Happy New Year!!!
You
did not realize that it was a new year did you?
It is in the medical world. On
July 1st, the world of medical education graduates to a new
year. I have been aware of this new year
many times over the past 20 years. Over
the past 12 years, though, July 1st has mainly been my anniversary. As many of you know, we are on day 7 of Jill’s
father Herb’s hospitalization for his laryngectomy. So we have spent the last week at the OU
medical center. With the 1st
falling on a Sunday, today is really the new year of medicine at the OU medical
center. We are seeing confused young men
and women looking to make sense of the maze of charts and cranky nurses. At the same time, they are trying to study
about different illnesses so they can answer the “pimp” questions that will
surely be coming from their residents and attendings. I once read an article titled, “Don’t get
sick in July”. In this article, the
author states that July is the worst time to get sick because in July, college
students become medical students, medical students become interns, interns
become residents and residents become attendings. Everyone in a new position and learning new
things.
I am standing in “Presby
Tower” (formerly Presbyterian hospital) remembering 16 years ago. I started my internship in Presby Hospital on
July 1st of 1996. I was on an
Internal Medicine rotation and I was supposed to be on call every 4
nights. But, since I was the “off
service” intern (Emergency Medicine intern working with the Internal Medicine
team), I got the pleasure of taking call on the very first night, then getting
to come back, just 3 nights later, on the 4th. That day I was scared to death that the “code
pager” was going to go off. I was on my
first day as a doctor, and I was responsible for all code blues in a big OKC
hospital. That night, I could not sleep,
worried the pager would sound. With time
and experience, my anxiety about those situations lessened. God was able to heal people despite my
inexperience.
The following July, I became a licensed doctor, and started
moonlighting some. In July of 1998, I
became an upper level resident and started to moonlight in Duncan and make
schedules for our residency. By July 1st
of 2000, I was finished with my residency and our family moved to Duncan. Come to think of it, more life changes have
happened, for me, on the Medical New Year than on January 1st. It was July 1st that I became a
husband, a medical student, an intern, a resident, a “real” doctor, and it was
July 1st of last year that our family woke up in Uganda, for the
first time. God was able to bring Jill and I through all of these changes and
bless our family each time.
I read an article this week that says US hospitals and
Doctors spend 31 Billion each year on malpractice insurance. Out of this staggering number, “only” 6 billion
end up in the pockets of patients that have a malpractice claim. The other 25 billion ends up in the pockets
of malpractice attorneys and insurance companies. In addition to this large number, another 650
Billion is spent on tests and studies to try to protect against malpractice
suits. My medical generation, the one
before it, and every one since has been trained in an environment of
malpractice avoidance. In my humble
opinion, I think that this is the biggest issue facing healthcare in the
US. We still have the greatest medical
care in the world, it is just too expensive.
This additional 681 billion spent to avoid exposure to malpractice
claims, adds greatly to the expense.
Herb is doing well.
He is recovering and is getting to sip on some water today to
see how his swallowing is working.
He is walking the halls and getting his strength back. He met a man named Greg yesterday.
He is walking the halls and getting his strength back. He met a man named Greg yesterday.
Greg had a laryngectomy in January and he was
able to encourage us and give us some pointers.
I think that this encounter was a very productive one. Herb was introduced to a support group of men
and women who live active lives after a laryngectomy. God is able to bring Herb through this with a
positive witness to help others.
Many of you may have seen this already, but our most current
mission video, GOD IS ABLE, is up on youtube and we would be delighted if you
would take a look at it.
Happy New Year!
Jay
No comments:
Post a Comment