[StBernard] LRA Chair, Board Members Urge Swift HUD, VA Approvals on LS...

[Westley Annis]

JLY,
 
     I currently live outside Fort Payne. Huntsville, which is only 75 miles
away, doesn't have infant ophthalmologists- only Children's in Birmingham.
The 250 miles is there and back- 125 one way. I'm at exit 218 off of 59 ad I
have to go to I-459 which starts at exit 100 off of 59...We have Dekalb
County Regional Hospital, but like I said, it's more like Chalmette was 20
years ago. Don't get me wrong, Huntsville has a "pretty" facility and a well
touted NICU unit. However, when I told you the hell I went through there
when my daughter was born, you would understand why I truly hate the system
here. To summarize, they took my daughter shortly after being born 75 miles
away (I had no idea what or where Huntsville was) I made her father follow
the ambulance to the Huntsville Regional hospital and make sure she was
registered right. I was suppose to be called and brought up to date once she
was admitted...I'm still waiting for that call 7 months later. I had to call
the hospital. No doctors ever called me even when I left messages, according
to the nurses, doctors don't call patient's parents, they are too busy. When
I had questions about my daughter's care, I was treated like I didn't know
what I was talking about. I had a premee 2 years prior at East Jeff, so I
knew quite a bit about care, what to expect, etc. and this one was not even
half as sick- the first was 28 Weeks, this one was 34. Then the creme de la
creme, I received a card in the mail about three months after she was
discharged for a follow up with her cardiologist- she was in for premature
lungs not heart issues, so I thought. No one thought to tell me, include it
in her medical records, or inform her pediatrician she had a mummer and a
hole in her heart and it wasn't in her records because the cardiologist was
only called in for a consult. At EJ, I was called daily by the doctors with
updates, discussions of my other daughter's care along with options, and
because things were local, you could be transferred to be with your child. 
     I had a C-section and was suppose to be hospitalized for a week, when I
asked to be transferred, they wouldn't, so I signed myself out 36 hours
later and drove myself to Huntsville and spent a week there as a parent. My
doctor to this day likes to tell me he was un amused by my antics and to
this day never saw anyone walk out like I did. Specialists are too far away
for patients care, and I would hate to see people not getting care because
the specialist was too far. I remember when I thought it was a pain to drive
to Metairie, God do I miss the good ol' days of 16 ile 1 hour trips!!!!
 
Wendy