This is the first letter I’ve ever written to a political figure, and I pray that someone on your staff will bring this letter to your attention. I have been a physician for close to 30 years. I am a second-generation pediatrician struggling to keep an independent solo practice alive. Not one politician has addressed what I feel is the major threat to health care: the physician-patient relationship. Without this, there is no quality of care no matter what you do. Physician-patient relationships require time with the patient.
Most of my diagnosis is derived from my patient-parent interview and a hands-on exam of the child. You cannot possibly read a cookbook of medical questions and treatments and have the same result. The current insurance treadmill model of primary care makes this impossible. There is a hemorrhaging exodus of well-trained physicians unwilling to jeopardize this patient relationship. Insurance companies are pushing the small man (or woman), like myself, out and replacing us with “health care extenders,” or whomever they can place in a white coat for less money. This is at the expense of the patient and the profit of the insurance company.
I have done everything by the book. During my 12 years of postgraduate training, I earned a degree in chemistry and biology, a masters degree in microbiology, and MD degree from Georgetown University Medical School where I also completed my pediatric residency. I am board-certified and recertified. I have a spotless record and a loyal patient following. I am not saying this to fluff my feathers but to emphasize my dedication to my calling. It is not just a job to me. This is what I was meant to do, and I will only do it the correct way.
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