No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
Yesterday I had a meeting with Gail Thomas, President of the Palm Drive Health Care Foundation about the stag list of doctors listed on the last page of the 21-page proposal on pdhcf.org.
There are first names omitted from some of the docs, and I hoped that some of them would be women. Nope, not even the one labeled ‘Women’s Health Institute.’
Gail was unaware of the discrepancy, (sadly, she hasn’t much of a feminist consciousness concerning the all male list, which is not complete), and since she’s worked with men and been the only woman on different boards including in Washington D.C., she didn’t seem perturbed, altho she was surprised.
I told her repeatedly that the list was unacceptable, especially the Women’s Health Institute. I said that the proposal calls for a “Palm Drive Hospital as a 21st century medical center,” and that since this is the 21st century, women don’t want to open their legs to a male doctor anymore.
She said she would pass it on to the others. I told her they should be embarrassed for this oversight and for that reason I did not want to wait until they came and spoke to us at the next Burbank Heights meeting where I live.
My feeling is any business that lacks women in power, (and not just a token woman), is a business that is not run as well as it should be.
I hope some of you will read that last page of the proposal and email them telling them how you feel about a lack of women M.D.s
Sandy2y
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Sandy2y:
...and that since this is the 21st century, women don’t want to open their legs to a male doctor anymore.
This seems to me to be a very sexist statement. As a man I find myself somewhat offended by the implication it contains. Perhaps a better way to phrase it that would be less confrontational would be that women should have the choice of seeing women doctors if they prefer.
Patrick Brinton
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Sandy2y:
Yesterday I had a meeting with Gail Thomas, President of the Palm Drive Health Care Foundation about the stag list of doctors .... I hoped that some of them would be women. Nope, not even the one labeled ‘Women’s Health Institute.’...
Thank you for calling this to our attention! So, what is the socially acceptable percentage being bandied around nowadays for hosptals in terms of male/female doctor ratios. I understand that women make up roughly half of the med school graduates. Maybe Palm Drive, being such a sexist organization, really should stay shuttered. I realize Sebastopudlians would have raised a big stink about this outrage long before this had the news come out. How did the Board keep this secret for so long?
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
yup...alrighty then....seems like they are OUT for a whole Lot of Women...how sad is That! and oversight?
i might think it's deliberate...but then i'm paranoid...lol
This speaks volumes about this foundation that wishes to offer comprehensive care to the community...so
many will never participate..
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Sandy2y:
Yesterday I had a meeting with Gail Thomas, President of the Palm Drive Health Care Foundation about the stag list of doctors .... I hoped that some of them would be women. Nope, not even the one labeled ‘Women’s Health Institute.’...
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
Over the past few months, I have felt the level of ignorance and stupidity could not get any worse on Wacco... This post, like so many others just re-enforce why Sebastopol is doomed and in desperate need of real leadership. Leadership that will ignore moronic conversations like this and work toward building a truly sustainable and progressive future.
I don't mean to burst your bubble, Sandy2y, but over the past 3 or so years, PDH was not exactly the most desirable place to work as a physician, nurse, administrator or volunteer board member. The troubles of PDH were widely known and very few new Docs would risk moving to West County to work for an institution that would most likely not survive. Very few Administrators would risk their reputation to manage a hospital that was doomed to fail, very few locals would run for a board as it was a thankless job.
Wonder why we (board members and involved members of the PDHD) spoke ad nauseam about our aging physician problem with very few (if any ) young docs coming aboard to replace the many who retirement was on the horizon? It was because many new recruits were, understandably cautious.
Do you really believe that with all that is going on with the demise of PDH, sexual balance is relevant? Do you believe if the Foundation or staff was populated with 100% women, 80/20 or 50/50 that it would make any difference at this point?
You are all foolishly picking through a corpse looking for anything that will explain what happened and somehow give you a reason to think that it can be saved. IT has been said numerous times here, in the news and around town, yet you refuse to listen:
The hospital was not being used even remotely close to its minimum capacity to keep the lights on. This problem has been existing for YEARS. PDH needed to align with someone to even have a remote chance of survival and now those partners are walking away. Add the new Sutter Hospital, the affordable care act and the EMR requirements to the mix and any reasonable person would say that PDH is a bad bet.
All the gender balance. All the racial balance, all the zodialogical balance, all the yin/yang energy balance will not make a difference about the fate of this once great hospital.
Grow up, read the writing on the wall and accept what is, ultimately, the fate of this Institution.
Quit reaching for any other answers as they are not there.
Mark Inman
Former PDHD Board Member
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
Palm Drive Hospital, Wacco, Sebastopol itself...all doomed! Doomed, I say! Man, I guess I did the right thing when I moved to Larkfield. Wait a minute! What's that huge cluster of buildings around the corner from my house? It's...It's...a hospital! Yikes!!!!!
Roland
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Sandy2y:
Yesterday I had a meeting with Gail Thomas, President of the Palm Drive Health Care Foundation about the stag list of doctors .... I hoped that some of them would be women. Nope, not even the one labeled ‘Women’s Health Institute.’...
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
Not sure if there is a point to your post.. but the difference of your example is that the hospital near you in Larkfield is functional, large, well-funded and profitable. PDH has not been any of those things in a very long time.
YIKES!!! Is right.
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Roland Jacopetti:
Palm Drive Hospital, Wacco, Sebastopol itself...all doomed! Doomed, I say! Man, I guess I did the right thing when I moved to Larkfield. Wait a minute! What's that huge cluster of buildings around the corner from my house? It's...It's...a hospital! Yikes!!!!!
Roland
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
I don't know the answers to your questions. I'm just so tired of dealing with women being rendered invisible by male majority. However, I want that hospital to reopen and stay open. We need to hold their feet to the fire now, at their open meetings, because once it opens we won't have the leverage.
Sandy
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by jbox:
Thank you for calling this to our attention! So, what is the socially acceptable percentage being bandied around nowadays for hosptals in terms of male/female doctor ratios. I understand that women make up roughly half of the med school graduates. Maybe Palm Drive, being such a sexist organization, really should stay shuttered. I realize Sebastopudlians would have raised a big stink about this outrage long before this had the news come out. How did the Board keep this secret for so long?
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
Sandy,
It seems so obvious to me that if PD reopens the male doctors should vote out half their number, or maybe draw straws, to figure out who has to leave. Then PD can hire female replacement doctors, especially urologists. That would make me feel so much better, how about you?
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
Please excuse my ignorance on this issue: why is the Larkfield hospital large, well-funded and profitable? what is its ownership and financial structure? How is it operated and administrated? Any other pertinent info on the differences between these two hospitals?
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Sebtown1968:
Not sure if there is a point to your post.. but the difference of your example is that the hospital near you in Larkfield is functional, large, well-funded and profitable. PDH has not been any of those things in a very long time.
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
The "Larkfield Hospital" is the new Sutter Hospital opening in October. Sutter has assets of over 14 BILLION dollars.
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Glia:
Please excuse my ignorance on this issue: why is the Larkfield hospital large, well-funded and profitable? what is its ownership and financial structure? How is it operated and administrated? Any other pertinent info on the differences between these two hospitals?
Re: No Female Doctors in Palm Drive Health Care Foundation plan
Point taken, Patrick. I appreciate your thoughts and feelings very much. I like your suggestion of contacting the Foundation and requesting that some female docs be added to the mix.
I also see Sandy2y's point. Six weeks ago, I saw a dermatologist who examined a rash and lump under my right arm, near the breast. The dermatologist is a man, and I am grateful that my IHSS worker, the nurse, and an interne were also present during the exam and that they are all women. Call me crazy, call me paranoid, but past experiences with, and comments by, male docs when another woman was NOT in the examination room, have made it so.
Warm regards,
treasure
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by pbrinton:
This seems to me to be a very sexist statement. As a man I find myself somewhat offended by the implication it contains. Perhaps a better way to phrase it that would be less confrontational would be that women should have the choice of seeing women doctors if they prefer.
Patrick Brinton
