Who Fights For Patients In The Hospital IF They Don't Have An Advocate ?

Seriously, do you think I like being a bitch? Do you think like I like hovering and calling you out when you drop the ball regarding patient care in a clinical setting??

Do you think I like writing ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING regarding my mother’s care and course of treatment in my ever present blue notebook?

Do you think it pleases me to call out Hospital Customer Services who seem to run in circles but never seem to actually get anything accomplished.

Sidebar: I know how hard Customer Service is - I worked CS for 2 years for a major computer company when I first moved to Philadelphia, plus I waitressed in both High School & college, so for me to complain about Customer Service- There has to be some major issues.

Here’s the thing, my mother is your patient at YOUR hospital - She is YOUR client and I am her representative.

She’s been there for 3.5 weeks and has been in 4 different departments. I don’t want to hear: Oh, but that didn’t happen in my department. Or, "She's not my patient so no, I can't help your mother in anyway, shape or form.

Since I seem to be the only one tracking my mother through ALL FOUR DEPARTMENTS at YOUR health care facility,

I demand both information and respect. And YES, of course it would be fantastic if the hospital actually had a Patient Advocacy Department who's primary goal would be to provide a point person for the patient, who had the patient’s back and and acted as the primary Communion Officer for said patient between the various departments ( i.e. emergency room ICU, PCU, Telemetry, etc) that the patient goes through. But since that’s not an option, you're stuck with me.

So when I ask questions regarding her day to day care, don’t look at me like I have 3 heads. I’m advocating for her, and I’d like a report from her Hospitalist and Specialists on a daily basis.

Why is it so difficult to have a chain of communication in your healthcare facility that doesn't have any "kinks" in it?

Why are patients & their family members talked AT and AT YOUR CONVENIENCE, instead of TO and WITH on a daily basis?

I have a right to know what’s going on and so does she. I want to know what the specialists say and I want a report - Lord knows we’re paying for it. You get your bills out to us ASAP, ( no kinks in that department I see,) how come you don’t answer our questions and our set aside a time to meet with the patients family ASAP?

And to the nurse with the bleached blond hair who never even worked on my mother and who got all snarky with me yesterday and called me “HONEY” in a none too pleasing tone. A. I'm not your HONEY, and B. Don’t look all surprised when I call you HONEY in the same “none too pleasing tone” and rattle off facts that you’ve obviously gotten wrong about what’s actually going on with my mother, HONEY!

And to those fabulous nurses & techs (and there are so many I can’t even name them all) who have been nothing but kind, caring, professional and loving towards my mother- I thank you and my family and I appreciate all that you’ve done and continue to do for my mother.

I will write you all a proper Thank-You very soon, but until then I hope that you've enjoyed the Starbucks gift certificates and coffee my family has given you as token of how much we appreciate all that you do. It was just our way of saying "THANKS FOR GOING THE EXTRA MILE WITH OUR MOM!"

And a big thanks to the Respiratory Therapists, Physical Therapists, Kitchen Service workers & Some of The Doctors who have been kind, communicative and caring.

But to the Hospital Administrators who I WILL be meeting with in the very near future,

I’d like it to let it be known publicly, that every night when I leave your hospital after visiting my mother, (FYI: ironically, it’s really modern and well respected hospital) I’m left wondering what the hell the patients in there do if they don’t have anyone advocating for them - And I know that my siblings feel the same.

Who fights for patients? Who and or where is the constant line of communication between the various hospital departments for them.... And who’s keeping track about what is and what isn't happening? And seriously.... who has their backs???