Opinion
Cooperate on care, not stress division
LETTER — Posted July 2, 2007
Regarding "Legal training teaches that physicians must take control of their own destiny" (Letters, June 4): As the spouse of a talented, dedicated general surgeon, I recognize the sacrifices that the writer, Kathy M. Anderson, MD, JD, of Costa Mesa, Calif., speaks to in her letter. As my husband's office manager, I fully concur that physicians too often are at the mercy of powerful corporate agencies, ironically called insurance companies. All they insure is their executives' enduring financial health.
I must respectfully object to counsel's fear that physicians will one day be replaced by nurse practitioners with less training, knowledge, "or at times, intelligence." As a nurse practitioner student, I know my education and knowledge base differ from that of a physician. I look forward to caring for patients in collaboration with other health care providers. At present, Medicare typically reimburses NPs at a percentage of what physicians receive for providing the same services. Your dwindling reimbursements become our dwindling reimbursements.
Please don't assail my intelligence, or that of all those who have gone before me, not for money (obviously), or respect (as evidenced by counsel's letter), but by the desire to care for patients more fully. NPs often practice in areas where real doctors would rather not. Let us not engender division, but cooperate to care for people.
Noelle Lipkin, RN, Englewood, Fla.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/07/02/edlt0702.htm.
