January, 2010
Dear President Obama
Elizabeth LaFoe, RN, BSN
Dear President Obama,
I am a registered nurse. I have worked at a private hospital, a teaching hospital, and one of the best Veteran's Affairs hospitals in the country. I realize healthcare reform is a priority. However, I am strongly opposed to a government run system. I am deeply concerned Universal coverage will lead to substandard care for all Americans, especially the middle class and the elderly. I know it will raise taxes and decrease the competition driven research advances in Pharmacology and Medicine. It has been my personal experience that when the government gets involved, inefficiency is the main result.
Medicare is the government run agency that was supposed to care for our seniors. Already, it requires subsidies from private health care companies to stay afloat. Hospitals are not reimbursed fully to care for Medicare patients. This cost shifting results in higher insurance premiums for younger patients and increased costs of care. Another example of government involvement is the Veteran's Affairs system. I was fortunate to train in a VA hospital supported by a large teaching facility and staffed with an exemplary medical team. The moments of excellence I witnessed there occurred only when dedicated staff overcame an inordinate amount of bureaucracy. I regret to say I also experienced multiple moments of mediocrity as a direct result of government involvement. I walked away with the firm belief that people, not government, can improve healthcare if they are freed to do their jobs.
I am passionate about this issue because I believe the great things about healthcare in America far outweigh the bad. At every hospital, we frequently treat patients who come to the ER with heart attacks, spinal injuries, and even infected toenails, regardless of their ability to pay. There may be a large number of people in this country without health insurance, but no one goes without care. Doctors and nurses come to America from all over the world to practice and patients come here because they cannot afford to wait for their governments to save them. If our healthcare system is truly broken, why do we see such an influx of practitioners and patients?
Although there are many positive things to say about American healthcare, we do face serious challenges. Frivolous lawsuits have created a culture of fear among all health professionals. Over the last ten years, medical errors have become a national crisis. It is evident these errors have grown in proportion to the increasing amount of government and bureaucratic involvement. Medical teams are forced to fill out forms when they should be communicating with each other and their patients. As a nurse who is responsible for giving medications and carrying out orders, I fear more regulations will pull me further away from the bedside, putting my patients at increased risk.
In conclusion, I am convinced a 1,000 plus page bill will create far more problems than it solves. Personally, I would love to see less government oversight and more independent thinking and problem solving at the grassroots level. Nurses and doctors take an oath to protect and advocate for our patients. We are trained to deliver high quality care as efficiently and safely as possible. If allowed to practice freely, I have no doubts health professionals could improve patient outcomes and decrease costs. True healthcare reform will never come out of Washington D.C.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth LaFoe, RN, BSN