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Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear

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Re: Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear

#91
post #41

What an empty threat. A hospital is not going to fire staff at the moment of greatest demand, and a doctor with an intact credential can get hired anywhere they want in a split second. Maybe the hospitals can bully the nurses assistants and support staff, so the doctors need to step up and speak on their behalf too.

but they are, search the news.

Yeah, and a doctor can get a job anywhere else in a heartbeat. Doctors effectively do all their “whiteboard interviews” up front and don’t have to deal with it later in their career.

Re: Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear

#94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see a solution that puts a swift end to this. The power asymmetry between employers and workers is so vast that situations like these are inevitable. We can't continue to live in this fantasy where companies have so much power over workers and their futures. But changing this involves organizing labor, which is deeply stigmatized in the US.

We have a unionist running for president but the electorate doesn't seem to want that at the moment. I think we're witnessing another symptom of growing inequality. Several billionaires such as Ray Dalio have rightly remarked that this is a dangerous and potentially destabilizing development in our society. What is most troubling to me is that it appears we would rather blame others instead of trying to solve the und…

> We have a unionist running for president but the electorate doesn’t seem to want that at the moment.

I’d argue that Sanders’ lack of success in the polls is due more to voters’ perceived safety in choosing a moderate to beat Trump rather than disapproval of Sanders’ policies. Everyone has become a pundit and believes that the electorate will only tolerate a moderate while many of those same voters voice approval of progressive agenda items like Medicare For All.

Americans are seeing now more than ever just how much they’re valued when our system fails. Unfortunately, it’s going to result in hundreds of thousands and deaths and ruined futures for so many more.

Re: Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see a solution that puts a swift end to this. The power asymmetry between employers and workers is so vast that situations like these are inevitable. We can't continue to live in this fantasy where companies have so much power over workers and their futures. But changing this involves organizing labor, which is deeply stigmatized in the US.

Doctors are the strongest guild in USA. They have the legal power to enforce a chronic shortage of doctors. That's why why PAs were invented.

Right plus the ama which enforces irrational wage by limiting supply. I worry more for the nurses.

Re: Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear

#96

Former PM for a hospital. Listen, I have a lot of trust and respect for physicians, moreso now than ever. Unfortunately, there are some bad apple physicians who are very aware of the power they wield and if they feel something needs improvement, they will be extremely vocal... Sometimes at the detriment of the truth. I've been subject to the spread of misinformation by a couple of physicians related to some past proj…

The ask in this context seems to be simple - adequate PPE while treating a highly infectious virus. Evidence from Spain suggests medical professionals on the frontline are at very high risk. maybe you can share why you think it is unfair on the hospitals in this case ?

I'm not the OP but I have read a bit about how "adequate PPE" can be controversial.

It really boils down to how long certain ppe can be used, what is the risk of infection from reused ppe and how to sanitize ppe effectively.

I'll leave the dispute over the facts to the experts but from my understanding that is the source of the conflict over ppe.

Re: Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear

#97
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It appears that you are stating the exact same as the above comment, no?

I think the parent comment makes it seem like the guild is addressing a problem external to itself. My comment simply makes the causal link that the guild is solving a problem of its own making. A simpler solution would perhaps be to end/reduce the AMA monopoly. In that case, doctors would make less (as they do in the rest of the world), but the supply of doctors would be much higher.

I disagree - I think the comment is not implying the guild is addressing any problem at all and makes it quite clear that the guild is the cause of the problem.

They are not saying that doctors invented PAs to solve the chronic shortage, they're saying that doctors created the chronic shortage which necessitated policy intervention in the form of PAs.

I think you've just misread the comment and would find that it actually agrees strongly with what you said.

Re: Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear

#98
post #12

There's also this: "Many hospitals bar doctors and other staff members from wearing protective masks in public areas. Some have been disciplined for pushing back." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/health/hospitals-coronavi... How do we put a swift end to this nonsense? Surely the public will be overwhelmingly on the side of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.

Grocery stores like HEB in Texas have also been preventing workers from wearing masks, even if they want to supply their own.

Re: Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear

#99

Anonymous new profile, my apologies. My partner wasn't comfortable with me saying this stuff in a public way. They work in the emergency department of a hospital in North America. It's not just that they'll be fired if they speak out... The hospitals are also threatening to withhold worker's compensation payouts if a staff member is caught using anything brought from home, even if it's real, name brand equipment. Got…

To echo OP's story (and anonymity). My partner is physician and surgical resident in the USA. My partner was told to either remove their N95 mask before doing a procedure on the the mouth of a febrile patient, or go home. My partner left, and now their job is at risk. My partner received several very direct (always careful to not make a paper trail) follow up calls from administrators and was given an ultimatum to ei…

That's why you should relocate to a state with a one-party-consent wiretapping law. New York happens to be one of those.

Re: Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear

#100
post #60
post #12

There's also this: "Many hospitals bar doctors and other staff members from wearing protective masks in public areas. Some have been disciplined for pushing back." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/health/hospitals-coronavi... How do we put a swift end to this nonsense? Surely the public will be overwhelmingly on the side of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.

I wouldn't hold my breath, no pun intended. Hospitals are in such shortage when you're dying you're not going to say "oh no I won't go to Hospital X because of their practices" during these sort of situations, it may literally be a proxy to a choice between life/death. Hospitals are... businesses. They will prioritize their financial success over all else which is to be expected. This sort of press is bad for busines…

No sorry this is wrong.

It was pure incompetence that led to the slow rollout.

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