Sunday, February 20, 2011

Local media coverage of Wisconsin docs demonstrating the new professionalism by writing fake excuses

From NBC15:

Doctors from numerous hospitals set up a station near the Capitol on Saturday to provide notes to explain public employees' absences from work. One of those doctors was Lou Sanner, who practices family medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Well, it looks like the media reports are taking it for granted that these are real docs, as hard as that is to believe. At least some of these docs are on faculty. The University, while disavowing the whole thing, says they'll look into it.

The doctors' actions are not without consequences. According to the same report the absence of large numbers of teachers from work is forcing schools to close. The teachers are getting notes from the street docs so they'll get paid. Community medicine at its finest!

The report also illustrates the brilliant clinical reasoning at play:

"We see a lot of sore throats from speaking out, sore feet from walking, a lot of people kind of chilly, under stress we say the best thing you can do is be with a large support group," said one physician.

HT to Pundit Press.

1 comment:

Unlikely Hospitalist said...

Thanks for the link!