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Some might say that.
And I might respond, "Fair point. The time for action has come."
If you've been listening to me even a little, you now recognize the root causes of health care's crisis of access: escalating demands, dwindling resources and systemic failures to acknowledge and prepare.
On the micro level, evidence of this perfect storm includes deteriorating rural health care and neologisms such as "bedlocked." That's right, emergency medicine professionals have now coined the term "bedlocked" to describe when there are no open staffed beds in ER exam rooms, in the newly-created ER "observation areas" or in the remainder of the hospital. Bedlocked. That's just great.
Can't we do better than merely hoping someone notices you face-plant in the waiting room? I believe we can.
Just 30 seconds (okay, maybe 45) more:
Life-extending action steps
How about a small investment of time with potentially huge payoffs?
If you are among the estimated one half of American adults with a primary care provider (PCP), good on you! But have you been for an Annual Wellness Visit or physical lately? Do you know which hospital(s) your PCP is affiliated with and recommends? Or how they coordinate oversight with hospitalists? Find out. Checkups are as much about nurturing that provider-patient relationship as spotting hidden ailments. In a medical emergency, receiving timely and made-just-for-you care 100 percent depends on being in the right place and having your PCP in the loop. In fact, I predict that if the attending physician knows nothing about you, the chances of you receiving autonomous care are exactly zero.
For those who don't have a PCP, vaya con Dios. A PCP familiar with you and your medical story is the portal to specialist care; the co-captain of your chronic disease management team, should you need one; and your Number One Advocate, anytime you lack capacity. Start by asking your friends and family who they see and trust, and then schedule a get-acquainted appointment with a PCP. And don't be surprised if it's weeks out—they're in high demand.
It's disheartening to acknowledge that the PPP (Persons in Positions of Power) who should be looking out for us are not, but they are not. Best to start practicing the self-advocacy that today's health care environment demands.
I'm pulling for you. Let me know how it goes.
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