FONT SIZE
Email this
Print this
POST A COMMENT
A letter from Dr. Holm
Read this afternoon at a Friends of the Clinic meeting. Toward the end, the Ocean Shores doctor says “there is a planned merger of our clinic and the Ocean Reach Clinic in the near future.” Ocean Reach ultimately plans to build a mixed healthcare/professional/residential facility, on Pt. Brown Avenue just inside the gates of Ocean Shores. The Dr. Holm letter, in its entirety:
April 12, 2009
Dear Friends of the Clinic,
I want to once again congratulate all of the members of the FOC on the one year anniversary of your organization and the profound impact you have had on the community, namely, you have been the reason that Ocean Shores has continued to have a clinic. I recall it was a little more than one year ago that we were seriously contemplating closing the clinic and it was solely because of your organization that we have stayed open for the past year. It has not been because of any large amount of donated money, since you all know the money generated has been relatively small and has been used solely in the repair of the building or paying for legal aspects for the formation of the FOC’s nonprofit status. I personally have not accepted any donations in any form, nor do I intend to. The only reason we have struggled for yet another year is because of the fact that a determined group of private citizens, almost all retired and some very tired, organized together to make a positive difference in the community and with various fundraisers and donations and many hours of hard work, were able to perform a much needed facelift and repair of the actual clinic building. This has been an excellent display of good Ole American value and is what this country was built on; the principles of hard work, sacrifice, and attempting to help your neighbor and making on’es world a better place; this is a highly respectable ideal and is directly responsible for keeping the clinic open. The FOC all began with a handful of private and concerned individuals who decided they would commit to a cause and there has not been any governmental help, including state, local, or federal. This country is in the midst of allowing the biggest, most hungry, dominating and controlling government American citizens have ever been burdened with and still, it will not be able to save your clinic or deliver to you any type of quality or personalized healthcare as it tries to force complete socialization. Therefore, I congratulate the FOC on doing what the local and state government could not or would not do.
Unfortunately, it takes much more than just a remodeled building to keep a clinic open, efficient, and healthy so it is able to see to the heavy demands and needs of the local people. This past year has required me to maintain 650 hour months, much traveling, over-working the staff, and has been extremely exhausting to my family and me. Most people do not understand of believe that my wife and I have volunteered all of my hours over the past year or that it has been necessary to work hundreds of hours each month in emergency rooms across the state to keep everything afloat. Obviously, things can not keep going as they are and it would be very unfair to ask anyone to do what we are doing and the hardship it causes on relationships and one’s family. Quite frankly, I would not find a single person willing to do it. It would be interesting to see what type of a response I would get on a local and state level, if I were able to enforce all public employees, including the senators and representatives (with their almost $5000 raise this year) to work one entire month for free “for the people.” We all know the words “ON STRIKE” and what they mean. Perhaps just one day a week or even 10 minutes for free? I find it amazing how demanding, critical, rude and uncaring many individuals can be of certain other people or a business, until the same burden is placed upon their shoulders and then they are full of excuses, unwilling, crying like babies or wanting a governmental bailout. Sorry, no bailout for the clinic in Ocean Shores, your money went to either AIG bonuses, the doubling of foreign aid, healthcare to illegal aliens, or perhaps it is part of the 999 million sent to the Gaza Strip.
In regard to the future, I hope and believe it will work out well and the people of Ocean Shores and the North Beach will have a quality medical clinic. This is based upon the new Ocean Reach group and facility planned for the future, whom I applaud for their interest and creativity. I am asked questions about the future almost as often as I have to answer questions about the numerous rumors that fly around town. The truth is that there is a planned merger of our clinic and the Ocean Reach Clinic in the near future and the goal is NOT to have a lapse in healthcare before the new building is built, which means the merged clinic will likely be operating out of the existing building for now. We strive and work daily for this end. I can make no guarantees of anything, but this is the general plan. I realize that many people of Ocean Shores are extremely critical and untrusting of a new group coming in, since the area has been “burned” once or twice or more in the past. However, being critical and unsupportive will not help the situation at all and this new group certainly does not have to put up with anyone or their attitudes and could decide to place their project elsewhere. Perhaps every time anyone feels like being critical or abusive, stop by the clinic and thank the staff for working for peanuts for long hours, doing their best under a burden of insurance and governmental regulations, and putting up with a 50% abuse rate. In the meantime, we continue to work hard and keep the clinic open with an eye on the future and the goal to soon merge and the formation of a new clinic in a new building with multiple providers, adequate staff and pay and much better access and hours. Hang in there and support this new clinic and this new clinic will hang in there and support you.
God Bless,
A. John Holm, M.D.
I just want to relay to you that not one penny of the money collected by various methods has been spent on legal matters, period. all of the donations have been spent on repairing the building and remodeling some of the inside of the same building. at no time in the future it is anticipated that further legal fee’s will be needed. the first and foremost energy will be devoted towards our arriginal goals.
Thanks for everything, Dr. Holm. Yes, I do have to wait awhile for my appointment, but I just plan ahead and bring a book. It is actually quite refreshing to just slow down once in awhile, and when I do get in to see you, the wait is definitely worth it. I leave the clinic feeling fully informed about my health and what I have to do to keep it/improve it. I truly appreciate the time you take to find out about me as a person-my family, my interests, etc. This makes me know that you are interested in my whole health; you are not just there to prescribe a bunch of bills and then wisk me away without a care. You are truly appreciated, Dr. Holm, and I hope you can hang in there; I would hate to lose such wonderful, caring doctor.
Two comments: Thank you Mr.Avery for taking a positive attitude. Ocean Shores does need a Dr in view of the fact that we have an elderly population who do not want to travel large distances in some cases Aberdeen is a a large distance to obtain health care.Mr Avery is advocating keeping medical care right here That is a positive compassionate point of view, Thank you.
Mr Roe on the other hand bases his objection on unfounded rumors. He states that members of FOC are “in bed” with Dr Holm and the clinic. I don’t know your personal circumstances sir, but as a 78 year old woman living alone I need reliable near by medical care and I am working toward that goal. If you are against the clinic and Dr Holm what would you suggest for someone like myself. Be positive and solve the problem not add to it. From your letter I assume you had military health care for a number of years. Did you not ever have a wait time I know I did!
not really. i voted to retain weatherwax. does that make a bad guy or a good guy? i just think that the doc has a captive audiance/fixed income clientel and isn’t as professional as he could be. i simply opted to take my tricare business elsewhere because a 2:15 appointment is scheduled for 2:15 more or less not 5:00. a 2 hr and 45 min wait time is not acceptable. but…….he is the only game in town.
Ouch, that hurt..maybe I should go see the Doc.
I guess I deserved it for trying to be positive.
LOL
Personnaly, I think all real friends of holm are in bed with him and should be run out of town with him. I would never waste my hard earned money on foc.
WHO IN THE HECK IS MR ROW? LEARN TO READ AND SPELL,MR AAAAVVVVEEER4YYYYY
WOW Mr. Row !!
I guess you missed the part about “something positive for a change”.
The Doctor Holm you say you know is obviously the twin evil brother of the one I know.
I have know him since the day he stepped foot in our fair city and have never heard any sort of racial or ethnic slur from him.
As fot bashing the government, maybe he has reasons (like medicare) to be concerned, but he has never screamed “revolution!” in my direction.
I do know that he will talk about topics YOU bring up, he tries to make people comfortable and conversation is a big part of that.
And speaking of “running off at the mouth instead of providing viable solutions”, what have YOU done today?
Want to donate to the FOC maybe?
I WAS a patient of DR. Holm. It was his attitude of self importance and lack of feeling for people who do not “look like he wants them to” that made me move to another doctor. And also the fact that he wants to incorporate politics into the work place. During my 23 years in the US NAVY I learned that three things are not discussed in the work place. They are sex, religion and politics. The sooner dr. holm makes this the norm for the clinic the better off for all. It is not the US government that is totally at fault for the condition of things around here, it’s guys like dr holm running off at the mouth and attaching blame instead of coming up with a viable solution.
Dr. Holm,
Thank you for all that you do for us here in Ocean Shores. Donna Mae, Marilyn and I have always been overjoyed with the level of service you have provided us and the desire on your part to make every medical decision a team effort based upon what we say to you and what you say to us. Your style is refreshing.
Waiting for your appointment time has not changed now for patients. It has been that way for decades. My parents were both OB/GYNs and patients had to wait for emergencies, additional testing required by a current patient, and just the fact that medicine is not getting your oil changed or tires rotated. Every case is different.
As to socialization, my parents warned me that medicine would be socialized by the time I would have gotten out of medical school. I took heed of their warning. However, the source of socialization has been the HMOs and Insurance Companies. They control the price of any services without any relationship to skills or knowledge. They are for profit organizations that make more by providing less. Is that really the model that has first and foremost the patient’s best interest?
Now money that would have gone from the patient to the doctor, hospital, nurse, or technician goes to CEOs, Middle Management, Call Centers and Utilization Review personnel. That large sucking sound is the vortex of money going down the drain to these recipients. If one figured out how much money is spent by government, businesses,and individuals, either out of pocket, in the form of insurance, or in taxes, we probably would have enough to pay decient salaries to all PROVIDERS of medical services.
As to patients, my parents said that many people complain about going to the doctor, paying for their services, and only walking out with their health. The human nature is that they want something tangible in their hand. Maybe that is why they give children a lollypop at the doctor and a toothbrush at the dentist. Maybe some of these adults need similar treatment.
Mr. Avery, finally we agree. Dr. Holm is a Godsend to this community.
Hey Doc !
I for one thank you sincerely for the amazing effort you have put in to maintain the clinic for us. Your smiling face, bedside manner and very high level of expertise all seem rare in your profession these days.
I hear many people complain that they have to wait well beyond their appointment times before they get in to see you. Those same people rave about you taking the time to TALK with them once they do make it in. They love the way you explain what you are doing, what is wrong and how to fix it. They love the “Country Doctor” attitude, you know, the Doctor that really does care about you.
Yet they STILL complain, even though they also get the extra time and love having it.
You can’t please all of them, sometimes it must seem that you can’t please any of them but let me tell you, you HAVE pleased MANY of us and we desperately hope that you can continue to hang in there.
So, it there any chance we could clone you?
From one grateful member of the community I ask others to chime in and say THANKS to this honest and wonderful man and his family and staff.
Let’s hear something positive for a change!