proper health care and am just hoping my luck holds out before all my old age money gets sucked up by some diagnosis, followed by tests, followed by consultants, maybe followed by hospitalization somewhere where I have no resources to help me out.
My only hope is that President Barack Obama will somehow be able to recalibrate the health care system so that it is not skewed toward profitability, but for its original intent.
At least Dr. Chen will let me go to Muhlenberg for blood work. I will still be able to take part in what is available at the so-called Muhlenberg Campus. And I can walk there, despite most of our family medical and dental practitioners having moved away.
Not much solace.
--Bernice Paglia
I am better off than most, because I do not have multiple conditions that require frequent exams. Or maybe I am living in a fool's paradise by not knowing all the problems I have, due to lack of the old-fashioned doctor-patient relationship.
When I lived in Millington, Dr. Foley was just down the road and insurance companies had not yet become the unwanted bed partner in the transaction. Even when Dr. Foley looked at a rash and declared, "Never saw that one before," or assumed the rash I contracted from my special ed students was an STD, I gladly paid my $67 or whatever and carried on.
FYI, the latter rash was Fifth Disease, not evidence of naughty behavior. It seems there are four classic rashes from childhood diseases and the next one was just called Fifth Disease.
Now, like many people and especially seniors, I feel bereft of proper health care and am just hoping my luck holds out before all my old age money gets sucked up by some diagnosis, followed by tests, followed by consultants, maybe followed by hospitalization somewhere where I have no resources to help me out.
My only hope is that President Barack Obama will somehow be able to recalibrate the health care system so that it is not skewed toward profitability, but for its original intent.
At least Dr. Chen will let me go to Muhlenberg for blood work. I will still be able to take part in what is available at the so-called Muhlenberg Campus. And I can walk there, despite most of our family medical and dental practitioners having moved away.
Not much solace.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 8:01 PM
3 Comments:
"Recalibrate the health care system so it is not skewed towards profitability"? Who do you think provides the care -- business people be they doctors, hospitals, technicians... Without a profit businesses close -- just like Muhlenberg whcih we lost mostly because of non-profitable non-reimbursable charity care. Is any other industry expected to provide services out of the goodness of their heart and not make a profit?
Open your socialist eyes.
Do we expect any other industry to provide services without making a profit? Open YOUR eyes: everything run out of City Hall, Elizabeth, Trenton and Washington.
Anonymous 11:09 obviously either a) believes money is more important than personal and societal well-being or b) has become so jaded by the stark reality that that is so s/he cannot see through to a way that we could change this portion of our economic system without damaging our precious capitalistic principles. Don't give me any of that crap about profits driving innovation, either. There's a middle road in there somewhere, and Bernice's simple wish is kind and well-intentioned.
We lost Muhlenberg because the community in general didn't support it, had there been support for the hospital services from all of us living here in the city we would still have our hospital.
Benrice's wishes is what most of us wish, a decent health care that cares for the patient and not your insurance carrier.
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