‘Dr. Joe’ treats uninsured patients with dignity

[Contrary1]

:thumbsup:

Honored physician cares for the needy — whether they can pay or not


"MIAMI - Dr. Pedro Jose Greer stands in a cool, dim operating room at Miami's Mercy Hospital, looking at a glowing image of a patient's digestive system on a flat-screen TV.

Greer is a gastroenterologist, and the patient lying on the treatment table has a potentially dangerous cauliflower-like growth on the lining of her colon. The patient's name is Nora Turcios, a 45-year-old woman with a family history of cancer.

"That's a polyp right there," Greer says, more to himself than any of the three nurses in the room. During the 15-minute-long colonoscopy, he snips off part of the mass for a cancer biopsy and then reviews Turcios' paperwork.

Turcios, a housekeeper, doesn't have health insurance. Not important, shrugs Greer.

Greer, known to his patients as "Doctor Joe," tells them all: If they lose their insurance while under his care, that's OK — he'll continue to treat them, regardless of how much, or little, they can pay..."

More: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33197187/ns/health-health_care/

[BolivarianHero]

1. wow...

He's even better than Canadian doctors...

[Skittles]

2. my kind of guy

:thumbsup:

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. "Maybe," he says, "if we took care of everybody, we wouldn't need reform."

Yeah, it's really that simple.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. This is really a moving story.

I love this part:
"Even today, even after receiving the Medal of Freedom from the president in August, Greer doesn't mince words when talking about insurance companies and the impact they have had on U.S. health care.

"I do get outraged," he says. "Is it acceptable when an insurance company refuses someone for a pre-existing condition? Where in hell is that acceptable? Hell is going to be filled with insurance people. I hope they enjoy all the money they're making."


Thanks for finding this. I highly recommend.

[Mira]

5. There are saints among us. We see some every day.

I'm very happy to see this wonderful story in such dire times.

K&R

[Celebration]

6. Doctors donate their time in our community

Church Health Center

http://www.churchhealthcenter.org/

The Jewish and Christian community supports this wonderful organization, which helps the working poor--(probably the atheists donate their time as well).