"The doctors and nurses are outraged and spitting fire.  The mothers who
have been told they can't be seen are very saddened."--Jeanne Mitchell

"Saddened" is an oddly tame response for a mother to have after she pays a
great deal of money for health care and health insurance, and is denied
basic health care supporting normal nutrition of her newborn child.  The
outrage, which is appropriate for doctors and nurses, is even more
appropriate from the population which will suffer the most damage.  Even a
mother who is destitute might expect to be treated as if achieving basic
health parameters for herself and her baby ("baby eating normally, mother
protected from preventable damage and infection") were foundationally
important goals of her health care system.  If not, why maintain the
illusion of providing healthcare?

"[Laura Smith, breastfeeding educator] found it ironic that Seton -- which
operates Brackenridge and Children's hospitals for the city -- was spending
money on a new nursery at Brackenridge but couldn't keep six full- and
part-time lactation specialists."--American Statesman

What the newspaper failed to do was explain why Ms. Smith found this so
ironic--that a well-baby nursery (since this was not identified as an NICU)
is an unnecessary yet expensive "frill" which often serves to create further
obstacles in establishing normal nutrition in the newborn. Based on past
history in the U.S., a rational observer would conclude the formula industry
may very well have had a say in choosing to fund the more expensive nursery
over the less expensive, better-value-for-patient-money lactation staff.
Even if it had been an NICU, one wonders how the money to build a new
nursery was found, but no money to make sure that mothers can feed their
babies?

"The services Seton is eliminating include the use of breast-feeding
specialists at four hospitals, certain heart programs at Seton Medical
Center...Seton also is reducing spending on...a mobile health clinic for
children (from $436,000 this year to $198,353 in the upcoming budget year),
and the Child Life and Specialty Care departments...which provide support
services to the sickest children and their parents."

"Hayes [Pat Hayes, Seton Healthcare Network's executive vice president and
chief operating officer] said the decisions were tough but had to be made. 

'It's painful when you restructure things," Hayes said. "It feels like a
loss.' 

Officials looked for items that would not harm patient care or safety, she
said."

No, it doesn't "feel" like a loss, Dr. Hayes.  It IS a loss. What it "feels"
like is a betrayal of patient trust.  Refusing to help newborn infants feed,
reducing health care accessibility for children, and denying support
services to some of your sickest and youngest patients argues against your
having "looked for items that would not harm patient care."

I would have preferred a more honest interview.  If the Seton Healthcare
Network feels it can no longer provide basic patient services, it's time to
say so.  If it knows its actions are going to hurt the most vulnerable in
the population, they need to be up front about it.

It would invite a more interesting public dialogue to explore and contrast
the big ticket items and salary schedules which were retained in favor of
the cuts identified.


Arly Helm, MS, IBCLC

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