A letter to...
In all likelihood there will be letters sent to the commanding officer of the hospital, as well as the base.
Captain B***,
In my time spent at this duty station I have never been more disguisted with the poor conduct of people at a command. It was to my understanding that this was a "Navy Family" and that "Shipmates helped Shipmates." I see that I was was misinformed as to this matter. While serving my tour of duty here, I watched on numerous occasions as rank was abused, sailors were ignored during a time of need for guidance after asking for it, and hypocritical behavior was the norm.
On many seperate occasions, during medical appointments I found my care to be incomplete, the provider often uncaring and down right disrespectful, and the staff in the department to be unprofessional and often rude.
During my screening for my PRT, I was informed, that even though I had a date for surgery for my knees, that since I was 19 years old, that there shouldn't be anything wrong with me, and that there were people dying in Iraq who were dying, who would gladly rather do an easy thing like push ups and sit ups. I was also told by this provider that I should show him how I do push ups and sit ups, even though I informed him it was excruciating and that I wore braces to keep my knees in place.
To me that situation did not seem like the "family centered care" that you strive for Ma'am.
Had that been a civilian provider, I am almost positive that had his conduct been the same, he would have had lost that patient and very possibly had action taken against him for unprofessional behavior and neglect.
At one point in time myself and a coworker were at my work station at the shop I work in, when one of the command Chaplains came around with Catholic service calendars, and my coworker mistakenly mentioned that I was Catholic. I explained to the Chaplain while he handed me a calendar that I myself was not a practicing Catholic, and that I did not attend service, my family did. After hearing this statement the Chaplain pulled the calendar out of my hands and exclaimed "Then give it back! Why waste it? Come and find me when you are truly serious.". To me that was a rather offensive statement, considering that I am perfectly happy with my religious choices. It was just a calendar, that I didn't need or want, but the statement like that made, by an officer, no less a Chaplain was incredibly offensive and unprofessional.
While I understand that there is a large amount of change that must take place to get a certain standard to be held at a command, I do not believe that unfriendly, unprofessional staff at the hospital are conducive to a functional hospital.
The care that I recieved was below the standard that I hold my providers to, the professionalism of the staff was poor to say the very least and if I thought that my opinion while I was being treated as well as working at Naval Hospital Jacksonville would have made any difference I would have made mention of it to my chain of command, who on most occasions seemed to have cared less.
It is not to say that my entire chain of command was poor. I had a very efficent and effective Commander for a department head, and an incredibly sharp and caring Lt.Commander as a Assistand Department head. Almost all of my officers were good leaders. Certain members of my enlisted chain of command did their utmost best to make this tour of duty a good one, and worked with me to better myself as a Sailor, a Corpsman and a staff member.
I am not looking for an apology, but I aim to bring this to your attention so that in the future, the conduct of the staff and policy at the hospital could be better improved and the goal of patient centered care be achieved.
Respectfully yours,
S**** E. S*******
Captain B***,
In my time spent at this duty station I have never been more disguisted with the poor conduct of people at a command. It was to my understanding that this was a "Navy Family" and that "Shipmates helped Shipmates." I see that I was was misinformed as to this matter. While serving my tour of duty here, I watched on numerous occasions as rank was abused, sailors were ignored during a time of need for guidance after asking for it, and hypocritical behavior was the norm.
On many seperate occasions, during medical appointments I found my care to be incomplete, the provider often uncaring and down right disrespectful, and the staff in the department to be unprofessional and often rude.
During my screening for my PRT, I was informed, that even though I had a date for surgery for my knees, that since I was 19 years old, that there shouldn't be anything wrong with me, and that there were people dying in Iraq who were dying, who would gladly rather do an easy thing like push ups and sit ups. I was also told by this provider that I should show him how I do push ups and sit ups, even though I informed him it was excruciating and that I wore braces to keep my knees in place.
To me that situation did not seem like the "family centered care" that you strive for Ma'am.
Had that been a civilian provider, I am almost positive that had his conduct been the same, he would have had lost that patient and very possibly had action taken against him for unprofessional behavior and neglect.
At one point in time myself and a coworker were at my work station at the shop I work in, when one of the command Chaplains came around with Catholic service calendars, and my coworker mistakenly mentioned that I was Catholic. I explained to the Chaplain while he handed me a calendar that I myself was not a practicing Catholic, and that I did not attend service, my family did. After hearing this statement the Chaplain pulled the calendar out of my hands and exclaimed "Then give it back! Why waste it? Come and find me when you are truly serious.". To me that was a rather offensive statement, considering that I am perfectly happy with my religious choices. It was just a calendar, that I didn't need or want, but the statement like that made, by an officer, no less a Chaplain was incredibly offensive and unprofessional.
While I understand that there is a large amount of change that must take place to get a certain standard to be held at a command, I do not believe that unfriendly, unprofessional staff at the hospital are conducive to a functional hospital.
The care that I recieved was below the standard that I hold my providers to, the professionalism of the staff was poor to say the very least and if I thought that my opinion while I was being treated as well as working at Naval Hospital Jacksonville would have made any difference I would have made mention of it to my chain of command, who on most occasions seemed to have cared less.
It is not to say that my entire chain of command was poor. I had a very efficent and effective Commander for a department head, and an incredibly sharp and caring Lt.Commander as a Assistand Department head. Almost all of my officers were good leaders. Certain members of my enlisted chain of command did their utmost best to make this tour of duty a good one, and worked with me to better myself as a Sailor, a Corpsman and a staff member.
I am not looking for an apology, but I aim to bring this to your attention so that in the future, the conduct of the staff and policy at the hospital could be better improved and the goal of patient centered care be achieved.
Respectfully yours,
S**** E. S*******