Marty
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 160
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2003 3:34 am Post subject: Home Patients
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Lin, Hopefully that will help move along the movement of home hemo. It's a "choice" all dialysis patients and families deserve as well as nephrologist. A typical visit to the nephrologist for us goes like this. <
>Nephrologist: How are you?<
>Dad: Good<
>Nephrologist: You look good; your labs are good; are you having any problems; do you need any prescriptions or anything?<
>Dad: No<
>Nephrologist: Sorry you had to make the trip for nothing.<
>Dad: OK <
><
>We see 2 nephrologist a month both conversations are about the same. Believe it or not our nephrologist really do enjoy seeing patients who aren't sick and are able to enjoy life not just some days but the major majority of days.<
>
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cks
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 12
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2003 8:36 am Post subject: Re: Bitch2 and Brame
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What are you so upset about? What specifically about Grassley's letter are you thinking of? are you saying Grassley says he is an advocate? or are you talking about DEO?
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bitch2
Joined: 19 Jul 2003
Posts: 3
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2003 10:43 am Post subject: Grassley an advocate ?
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come on perhaps for himself he is. He has known for years what has been going on in the Dialysis world and has chosen to do nothing about it except when the cameras and microphones are there. The minute no audience - he forgets anything and everything he heard and said. For the most he is out for himself and the money he can put in his pocket.....
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Huh
Joined: 07 Nov 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2003 11:27 am Post subject: RE: BITCH2
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jeez, lay off the crack pipe B*2. That stuff will kill you.
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Crassley
Joined: 10 Nov 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2003 3:41 pm Post subject: Heeeeeee
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He is only one of the key players in doing nothing. I am sure taht he will be forced to do something this time. Go figure that he doesnt, they are going to the house side for hearings. Now he is wanting answers on Nov 14,2003?<
>What is it he didnt understnd in 2000? He simply wants to cover his arse, as he is no longer needed. Hes holding the bag and has to react.
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Lin
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 337
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:59 am Post subject: Issues
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Politicians have people who crunch the numbers; they get behind the issues that will
ing them votes, and that strokes their egos. Grassley has "now" realized there are many on dialysis, with friends and family watching.<
>Marty, My appt. is the same except the neph. doesn't apoligize. He asks me how I feel and I say tiried and he says "your labs are very good". Lin.
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Observer
Joined: 24 Feb 2003
Posts: 7
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2003 10:39 am Post subject: Grassley
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Wow now I know why some people become polititians! No doubt about it, Grassley has a way with words.. a silver spoon in his mouth. But the fact that he came out with his letter 3 years too late shows that he didn't really care about dialysis patients.. it's only about wooing the voters. Very sad..just another crooked polititian.
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Beth
Joined: 12 Nov 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 6:04 am Post subject: GAO Report
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I am glad that Sen. Grassley called for a GAO report on dialysis. Although he could have repeated what patients have told him without a study, it's likely that his concerns would not have been acted upon. Having an unbiased federal agency investigate patients' complaints and agency oversight of dialysis facilities lends tremendous credibility to the report and calling upon the federal government to respond to the report and its recommendations by November 24 puts agencies on notice that they must DO something.<
><
>So far as to whether his letter to HHS and CMS was politically motivated, I think not. In Iowa there are about 3 million people. Only about 2,000 of them have kidney failure. Even with family and friends, I doubt that their votes will swing the 2004 election. Is it important to know his motivation? Isn't it more important to know that he
ought this issue to public attention and increased the chance that there will be improvement in dialysis patient quality of care?<
><
>As the saying goes, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. Rather than criticizing those that are trying to help you, I hope that people on this listserv will put their energies into helping federal agencies and those staff that are trying to solve the problems.
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Jim
Joined: 06 Feb 2003
Posts: 2
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 7:35 am Post subject: Grassley
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I don't agree with your viewpoint at all that Sen. Grassley's motivation is not important. He is calling for these govt. agencies to be accountable. Why wasn't he accountable 3 years ago?! Why didn't he keep in touch with this organization and tell us what was going on? We didn't stop working with him-- he stopped working with us! He let this urgent cause drop. Now he's balling out other agencies for what he did or neglected to do! He didnt follow through when he should have. There is a difference between criticism just for the sake of criticism and demanding accountability. Sen. Grassley has some explaining to do. No matter how many polititians drop the ball, the honest citizens who want justice will keep it before the polititians until they do their jobs. If Grassley won't do the job, there's more fish in the sea, and we'll find someone who will!!!
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To Miss BetH
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 8:25 am Post subject: Talk about out of touch.
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First of all it was DEO that
ought the issues out,it was responsible for the 2000 hearings and being the voice out there for the patients. It has been DEO that has not given up on cleaning this industry. Why would one want to work with this corrupt industry,when patients have been dying for 30 years. He has had many documents and 3 Federal investigations and did nothing. Many patients stories and did nothing.<
><
>Not working with Senator Grassley?He was the first person that was given the documents that prompted 3 federal investigations and the Hearings. Once again we have Senator Grassley that was outRaged in 2000, NO PATIENT will be afraid of retaliation, this will not be tolorated! Guess what, the witness is dead! Still waiting for the standards of care that were promised. To date nothing has been yielded. As he took Amigen money, that is in the newsarticle, in that election. Now lets talk about over 3 years since the last hearing, nothing was done, and still no standards of care. Now we are concerned
with election once again?<
> <
>Work with Senator Grassley ? We did and gave him all the patients who have been dismissed with no cause and ones that have been abused and he decided to not have the hearings. Only to release a watered down version of the issues on CNN. No patient that was dismissed to die was interviewed on that report. Sounds like somebody that has the patients issues on his mind? I have worked for 5 years with Grassley, he was aware of dismissals for over 5 years, did nothing the first time around and dont think he will do it again. <
><
>First time I was still on the pony feeling that Senator Grassley was going to do right, after election the patients were dumped. He has been aware for years, as he was made aware of the issues all along and it was ignored. So tried it again for the next so called hearing, and have been told that inorder to change the industry, we had to have hearings. Grassley knew this once again and just released a watered down version of the issues to the public and writes Scully a nasty letter. No hearings ,as they were cancelled.What more does one need to do to clean this up? Wait for more promises and wait another year? No thanks! <
><
> Once shame on him, twice shame on us. We have been here before, and we now know that he had no intention of holding any hearings. So we are working with others and have two hearings coming on the house side, plus other power players in the DC arena. We dont need Grassley, we realize that he had no intention of having the hearings. Soooooo we wonder why now ? It is once again coming up to an election year. He is holding a snipe bag, and blames Skully and CMS? Scully wasnt there in 2000. Cms can only do so much with out congressional hearings.<
><
>So what is it that your not understanding? Grassley will only come alive when they are aware that we are not stopping. He has had two chances and 5 years working with him to realize that its all about letters and microphone time,and promises. So we have moved on, he is only one Senator.So after working with him for 5 years loads of patients conditions and awareness of all dismissals, this man has done nothing. He was well aware of us going elsewhere and the expose..that is why I think he is loooking as if he is doing something.<
><
> It will take a congressional act, we have found others that are upset of the dismissals and the fact that Grassley did nothing also. He has shown his colors to me for 5 years, we have moved on. He didnt
ing out the hard issues on CNN has he? <
><
>He can do what he pleases, we are in a better spot and can not chance him with promises at election time and then forget about you for another 4. Not having to spend another 5 1/2 years for them to do something. If he has the hearings, then I will believe he is sincere, his record is not one stopping the insanity.We still are going elsewhere as we have only a certain amount of time before elections are over. We have never stopped!<
><
>Arlene
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brenda
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 103
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 11:16 am Post subject: Ms.Beth
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'Isn't it more important to know that he
ought this issue to public attention and increased the chance that there will be improvement in dialysis patient quality of care?'<
><
>Taken from your response about Sen. Gra$$ley. You have hit a raw nerve here ---the Senate witness that Arlene mentions above is dead as she said. I buried him along with the
oken promises from Sen.Gra$$ley --<
><
>Where do you get the info that he
ought this to the public attention ? and is doing something about it ? He is all talk for the camera, media. But the bleep minute they are off, so is he, looking for the next issue and NOT following thru on his words. Still waiting for the actions he said he would take should Brent be threatened in any manner after he spoke out....Hell I'll probably be in my grave and my kids will still be waiting for his actions. <
><
>Granted there are about 2,000 patients on Dialysis like you said in Iowa, and that their votes- family and friends, wouldn't make a dent in the elections, but if one person tells another, and that one tells another and so on.........you would be surprised how many can be informed about the situation. While those may not have any knowledge about the issues on hand, if they were to find out he is NOT a man of his words, perhaps they will begin to question his stance on other things as well and that will make that dent.<
><
><
>
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Pollyanna
Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 22
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 12:56 pm Post subject: Complain
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Thank God DEO has complained and continued on. Even with those that thought them crazy. Guess someone did take on the issues for patients. Criticize? I think this board is and has been of action. <
>Thank you every0ne!<
>
