Hospital Medical Group,

I submitted what's below to those addressed. No response.

Is it your policy to ignore a (disabled) patient's cry for help?

You have an opportunity here to do some good, don't blow it (off) like everyone else…

Please, help me.

----

PCP Office, Doc,

I feel it is important that someone in your office read (all of) My Story [Attached; To the point, pages: ##] about the difficulties/ pratfalls of Surviving Disability. Lack of (proper) healthcare is a common theme/ cause throughout.

I cannot do this on my own anymore, nor should I have (had) to.

Hospital Medical Group,

I am reluctant to dissect my ebook PDF just to make it easier to get to ‘the point,’ thereby ensuring it is taken completely out of context. [If it is too much effort for the reader to scroll to the indicated pages, then that is the wrong reader I seek.] The whole story is the whole point: everything that is wrong with me (/my life) is covered within (intentionally or not). What I need is someone (preferably, a Doctor) who can/ will take the time to see the Whole Picture, not just zero in on a few symptoms (/keywords) to reach their determination (of elsewhere to banish me). [Failure to see more than (/past) a quick referral opportunity (to no longer be their problem) is what has led to my disastrous disabled decade (not just medically).]

I asked Doc if there were other avenues we should be pursuing, rather than ‘all eggs’ waiting (/rotting) in one Referral ‘basket’ to see me, maybe later [but which never happened]: No Response (again). My Financial Assistance expires later this year. [I likely will not qualify again; yet still I cannot afford Medicare B.] My situation is more dire than can be solved with just one referral within the year. I seek that someone (under your healthcare umbrella) who recognizes this and can (/has the authority to) fast-track getting me the Help I require that has for far too long been out-of-reach/ delayed/ denied/ ignored.

Hospital Leaders and Trustees,

It appears I must cast a wider net…

Two weeks have now passed and still a six-pack of your Chiefs have failed to (order a subordinate to) do anything to Help Me (or even to reach out), despite how precarious they consider my situation to be.

As such, I am preparing another entry (below). Is this how My Story ends… With another cowardly duck and cover? Couldn't be bothered to (actually) help the poor cripple? Abandoned, again?

[You should be embarrassed, professionally.]

Could we please work on a better ending, together?

Along the lines of– ‘Somebody Finally Saved Me?’

[Better than– ‘Disabled, Abandoned, Endangered.’]

Be well.

----

["afterthought"] [Speculate] 2023/02/##

Hospital Chiefs,

Kindly, pull your heads out of your bureaucracies for just a moment and take a good look at what ‘your people’ are doing wrong… MedicalMaladventures.org [One chapter of my true story.]

Must my peril become more tangible/ tragic simply to be taken seriously, treated humanely?

How many other lost souls have been waved off, by your organizations, into Oblivion?

Try Harder. Please.

Lives depend upon it.

ps. This isn't a Tier One/ Two Support problem, they just do what they're told to. Blame Higher.

[One Week Later…]

And still, nobody has gotten back to me, anywhere in your organization(s).

Not your Fault/ Problem/ Concern (/Patient/ Department): Do Not Respond/ Act.

Thanks for Nothing.

[Later…]

Regarding the Welfare Check you called in on me… Problems:

1) That you dispatched the cops, rather than calling/ emailing/ texting (to check in on) me first, is troubling.

2) That a police officer pounded on my door, shining a light through my windows at ‘late-thirty’ last night, scaring the hell out of everyone here, is not okay. [Having then to explain why they came a-knocking…]

3) Worst of all, that it took (you) 30+ hours to perform a Welfare Check, when clearly you were concerned enough about my Safety (/your potential liability) to get ‘the law’ involved, is an Outright Failure.

4) If just one among your horde had bothered to give a damn anywhere along the way, it would never have come to this…

Try Harder to Get It Right, next time.

Too often, lives depend upon it.

[Fortunately, not this time.]

Shall you now resume ignoring me?

Or perhaps instead: Help Me?

Please. I insist.

[ps. Rhetorical: Were I to set myself on fire on your front lawn, would you bother to put me out or instead call/ wait for the fire department to do it (for you)?]

[reply:0]

Hospital,

Something was Wrong, I contacted my PCP's nurse, described my troubling symptoms: it was suggested I proceed to the ER, posthaste. I arrived about an hour before the place started filling up.

The Waiting Room: More than a few people with wracking coughs were not wearing masks. Most patients were on their phones, which is not unusual, but several were without earbuds and the volumes way up. Rude, period. One poor woman was lying on the floor near the bathroom for at least four hours (last time I peed), occasionally sobbing, clearly disconcerting to all other patients (who had to step over/ around her). I overheard a mother threaten to beat her kid if she didn't sit quietly, in a room full of sick people (coughing/ moaning/ crying/ puking) with no distractions/ toys/ books/ daycare provided by you for the (healthy/ sick) kids stuck there. [No option offered/ allowed to wait in our cars instead, either.]

About two hours after arrival, I was summoned by the vampires. It was never explained what they were checking for, asked whether I would even agree to such privacy-invading searches. Nor was I provided with an IV tap, which would have been the appropriate time/ place for such a thing… [Though, props to the one who stuck me: did it better than any other vamp I have encountered; didn't miss, stab through the back of the vein, jiggle it around while (un)plugging stuff (five vials worth), like most others do. Neat, clean and quick.]

About thirty minutes later, I was moved out of the waiting room into the adjacent hallway. There were paper dividers between the chairs which provided zero privacy between us, and all passersby from/to the food court. It was eventually my turn to be asked personal/ private questions, most of which were nobody's business but mine and the doctor/ nurse/ whomever(?) asking. Questions about: weight, diet, medication(s), urination/ defecation (frequency/ consistency/ color/ odor), fornication (or precisely how long without), genitals, booze/ drugs, abuse, self-harm… I withheld (perhaps pertinent) info during the inquiry as I did not feel safe to speak, (having been unable not to overhear the ‘private concerns’ of those already interrogated,) instead indicating everything was fine/ normal, when some such matters were certainly not. [So much for your Patients' Bill of Rights… (By my reckoning you flubbed #1-4,10,15.) It would appear providing appropriate information/ privacy/ safety/ dignity wastes too much (of your) precious time.]

A few hours after that, it was noticed I had not yet received my IV tap. A busy hallway, sitting on a regular (non-bloodletting) chair being not the ideal place to attempt such… It took two tries and multiple walking-aways to (again) procure all the requisite gear, rather than having a tray/ tacklebox with everything that might be needed (for mobile, multiple attempts)… The first failure resulting in repeated stab-throughs, significant seepage and bruising [pic below], and as there was no tray, the bloody bits being placed on the fabric seat beside me, which was wet-wiped after. [Prior to that, it was the prematurely unpackaged needle sitting upon that unsterile surface.]

At least four hours in, I was finally visited by the paperwork bureaucrat. Loudly verified was my personal information: full name, address, phone, email, (lacks-of:) insurance, employment; which everyone overheard. I was then asked the “Religious Preference” question, which, best I can tell, they didn't bother to record my nonstandard answer. [And why, after decades of being a patient of (the various practices affiliated with) your hospital, was this the first time anyone bothered to check?] A tablet was handed to me with no explanation of what I was signing, just a Sign Here box on the screen. I asked what I was agreeing to, can I read it? Seemingly unable to bring up the agreement, apparently having never been asked to allow a patient to read what they sign, first… I said forget it, signed your infernal contract. [Knowing if I didn't agree to whatever (legal, billing, bureaucratic bs) it stated that immediately would I be shown the door.]

Some point thereafter, I was led to my CT scan. Props to the person who did the leading (down several hallways packed with patients ‘parked’ alongside the way), having recognized the dour look on my face upon approach and applying the appropriate level of sarcasm to compliment my mood. [Give that aide a raise: the only one to make me smile.] In the CT room, I was unceremoniously told to drop my pants, but not remove them, with no concern/ regard for the four-to-five people looking at me just behind the slightly tinted glass, or the (still) wide-open hallway door. The scan went fine, quick, although thrice was explained it would feel like I peed my (polkadot) underpants upon injecting the radioactive dye… Yeah, I got it the first time. [Also, no concern/ regard given for any electronics/ jewelry/ food/ meds on my person or in my ankle-pants getting an unnecessary dose of radiation.] Then, it was back to the Waiting Hallway.

Later, I was provided my diagnosis, handed a pill, and informed that I had to inform my doctor's office of my diagnosis and to schedule a follow-up should I fail to improve. [Rather than you digitally informing my doctor, it was left to me such that should anything go wrong (after I left) it would be not your/ their fault for failure of follow-through…]

By the time I signed my discharge paperwork, was pointed vaguely in the direction of the exit, seven hours (and ~500 pages of my paperback) had passed since first I entered.

Shame on you.

Hospital Medical Group ("You"), VP,

To summarize the past two-or-so months, going backwards…

+ [The non-reply to this message (from this disabled still-your-patient) makes it four-in-a-row.]

– That would be a No Comment as to whether you passed along my concerns/ complaints to the VP specializing in Behavioral Health/Wellness.

– I expressed my frustrations; you again sent the police to my door, citing: nonspecific ‘concern.’ [Thereby henceforth should anything happen to me: Not Your Problem (/Fault), anymore.]

– Your P.C.Provider's Office informed me that I am no longer to be a patient of theirs (come the end of the month), knowing that means I am screwed out of any hope of getting better. [Nobody wants to take on new patients in their #0s with disabilities and no insurance…] I can rarely even get a proper referral processed anymore. [7 months later: no appointment.]

– I informed your Provider that I no longer Trust their/ my doctor, after getting nowhere pointing out to Doc, them, you the many reasons/ failures why. [Your Reply: “…Doc has made every effort…”]

– Nobody once mentioned PROVIDER2, a nearby affiliate/ partner supposed to handle mental/ emotional health issues that you/ yours were unwilling/ unable to discuss in writing: forbidden by your policies… I can only presume, as nobody would address/ acknowledge my repeated upbringing of such concerns. [Instead, playing liability dodge-ball/ hot-potato/ musical-chairs with my emotional health/ safety.]

– I questioned Doc's commitment/ compassion, to which most everything that followed was self-defensive, patient-faulting, system-blaming.

– Doc ignored my requests to see the content of the Referrals submitted: having failed to properly fill them out in the past, leading to months+ wasted, several times, causing me to more-than-once lose hope in ever getting Diagnoses.

– I repeatedly asked my Doc, Nurse, Provider if I should be concerned about my blood, having received several abnormal/ elevated readings across months-apart draws/ tests: No Response.

– Doc dodged content in those (first) few messages to which were poorly responded, having Ignored significant Concerns.

– There was that whole ER debacle. A matter which you consider resolved, appropriately.

– Your patient portal lacks proper two-way conversational capabilities, was clearly not designed to accommodate disabled patients.

Please acknowledge, if nothing else, receipt of this message.
Where do We go from here?

HOSPITAL.PROVIDER.3,

SYMPTOMS.HORRIBLE are often indicative of a (far worse) Problem. Rather than addressing the potential Cause(s) further, merely a referral (to treat Symptoms) was sent by you to PROVIDER.ALT.2: who cannot see me until Next Year.

Could you please find me someone, anywhere, who will see me somewhen far sooner: whom offer full disability-financial coverage? Perhaps also/ instead (in the meantime) procure for me a provider/ specialist to rule in/ out anything Worse I/ you might/ should possibly be Concerned to have afflicted me so (suddenly)?

How the request is worded matters, allow me to reiterate: "CONFIDENTIAL" would be helpful knowledge to include (this time), such that they shall understand the severity of my situation, and perhaps try harder to help.

I had already lived with whatever this ‘something new’ really is for two months awaiting my first appointment. [Having begun the same time I failed to seek help after nearly dropping dead, unexpectedly: concerned more with the cost it would inflict for an ambulance ride: which wound up being called for me anyway, a week later.] SITUATIONS.UNTENABLE: but that is not living, and certainly should not be my (uncertain) life for another four+ months awaiting yet another appointment (to address effect, not cause), as the days grow darker…

Merely passing me off as a Referral (into the void) has unfailingly yet again failed to help me. Instead: Be Helpful. Track down for me someone who Will Help, gives a damn, soon. Please. [And thereby shall I no longer be your patient/ problem: same as how I came to be unloaded upon you.]

I question how well I will handle yet another ‘chronic’ condition: undiagnosed, untreated, unassisted.

Concernedly,
Your Patient

Hospital Medical Group,

(another) Something (different) was Wrong. I went to Urgent Care. They got only some of The Problem(s) right: CONFIDENTIAL. The doctor failed to properly/ thoroughly EXAM.STANDARD, and missed something obvious. Further, nothing was done to address the AFFLICTION.CURABLE, which I made clear to mention, repeatedly.

Three days later, in (preventable) excruciating pain and delirium, I (dangerously) drove myself to the ER. Wait and wait for the SCAN.STANDARD. Then wait and wait and wait and wait… all the while I was silently tweaking out: your waiting room is disturbing/ distressing to the (not-just hypersensitive) senses. Four hours later, surrounded/ boxed-in by sickness/ suffering, I was (already) about to lose my shit, when someone bumped into my wheelchair, nearly dumping me out of it. I had a panic attack, alongside a rather public freak-out… Humiliated, I left.

Four hours later, a nurse called to check on the status of my IV tap: was it still in and who had taken it out? I was rude in answering the question and hung up. One minute later, another someone else called again to check on the status of your missing equipment, but not the status/ safety of your missing patient. Before I could get the chance to ask what my Diagnosis was, they had already hung up. (Rude.) Mind you, that means it was Eight Hours after the scan before anybody sought To Examine/ Inform The Patient, only to find them (and clearly more importantly: your potential-liability equipment) Missing.

Twenty-four hours later, nobody had bothered to call/ email to let me know what The Problems/ Results, for which I went to the ER, were… If a (disabled) patient cannot withstand the impatient/ inhospitable conditions of your hospital waiting room, (endlessly) awaiting an Answer, then they do not deserve one? [One week later: Nothing.]

Would it help make (/force) you (to be) a better provider if I were to drag you to court/ press to detail your embarrassing lack of professionalism experienced during this year (alone), over all your departments and affiliates I have encountered: persistently/ negligently having failed to help your (disabled) patient? Your every attempt to dodge liability/ responsibility has only accomplished digging the hole deeper and deeper. Rather than me throwing you in, perhaps instead you might give me a hand climbing out of my own nearly-dug grave?

I will be sure to name/ blame you in my obituary if you believe remaining silent/ avoidant/ unhelpful to be the optimal/ safest approach to (continue to mis)handle Your {undiagnosed, untreated, unassisted, unaccounted-for, uninformed, unresolved, uninsured} Patients.

Get your shit together, please.
Lives Depend Upon You.

Hospital Medical Group II (North),

Before I give up (hope) again, please take a look at all the ways your policies/ procedures failed to help this person with disabilities. [Attached: 2+ months, 20 pages] Please, stop treating me/us as ‘potential liability’ to be avoided. Instead, consider (those like) me as a learning experience: worthy of a second chance (to not do so poorly), to try harder (to not abandon out in the cold) next time.

1) Failure to Provide Reasonable Modifications– Forcing people with disabilities to accommodate your too-many phone-only (next-level) departments/ contacts. [If we cannot use the phone (ourselves), there is nothing your employees can/ will do to escalate/ further our case/ cause, as demonstrated.]

2) Mental Health Issues are a No Comment Subject– Cannot even be acknowledged that they were brought up, nor even other places suggested that such matters could/ should be taken, instead… [Overcompensating for potential liability, at the expense of the ‘endangered,’ (repeatedly) asking for help…] Not Acceptable.

3) Failure to acknowledge message(s)-received– If your employees feel the need to upfront declare your spam filters make communication unreliable, time to adjust your settings. [That, or it is just a pre-excuse to non-reply when ‘forbidden’ (or uncertain how-to-respond) topics arise: like Emotional Welfare.] Providing non-responses to (repeated) ‘near-crisis’ declarations is (so very) far from encouraging, nor is it the responsible behavior (expected/ required of healthcare providers). [Even TV episodes now provide us ‘hotline’ contacts.]

4) Suspicious Messages– What was going on with those financial-assistance links I received (weeks later)? The (no-reply, wrong-domain, non-portal-delivered) emails with their blind-link-buttons (to not-your-website, domained-differently than their banner logo) provided no context, explanation, instead jumping straight into: "Upload your identity/ financial documents here." [I never got an answer as to whether they were legitimate: it was left to me to pick up the phone (and dial the number the emails provided).] *Klaxons Blaring*

5) Blind Hand-Offs to other (unnamed) people/ departments– Without an assigned point-person/ place, when the referral goes wrong, or goes unacknowledged, there is no way to follow-up with them. [A common tactic to shirk responsibility: divert ‘the problem’ out into the void, and then ask us to be patient.]

6) Patient Portal– Provides insufficient space for us to write. Had to shorten, and even break-into-parts, some of my messages to send them. [This was before I had to come in to your local office just to procure an email address, rather than giving up, long before (/without ever) being informed…]

7) “We do not have any available PCPs accepting new patients.” As my nearby provider is ‘unavailable,’ perhaps then there's some/ anyone (else) among your extensive network of healthcare professionals who can help me?

None of these issues were in any way the fault of those I interacted with.

They were dutifully adhering to Your Policies/ Procedures/ Limitations.

Bureaucracy is proving to be the Death of Compassion/ Progress (/us).

Please, Help Me.