drama mama

LORD have mercy how quickly a day can turn on a dime.  One minute things were manageable and then boom* it was hell on wheels.  It happens like a gas fire up in there sometimes!  Sick people needing care don't necessarily come in any order unless they're critical.   We have tons of walk in diagnostic traffic from corporate physician's offices in addition to inpatient care.....all according to "the book" which is also known as Joint Commission standards.  They are scary in a non-specific hard to meet sort of way when the process depends on the objectivity of the survey team.  I've worked with good ones who seek real improvement and others who were intent on making somebody's day miserable because they could.

The punitive nature of government involvement in healthcare is responsible for much of the cost in the form of fines..  When I started working in the local blood bank honest to god chicken inspectors did surveys for the FDA.  lerd.   There is a story of great historic significance related to my career as a blood banker.  I hated it in clinicals because all we did was process units for storage.  Like LOTS of 'em!  It was in the scary ass basement of John Gaston which was a horror movie setting at some point in time.  Now?  It's The Med.  They are the trauma place to be and also childhood disease stuff like at St. Jude and LeBonheur.  MHS and Baptist are still in a pissing match over the "market" which is a shame because they are representing churches.

When I ended up back at home after the boyfriend dumped me and started at Parkview, lab still had blood gases and EKG.  And autopsies!  Our boss assisted the Cuban du jour with his handy saw and a cig hanging over somebody's grandaddy.  I'm telling you, it was straight out of Quincy.  Never a big liver eater, I haven't touched it after that day.  I decided then it was better to work among the living and try to save a life or something.  You know, help people.

So I became the transfusion service supervisor within a couple of years.  The refrigerator was the ancient round kind and our blood was delivered from Memphis by bus from 80 miles away.  Let's just say you better call ahead because you're looking at six hours minimum.  At that point a man named Jack Smythe of Jackson Tennessee was the director of their independent blood center known as West Tennessee Regional. He was big on recruitment in the communities they served and a local program began with much preaching and pleading by Willis G Gilliland the Dyer County Volunteer Blood Program was born.  Both of my parents were right there in the middle of it.  Willis was on the board that hired Jack's replacement Joe from umm...Saudi Arabia or something??  He had been the director of a royal blood bank there and his wife is one of us as well.  They are retiring to the "high desert" soon and I'm thrilled for them.  Our work relationships have been such that I could call on either of them at any time with a stupid question.

I can say the same about Linda Colebank of MHS.  She was part of a team who converted us from total paper to Sunquest when the West TN Seven got bought.  Their server in Memphis crashed for a week.  The printers had gears holding four ply forms.  But once the bugs were worked out?  It was totally backed up and paperless.  I miss those days, seriously.  When acquisition becomes a means to an end for a company, somebody will pay.    And then there's good old Amy P in Jackson, god love her.  We really are just a village, you know?

I have a day off finally to sleep in past daylight which I enjoy on occasion.  There may be some Cracker Barrel breakfast with a gift card and some car looking at.  Whatever happens, I won't be in charge because I'm past all that, as they say.

 Faith ~