Sunday, February 6, 2011

TAKE CONTROL BACK

Cardiology is a medical specialty which is of great importance to those individuals and families which suffer from heart disease.  Prevention and early detection can save untold millions of dollars and needless pain and suffering, but the opportunities to do this and to serve people who need us, are becoming more and more difficult in the current climate.

Why are we as cardiologists or any physician for that matter, so passive when it comes down to the fate of our livelihood?  I mean when it comes to the intellectual stimulation and further advancement of our knowledge base, we take active roles in being smarter and better so that we can help our patients.  On the flip side, when policies are passed which are highly influenced by non physician lobbyists who range from lawyers, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and which have a deep and powerful impact on our livelihood, we as physicians simply watch on the sidelines in disbelief but without one unified voice. 

I propose that we as cardiologists as well as other physicians unite to make a unified front that will allow our voice to be heard. 

We all have complained to each other:

How could it be that as decades pass the reimbursement rates continue to decline in real terms?
 
How could it be that malpractice insurance has gone sky high with the result that some doctors in certain areas refuse to practice medicine?

How could it be that after staying in school for over 10-15 years and accruing loans in excess of 200k, we as physicians have no unified entity that would fight for our rights?
 
How could it be that when the recent cuts in Cardiology have set a devastating ripple effect though an infrastructure that is over 100 years old, we as doctors did nothing more than complained to one another with no impact on the system?

How could it be that as many cardiology private practices across the nation are closing their doors, we still do nothing but watch it unfold in disbelief, horror, anger but once again without a unified voice?  Private practice is an example of an American dream: the more you work the more you expect to see in return.

Is it because we are cynical, thinking it will not matter?
Is it simply a diffusion of responsibility where we think somebody else will or should take up the cause?
Is it that we think that it will get better only if we just wait and see?
Or is it that we think well it doesn't really affect me that much, since I am a part of a bigger institution?


Well, if political power comes from the people that demand certain change, and as a result laws are made to be in accordance with such wishes, we as physicians have the same power.  The power of our voice.


If lobbying influences politics in such a great manner, ie, we all know that a stricter gun control should be in effect but will not be, than we as physicians have the same power to make such an outstanding impact.  The power of our money and status.

If we simply wait for tomorrow and wait for others to make an impact, we may end up in a country where private practice will be nothing more than a distant memory.  Where a doctor will make the same salary as a social worker or a high school teacher while the Wall Street day trader can make far more. 

How many of us are working twice as hard just to make the same amount of money as the year before?  If we spent a fraction of our time being involved and organized, maybe we would not have to settle for less.


Some may think, well what if I am employed by a hospital and while it is unfortunate what is happening to my colleagues in the private practice community, it certainly does not affect me.  That may be true today or even next month, but what happens if the hospital is no longer profitable and closes its doors as is common these days.  What happens if there is a difference in opinion with the administration?  How difficult will it be to find a job in the world where private practice does not exist and we only have to depend on the hospitals to provide us with a job?  It will create an environment of take it or leave it.

Let's not forget about the unspoken victims, the patients, of unchecked and unbalanced policies that are imposed by the non-physicians.  How will the aging population gain access to the appropriate specialists when we are approaching a time in our society where private practice is heavily punished to the point when there may be little or none available.  What happens when the earliest appointment to see a cardiologist will be in months and not days, and most care will be received in our Hospital Emergency Rooms where cardiologists will be on staff?  What happens when appropriate tests will not be ordered because the costs will be prohibitive or they will be heavily delayed because the Hospitals will be overburdened?  There are so many ways that our patients will suffer because we physicians are not strong enough to stand up for our rights. 

We physicians have to unite behind one unified voice and make it abundantly clear that we will not passively accept what is offered to us by the insurance carriers and biased public policy.

We can make a change but it will require an active involvement from all of us.  Let us help ourselves.  Whether you are a fellow or a practicing physician, give your feedback and be heard, and most importantly pass this along for others to get involved, join the movement!

It starts here with this blog ........

Let's start the dialogue.....

8 comments:

  1. Like the idea. The future of this specialty (and likely many others) is changing, and Im not sure it is for the good of our profession, or more importantly, for the good of our patients. The fact that hospitals as "institutions" are purchasing private practices to "out-smart" third party payers into reimbursing at higher rates seems like a short-term plan to combat a long standing problem. How this will impact the practice of medicine down the road is certainly unknown, but it seems as though were are complacently allowing for the establishment of socialized medicine.

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  2. Utilization and cost are the central issues that govern the direction the debate on healthcare reform takes. The performance of our overall economy these last few years have colored the push for much needed comprehensive healthcare reform. The disproportionate utilization and runway cost over the past decade is coming to haunt us now. Doctors, an ununified lot are being punished with lower reimbursements as congress is desperately trying to contain cost. We are only contributing to a portion of this unsustainable cost. Our contribution to this can be remedied with tort reform and sensible cost effective analysis of all current therapies. Currently it's private practice thats affected by ridiculous reimbursement rates; it wouldn't take long before hospitals see the pay cut. Volumes will be cranked up to maintain a reasonable revenue stream. Short term
    strategies of being hospital employed only defers the pain for later.
    In my view we need urgent tort reform and we have to support such initiatives, moreover all cardiologists have to be mandated to join the ACC; we need the bargaining capacity.

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  3. This is a great article with some useful information. Cardiology is very important and every since I moved to New York I have been looking for one. I was told to research brooklyn cardiologist on the internet and thankfully I found a lot of options.

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  4. I think cardiologists are so fascinating. The work they do is so important! Plus, Cristina is my favorite on Grey's Anatomy and she's a cardio surgeon. Don't you love that show?

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  5. In considering all the things that doctors help our bodies with, I can definitely see how cardiology is one of the most, if not the most important medical field. I could never imagine knowing so many different things about the heart and what causes this or that problem etc. All this being said, let's hope I never need one.

    bryanflake1984| http://pbcardiovascular.com/the-doctor.php

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  6. My mother suffers from heart disease. I think she would really benefit from reading your blog. It's very well done. This has taught me a lot about heart disease. Things I didn't already know. http://www.southeastcardiologyal.com/cardiologists.html

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  7. Finally, someone has the courage to speak up other than Dr. Bove saying that he's "aghast" at changes.

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