Thread: I just don't see how we can afford anymore in our hospitals

Our government, corporations, media, and universities have completely abandoned us (in fact have arrayed themselves against us) in this fight. The dimension of betrayal that our people are experiencing, here in America, is unprecedented. The very same thing is happening in England too.

Western countries (and the people that occupy them) are just so pathetic these days.

The ONE and ONLY reason for training FOREIGNERS for AMERICAN jobs is because foreign labor is CHEAPER! Which only goes to show that the employers involved in this scam are CHEAPSKATES!

As a health care professional I've seen atrocities as well. It's true that illegals get Medicaid and free health care while Americans are billed until they are sued or their homes are placed under leins.


I've posted about this before but the one thing every health care worker worries about is the patient abuse that is inflicted upon Americans when foreign trained nurses care for them.


The abuse I'm speaking about is the lack of communication between patient and caregiver.


When an American patient can't communicate with a nurse who speaks a foreign language, the patient suffers.


When a patient can't communicate with an American nurse, the taxpayers pay for a translator.


Americans are paying for others to get better care than they'll ever get. No matter what you call it, it's still patient abuse.

Good point Rattler.

I sort of figure a person would fair better filling out government form with an interpreter even if the interpreter was interpreting from English to English.

What I mean to say is say your applying for something like Social Security and your in their office. The person ask a question and you answer.

With an interpreter they you can work your way through the questions asking if I answer this way or that, what does it mean. You can play the idiot and feel around for the best way to answer.

It could be considered sort of sleazy doing it that way. We are going to have to level the playing field some way.


This reminds me of a guy at an old apartment complex I lived at. He was complaining that he couldn't get Social Security until he was here longer than six months. He was here visiting a relative on a six month visa. I ask him if India would pay me money for nothing like social security. He said no! and looked at me like I was some sort of idiot.

I don't know if their is any honest people left in the government that would check up and see that he didn't overstay his visa.

Originally Posted by StokeyBob

Good point Rattler.

I sort of figure a person would fair better filling out government form with an interpreter even if the interpreter was interpreting from English to English

Technically, your point is valid since some American accents are so thick that even a fluent English speaker has difficulty understanding the speaker, but we English speakers try to get through it.


Yet, we should all have translators when language skills and medical problems exist. Problem is, English speakers don't get help but pay for it while non-English speakers get the translators. Our tax dollars at work against us. Not for us.

I just don't understand how our own hospital survives. I guess it is government subsidized, because everyone acts as if there is plenty of money. I read somewhere that some $75 million was spent on indigent care last year -- but no one really speaks of it. And yes, I just have to wonder when staff salaries are going to take a cut. If that ever happens, you will hear that "giant sucking" sound going out the door of your local hospitals .... only the most dedicate will remain, or those not in need of a descent salary.

However, we have a shortage of staff -- always. Not enough techs, and not enough of the little things that make your day go smoother -- enough trash cans, linens, working phones, computers, etc. I wonder how much of that 75 mil could go towards hiring some extra staff for once.

And I do believe I am right about the family members. For whatever reason, this culture of illegals dictates that every family member from the top on down visits the ill family member in the hospital. They are there all day, just gobs of them in the rooms if there is this type of person there. They have never really treated me badly YET, but they're all just there -- taking up so much room and yacking and just there for no reason at all hours -- funny, I thought they were all here working.

As a nurse I appreciate the foreign nurses, and many are good nurses and good people -- but many are also lacking in language skills and there definitely are communication and cultural barriers at times. There is definitely a disconnect there -- and that does affect patient care. A pt. needs to trust a nurse and connnect somehow. I also know our hospsital is hiring them in droves for janitorial jobs -- they are everywhere. Next they will be techs, and then nurses, mark my words.

And medical folks more liberal? I've seen it here and there -- I think more PC than anything. You are very much forced to tow the line and to provide "culturally competent" care -- I mean, it's drilled in all throughout school. And the hospital is there to provide the best care to everyone in an equal fashion -- they pride themselves in it, which is great, but there seems to be a gag order on talking about just exactly WHO we are providing it to!

Right now I would be ok with sending my family member to our hospital .. .rules are so strict and pt. care if very high quality .. .but it's costing and costing -- and WHO is paying??? We all know who.

I have a neighbor who works in a hospital in San Francisco. She comes home on the weekends and her days off.

She had a case where an illegal got over $1 million worth of medical care. They asked the family members to leave when visiting hours were over and they refused and said they sue the hospital if they made them leave. The patient in the bed next to them was moved. It was so disturbing because the family was doing voodoo in the room. NO KIDDING.


All I can say is it sounds like we have a group that can form a coalition or special interest group of it's own. You folks who see it first hand should be sitting in a Congressional Committee giving testimony about this. I urge each of you to send your specific stories to Senator Jeff Sessions and to a Congressman like Duncan Hunter and see if something can be aired before a Congressional Committee. I know those two men will keep your identities safe.

In California we have had over 93 hospitals close due to this problem. That statistics was from 2005. So you know how many more there must be. A hospital in the Antelope Valley is $40 million in the red because of it. 60% of that RED is due to illegals. They won't be open much longer. I saw it on Fox News months ago.

I've had direct experience with this in the last month.

My father went in for heart surgery, and was placed in the cardiac special wing of the hospital. During the day, the nurses were all American, friendly, attentive, helpful, and kind.

Once the evening came, all the American nurses were replaced by HB1 Visa foreign nurses from India who barely spoke English. They were rude, took a long time to respond to the call button and then were irritated that we'd bothered them, sometimes turned off the call button speaker in the middle of a conversation, etc. My Mom also spent 6 hours trying to get a cot for her to sleep on in the room, and the Indian nurses kept conveniently forgetting her request for the cot, or would just instantly say they had no more (without checking on the previous request). My Mom also said there was an old man crying, moaning, and screaming for help next door most of the night, and the nurses half the time would not answer his calls, although he was directly across from the nurses station.

My Mom was pretty ticked about the whole thing (and my parents refuse to let me talk about illegal immigration in front of them -- they're kind of bleeding heart liberals who think we should all be one big happy world). Funny how when it affects you, you start thinking differently. But, once out of the hospital, all was forgotten on the issue.

Then, I was in the same hospital myself a couple of days later for minor day-surgery. I got an American nurse as well, and I started joking with her about the questionaire I was filling out, with the question, "Do you need a translator in: Spanish, Russian, German, Chinese," etc. I said, "Let me guess, your most popular language is Spanish."

She rolled her eyes and said, "You wouldn't believe what they demand." But wouldn't say anymore. Needless to say, she was ticked off about the whole Spanish-translator, Spanish-speaking demands issue. I swear she said something else, but I was about to go into surgery and was nervous, so I don't remember the entire conversation.

Our hospitals are going to the dogs!!!

TexasGal

TexasGal,

These foreign nurses and nurses aides are downright mean. They treat their "own kind" very well. But the rest of us get ignored or will receive treatment AFTER they pamper their own people and make sure they are all comfortable. The rest of US have to wait for sometimes hours.

Havent you noticed the constant commercials with lawyers telling patients and family members that if you suspect abuse toward a patient in any way, report it? There must be a slew of lawsuits against hospitals and nursing homes against the way patients are handled now. It never used to be that bad when Americans took care of Americans. Thats just MY OPINION.

Make no mistake we are moving in the direction of a third world country and I believe most of the corporate world wants it, cheap labor, under educated consumers will put us on the playing field of the world market, many of our corporate leaders and their hired government employees should be in jail.