Page 244 - Total War on PTSD

“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” - William Osler
Courtenay: Throughout my life I have seen physician’s in the civilian and military sectors. You can always seem to tell which ones really care about their work and which ones are their to ‘punch a card’ or make a buck, so to speak. Being an advocate for your own care, no matter which ‘sector’ you are dealing with, can mean the difference between adequate and sub-standard care...and sometimes even the difference between life and death. This is especially true when it comes to drug interactions, overprescribing and a lack of communication between prescribing entities. One thing I think is of vital importance, especially in a forum like the VA, is a ‘Running Mate Program’, where each Veteran would be assigned someone (maybe an RN) who would regularly be charged with reviewing their medications and medical history, and speaking to them directly, say on at least a quarterly basis, to discuss issues, drug interactions, concerns, communication issues, status of care requests, etc. I think such a thing could greatly improve the care of Veterans in the system. I know Veteran Representatives are in place now to address concerns, but they are not necessarily highly trained enough to take on such concerns or handle them at such a level as this. Veterans need an extra advocate on the inside who is also on their side. For me, personally, IV Ketamine Therapy is one of the best things I have even done to help with my PTSD, etc. It is well worth looking into if available. Dr. Pollack and his staff do extraordinary work in the field and should be commended, especially for what they do on behalf of Veterans!
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