ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 14, 1996 TAG: 9612160029
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-11 EDITION: METRO
IN RESPONSE to Scott McDonald's Dec. 4 letter to the editor, ``Hospital staff gave tender, loving care'':
The "superb care" he received was delivered by registered nurses. I wonder how he would have rated his hospital stay if unlicensed personnel were responsible for most of his care, as they will be, if Carilion goes through with its reorganization plans.
Dr. Philip Shiner (Nov. 28 letter, ``Who's in control of health care?'') states that "patients need to take control over their health-care decisions.'' Unfortunately, patients have no idea that they are paying for - or receiving - "cut-rate medicine" until they require a procedure or care their insurance will not pay for. Likewise, a patient in a hospital has no way of judging the care they are receiving unless a problem occurs.
The people who know that a patient has been released from the hospital before he or she should have been, or is in a monitored bed that isn't being monitored, or isn't receiving the assessments and treatments he or she should have been given are the doctors and nurses in charge of the patient's care. Doctors and nurses are the ones we lay people depend on to ensure that we are receiving the care that we need, and hospital management needs to listen to them.
I admire the professionalism and dedication of the nurses of the Carilion hospitals who have the courage to stand up for us - the patients - because we have no way of knowing we aren't getting proper care and no voice of our own since employers' insurance companies and hospitals are making the decisions for us, not nurses and doctors as it should be.
JOHN PRICE
BLACKSBURG
Alcoholism is a disease
UPON READING your Nov. 30 news article, ``Coach throws in the towel,'' I was shocked at the apathy of school officials and teachers in the Botetourt County school system.
Apparently, our educators and Andy Ward's attorney need some facts about the debilitating disease of alcoholism.
Sixty percent of all automobile-crash fatalities involve a driver who has been drinking.
If a person has a desire to become well - and receives support - alcoholism can be managed one day at a time. Ward needs help in order to deal with his disease.
More information on this disease is available at mental-health clinics.
JOYCE BOWLES
BLUE RIDGE
Reynolds votes for education
I CANNOT believe the campaign mail I got from state Senate candidate Allen Dudley, pretending to be a champion for education. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He can talk a good game, but when it comes to voting for education, he puts party politics before our children.
Earlier this year, Dudley had the chance to show his commitment to education by voting for the Omnibus Education Act, but he refused to vote at all. This bill would provide millions of dollars to upgrade school libraries, expand Head Start, fund programs for troubled children, and put all of the lottery money directly into public education as opposed to the general fund. Gov. Allen vetoed this education bill for ideological reasons, and Dudley toed the party line and voted with the governor.
If Dudley succeeds in continuing to prevent the proper funding for public education, then our schools will suffer. Everyone but him seems to understand that in order to succeed in the future, our children need to get a solid education and our schools have to modernize.
For the education of my children, I am voting for Roscoe Reynolds. He doesn't just talk about education, he votes for it.
PATRICIA HAMMOND
COLLINSVILLE
White House exhibit can still be viewed
IN RESPONSE to Audrey Wiley's Nov. 29 letter to the editor, ``White House exhibit attracted too few'':
The Art Museum of Western Virginia is still hosting the exhibition, The White House Collection of American Crafts. This collection, created for the home of the president of the United States, contains masterworks of contemporary crafts by more than 70 established and emerging artists from throughout the United States.
Fortunately, the opportunity to view these works has not been missed. The exhibition will run through Jan. 12. Wiley is correct that Roanoke should be proud to have an exhibition of this caliber.
CINDY HAGERMAN
Marketing Director
Art Museum of Western Virginia
ROANOKE
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