A Day in the Half Life

After spending some of yesterday and all so far today in the care and custody of the American EMS and hospital healhcare system, this is my report:

Individually every single member of the various teams was friendly, compassionate, competent and attentive. I have no complaints about all of the people who have helped me.

A special shoutout to Pendleton County WVa Volunteer EMS. Amy and Bobby you were fun ambulance companions!

However some of the beaurocracy and policies have been a bit silly. I have had my blood pressure taken by machine two dozen times in 12 hours of care. The only thing causing high blood pressure is that thing squeazing my arm to death every half an hour while I'm trying to sleep. That's the policy in the ER and ambulance, no matter that obviously my blood pressure is fine. And it will be fine until they must check it again.

"Policies" are inflexible to reality.

But a much bigger complaint is that I have no supervising doctor. This is a real problem. I have had half a dozen+ doctors visit and work on me but there ought to be a general practitioner coordinating my overall care. The doctor who is my go to. 

My GP is three counties away and doesn't have hospital privileges. I should have had a GP see me in the ER and "come with me" upstairs. 

I am not seriously injured so it's no big deal. But if I was, I'd really want one familiar, wise face being the commanding officer for this patient.

Finally all these people and agencies need. More. Money! Ten times the salary for them all and plenty of extra cash to hire more. They each do good beyond all the billionaires put together. 

They need more equipment. All that wasted stuff the army uses to fight wars we shouldn't be in should go to American Healthcare. Every $1,000,000 missile we shoot at people 10,000 miles away could pay for a whole other EMS station in Pendleton County. So it wouldn't take a half an hour for their ambulance and fire trucks to get there from a hell of a long way.

My car was burnt to the frame by the time the cavalry arrived. Luckily I wasn't stuck in it or we wouldn't be talking.

Healthcare and emergency services keep Americans safe. The Iraq and Afghan wars did not. 

Some parts of Pendleton County are covered by crews out of Harrisonburg, Virginia! A really... long... way up... and back down... some serious mountains. This is unacceptable when we have the wealth to fix the problem!

Well we! don't. The super-rich do.

They're gonna pay for.

It.

All.

-Congressman Alexander