sixwordstories | (no subject)

Is there a problem I should know about?

Where should I begin? You have no emergency power for the exam rooms, the bathrooms aren't ADA compliant, the nurse's call system hasn't been automated, the fire doors aren't automatic...

Shall I go on?

I don't see where any of that has anything to do with my capabilities as a doctor, however, it does confirm why I decided to resign as Chief. I want to practice medicine, not hire contractors.

If you didn't want the administrative duties that came with the job of Chief, you shouldn't have applied for the position.

Fire safety, responding to emergencies with all due haste, making sure that patients and staff with disabilities are able to use the lavatory facilities and not risk injuring themselves further...medicine is not just about capability. It's about culpability, too.

But since you want to talk about your capabilities as a doctor, let's discuss Curtis Ames.

It wasn't that, I think I just realized that I'd rather be practicing medicine then pushing paper and attending meetings, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

What about Curtis Ames? I did everything I could do for him, and was cleared of any negligence in his treatment.

Pushing paper and attending meetings come with the job. You knew that when you applied for it. And if the we didn't do that, you wouldn't have a place to practice medicine in.

As far as Ames is concerned, a jury of laymen cleared you of any negligence in his treatment. A hospital board of your peers would not have been so magnanimous.

I don't think I did fully understand everything the position involved, but, it did make me realize how much I enjoy working with my patients and I wasn't able to do that the way I wanted to in that position. I also couldn't spend the time I wanted with my family, and that became an issue for me as well.

Wasn't there was a time when you resigned a position, so you could spend more time actually treating patients, and less on the administrative side of things some years back?

As for Ames, I don't know that anyone can say what might have happened, I did what needed to be done. We can't force someone to accept treatment that they don't want and that's part of the problem was dealing with with Mr. Ames. First off, he refused to allow me to admit him for observation, later he refused to accept treatment that might have reversed the affects of the stroke, I had no control over those decisions.

I resigned a position after my son died. Treating patients had nothing to do with it. And you weren't even at County then, so before you presume to know my motivations for my actions, see that you have your facts straight.

No, we can't force a patient to accept treatment they don't want. But we can try our best to convince them to have it. You didn't do that. And that was what needed to be done.

I brought in a second doctor to talk to Mr Ames and explain the treatment to him, he had no more success convincing him to accept the treatment then I had. We couldn't force him to do it, and if I had to do it all over again I don't know what I could have done differently given the situation we were operating under.

Put cheese on his dog?

If he had one, maybe. I don't think he does.

Butter his cats.

That sounds...messy.

Only for the butter.

I'm not one for dealing with cats, I'm afraid. I prefer to deal in formal reprimands, demotions, and pink slips.

Pink is pretty pretty color.

Yes it is. And not just for girls.

Can has pink slips?

I can't fire you; you don't work for me.

Can has work then?

What kind of work can you do?

I steals babies.

Picks up garbage.

Butters cats.

Can tangle hair real good.

Well, we don't have any openings for cat butterers or hair tanglers, and you can't steal any babies...but the cafeteria is always looking for custodial staff to help with picking up the garbage. I suppose we could hire you on for evening shifts.

*rubs his chin* I'm not sure what I would pay you, though. I've never hired a goblin before. Frank is the closest we've come.

Pay?

What be pay? Slips of pink?

Pink slips are usually reserved for when you get fired. But I suppose I could make you an unofficial one. And you can keep all the garbage you pick up.

All garbage? Not joking, can keeps it all?

AND pink slip?

Agreed. Goblin work.

Sure, all. We'd just have to haul it away, anyway. You can start tomorrow night, then. The Head Custodian will show you the Cafeteria and tell you what your hours will be. Welcome to County General.

*bows, nods, does a little dance*

Hindsight's a bitch, isn't it?

It really is. If I had it to do again, I probably wouldn't.

That bad, huh?

*he sighs* Things not up to code, patient care compromised, potential lawsuits. I had to close down the ER to make the necessary repairs. If I'd wanted to be ER Chief, I would have applied for the position. I'm Chief of Staff of the entire hospital. I don't have time to anyone else's job but mine.

*holds out hand* Don Anspaugh, by the way.

Oh good gracious. I'm not sure I'd even keep someone like that on! What's the name of your hospital?

Tami Taylor. Nice to meet you Dr. Anspaugh...unless you prefer Don.

*shakes hand*

Cook County General.

And I didn't want to keep him on. I actually pushed for the board to terminate him last year over an incident with a colleague, but my predecessor as Chief of Staff ultimately took the heat for it and ended up being demoted to attending physician.

And it's my pleasure, Tami. Don is fine, if you like.

I just realized I didn't reply in the thread, so I deleted my other post. Still getting used to this blogging-thing, I'm afraid. My daughter would be embarrassed to admit she's related to me.

*makes a mental note not to ever let anyone take her to a hospital named Cook County General*

Well that's unfortunate. What did he do? You'll have to excuse my curiosity, feel free to decline to answer. I know how it is with questions when they get too personal.

Don it is then.

Oh, honey, I didn't even notice. Blogging is totally new to me too. My daughter was mortified when she saw I had a blog...let alone her father too. Poor girl might have just died on the spot. How old is your daughter?

She'll be turning 20 in a few months.

We had an attending physician who was found to have a cocaine problem, among other things. The former Chief didn't supervise as closely as he should have, which ultimately resulted in the attending having a psychotic break while on duty. He was found urinating on a parked car on the street. After he stomped the windshield in with his foot. It was not our finest hour as a hospital.

Oh, gracious me. My daughter's sixteen and I can barely handle that. I can imagine twenty is even more scary.

Okay, you know, your hospital sounds a bit crazy...if I can say that.

Why not, everyone else does. We're a county hospital so we have to treat everyone. It's made for some...interesting shifts.

And 20 is pretty damn frightening. It's been just her and I for more than a decade. My wife passed while our children were still young, and our son joined her a few years later.

I know there's a point where you have to let go, but I've already lost one child. I couldn't live through that again.

Sounds like you have some questionable people working on your staff as well.

Oh, honey, I'm so sorry to hear that. That must have been so hard. I don't know what I'd do without Eric.

I can't imagine losing a spouse...and then a child...God bless you.

Thank you. It's been hard, but it would have been a thousand times harder if I hadn't had Evette. The world keeps turning and so do we. That's life, I guess. It's not always fair, but I wouldn't trade mine.