At U.S. military hospitals, 'everybody is overworked'

[babylonsister]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-06-04-military-hospitals_N.htm

At U.S. military hospitals, 'everybody is overworked'


By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
FORT STEWART, Ga. — Winn Army Community Hospital has a baby boom it cannot handle.

Mothers and children and strollers pack the pediatrics department, another hassle after long waits for hard-to-get appointments. The problems don't stop there. From gynecology to internal medicine, this hospital on the grounds of Fort Stewart, the biggest Army base in the South, is overwhelmed. Too many patients are demanding too many services from a medical facility with too few doctors and too little space.

Military families complain they can't get in to see a doctor. The hospital's top commander points to a lack of money and staff to meet basic needs. And everyone involved agonizes about whether the problems can be fixed any time soon.

The Army's acting surgeon general says the situation here illustrates the challenge the service faces nationwide in keeping health care promises that were made to soldiers when they enlisted. Months after the problems revealed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center caused a massive shake-up throughout the military's system of care, the service is struggling to find enough doctors and nurses to care for troops and their families.

"If you're sending someone off into harm's way, if you're asking them to do the nation's business, you need to take care of them," says Col. Scott Goodrich, Winn's commander. "Whenever we can't provide the care we need to a soldier, that's very, very painful to me.

more...

[StarryNite]

1. Yeah but it's all for a good cause.

:eyes: :sarcasm:

[Solly Mack]

2. It's gotten really bad

The wait list for a pap smear is up to 6 months, for example...6 months can be the difference between life and death.

[bamademo]

3. I work at a military health care facility and we're short staffed on providers

They've all been deployed. Doctors, Medics, Nurses and Physician Assistants. We were discussing this article at work today and noticed how much the cost has risen for care since * was in office.

[TahitiNut]

4. Maybe they should off-shore it to Cuba?

Funny how Cuba seems to be able to effectively provide universal health care and even export it to other nations.