When I dropped Vincent's new friend Alex (from the Denmark trip) (whom I'm not totally sold on) at his family's house late Saturday, I noticed his family lived in essentially a mansion, and I thought - somewhat snidely - they're rich (like the family of another of Vincent's friends, whom I like). But two days later I drove back to drop off more of the clothes of this kid that had wound up in Vincent's luggage from Denmark. After giving the clothes to the kid, his father came out to thank me. I remembered that we'd had supper at Waffle House with the parents while Vincent and Alex - just back from Denmark - sat at another table. And his parents were nice.
Alex's father turns out to be a general surgeon mainly at Jewish Hospital downtown - just like the surgeon who operated on my hernia, but at Baptist East - He had just gotten back from working - doing surgery - on Sunday morning - as he had for the previous ten days - surgery and rounds and seeing patients and paperwork. I remarked how impressed I was with Dr. Figert spending time with me before surgery going over everything (and also with Stephanie after surgery). He said giving patients information and establishing rapport with them is critical for avoiding lawsuits, something that has only happened once to him. He said his is a dwindling specialty. Even though hospitals' big moneymaker are planned surgeries like the ones he does - mainly on the abdomen - hernia surgery like mine; colon surgery like Nancy's; colonosopies - among other things - some 350 new general surgeons start practices each year, and each year about 500 general surgeons retire. He opined this is the case because of stories like his: he makes the same money (if that much) as when he started in the early 1990s but - what with declining insurance reimbursement and higher malpractice insurance costs - he works much longer hours (like being on call for ten days in a row - while his partner is on vacation) (so similar pay but more hassles and lower quality of life - away from his family more).
I don't whether to feel sorry for this still rather affluent doctor and his family. But I sure was grateful that my surgeon did a good job with me - giving information and establishing rapport and in the operating room - and so I'd want surgeons like her (if not also him) compensated well - just like my auto mechanic and my hairdresser and my dry cleaner.
Alex's father turns out to be a general surgeon mainly at Jewish Hospital downtown - just like the surgeon who operated on my hernia, but at Baptist East - He had just gotten back from working - doing surgery - on Sunday morning - as he had for the previous ten days - surgery and rounds and seeing patients and paperwork. I remarked how impressed I was with Dr. Figert spending time with me before surgery going over everything (and also with Stephanie after surgery). He said giving patients information and establishing rapport with them is critical for avoiding lawsuits, something that has only happened once to him. He said his is a dwindling specialty. Even though hospitals' big moneymaker are planned surgeries like the ones he does - mainly on the abdomen - hernia surgery like mine; colon surgery like Nancy's; colonosopies - among other things - some 350 new general surgeons start practices each year, and each year about 500 general surgeons retire. He opined this is the case because of stories like his: he makes the same money (if that much) as when he started in the early 1990s but - what with declining insurance reimbursement and higher malpractice insurance costs - he works much longer hours (like being on call for ten days in a row - while his partner is on vacation) (so similar pay but more hassles and lower quality of life - away from his family more).
I don't whether to feel sorry for this still rather affluent doctor and his family. But I sure was grateful that my surgeon did a good job with me - giving information and establishing rapport and in the operating room - and so I'd want surgeons like her (if not also him) compensated well - just like my auto mechanic and my hairdresser and my dry cleaner.
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