Dear Sirs,
I was referred to you by a long term Physician
friend and admire what you are trying to do. The public unfortunately thinks the
AMA, AAFP and the AARP somehow represent the beliefs and support the rights of
Physicians. As we know nothing could be farther from the truth. All three have
sold out to the commercial interests that bring in the most money to their
organization. This all started with the AMA and the Sunbeam Co years ago. Please
promise me as you grow you will never do the same. Return any funds and
influence you may garner to the cause of protecting the quality of care for
patients and the quality of life for Physicians!!!
friend and admire what you are trying to do. The public unfortunately thinks the
AMA, AAFP and the AARP somehow represent the beliefs and support the rights of
Physicians. As we know nothing could be farther from the truth. All three have
sold out to the commercial interests that bring in the most money to their
organization. This all started with the AMA and the Sunbeam Co years ago. Please
promise me as you grow you will never do the same. Return any funds and
influence you may garner to the cause of protecting the quality of care for
patients and the quality of life for Physicians!!!
I would like to make one comment if I may. When I
was reviewing the board members of your organization I noticed that, unless I am
mistaken, there are no Family Physicians on board currently. I believe that
since we are on the front line of medicine and often offer the most cost
effective medicine it would add significantly to your credibility with the
primary care Physicians, if they thought they were respectfully
represented.
was reviewing the board members of your organization I noticed that, unless I am
mistaken, there are no Family Physicians on board currently. I believe that
since we are on the front line of medicine and often offer the most cost
effective medicine it would add significantly to your credibility with the
primary care Physicians, if they thought they were respectfully
represented.
Through my tenure as a Family Physician and
Emergency Room doctor in my county I have started two private practices, started
an ER staffing co, been the public health officer for >10 years, acted as
county coroner for >10 years, been chief of staff of our new hospital for 2
years until I quit over political issues, (where I presided over several
physician reviews!!!), and worked for three different hospital systems(because
they kept selling off the practice to each other for various reasons) as an
employed physician. I only sold my practice in the first place due to decreasing
reimbursements and increasing practice costs.
Emergency Room doctor in my county I have started two private practices, started
an ER staffing co, been the public health officer for >10 years, acted as
county coroner for >10 years, been chief of staff of our new hospital for 2
years until I quit over political issues, (where I presided over several
physician reviews!!!), and worked for three different hospital systems(because
they kept selling off the practice to each other for various reasons) as an
employed physician. I only sold my practice in the first place due to decreasing
reimbursements and increasing practice costs.
The last five years i practiced i started a long
term care practice with two nurse practitioners and later hired a Board
Certified Geriatric MD. I was the medical director of five rural nursing homes
and two assisted living centers. I later started the only women’s center in our
county staffed with a female nurse practitioner with specialized training in
women’s health issues. I found that the nursing home setting was very satisfying
as a physician due to the huge need for quality care and the fact that you could
practice without a rigid schedule. You could spend as much time as needed with
each patient and make rounds on them just about anytime night or day. I had
enjoyed working with nurse practitioners for about 15 years and loved getting
the chance to teach them. They also taught me by allowing me to see the
patient through the eyes of a nurse as well. Their zest for learning was also a
highlight of working with them. We were actually able to get one of my nurse
practitioners on staff at our new county hospital with provisional privileges. (
I had to review and sign off on all of his charting and see the patients myself
briefly each day.)
term care practice with two nurse practitioners and later hired a Board
Certified Geriatric MD. I was the medical director of five rural nursing homes
and two assisted living centers. I later started the only women’s center in our
county staffed with a female nurse practitioner with specialized training in
women’s health issues. I found that the nursing home setting was very satisfying
as a physician due to the huge need for quality care and the fact that you could
practice without a rigid schedule. You could spend as much time as needed with
each patient and make rounds on them just about anytime night or day. I had
enjoyed working with nurse practitioners for about 15 years and loved getting
the chance to teach them. They also taught me by allowing me to see the
patient through the eyes of a nurse as well. Their zest for learning was also a
highlight of working with them. We were actually able to get one of my nurse
practitioners on staff at our new county hospital with provisional privileges. (
I had to review and sign off on all of his charting and see the patients myself
briefly each day.)
Needless to say after working an average 70-80 hr
week and matriculating the maze described above for 25 years I decided to take
time away from medicine a few years ago. I was also having a few medical issues
of my own at the time to deal with. I stay very current through my physician
friends and their struggles and by reading the journals now which I barely had
time to read when practicing. I have learned to relax and actually started
participating in several hobbies I had all but ignored for many years. I really
didn’t realize how unbalanced my quality of life had become! My family life has
improved and my health and nutritional status are much improved as well. I am
actually able to practice what I preached to patients for so many
years!
week and matriculating the maze described above for 25 years I decided to take
time away from medicine a few years ago. I was also having a few medical issues
of my own at the time to deal with. I stay very current through my physician
friends and their struggles and by reading the journals now which I barely had
time to read when practicing. I have learned to relax and actually started
participating in several hobbies I had all but ignored for many years. I really
didn’t realize how unbalanced my quality of life had become! My family life has
improved and my health and nutritional status are much improved as well. I am
actually able to practice what I preached to patients for so many
years!
I have always believed that about 80% of the time
you can make a patients diagnosis by taking a careful written and oral history
of their problems and complaints. The problem is it is impossible to do that in
a 7- 10 minute appointment that most primary care providers are expected to do
these days. I here stories from friends and former patients etc. about their
current care that are sometimes quite troubling. Usually it is because some
provider did not take an adequate history or did not do a complete work up on a
patients problem.( this may have been due to rules imposed on them by a health
insurance company or their employer!) The patient then suffered the
consequences.
you can make a patients diagnosis by taking a careful written and oral history
of their problems and complaints. The problem is it is impossible to do that in
a 7- 10 minute appointment that most primary care providers are expected to do
these days. I here stories from friends and former patients etc. about their
current care that are sometimes quite troubling. Usually it is because some
provider did not take an adequate history or did not do a complete work up on a
patients problem.( this may have been due to rules imposed on them by a health
insurance company or their employer!) The patient then suffered the
consequences.
If I can be of any service to your organization
please feel free to contact me. I have been hoping some organization like yours
would take hold for a long time. I have seen several come and go but we are
reaching a tipping point, if not slightly beyond it now, and have got to get a huge grassroots movement going. There is
a great deal of complacency amongst Physicians now all across the country for
good reason. They need to see real results and change in the near future to feel
good about their future.
please feel free to contact me. I have been hoping some organization like yours
would take hold for a long time. I have seen several come and go but we are
reaching a tipping point, if not slightly beyond it now, and have got to get a huge grassroots movement going. There is
a great deal of complacency amongst Physicians now all across the country for
good reason. They need to see real results and change in the near future to feel
good about their future.
The public has got to be made aware that the AMA and
the AARP etc do not represent more than 15-20% of Physicians in this country.
Physicians need to have a platform to speak from that can inform and advise
patients what is good care and what are effective new policies. We also need an
organization to protect our rights as Physicians. We also must be the ones that
determine what is best for our patients and that we are the ones that practice
medicine not the hospitals, insurance companies, State or Federal
government!
the AARP etc do not represent more than 15-20% of Physicians in this country.
Physicians need to have a platform to speak from that can inform and advise
patients what is good care and what are effective new policies. We also need an
organization to protect our rights as Physicians. We also must be the ones that
determine what is best for our patients and that we are the ones that practice
medicine not the hospitals, insurance companies, State or Federal
government!
At a meeting of the Academy of Family Physicians of
Kansas 10 years ago the Luteinent General spoke out and told the group that if
we didn’t stand up right away and take back our profession the insurance
industry would steal it out from beneath us! Obviously he was right. He knew the
reason most of us were not more active in this process was because we were so
bust working that we rarely had time to have input on these matters. He advised
that we designate paid representatives that could act on our behalf fulltime to
get this job done ASAP. So far not much headway has been made in my
opinion.
Kansas 10 years ago the Luteinent General spoke out and told the group that if
we didn’t stand up right away and take back our profession the insurance
industry would steal it out from beneath us! Obviously he was right. He knew the
reason most of us were not more active in this process was because we were so
bust working that we rarely had time to have input on these matters. He advised
that we designate paid representatives that could act on our behalf fulltime to
get this job done ASAP. So far not much headway has been made in my
opinion.
Thank you for your time. This letter is written with
passion and commitment to protecting our patients quality of care and our
quality of life as Physicians.
passion and commitment to protecting our patients quality of care and our
quality of life as Physicians.
Sincerely,
Mark Holscher MD
Paola, KS 66071
Loading ...
Bill Gunderson 
