My Pediatrician Politics Lobbyists Greed ... #37

Have I mentioned I love my pediatrician? Thankfully, my children don't get sick often, so I feel I can justify driving 45 minutes to reach this man. R.B. Trivett. He is a "one man band", only books patients he has time to see in a timely fashion (you pretty much never wait), he never does things that aren't necessary, has a time or two performed "old fashioned" inexpensive methods to diagnose, he inspects the kids shins to make sure they are active enough ... ie: many bruises mean that you are an active kiddo ... No bruises = too much t.v., He also has the kids squat down like ducks and walk across the floor ... if you can do this, it's a good sign that you are getting good exercise (he usually adds that you'd be surprised how many kids can't pull this off ... I'm happy to report that my kids have always passed.) He's cautious about using antibiotics even years ago when this wasn't "in fashion" (keeps up their usefulness), he's a no nonsense old fashioned dude who loves kids -- in a laid back New Englander kind of way. I could go on. Unrelated to my experience with him, when he found that Wednesdays were slow, he decided to go over to clinics to help out those who aren't as privileged as others. He and his wife (a nurse practitioner) also go to Haiti to serve folks there in clinics. We had to go visit Dr. Trivett today because Benjamin was complaining of a sore throat, head ache and had a fever the previous day. As usual when you're hanging out watching Dr. Trivett look at your child's sore throat or whatever, he gets to talking. I mentioned that although Benjamin has a great brain, he doesn't have the stomach to become a doctor. Then Doctor Trivett shook his head and told us that becoming a doctor isn't a great idea anyway. He went on to say that we used to have the best health care system in the world. Now we are #37. He informed me (with my astonished face) that France is number ONE. Dr. Trivett went on to gripe and complain that this was due to Corporate Greed, Politics and Lobbyists. I commented "Don't get me started". He added "And Pharmaceutical Companies." Amen. Don't get me started. I felt validated hearing this from a Doctor I have a great deal of respect and trust for. (p.s. Benjamin did have strep throat, poor guy)