Medical Representatives within the Medicaid system of health care providers are not treating their patients as they should.

This article from WHYY is about the exact area of most of my visits.  I would encourage you to read or listen to it and check out the pictures.  

I'm thrilled that the transportation organization SEPTA is providing social services to these amazing men and women who have this medical condition known as Substance Use Disorder.

I'm happy that police whose role is street-level law enforcement have the Police Assisted Diversion Program that assists these amazing men and women who have this medical condition known as Substance Use Disorder.

I'm just wondering when the local medical community whose professional members have dedicated their careers to the ideals of Hippocrates for the purpose of medical provision to medical patients will actually step forward and start to treat their medical patients who have Substance Use Disorder with prompt dignity and respect-filled care.

If you're reading this blog and not familiar with Substance Use Disorder, it is recognized as a medical disease. The Philadelphia Police Department and SEPTA should not have to be involved in a leadership role in treating medical patients who have a medical disease.

Medical Representatives within the Medicaid system of health care providers are not treating their patients as they should.

Let's personalize this personal situation:

In this picture from the article, you see Kenneth Harris interacting with a woman who needs services related to her Substance Use Disorder. 

• As I see this woman's red hair, the way she's leaning forward toward him, the way she's reaching out with her left arm, I'm wondering if this is Melanie, who I introduced to you on July 27, 2018. 

• In this picture, to the left, you see part of a doorway.  That doorway leads up steps to the elevated train line that runs above Kensington Avenue.  It is on those steps where I administered Narcan to Allison, a Delaware County resident.  She revived, was taken by ambulance to Episcopal Hospital and was told by the Registered Nurse on duty in that emergency room which is dedicated to health care provision to patients who are experiencing life threatening situations and who at the beginning of her career had dedicated that career to the ideals of Hippocrates to:

"Get out of My Emergency Room!"

It is high time that the Medicaid-based medical community - in the spirit and name of Hippocrates - steps forward and invites their patients into a prompt dignity and respect filled healing experience so that these people - these inspirational human beings who are made in the image of God and worthy of dignity, honor, respect, and love - can get on with their lives and back to their families and realize the joy of living.

There's a world of difference between the styles of health care provision to Substance Use Disorder patients depending on their Private vs. Medicaid insurance status.  Here's a blog that looks at those differences.  The private insurance realm of this tragedy can and should lead the way in finding solutions so as to save the millions of lives that lie in wait of much wanted and needed prompt dignity and respect filled health care services.