Letters
Spray Anything
Tag team: Regarding Casey Logan’s “Spray Pains” (August 30): Once again, the age-old GRAFF argument. Good for all the writers, old and new, who said what they felt. You can’t blame the old writers for wanting the quality of the tags and pieces to improve.
From experience, the newbies are far more cocky these days and should learn from the mistakes the elders have made. ATT has been the only crew who has done full all-out walls with themes, etc. Nobody has even come close in years. Maybe it’s time to practice before coming out and saying you are a writer and getting mad because you don’t get respect off the bat.
KC has some talent, but it’s too bad all of you can’t come together after all these years.
Name Withheld Upon Request
New York, New York
Psycho Analysis
All quiet on the Western Missouri front: As I read Deb Hipp’s article regarding Western Missouri Mental Health Center (“Psych Out,” August 23), I was surprised and dismayed at its content. This was not the organization with which I am familiar.
I have a family member with a serious mental illness. I am also the CEO of a mental-health organization. My family member has had to spend time at Western Missouri Mental Health Center. I have nothing but high praise for the services she has received.
Western Missouri is the safety net inpatient program for the metropolitan area. They are the last resort and sometimes the first resort for many of our sickest loved ones. A difficult task most of the time, and impossible some of the time.
Psychiatric Services Division Director Dorn Schuffman, Regional Manager Dr. Dick Gregory and Superintendent Gloria Joseph are outstanding, caring, dedicated professionals. The front-line staff works with great dedication in caring for our loved ones.
A sad fact of caring for persons most in need is that sometimes we lose some of them through their own hands, accidents or other causes. Unfortunately, until there is a perfect cure, we will from time to time lose a very precious individual.
When we raise the level of concern in the general population for those with a mental illness, we will be more successful in meeting the many mental health needs of our community with increased and better services. Until that time, facilities like Western Missouri must carry on in the face of overwhelming need and underfunded resources.
William H. Kyles
President and CEO, Comprehensive Mental Health Services Inc.
Independence
Letter rip: Unlike Len Stephens of Grain Valley (Letters, August 30), I will address the message of Deb Hipp’s article before I move to attack the messenger.
What Stephens calls Hipp’s “scant” investigation was, in fact, a very in-depth review of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports, probate court records, medical examiners’ forensic reports, other official documents, interviews with Western Missouri Mental Health Center staff, patients and family, contents of released e-mails, etc. I know this because I worked with Ms. Hipp on this story.
Many WMMHC employees, including senior staff, have found this story to be factual and true.
Herb Spencer
Kansas City, Missouri
Heads together: Deb Hipp has captured the whole story in her article about Western Missouri Mental Health Center. I am currently a law student, and worked at Western Missouri.
The thing that impressed me the most about Hipp’s story is that the employees were not painted as the scapegoats; rather, she advocated for both consumers and employees from psychiatrist to psych techs. Nice work! I really hope the employees are considering becoming much more active in their labor union.
Name Withheld Upon Request
Kansas City, Missouri
Medicine Bawl
In sickness and in hell: Regarding Allie Johnson’s “Impractical Nursing” (July 26): I worked at Research Medical Center for one year (my first year’s experience as a new RN). I worked fourteen-hour shifts with no lunch and maybe one bathroom break. I voiced my opinion about not being able to follow protocol due to the extreme demand of patient care. I was told I needed to develop better organizational skills.
I could also see that I could never develop my skills well enough to give good patient care at Health Midwest. One night I had more high-acuity patients than I could handle. At shift change, a new patient had just had his vital signs taken and was fine. I saved taking his vital signs for last, but was in to see him every hour because I had to empty a drainage bag. I would start to do vital signs and get called to higher-priority problems. At the end of my shift, the head nurse asked me where my vital signs were. I had to say I had not gotten them.
At my first year’s evaluation, I fell short of the points required to receive a raise and was told I would be re-evaluated in one to three months. I had already planned to quit, so I turned in my notice. When I returned to complete my exit paperwork the head nurse marked me as ineligible for rehire because I hadn’t gotten that set of vital signs. I was considered a danger to patients.
So if I had gotten that patient’s vital signs and only saw him every four hours versus every hour, it would have been safer for him, I guess.
Carol Watson
Harrisonville
