Letter: Doctors’ union good for patients

Sunday, Aug. 22, 1999 | 9:38 a.m.

Some recently have deprecated the physicians' claim that unionization is essential to regaining the ability to control patient care, and portrayed physicians as self-serving opportunists. Unfortunately this is how the business world views health care -- with "bottom line" mentality. This in itself denigrates our profession and humankind as a whole.

Unions were developed to eradicate oppression of workers, to improve unhealthy, even dangerous working conditions, and obliterate unfair practices. I must opine that "health care reform" has produced in many cases "unhealthy, unsafe, and even deplorable conditions" for both patients and doctors alike. At the present time physicians are desirous of reversing this trend by being allowed to legally, collectively bargain, thus "leveling the playing field" somewhat.

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in Congress that would provide an anti-trust exemption for associations of health care organizations. This bill presently has 90 co-sponsors and has bipartisan support.

The bill is intended to foster and ensure continued patient safety and quality of care, restoring the ability of physicians to advocate full quality care for their patients and strengthening physician-patient relationships.

JEFFREY CICHON Clark County Medical Society president

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