Journal logo

How We Can Fix America's Broken Healthcare System - The Easy Surefire Program That's Proven to Work

It's working for me.

By Joan GershmanPublished 2 years ago 7 min read
5
cbsnews.com - photo courtesy of Pinterest

This article is in response to Paula Shablo's Medium article, "Our Broken Healthcare System Needs an Overhaul". As soon as I read her description of the atrocities inflicted upon her friend due to the gross inadequacies of the American Healthcare System ("care" being a misnomer, as very little "care" is involved), I knew I had to write this article about a real solution to our Healthcare problems that WORKS.

In this article, I will explain:

· An example of my negative experience with my Healthcare Company

· My initial decline of Cleveland Clinic's offer to join a new program designed to smooth my healthcare navigation.

· Examples of what was working for my friend who joined the innovative new program

· The astonishing positive results that occurred when I joined the program

· How you can join this life-changing Healthcare program

America's dispassionate, inhuman, unworkable Healthcare system of voicemails, unanswered messages, and having life-threatening emergencies ignored, is not unusual in every doctor's office that is now run by a huge Healthcare conglomerate.

Paula's friend, Julie, is a victim of this broken system.

An example of my personal descent into Healthcare Hell was a positive Cologuard Test (home test for colon cancer). I received a notification in My Chart (the online medical record app that most Healthcare systems use) that my results were not available, and I needed to contact my doctor's office. The ensuing scenario took ONE MONTH:

· I called Dr. Primary's office and was instructed to leave a message with Central Messaging. They would relay my message to my doctor's office.

· One week later, my primary doctor's nurse called to inform me that my test was positive and I needed to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist.

· I called the gastroenterologist and was instructed by voicemail to leave a message. In the message, I emphasized that I received a POSITIVE Cologuard Test and needed to see the doctor ASAP.

· Two weeks later, when I had not heard from them, I called and left another message, again emphasizing the positive test. I repeated this call and message for two more days.

· After those last two messages, I received a call from the gastroenterologist's doctor's nurse. Completely UNAPOLOGETIC, she said that she had been on vacation, so my message must have "fallen through the cracks." She informed me that the doctor had an open spot for an appointment in 4 weeks.

· All patience completely lost, I told her that I thought a positive test for possible cancer required an immediate check, not an appointment a month later. Unconcerned and as unapologetic as before, she asked if I wanted to book the appointment, which I did.

· The next morning at 8:30 AM, I received a call from the gastroenterologist himself, who had apparently read the messages. He took my information and immediately booked me for a colonoscopy the following week.

In this case, I was lucky. According to the colonoscopy, the Cologuard test was a false positive. My colon was so clear there was nothing in it to test. But the fact remains that colon cancer can be aggressive. Waiting a month to address the problem could have resulted in a rapidly spreading cancer, which had the potential to kill me.

This was only one example of an inept, broken, dangerous system that I have dealt with since the conglomerate take-over. As noted in Paula's article, this is happening everywhere in the country. An unworkable messaging, voicemail, and contact situation is not just an annoyance. It is life-threatening.

Prior to all of this, I had been receiving calls from Cleveland Clinic asking if I wanted to join a new program paid for by Medicare. They would assign a Care Manager to me who would make sure I was taking my medications properly and would make doctor appointments for me. Since I felt that I was perfectly capable of handling my medications and making my own appointments, I declined.

Last January, an incident at a friend's house changed my mind about the program I had declined. I was visiting my friend who had been having problems with a new diabetic blood glucose testing device. It was the type you attach to your skin, and it reads your glucose levels without the pain and inconvenience of constantly sticking needles in your finger. 

She could not get it to work properly; it was setting off an alarm in the middle of the night that her blood sugar was too low; it was out of sync with the needle testing she did to check its accuracy; and a host of other problems.

Her phone rang, and I listened to her explain her glucose issues, and say she would wait for his return phone call. Ten minutes later, her phone rang again, and I listened to her repeat the doctor's instructions, say thank you, and hang up.

Astounded, I asked what that was all about. "That's Josh, my Care Manager," she told me. She said that she has his direct cellphone # and can either call him or leave a written message in My Chart for him. He returns her calls or answers her messages on the same day he receives them, relays all her concerns directly to the doctor, often while she is on the phone with Josh, and gives her the doctor's answers immediately. He calls her every two weeks to check if she has any issues that need addressing.

"Well, damn", I said. "I need to get me a Josh."

When I got home, I logged onto My Chart and requested a Care Manager. Within a few days, a nurse from my doctor's office called and set up a phone appointment for me with my new Care Manager, Nurse Abbey.

Abbey and I had a one-hour initial phone consultation, in which she got to know me and the problems I would need to be addressed.

The Care Manager program has been a lifesaver. Nurse Abbey and I have a standing phone appointment every month to discuss any issues or problems I may have.

However, anytime I have had a medication issue, including a need for a change in medication, an illness, an unexplained skin problem, an allergy problem - ANYTHING - Abbey has addressed the problem the same day and relayed the doctor's answers and instructions to me within that day. She also makes appointments with the doctor if needed.

I no longer must deal with Central Messaging systems that misinterpret, lose, or ignore messages. My health care needs are dealt with directly, in a timely manner, with a human I can talk to.

Based on both of my experiences - the unworkable phone system and the outstanding solution, I believe that this Care Manager program is a huge advance in promptly providing patients the care they need. 

It more than likely would have prevented the tragic outcome Paula described regarding her friend. She would have had immediate access to the help she needed.

The biggest obstacle is finding such a program in your area with your Healthcare provider. As far as I have been able to ascertain, Cleveland Clinic offers this program only to high-risk patients with chronic conditions. Medicare pays for the program for seniors.

Whether you are a member of the Cleveland Clinic Healthcare System or a different system, you would need to check with your provider to find out if they offer the Care Manager program.

If the answer is NO, you will have to decide what is best for you. You could switch to a provider that does offer a care manager program; you could spread awareness about the program and lobby hard for one to be instituted in your provider's system, but that's a longshot that would probably take years.

After having multiple negative experiences navigating the 21st-century version of Healthcare, I believe that this Care Manager program is a huge step forward in an industry that has been failing us miserably for at least 20 years.

This program is an excellent start, but it needs to be widely available to everyone, regardless of their age or healthcare provider.

I have provided these links for you to read about Care Manager programs:

https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/care-coordinators-help-high-risk-patients/

https://www.ahrq.gov/ncepcr/care/coordination/mgmt.html#vehicle

This is my opinion based on my experience. You will have to decide through your own research if you think this is a beneficial program for you.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to have any medical training. This information is provided based solely on my own opinion and experience.

Originally published in Medium Publication, Illumination - Curated

© Copyright 2022 Joan Gershman

industry
5

About the Creator

Joan Gershman

Retired - Speech/language therapist, Special Education Asst, English teacher

Websites: www.thealzheimerspouse.com; talktimewithjoan.com

Whimsical essays, short stories -funny, serious, and thought-provoking

Weightloss Series

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  2. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  3. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

Add your insights

Comments (4)

Sign in to comment
  • Mariann Carroll2 years ago

    Very informative. I am glad where I live , they give you surveys after major doctor visits and procedures. Which help them make the medical system better

  • Pam Reeder2 years ago

    Personally, the medical field will always be broken for as long as it is owned by shareholders that put profits before people. And for as long as the cost of malpractice insurance makes it impossible for doctors to function outside a huge corporate conclogmerate. I have always felt there should be another branch of services that is a medical corp that trains people to be doctors and they have to provide free national service for twenty years through the Med Corp before they are released to private practice. Look at what a soldier gets paid to be shot at and look at what college and med school costs and one could see how finanically beneficial for the nation that could be. One other required perk of the Med Corp would be, anyone who CHOOSES to seek services through the Med Corp would not be able to sue the Med Corp. I know in our litigious society people freak out to think they can't sue someone for millions if they don't like the outcome of a surgery or care services but that would have to be part of the package. THEN, we could have affordable national healthcare AND never again have a shortage of health care workers. All that being said, as simple as I make that sound, I rest assured it is not. If it could easily be done, everyone would do it. --- But that is where I would focus on revamping our healthcare system. For once, spend the money of the people on the people -- ALL of the people -- not just targeted segments of people.

  • Very informative, and useful for many.

  • Paula Shablo2 years ago

    I will be investigating this option in our area. I am on Medicare myself, and part of My Advocate through my HMO Medicare plan. But "Julie" is not Medicare age. Thanks for writing this. Great information!

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.