I have worked in private hospitals in Florida and California and been a patient in them. I have also been a patient at the VA's in Durham, N.C. and Charleston.
Dedicated medical personnel at the VA here saved my Father's life here in 1982 after he received poor treatment elsewhere(nearby "private" hospital - they almost killed him in their ICU). My life was saved twice in the last couple of years here at the VA. I don't think either of us would have survived "private"(quotations mine) hospital treatment.
Both Durham and Charleston VAs are associated with teaching hospitals (medical schools not hospitals -Duke and MUSC) and benefit greatly from the hard work of students and residents supervised by medical school staff. VA medical personnel(I mentioned Doctors, nurses, technicians, and counselors) appear to be more dedicated than those at "private" hospitals, in my experience.
I am grateful for the attention and care I have received at the VAs.
(Editor cleaned it up a bit, as I included "MUSC" - Medical University of South Carolina. Plus the fact that many so-called "private" hospitals were paid for by taxpayer money and were "public" hospitals at one time - I think one of the biggest crimes in our history is the hi-jacking of our public hospitals and making for profit "private" hospitals out of them and making profits a bigger priority than healing patients!)
Pamela Arrington:
Very nice. I believe you are right. For Profits are of course driven by profit. Not for Profits --are ALSO driven by profits!! It's all about the money. My hospital is Catholic. There are 85% Hispanics here and it is estimated that 30 to 40% of those are illegal. They give away a lot of free care and of course really go after the cash payers and those people wih insurance. Medi Cal is like Medicaid. They serve old folks and indigents of which there are many -just like in all other 49 states. There are lots of homeless, transients, homeless veterans and people who are alcoholic or drug users and live in the half-way houses here. All of those people get reduced priced care or are declared indigent and pay nothing. Not for profits need to write off as much as possible because they don't pay taxes of course. This hospital also has a cancer center and a nursing home attached. They have state of the art equipment including a DiVinci robot. SO it's good and bad that money and not altruism drive them. There's just no reason for anyone to suffer when we have the best healthcare in the world. We just have to find the best people and way to deliver it. I appreciate you taking the time to write the editor.
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