Tuesday, November 04, 2003
NIXON WON'T HAVE ME TO KICK AROUND ANYMORE.....
Lisa Williams has decided to take me off of her blogroll at Learning the Lessons of Nixon. I will be the first to admit that it is Ms. Williams' right to run her blog as she sees fit, but I must object, to what I feel, is her putting words in my mouth.....
Today I delisted a couple of blogs from my blogroll. I thought I'd comment on why, and give them a farewell link. I delisted a medlog, Cut to Cure, because I got tired of its cheerleading for the "patients are lazy, patients are greedy, patients are stupid" wing of the medical weblog universe. This attitude saddens and angers me and I don't want to pass it on to my readers anymore.
Wow.
I didn't know that there was a "patients are lazy, patients are greedy, patients are stupid" wing of medblogs. I haven't received my membership card, decoder ring, or secret handshake. I certainly am not their cheerleader.
In all seriousness, when I looked over my last months worth of posts this is roughly what I found:
Three posts on Bulldog football.
Posts on medical issues (Caval filters, compartment syndromes, common bile duct injuries, dialysis, and informed consent).
A post concerning changes in Georgia's helmet law.
Two posts on the Nobel prize for medicine.
Two posts on my trip to Chicago.
A post on the usefulness of the AMA.
Two posts on my being held in limbo to testify in an assault trial.
A post on how my kids eat junk food and watch too much TV.
Three posts on Medicare/Medicaid funding issues.
One post on the increasing numbers of uninsured (with a favorable comment from Ms. Williams).
One post on emergent cholecystectomies while on a waiting list.
And a post on the general surgical boards.
In none of those posts did I call patients lazy,stupid, or greedy.
But what about this post, about patients being arrested for not paying their medical bills. Did I imply something? Are patients lazy, greedy, or stupid? No. Irresponsible? Probably yes.
As I have said before, I wish everyone could become insured not only for the altruistic reasons, but because I do enough work for free as it is. That being said the providers of medical care cannot be held responsible for the "basic issues of economic inequity" as Ms. Williams puts it. The actions that are described in The Wall Street Journal story are drastic, and should be used only on those who will not pay versus those that cannot pay.
I would rant some more on this, but I was up all night operating and seeing my greedy, lazy, stupid patients in the office today.
At least I don't send them to this emergency room. Good night. |
Lisa Williams has decided to take me off of her blogroll at Learning the Lessons of Nixon. I will be the first to admit that it is Ms. Williams' right to run her blog as she sees fit, but I must object, to what I feel, is her putting words in my mouth.....
Today I delisted a couple of blogs from my blogroll. I thought I'd comment on why, and give them a farewell link. I delisted a medlog, Cut to Cure, because I got tired of its cheerleading for the "patients are lazy, patients are greedy, patients are stupid" wing of the medical weblog universe. This attitude saddens and angers me and I don't want to pass it on to my readers anymore.
Wow.
I didn't know that there was a "patients are lazy, patients are greedy, patients are stupid" wing of medblogs. I haven't received my membership card, decoder ring, or secret handshake. I certainly am not their cheerleader.
In all seriousness, when I looked over my last months worth of posts this is roughly what I found:
Three posts on Bulldog football.
Posts on medical issues (Caval filters, compartment syndromes, common bile duct injuries, dialysis, and informed consent).
A post concerning changes in Georgia's helmet law.
Two posts on the Nobel prize for medicine.
Two posts on my trip to Chicago.
A post on the usefulness of the AMA.
Two posts on my being held in limbo to testify in an assault trial.
A post on how my kids eat junk food and watch too much TV.
Three posts on Medicare/Medicaid funding issues.
One post on the increasing numbers of uninsured (with a favorable comment from Ms. Williams).
One post on emergent cholecystectomies while on a waiting list.
And a post on the general surgical boards.
In none of those posts did I call patients lazy,stupid, or greedy.
But what about this post, about patients being arrested for not paying their medical bills. Did I imply something? Are patients lazy, greedy, or stupid? No. Irresponsible? Probably yes.
As I have said before, I wish everyone could become insured not only for the altruistic reasons, but because I do enough work for free as it is. That being said the providers of medical care cannot be held responsible for the "basic issues of economic inequity" as Ms. Williams puts it. The actions that are described in The Wall Street Journal story are drastic, and should be used only on those who will not pay versus those that cannot pay.
I would rant some more on this, but I was up all night operating and seeing my greedy, lazy, stupid patients in the office today.
At least I don't send them to this emergency room. Good night. |
