[NPInfo] Answer to Wall Street Journal

[jlambertrn at comcast.net]

Ditto comments on the letter Dave! Thans again.
Julie Lambert, NP

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Maureen Richards" <maureenmr at cox.net> 

> Thanks for your well written response! 
> 
> Maureen Richards, ARNP 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: npinfo-bounces at nurse.net [mailto:npinfo-bounces at nurse.net] On Behalf 
> Of Linda Marie De Zago 
> Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12:00 PM 
> To: prispunnyfnp at metrocast.net; 'NP Info' 
> Subject: RE: [NPInfo] Answer to Wall Street Journal 
> 
> Well said! 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: npinfo-bounces at nurse.net [mailto:npinfo-bounces at nurse.net] On Behalf 
> Of prispunnyfnp at metrocast.net 
> Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12:22 PM 
> To: npinfo at nurse.net; acc-circle at listserve.com 
> Subject: RE: [NPInfo] Answer to Wall Street Journal 
> 
> EXCELLENT LETTER DAVE!!!! 
> Thanks for taking the time to respond so eloquently. 
> 
> Priscilla Merrill FNP 
> 
> Original Message: 
> ----------------- 
> From: David Mittman dmittman at comcast.net 
> Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:11:42 -0400 
> To: ACC-Circle at listserve.com, NPinfo at nurse.net, PAForum at mc.duke.edu 
> Subject: [NPInfo] Answer to Wall Street Journal 
> 
> 
> Sent to Dr. Brewer and Letters to the Editor and posted as a comment. 
> 
> Dear Dr. Brewer: 
> I read your article on the future of primary care in today's Wall 
> Street Journal with interest. 
> As a physician assistant (PA) with 33 years experience, I take 
> umbrage with a number of comments you made. Please let me explain. 
> You assertion that the primary care provided by NPs and PAs is 
> inferior to that of any other group of professionals who provide 
> primary care is biased, unfair and unable to be substantiated. Can 
> you show one study to back your opinion up? Do you have any idea how 
> much professional opinions based on anecdotal information hurt 
> people? To say that "you get what you pay for"regarding PA and NP 
> care smacks of the type of words used in turf battles without much 
> thought being given to the harm your statement can produce. The same 
> was said by the internal medicine physicians about the first family 
> physicians and your first residencies. Their graduates were also 
> looked at with less than the proper respect and understanding they 
> deserved. I am amazed you would do the same to others. 
> I think few would argue that a cardiologist is both trained better 
> and more broadly to treat cardiac problems than a family doctor. So 
> using your logic, in the case of treating hypertension or CHF, family 
> doctors also provide inferior treatment. Clearly the poor patient who 
> gets their CHF treated by a family physician rather than a 
> cardiologist would also" get what they pay for". That thinking is 
> absurd. To think that I would treat bronchitis, or otitis, or tinea, 
> or hypertension or most other problems differently than all others 
> who encounter them, is the same as thinking that you are not equipped 
> to treat hypertension. Of course you are, of course we are. 
> 
> Dr. Brewer there are close to 200,000 PAs and NPs in practice across 
> America, and the care we provide is excellent. Many work with your FP 
> colleagues whom I would guess are also allowing their patients to 
> receive inferior care. Much of the primary care delivered to our 
> servicemen and their dependents is provided by NPs and PAs, as is 
> much care in the much improved VA system. I suppose all of these 
> people receive poor care also. Even the President and Vice-President 
> have a PA treating them. The US Army's Flight Surgeon of the Year in 
> 2007 was a PA! 
> We deserve a place in any system designed to bring more healthcare to 
> the people of our country. 
> 
> As another professional, I would respectfully ask that you do two 
> things; one realize your comments can malign and hurt other 
> professionals who are out there working hard to provide care to many 
> who need it across our great country and secondly, as a man of 
> science, be able to back up your assertions with at least one or two 
> scientific studies. 
> 
> Yours for a healthier America 
> Dave Mittman, PA 
> Secretary, 
> American College of Clinicians 
> Natick, MA 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> NPInfo mailing list 
> NPInfo at nurse.net 
> http://lists.nurse.net/mailman/listinfo/npinfo 
> ***************************** 
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> mail2web.com - Enhanced email for the mobile individual based on MicrosoftR 
> Exchange - http://link.mail2web.com/Personal/EnhancedEmail 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> NPInfo mailing list 
> NPInfo at nurse.net 
> http://lists.nurse.net/mailman/listinfo/npinfo 
> ***************************** 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> NPInfo mailing list 
> NPInfo at nurse.net 
> http://lists.nurse.net/mailman/listinfo/npinfo 
> ***************************** 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. 
> Checked by AVG. 
> Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.21.7/1335 - Release Date: 3/19/2008 
> 9:54 AM 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> NPInfo mailing list 
> NPInfo at nurse.net 
> http://lists.nurse.net/mailman/listinfo/npinfo 
> *****************************