Here’s a column of mine, published today at Politico.com. Everyone wants to make these issues into right/left battles. I was asked to write this, and it concerns mental health, which is a topic very important to anyone in emergency medicine. I have written for publications of various political orientation and I’ve tried not to let the liberal/conservative division limit me too much.
Speaks volumes to me as an emergency room practitioner, as well as having a sister who died by gun suicide three years after a suicide attempt. She got “lost” in the system. So many are lost. Thanks for caring.
Edwin,
so much tragic truth here, but the hard reality is that it isn’t just rural settings any more that have no capacity for mental health care. It is everywhere — even in cities of 70,000 where I practice. We can’t depend on psychiatrists to be available and inpatient stays are 3 days or less.
It is now a primary care illness and docs like me need to step up and take care of folks who can’t get care anywhere else.
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pl ask Edwin to contact me
art jordan md
jordanmd@sc.rr.com
Speaks volumes to me as an emergency room practitioner, as well as having a sister who died by gun suicide three years after a suicide attempt. She got “lost” in the system. So many are lost. Thanks for caring.
KP
Edwin,
so much tragic truth here, but the hard reality is that it isn’t just rural settings any more that have no capacity for mental health care. It is everywhere — even in cities of 70,000 where I practice. We can’t depend on psychiatrists to be available and inpatient stays are 3 days or less.
It is now a primary care illness and docs like me need to step up and take care of folks who can’t get care anywhere else.