THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 22, 1997 TAG: 9702240305
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 69 lines
MILITARY
Personnel show
kindness, respect
It is ironic that the article discussing the care at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth appeared on the day I took my son for a post-op visit. It is also six weeks to the day I had urgent surgery done. Both of these operations were done under the excellent care of the military staff at the Medical Center.
We have lived in Virginia Beach for seven years and, after six years of using CHAMPUS while my husband was stationed in Columbus, Ohio, chose to use the military health benefits offered here. Over the course of these last few years, literally thousands of dollars have been spent to keep my family healthy and relieved of pain with very little out-of-pocket cost for us.
Yes, I have experienced a lot of waiting over the years. That's why I always take something to do, whether it's a book, counted cross stitch or stationery. I've even balanced my checkbook. I waited for doctors when we used CHAMPUS, too.
Another thing I have experienced, more important perhaps, is kindness and respect from the medical personnel I have come in contact with at the Medical Center.
I'm not saying that the Medical Center runs perfectly. There is always room for improvement when working with something as precious as human life. But I want to thank those who take care of me and my family.
Deborah S. Engelking
Virginia Beach, Feb. 13, 1997
MILITARY
Medical Center compares favorably
with the ``outside''
As a proud civilian employee of Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, I was very disturbed with the one-sideness of the Feb. 13 front-page article, ``Hospital asks hard questions, gets hard answers about care.''
I was a Navy dependent for six years, and now I am totally dependent on managed care on the ``outside.'' I feel the best way to have presented this survey would have been to compare it with civilian medical care.
The article quoted one woman as saying, ``In the Navy, you're a number and you're lucky to get an appointment.'' I have to call my civilian GYN doctor several months in advance to get a pap appointment scheduled. Also, I pay $165 per month for my health-care plan and additional money for each doctor visit and prescription.
The story said patients have to see a different doctor every time. My children often see many different physicians in the pediatric group where they get their care.
You can turn this complaint around - seeing different physicians can sometimes mean one doctor sees something another one did not.
I believe the new hospital will polish what we have. There are many places the Navy Medical Center can and should improve, but you should trumpet all we are doing right, all the improvements we are making. Disgruntled patients will be disgruntled no matter where they go.
In my job, I talk to patients every day who think this is the best health-care facility with the most-caring physicians. Patients call back and say ``thank you.'' I have worked for two other health-care chains in the area and there is no better place to work than at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center. It has been my experience that employers who care about their employees care about their customers.
Anita Faulkner
Portsmouth, Feb. 13, 1997