Interesting phone call

Today, almost two full months from the date my husband was released from Parkland, I got a telephone call from one of his attending physicians saying he had heard I was unhappy with the care we received at Parkland.  He just wanted to let me know that, when someone is unhappy, they address it.  He says they are working on improvements.  Says he knows that doesn't help us but it might help the next person.

I hope they really ARE working on improvements, but how strange is it that this call came tonight?  No one cared while we were there.  Judging from Dr. John Jay Shannon's response to my newspaper column, they didn't seem to really think they had done anything wrong - other than in the most general sense.

I can't help but wonder if the mother of the psychiatric patient who died there will be receiving a call soon.  Bets, anyone?

Parkland Does it Again

I'm sure everyone has seen the article in today's Dallas Morning News about the death of a psych patient at Parkland.  Their actions are deplorable, but the most deplorable of all to me is the fact that Parkland CEO, Ron Anderson, will not respond to the mother of this patient.  How difficult would a simple "I'm Sorry" be?  When I met with Parkland (there I go - getting ahead of myself again), Dr. John Jay Shannon at least apologized to my face.  It was obviously not a sincere apology, since his rebuttal to my newspaper column didn't say he was sorry for anything, but for some crazy reason, it made me feel slightly better at the time.  Can't Dr. Anderson try to make this dead patient's mother feel a little better by acknowledging he at least understands her pain?  What a douchebag!

http://www.dallasnews.com/investigations/headlines/20110625-federal-report-details-psych-patients-death-says-parkland-violated-rights.ece

Parkland Bilks Patients

Working backwards a little, we just received a bill from Parkland Memorial Hospital for the time my husband spent there after having been burned and sent to their famous burn unit by another hospital.  He was there for 2 weeks and 2 hours, and the total bill was $196,863.10.  Some examples of the gouging are:  Zolpidem (generic Ambien) - instead of one 10 mg tablet each night, they gave him 2 5mg.  The total charge each of the nights he was there for just this one cheap medication was $38.07.  That's over $19.00 per pill!  By contrast, a lot of the others they gave him were only $3.00 per pill.  I could go on and on about it, but I won't.  I will mention one other thing that is absolutely appalling... My husband has sleep apnea and has a C-Pap machine at home.  It's small and easily portable.  I asked if I could bring it for him to use at Parkland and was told no by several different people.  They provided him one.  Someone from the respiratory department would bring it each night somewhere between 9:00 p.m. and midnight (regardless of the time we requested) and would come to turn it off anywhere between 4:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.  The cost of this PER NIGHT was $1098.00.  That racked up over $15,000 of the charges!!! 

Now, Parkland is supposed to be the "charity" hospital for Dallas County.  It is pretty run-down looking, and the new building is probably sorely needed.  However, contrary to what one would think, it is the most financially successful hospital in the entire city of Dallas!  Can you believe it?

Just look at the stats:

The information below was reported between June and August 2010.

Parkland profits = $92,221,250
Baylor University Hospital profits = $67,354,926
Methodist Dallas profits = $39,478,120
Saint Paul profits = $1,784,128
Zale-Lipshy profits = $430,988

Baylor Specialty Hospital lost $4,182,153

Yes, Parkland is the richest hospital in the city.

Joint Commission's Speak Up Program

The Joint Commission recommends (if not requires) that health care facilities hand out "Speak Up" brochures.  These brochures encourage active participation in one's own care.  Parkland does not give these out.  In fact, based on my own personal experience, the doctors, residents, and some nurses resent being questioned about anything pertaining to patient care.

Parkland Patients, Speak Up!

This blog is a new forum by which people who have had issues with Parkland Hospital/UTSW can have their voices heard.  There is power in numbers, so please post your story here.  No one will pay attention if there are only one or two, but as our numbers grow, someone will surely sit up and take notice.

Nothing can change until someone in authority will admit change is necessary.  Please join me in trying to make this happen. There are dozens of us out here - maybe hundreds - who have felt betrayed in some way by Parkland.  Did you feel your medical care was less than adequate?  Did you feel you were treated rudely or disrespectfully by employees, doctors, or nurses?  Have you received a bill that is woefully inflated? 

I can say yes to nearly all of that.  I will post my story a little at a time.  Please join me and post yours!