Having just spent 4 hours trying to reach a physician about a problem
(non-lactational), I was astounded to discover that he was quite willing to
talk with me when I mentioned that I was a lactation consultant.  (This
came up because I was talking his language about some esoteric things, and
he originally thought I was just the daughter of the patient!  Regular
people aren't supposed to pronounce those big words, I guess.)  Anyway, he
became considerably more forthcoming after learning that I know about
in-hospital care and community-based (clinic) care in other contexts and
what the biggest problem with such an HMO system is (the CEO is getting a
letter from me when all this difficulty has been resolved!) in spite of
their best efforts.

How does this relate to lactation?  I saw it as yet another example of the
fact that when dealing with individuals/representatives of large-scale
organizations (a hospital fits this definition), one must KEEP ON KEEPING
ON and when one does not take "we can't do that" for an answer, one
eventually gets to the people we need to have contact with.

PS IN the midst of this post, the person who finally was able to effect
contact with a key physician just called me back to make sure that said
contact was successful.  He obviously heard my frustration and did not want
me going away MAD (perhaps just to go away!)

If we know how to work the system (or learn as we go, as most of us do), we
are going to reach our goals and (possibly) bring others along with us in
the process.

A humorous aside: after my discussion with the MD in question was over, he
asked if I ever reviewed manuscripts and did any writing.  I allowed as how
I do both.  He then asked if I was a literary agent!  When I told him I was
not and that my advice was to stay away from same unless it was absolutely
necessary, we both laughed!  :-)

Everyone have a good day...

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"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly
disguised as impossible situations."
Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Ferndale, WA USA) [log in to unmask]
WEB PAGE: http://www.telcomplus.net/kga/lactation.htm
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