I know we all love Andy, but in defense of JH

[Horse with no Name]

Right now, Andy is the center of the DU universe. We care about him and love him and want him to get his surgery.
However, how many other people are in his predicament right now that are at the center of someone else's universe?
When Andy got bumped for that administrative SNAFU, it meant that someone else's loved one was bumped up to have a surgery that may be life or death for them as well.
We have to put the blame where the blame is due. The blame is with the for profit healthcare system, not with one particular hospital.
This is our government's fault. Andy should NEVER have had to wait all these months for his surgery. Nobody at the center of ANYONE'S universe should have to wait for lifesaving treatment. Government funding goes into the research that will save lives. Since we pay for our government, why don't we all have equal access to the treatments that our money funds?
We have to make our voice be heard. We have to speak out for Andy, and for everyone else's loved ones in this country.

[trotsky]

1. Well said.

Excellent. Nominated. Let's take this energy and use it to make things better for EVERYONE.

[Demit]

2. I thought the hospital misplaced his check & that's why his surgery was

put off? And the check was actually found on a hospital administrator's desk? Why isn't that the hospital's fault?

[Bridget Burke]

3. It isn't the "hospital's" fault....

It appears that some administrator screwed up. But probably 99% of the people involved in the case will do their best.

[Demit]

8. Look, I'm not making some blanket indictment of Johns Hopkins for all time

But the administrator is a representative of the hospital. The hospital delayed the surgery because they said they hadn't gotten Andy's check. Ergo, it was a hospital screw up. I wouldn't appreciate any business telling me "Well, it wasn't our fault. It was someone who works for us's fault." Why the need to defend the other 99%, anyway?

[Horse with no Name]

4. If we had universal healthcare

There wouldn't have ever had to be a check to misplace.
That was my point.

[johnaries]

5. I thought Will Pitt's post said it well...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3636736&mesg_id=3636824&page=

[Horse with no Name]

6. That's so true

And do you know that the healthcare workers don't generally know what type of funding or reimbursement the patients have?
That helps assure equal care.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. In further defense of JHH .......

Yes, they're a large hospital. 1000 beds or thereabouts. Currently (IIRC) rated number 2 overall in the US - not for size, but for the quality and competence of the care they render.

And they are, indeed, the crown jewel in a large corporate structure that has many arms (an HMO, other hospitals, even a real estate and development company).

But they're also a pretty good citizen of my state. Apart from their medical work, they have land banked much property surrounding their (very much) inner city campus. They've bought up blocks and blocks of formerly blighted housing stock and repaired or replaced it. It is occupied not by the elite, but by residents for whom these areas were always home. This is not all so altruistic. Were it not for this property, it would otherwise be landlocked and unable to expand. But rather than sit on it, they've turned it to good use. They have very much improved the neighborhood. I call that a win/win.

I used to work at Hopkins. I left there in 1980, so my knowledge is no better than any other person who lives in their area. But I know for a fact they do literally millions of dollars of pro bono care annually. They really are pretty good citizens.

And then there's the staff.

These are excellent, caring, compassionate people. I have been on the inside and worked with them, and I have dealt with them when they were care givers for a loved one. You will find no better, no more caring staff anywhere.

Sure Andy was stymied by a snafu. Sure it sucks. No argument at all. It shouldn't have happened.

But to indict the institution and the people is not the answer. Mistakes happen and will continue to happen.

This isn't easy on anyone ... least of all Andy.

In the end, I honestly don't think there are any villains here. Just a very few people who made a stupid mistake.