I went into the practice of medicine to help people, and I do. I am a doctor not a businessman but I’m also a husband and a father. So often these days, it seems, physicians are left having to explain why they charge people at all. Why is this? I went to college for four years, to medical school for four more and spent the next six years in a surgical residency program. I entered the “workforce” at age 32, (already many years after most people have begun to accrue savings and retirement funds) with an astronomical student loan debt but an optimistic view for my future. Well, as every other physician in this country, I got a rude awakening from malpractice insurance (Over $100,000/year) fees to office management to HMO reimbursement. Which, by the way, too often, does not cover the expense of running an office, let alone a salary for the physician. Many of my colleagues have left their practices for positions in other fields. It is a shame, for the mass exodus from the medical field does not reflect the quality of expertise that has left. Many of who were pioneers in their field. I really feel people today should question when an HMO claims they’ve controlled health costs, for the money has just been redirected away from the patient to the pockets of the HMO leaders. If you check, you’ll find most CEOs of HMOs receive yearly salaries in the millions of dollars. As a husband and father of four, do I hope, after I pay the insurances and the office expenses, that I have an income to support my family and put away for college for my kids and my retirement? Yes, I do want that. That I can take a yearly vacation with my family? Guilty as charged.
But as for the “world renowned” stuff, those are your words not ours. We are a group of surgeons who specialize in laparoscopy and happen to be very good at what we do. I believe in this website as a source of support for all of you suffering from ARD. As to the crack about my having the time to read the postings on this site; I don’t! However I make the time because I think reading some of your postings gives me a better understanding of what ARD patients are going through. And perhaps with this understanding, I may be able to help a little more and with a little more compassion than the next guy. Thanks for you time. Jay Redan MD