Former patient at a loss for local care

Published 9:00 pm Monday, December 16, 2002

I’m writing concerning the merger of Compass Health and Community Health Services.

For almost two years I was forced to see a doctor at Compass Health for medication. I have bipolar disorder. I was given frequent medication changes with no follow up and only allowed to see or talk to the doctor once a month.

If I had problems between appointments I was told, “I don’t know what to tell you.” At one point I was suicidal and was told to go for a walk or use a jigsaw puzzle or hobby. The next day I stabbed myself, resulting in hospitalization.

My primary care physician at Community Health Cervices was treating me for Hepatitis-C-related symptoms and I was given a number of narcotics. I became addicted and had to check into a detox center.

Later I was made to feel I had abused the medications and became addicted on purpose. Then I was refused treatment for my symptoms and eventually told I could not be seen at all at the clinic. I now have no doctor because no one will take a Medicare patient.

Merger of the two? The nightmare continues.

Everett