Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Not Going Away

We've decided that we are going to play out this waiver thing for awhile. Who needs prenatal care?! See, what really gets us going is that they are trying to blow us off. Remember that we asked Constance before we left Ft. Belvoir on Monday that we would like an appointment with Col. Canestrini? She said she would look at his appointment calendar and call us back, the second time she has said that. She never called. Bob called her yesterday, and she basically said she wasn't planning on getting us a meeting with the colonel. He is supposed to call us to discuss this. Well, he was supposed to call us last week too, and he never did. That's why we went in! I doubt that he has any real intention of ever calling, but I'm sure he is hoping that we just give up and leave him alone. Well, that makes me really mad. He may be busy as can be, sitting in his big office and rubberstamping "NO" on waiver requests all day long, but you would think that he would be able to take 5 minuts out of his day to call someone who was very concerned about the health of their unborn baby now, wouldn't you?! Apparently not, however. So to me this exhibits a real lack of concern for the health and well-being of those very people he, as hospital commander, is responsible for. So Bob is pursuing things through his chain of command. I am going to find out Col. Canstrini's chain of command and blanket them with letters questioning his ability to be hospital commander with this attitude and lack of accountability. Is this how he deals with people who have complaints about their care at DeWitt Hospital? Does he hide behind his secretary with them too? The leader's attitude towards people always trickles down to those beneath him, so you really have to wonder about the atmosphere all throughout the hospital. Anyhow, stirring things up like that will most likely not change anyone's mind, but that's okay. I am resigned to driving to Bethesda for care. But in the meantime, I would like to inconvenience him just a fraction of the amount he is inconveniencing us, and maybe he will not be so casually dismissive in the future, especially if his career is on the line. By the way, several people have suggested writing my congressman, but he happens to be Jack Murtha, and well, you all know how supportive he is of the military, LOL!!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey, I was thinking about you and this situation last night and.....and.....

talking to my patient who is an Army Reservist Lawyer who was activated for the war and developed a bone infection. Nonetheless, I was telling him about your sit. and since he has experienced a long and bizarre, and you need to say that beeezare...set of his own health issues with the military medical system he was in total sympathy and suggested I tell you the very things you just posted you were going to do.
So....
Anyway....you are a high risk pregnancy aren't you??? And you are approaching your second trimester, right? Be sure to put that on your letters!!!
And the other thing is, if you are returning to your OB that was in charge of Anna Claire.....then the military-this COL. is hindering your relationship, not to mention your and the baby's health, with an established and priorly approved provider of your healthcare!!!
Go get 'em Claire!!
♥Pam

Unknown said...

I guess I should clarify something, when I said you are a high risk pregnancy, aren't you??? And you are approaching your second trimester, right? Be sure to put that on your letters!!! meaning...you haven't had any prenatal care....HELLO....stoopid doctors.
♥Pam

Dy said...

Ooo, Pam you are SO cool! This really beats the somewhat subversive tendencies I harbor. And it's so encouraging, as well! :-)

Claire, well-done, well-handled. Again, with the strength and grace God has given you. Keep working at it - you and Bob make a great team, and I'm sure you'll make headway.

Dy

Bob and Claire said...

LOL, Pam, well actually I'm not high-risk anymore, now that I don't have to take the heparin. I think we are seriously considering just going Tricare Standard now--last night I talked to a friend who did this and had a great experience. The whole family does NOT have to switch, just me, and the whole prenatal care/birth cost them about $200 total. Their daughter was born several weeks premature and had to stay in the hospital for about a month, but Tricare paid for all of that. So we'll still write some letters and put this guy's rear in the hot seat, but well, I'm tired of it all! I'm ready to just make him uncomfortable but me move on, LOL.

Bob and Claire said...

Oh, I should say it does seem like it is purely financial. Our waiver was approved last year on Sept. 19, right before the end of the fiscal year, so they probably had extra money. We just read an article a few days ago talking about Army shortages of money, so I'm sure that's why they aren't approving anyone right now.