Stephan: The incompetence and failure of Trump and his administration to deal effectively with the Covid-19 pandemic, and his politicization of mask-wearing has not only killed hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children, it has so over-stressed an already fragile illness profit system that it is at the breaking point. Doctors, nurses, orderlies, technicians are all stressed to the point that they just can't continue.
It is my hope that the end result of all this sadness, stress, and death will be a complete re-evaluation of healthcare in the United States, and the creation of a real healthcare system, universal and birthright, that is based on fostering wellbeing. Why do we settle for less?
Dr. Kelly McGregory had to close down her private pediatric practice outside Minneapolis because of the pandemic. “It was devastating,” she said. “That was my baby.”Credit…Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times
Thousands of medical practices are closing, as doctors and nurses decide to retire early or shift to less intense jobs.
Two years ago, Dr. Kelly McGregory opened her own pediatric practice just outside Minneapolis, where she could spend as much time as she wanted with patients and parents could get all of their questions answered.
But just as her practice was beginning to thrive, the coronavirus hit the United States and began spreading across the country.
“As an independent practice with no real connection to a big health system, it was awful,” Dr. McGregory said. At one point, she had only three surgical masks left and worried that she could no longer safely treat patients.
Families were also staying away, concerned about catching the virus. “I did some telemedicine, but it wasn’t enough volume to really replace what I was doing in the clinic,” […]
