To John Greenberg’s commentary on the causes of the cost of health care in Vermont and the U.S., I say amen!
I assure you that the financial aspect of providing the best care possible grew out of all proportion during the decades I was a practicing registered nurse, the last few decades in home care and hospice in Caledonia County.
Not only did our administrative branch expand exponentially — due to the need to understand and implement changing and varied regulations, and to negotiate the spider web of payment mechanisms — but the documentation requirements for staff affected what and how much care we were able to provide.
The balance of staff education shifted from primarily skills development to documentation instruction, in order to be paid for our work. And even today, the entire staff are hard-working, caring, dedicated people trying to provide the best possible care to our clients, and to care for each other as well.
Mary Beth Furr
St. Johnsbury