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Tuesday's letters: Doctors must put patients first

 
Published May 17, 2016

Doctors bank on healthy patients | May 16

Patients' health must come first

I've retired from private practice, but still read the article with great interest. The Tampa Bay Integrated Healthcare Network conjured up memories of what the Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) were 20 years ago. Doctors were paid a certain amount of money per month per patient to also keep their patients healthy, but any diagnostic tests were paid for by the physician. Doctors cut corners with ordering tests, and patients' health suffered. That eventually led to the demise of HMOs.

But isn't keeping patients healthy what doctors are supposed to do? Granted, what with technology, the job should be easier, but as I remember, that was our goal — to keep our patients healthy. Doctors don't control costs of blood work, other diagnostic studies and prescriptions. The cost of technology is expensive. Doctor/patient face-to-face time is becoming more limited. Doctors are seeing more of their computer monitors than their patients. The insurance companies will pay their contracted physicians more money if they can cut costs and keep their patients healthy. To be paid more means costs have to be cut from somewhere. I hope it doesn't come at the expense of patients' health.

Dr. David Lubin, Tampa

Why you must vote for Trump | May 15, commentary

Put the blame where it belongs

Sheldon Adelson makes the case for Donald Trump in his opinion piece. However, he places blame for the poor condition of our country everywhere but one — the Republican leadership in Congress.

He makes no mention of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's party of "no" where critical legislation is offered up and then denied. Adelson conveniently skirted the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and the enormous freedom it allowed wealthy contributors, like him, to use dark money to influence elections.

Moreover, Adelson ignores the dilemma of filling the open Supreme Court seat. Again, it's McConnell calling the shots by taking a "no hearings" stand on Obama's nominee. That's another "no" in the face of the majority of public opinion to let the process play out. It boggles the mind when McConnell knows that every nominee is subject to Senate approval or disapproval. I fail to see where the concern is.

So Adelson can tuck himself in his Nevada mansion knowing that the strength of his message has been weakened by the acts, or "no" acts, of his strange bedfellows calling the shots.

Jack Bechtold, New Port Richey

Huge rush to fill spots | May 16

It's not the teachers' fault

It is so counterproductive to uproot teachers and give little consideration to all the influences as to why students fail. To allow the teachers and administrators to carry the full burden for poor performance at five troubled schools in south St. Petersburg is unrealistic. It's simply political correctness gone amok. I compare it to moving chairs around on the Titanic. Look at the funding and the shift of dollars to often-maligned charter schools and, of course, the home environment when determining why students fail.

Dr. Marc J. Yacht, Hudson

School manager spent big | May 16

Why do we have charters?

I do not understand why charter schools are allowed to function. First, they are not subject to oversight as tough as traditional public schools. Why? That's easy — to hide their effectiveness. Second, if Newport Educational Partners needs consulting fees, then it seems those in charge do not know what they are doing. Third, they charge leasing fees for their buildings when the county has adequate classroom space.

The idea that charter schools can do a better job than public schools is based on what evidence? As of now we do not know how effective they are in relation to educating. But it sure seems they can grow deficits.

Why do we have charter schools when fundamental schools or private schools offer alternatives? Seems to me charter schools are only interested in financial investments and not educational investments.

Jim Demmy, Kenneth City

Worried about wrinkles? | May 16, commentary

Maturity bears many gifts

Gina Barreca's article is a welcome delight. And her closing statement — "here's to having all the best lines" — leads me to ask this: What is the best line for an older woman to use when someone calls her "young lady?" This often-used condescending term speaks to how little our society values a long-lived life and the many gifts that come with maturity. I struggle to find a considerate way to respond to such ignorance.

Barbara Finkelstein, Safety Harbor

The right to die the right way | May 16, commentary

There is no 'right to die'

In her opinion column, Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson bases her support for euthanasia on the right to die. Nowhere does the U.S. Constitution address the "right" to die. It falls clearly on the side of the "right to live." Why are doctors even violating a much older rule, the Hippocratic Oath, and letting people die?

Christopher Martinez, Land O'Lakes