Herald & Lantern 31 August *83

55

High Rating for Burdette (From Page 54) Having had a rare throat condition, I have been a patient in 17 hospitals, large and small, in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania: 21 admissions, 16 surgeries. On the basis of this personal history, and comparing all facets of the hospitalization process, I rate Burdette Tomlin among the best. ' I have been hospitalized there four times in the past four years, and I’ve made a number of Emergency Room visits. Of all the nursing personnel who a number of Emergency Room visits. Of all the nursing personnel who helped in dy care—I approximate at least 100—there were only two I would classify as lazy and uncaring. So you see I am not claiming that Burdette's nursing care is perfect, but wouldn't you call 98 her cent high? - In comparison, nursing care in the New York hospital? The percentage was the other way around • 2 per cent good. The other 98 per cent? Forget it. My husband had intended staying for the first three days after my throat surgery. When he saw the situation, he learned how to operate the equipment I needed for breathing and feeding t and became my private-duty nurse for my entire 3-week stay. Also, Nurses' Stations were often unattended when nursing personnel took off cn-masse for their coffee ^break. I have never seen an unattended Nurses' Station at Burdette. l am not saying all hospitals in the big city lack good nursing care. I did have top care during my two months at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and my three days at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa. THEN THERE WAS a. brain scan at another Philadelphia Medical Center. The attendant was made at the world because too many patients might delay her coffee break. This time a pseudo-tumor of my left eye was tne subject. It was just my luck that the old-model CAT scanner used a strap to immobilize a patient's head. As the impatient attendant had her mind on her coffee, not on my head, she pulled the strap too tight, right over my sensitive tumor, dnd immobilized me into a stupor. When my ophthalmologist checked me the next day, he was appall ed at my worsening condition. The action he took insured Public Caught (From Page 54> making, with little or no regard for what works best or is most fair. Perhaps the best defense for the hospital would be to document decades-long indescriminate descrimination. Only a paranoid would suppose (s)he is being singled out. The old staff surgeons and others haven't had to divide and conquer—it has been done for them, with no effort on their part beyond perhaps a bit of role-modelling. ' The newspaper ad listing over 100 undersigned members of the medical staff and soliciting at $10 each a constituency of voters for selection of new board of governors members seems more offensive the more it is reflected upon. In "The Atlantic City Press." the names stand under a banner headline reading, "As your physicians, we urge you...," in a print style usually reserved for obituaries and epitaphs. Perhaps this is to give a subliminal ominous message to the patients of these doctors. I understand that many of the doctors, Nanavati included, are busily urging their pa tients to contribute and vote. What awareness of issues is this constituency likely to.bring to the ballot box, beyond knowing that if one is ill, one best please one’s doctor? HOW MANY PEOPLE with more interest and a better grasp of the issues are too offended by this to hand over $10? How about former hospital staff members such as myself? How about hospital volunteers, some of whom have donated literally thousands of hours each, without so much as a 10 per cent discounttm x-ray or other services such as many other hospitals grant? How about other categories of friends and employes who have served despite negative aspects of the situation? Of what use is it even if they do pay $10 and cast votes which are diluted and neutralized by this deluge of votes from the seduced, the coerced, and those whose all-time high in involvement is the payment of $10.00? Where is this $10 times thousands destined to go, officially? And what does that matter, considering that such a call for participation was never pushed so hard prior tothe announcement that the hospital had already spent over $90,000 attempting to counter the allegations of Dr. Nanavati? What of Dr. Nanavati's claim that he was not given the opportunity to express his support of the board, but would have given his name if given the chance? Considering all this, how moral'or legal is it, if the monies brought in by this ad are distributed in any other way than an equal apportionment thereby half is allotted to each of the two staff factions involved in the present controversy, so that their use might favor determination of right and not/ might? HOW MUCH MORE is this situation destined to resem ble South American wars between present and future dictators, with the public playing the role of peasants caught in the erdssfire? Of what use are the well-meaning efforts of "Friends of Burdette" or all the $10 donations or anything else short of attempts to cure underlying disease, of which the present fuss is just one more in a series of symptoms? I've tried to be impartial, and yes, on reading this over, believe there’s something to offend everyone involved. The mirror I hold up for you at Burdette isn’t free of distortions; nobody’s word-mirror ever is. But however much you of Burdette feel offended by it. reflect that it is your reflection, and in plotting your future courses, be aware that the public is not ego-invested and so is offended even more, by this situation of your making. RUSSELL J. DOWN, M.D, Court House

further patients against such brutal handling. I compare my Philadelphia treatment with the way I was handled during my many Burdette Radiology visits. Dr Fox and her entire staff are strictly out of an efficien-. c/ manual—quiet, kind, efficient. Patience personified. The best MD has not only expertise, but compassion and desire to answer questions. We’ve all had doctors who have been too busy to listen and fo tell us what to expect. I underwent 7‘* months of agony following my larynx reconstruction. No one had the time to explain what I could expect. Instead I was given the false hope that I would have the extra tube in my throat only three months. The three became six, then eight. Why wasn't I told six to eight in the beginning? On the other hand. Family Doctor Shim and Surgeon Alameno were frank from the very start. They were busy, yet they took the time to listen. They explained. They drew diagrams. AS THIS WAS my first major surgery since my larynx reconstruction, there was the problem of general anesthesia. General anesthesia had not been recommended because of my abnormal throat What to do with me? My decision? "I know I’m a high risk, but I have faith in my doctors and-in Burdette, so I stay here." Then Dr. Peters requested a current appraisal from a laryngologist to be absolutely sure of what he had to work with. This meant a trip to Northfield for Dr. Casel's examination. He reported my throat should present no big problems. If worse cam to worse, a tracheotomy could be performed. No big deal. I had breathed through a trachea tube for 4 I 2 years, so a short-term job wouldn’t be too hard to take. I went through the abdominal silrgery \vUh no problems. Would I have done better at a bigger hospital? No way! , ^These comparisons represent only a few that my famimy friends and I considered in judging Burdette. We give a high rating and a vote of thanks to our presiding Board of Governors for their implementation of all phases of Burdette Tomlin’s services, liieir only mistake was hiring the Nanavati fellow in the first place. Now is the time to rid our hospital of the disruptive influence and get on with the job of healing. Lillian Fox Mayer Del Haven

Patient Care

(From Page 54) What I am seeing is tremendous expenditures of time, energy and money being wasted against personal enemies rather than against our common enemy. From my very casual and unscientific sampling of opinion among staff members and employes, a major fallout from all this has been a very discernable lowering of moral which cannot but affect the quality and manner of care of patients at the hospital. SOME OF THE PROBLEMS arc now in litigation. Given the adversary system under which our courts operate, the principal objective of protagonists is to win rather than to see justice triumph. Accordingly we can expect one winner—either the plaintiff or defendant. But, we can anticipate the probability of two losers—the plaintiff or. defendant as the cases may be—plus the general public. Perhaps it is too late I for one do not think so Regardless of who will be elected to the board, I would like to see either binding or non-binding arbitration of all matters in question. Yes, even/non-binding arbitration because I feel then that the wejght of public opinion would enforce whatever decision-ds reached while still not violating the legaj rights of any party involved It is my hunch, based on no known facts', that there is most probably right and wrong on both sides. SOME PEOPLE are being drawn into the fray because it is exciting. Others are merely repaying obligations Most have no real knowledge of the real issues. Wouldn't it be nice if neither faction wound up in control but both subordinated their own feelings, desires and pride to a co'mmon striving toward a common goal? Perhaps there could be a cooling off period where departments in question could be supervised by qualified and acceptable outsiders. Of course, this is only a suggestion and may not be the answer. But there must be some answer—a better answer than the one we arc seeing. If we would all but channt^ just a portion of the resotjrces going into this battle toward a solution - nothing ■ is impossible. Herman A Tolz North Cape May

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