February 28, 1997

To the Editor,
The New York Times Company,
229 W. 43rd Street,
New York, N.Y. 10036-3959

 Dear Sirs:

     Referring to your editorial "Fewer Doctors, Lower Medicare Costs," of
Friday, February 28, 1997, this looks very nice on paper. The reality is that
human beings are dying in Teaching Hospitals in New York State due to
varying degrees of medical negligence. In some cases, this negligence
is criminal.
     Three and one half years ago, in August of 1993, while our son was in
The Columbia Presbyterian Allen Pavilion, when the nurses called for the
Doctor to respond at night, no one came. The intern, 2 months out of
medical school, was "unavailable" despite the fact that our son was
deteriorating medically. This, plus numerous other acts of medical
negligence resulting from absent supervision, led to his death.
     As you point out "residents bear the brunt of treating uninsured, often
indigent patients in many urban neighborhoods." If even these
insufficiently supervised trainees are reduced in numbers, who will then
take their place?  Patients, particularly minority patients, are well aware of
the risks they face in going to "Teaching Hospitals" for their care. Most are
not able, as we were able, to read a chart in order to understand just how
abysmal this care can be.
     In the year 1984, almost 7,000 patients lost their lives in hospitals in
New York State due to negligent acts which were unrelated to the medical
reasons that brought them to the hospital ( Adverse Events and Negligence
in Hospitalized Patients, New England Journal of Medicine, February 7,
1991,Volume 324, No.6, Page 373). This is 133 lives each week, 52
weeks each year. This is how and why our son died.
     Human life is the bottom line, not money. The Health Care Finance
Administration-Greater New York Hospital Association deal will finally
legitimize poor care, insufficient care, and no care if there are no built in
conditions about just how this money is to be spent. HCFA has claimed there
are "built in requirements" to get this money. What are these|
"requirements."? Hospitals should not be permitted to build parking lots
or develop better television ads with this money. Otherwise, doctors and
institutions will be rewarded monetarily at the cost of even greater
human suffering and death than exists now.

  Stephanie Z. Speken, M.S.                Ralph H. Speken, M.D.
                                                                        2/28/97

Click for Home Page