I wrote a lot about The state of healthcare in this country and here in Vermont.
Nearly 20 years ago, as the then-president of Fletcher Allen Healthcare, a Vermont resident, and a member of Vermont’s aging society, I decided to give the state of Vermont, at a price affordable to the wider economy, We want all of us to receive the best care possible. Or, I think I’ve been waiting for for so long, a government agreement that health care is a human right in the richest country in the world.
There is now a network of non-profit hospitals across the state, and timely access and costs vary widely. Many destitute Vermonters despair of getting the health care they need and are simply getting older, giving up on long waits, or simply “getting out of it.” There is also
As a former hospital director and retired businessman, I am a privileged person. I didn’t get my retirement security “the old fashioned way” through inheritance, but through the process of co-founding and running multiple businesses. I’m not in the 1% or 2%, but 60th retirement percentile I consider myself lucky and blessed because I have an income.
I recently learned and was able to schedule a minor but invasive ‘transcatheter aortic valve replacement’ (TAVR) heart surgery to give me a few more years to live. Most of the costs were paid for by Medicare and I was able to meet reasonable out-of-pocket requirements. My adult children had a hard time remembering what the TAVR abbreviation stands for, but they would simply say, “Dad has trans-sum surgery,” and many who knew me. confused people.
If I’m one of the 36% of Vermonters who are “underinsured” as defined by the Commonwealth Foundation, I’ll either give up treatment or sign a “charity case” agreement with the hospital. I would have had to either get treatment and declare medical bankruptcy. . Non-profit hospitals in Vermont are required to treat anyone who shows up in need.
A distant family member, a medical professional, recently underwent treatment at UVM Medical Center, but was between insurance plans and had to negotiate a repayment agreement. He now pays $950 a month in new premiums, or $22,000 a year, along with monthly debt relief payments to the hospital.
I have another family in New York whose health insurance costs $4,000 a month to cover him, his wife and kids. $48,000 a year is 64% of the median household income for New Yorkers.
I was able to continue.
However, I thought I would write about how wonderful the care I received at UVM Medical Center was.
I went to work at 6:30 am on Friday and got home at noon the next day. During the surgery I was given pain meds but fully awake and lasted about 75 minutes. Four hours were spent in recovery, followed by an overnight observation.
During that time, the medical team that treated me was human, focused, and attentive. My doctor thoroughly explained the risks of this surgery, what could go wrong (but it didn’t), and what my recovery would look like. He was precise and precise in all respects. Most of my care was provided by an attentive nurse who focused not only on my physical care, but also on my mental comfort and reassurance.
I met and got to know about 15 LPNs, RNs, nursing assistants and service staff. We had a great non-rushing conversation about my recovery and current medical condition.
I was surprised at how many people were concerned about the collapse of the healthcare system itself. I’ve heard of the term “moral injury” and several people have been personally involved with it. It refers to a situation in which the reasons why a person decides to become a health care provider (or educator) ultimately conflict with the systemic practices of the institution in which the person works. Others spoke of “compassion fatigue.”
Many staff members openly expressed concern about the exclusive economics of medical care rather than its quality. Their perceptions were based on their own experiences with patients and reflected how much they thought about bigger issues beyond their commitment to good patient care. I learned a lot from these conversations, which sadly confirmed some of my own concerns. It was not about the quality of care in our hospitals, but rather about access to affordable and timely medical care.
In summary my experience was exceptional. It literally and spiritually lifted my spirits to be part of such a dedicated professional. I felt better within 2 days of treatment and felt better every day. When I was a kid in the 1950s, a recently diagnosed illness would have killed me within a few years. The last few years have seen a great deal of progress.
Credit if you want credit. We have a professional and dedicated cadre of caregivers at various medical offices, clinics and hospitals in Vermont. Medicine, like life, is a science and an art, both of which are prone to error. Our judgment must be realistic.
What we need right now is an institutional and regulatory framework that will reduce (or substantially eliminate) the dreaded costs and catastrophic delays, and make healthcare infrastructure accessible to all Vermont residents. is. Early diagnosis and treatment are the standard of quality medical care.
Again, I would like to thank the team of dedicated medical professionals at UVM Medical Center for looking after me. I will always remember the quality of your care, but I will continue to do my best to ensure that all my family, friends, and neighbors receive the quality care you provide for me. I will keep trying.
