Ricky Ricardo

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Just finished reading a story about a homeless man in New York who goes by the name of Ricky Ricardo. It seems old Ricky has figured out that the best way to get a hot meal and a comfortable bed is to drink himself to oblivion and then call 911. He complains of chest pains or suicidal tendencies and an ambulance is dispatched to pick him up. After a few X-rays or an MRI, he is allowed to rest comfortably for the night and then he heads back to the streets. He claims he's pulled this trick at least a few dozen times.

Now I'm all for people having a place to rest their heads, but the drain of such a trick is undeniable. Try getting an ambulance ride for less than $800. The cost of MRI's and X-rays is also through the roof. Yet what can you do? As a society we can't leave a man claiming chest pains to die on the streets - can we?

Overall the hospital system needs a total re-do. Yet where do you start? Health care for all? Health care for none?

I find the whole situation absolutely maddening. I spent a lot of time in Mercy Hospital in Buffalo early in the year and the place was a mess - literally and figuratively. The staff seemed to be trying to work around it, but I was still left sleeping in a hard plastic chair, begging for someone to clean the waiting room, not knowing who was coming or going - not knowing who was in charge. A mess.

At the Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo there is an underlying concern for who is being brought in and how the visits can be better - I'm able to view it as a concerned observer rather than a parent of a child needing continued service, but I'm also lucky to know some of the principles involved. There's a certain amount of frustration in the system, but the staff and administration is giving every effort. Unfortunately, there may be too much water to tread in some cases.

Another article earlier in the week spoke of the poor performance of many of the hospitals scattered throughout this great nation.

Have we fallen so far that we don't have an answer for a vodka-swilling man who's figured out how to cheat the system?

Unfortunately it seems that Ricky Ricardo is whipping our asses and there isn't anything we can do about it.

Comments

John said…
It is always about hiring the right people. In this economy, there should be more than enough good people who can clean the waiting room (rather than sit with us for a half hour on his phone - remember?).
12 July, 2009
Catholic Health said…
Mr. Fazzolari,

I just came across your blog and want you to know in Catholic Health, our top priority is to provide our patients with the highest quality care and service. We are sorry your experience at Mercy Hospital did not meet your expectations. We take concerns like this very seriously and invite you to contact our patient representative Michele Blackburn at 828-2044 or at mblackbu@chsbuffalo.org, so that we can look into this matter for you. Your satisfaction is very important to us and we thank you for the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

JoAnn Cavanaugh
Director of Public Relations
kjc4281@chsbuffalo.org
11 March, 2010
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