Still Waiting...

On January 26 I was finally contacted by Linda Allen, the Assistant to the Vice President and Medical Director, of Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, regarding my demand to meet with the management team regarding the latest medical error on my daughter, Hunter. She informed me that she is "attempting to coordinate schedules of two very busy surgeons and the Vice President and Medical Director". We're apparently looking at a date in late February.

I am eager to help the Very Busy Surgeons, and the Vice President and Medical Director, understand what it is like to be "very busy" - supervising nurses and doctors 24 hours a day 7 days a week in the hospital room to directly prevent medical errors while parenting two other children and working a full-time job. It seems to me that if they were very busy managing their surgeons we wouldn't need a meeting that is so difficult to schedule as a result of their being very busy. Do I suddenly sound like Lewis Carroll? Or do they? (Hint: Lewis Carroll is the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which is where I often find myself with my meetings with Childrens's staff: "A word means whatever I want it to mean....". But I digress.)

The message to parents is that you need to challenge what may be conveyed as a "misunderstanding" and force accountability. As parents, that is our job with respect to our children's healthcare. When these Very Busy Surgeons finally run out of stalling tactics and meet with this Very Busy Father and Very Busy Mother, we will learn what the excuse is for the latest medical error. Stay tuned.

To me, the word "accountability" means only one thing, regardless of that they want it to mean. I think they know that about me, as busy as they may be, which at least partially explains the delay, doesn't it?