BIG MEDICINE: WHOSE HEALTH ARE THEY PROTECTING? 337
John had contacted Dr. Swank when he learned that Swank was
about to retire. John had known and respected Dr. Roy Swank for a long
time, and he offered to take over the Swank multiple sclerosis program
and merge it with his health clinic at St. Helena Hospital, preserving it
in honor of Dr. Swank. Dr. Swank agreed, much to John's excitement.
As John said, there were four reasons that this would be a perfect fit for
St. Helena's:
- it fit in with the philosophy of the Adventists: dietary treatment of
disease
- they would be helping people who desperately needed their help
- it would double their patient census, helping to grow the pro-
gram
- it would cost almost nothing
In thinking back on it, John said, "Could you think of any reason not
to do this? It [was] obvious!" So he took the proposal to the head of his
department. After listening, she said that she didn't think the hospital
wanted to do this. She said, "Well, I don't think we really want to in-
troduce any new programs right now." John, dumbfounded, asked her,
"Please tell me why. What does it mean to be a hospital? Why are we
here? I thought we were here to take care of sick people."
Her response was a doozy: "Well, you know we are, but you know,
MS patients are not really desirable patients. You told me yourself that
most neurologists don't like to take care ofMS patients." John could not
believe what he had just heard. In a very tense moment, he said:
Wait a minute. I'm a doctor. This is a hospital. As far as 1 know our
job is to relieve the suffering of the sick. These are sick people. Just
because other doctors can't help them in their suffering doesn't
mean that we can't. Here's the evidence that says we can. I have
an effective treatment for people who need my care and this is a
hospital. Will you explain to me why we don't want to take care of
those kinds of patients?
He continued:
I want to talk to the head of the hospital. I want to explain to her
why 1 need this program and why the hospital needs this program
and why the patients need this program. I want you to get me an
appointment.
