As some of you may have heard, I have finally left NYC for the outdoor beauty and peace of California. George Capsis, our indomitable, near ageless, and wonderfully but relentlessly pushy publisher/editor has asked me to share the letter I sent to patients in my practice. He has also asked me to continue writing for WestView. I will try, especially since the “Front Lines” are everywhere, and particularly because healthcare (and life) in NYC will always be on my mind and in my heart.
The hospital crisis, the access to care crisis continues in NYC. So sad. As I have said before, NYC may be the canary in the coal mine. So, we should analyze it intensely examining the realities and the messages/policies/truths/and lies that get thrown at us.
I am 3000 miles away, but, sadly, I note the Ferry accident, and perhaps more frighteningly, the surging Flu epidemic. This feels like one of those “I told you so” moments. I/we would rather be wrong. However, read the media, talk to the docs – the ERs, the hospitals, the system, is being overwhelmed. Closing hospitals, closing Emergency Rooms, with no planning, no thoughtful attention to accessibility, distribution of resources, and community needs, leads to crisis, suffering, and an outrageous disparity of services. What will it take to wake up the politicians and regulators? What will it take to electrify the communities in need?
