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The Story

Doctors/health care is the third leading cause of death in the United States killing 225,000 people every year (JAMA, July 2000).

Last year (2009) I fell and tore my rotator cuff. As a result I saw many physicians and physical therapists. This happened in the midst of being assaulted by the news media – TV, newspapers, radio, and magazines – reporting on the health care debate. As the debate raged on, I realized that I had one more commentary box left in me. I had the title, “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” before I started work on it. Inspired by the title, I decided to fuse together three medicine cabinets, each one representing one of the subjects in the title.

I chose Doctors Without Borders, one of my favorite charities, to represent The Good. These wonderful people work under hazardous conditions in all parts of the Third World. At the time I started thinking about this box, they were in Haiti treating victims of the horrible earthquake. You will notice the door to their section is ajar. I want Good to come and go and never be hindered.

The Bad in the middle medicine chest is represented by the doctor with a mask made of money. Interestingly, the Time magazine cover in this piece dates back to 1978. The problem of the poor not affording adequate medical care has been around forever! We have police and firemen protecting all of us. It would be nice if the medical corps would join that group.

Finally there is The Ugly. In this medicine cabinet, along with costly useless medicines, I have placed a copy of my father’s death certificate. Look closely and you will see the cause of death – therapeutic misadventure! While in the recovery room after surgery, he bled to death while nurses were busy elsewhere!

Over 200,000 people die each year from hospital errors!

Does anyone really doubt that the healthcare system has room for improvement?