fading into the friendship

When I first moved out here Ryan Horn told me "you really get to know who your true friends are when you leave". He moved from Albuquerque to go to school at Texas Tech. He said this because it seemed to him that a lot of his friends became disinterested in him once they were unable to go out drinking with him on the weekends. I too notice the difference in who my true friends are and who my drinking buddies were. There are only a handful of people that I still communicate with on a regular basis from back home, they'll call just to see what's going on or talk some shit about the Mavs, but it becomes apparent that they weren't just drinking buddies, but true friends (or brothers).

Since I was in the ER this week I was able to find out who my true fiends were out here in Texas. I have been astonished at the amazing friendships I've made while being out here. There were several people who were willing to leave the comfort of their homes and spend the night in the ER with a guy they just met a couple months ago. Now I know I'm not that awesome of a guy, so it must be that I have a great ability to find amazing friends. I can't count the amount of "if you need anything at anytime let me know" text messages and phone calls I got this week. I'm trying to say thank you to everyone but it is hard because fortunately there are so many people to thank. From my mom who had her bags packed by the time I hung up the phone, to Rachel who called cause she "sensed something was wrong with one of her friends". I didn't need anyone with me cause as it turns out it wasn't as serious as it could have been but...the people that mean the most to me were there if needed, and that's important.

I've been feeling a little home sick of late, but the friends I've made out here are easing that sickness. So as I recover from my physical sickness, the home sickness is fading into the friendship.

Can we fix Emergency Rooms?

So as I promised I did much thinking and much observing while in the ER on Monday night. {I'm a little high on hydrocodone right now so excuse and nonsensical statements}. The thing that got my attention the most was the complete lack of attention I received while in the emergency room. From start to finish I probably only had about 40 minutes of patient to hospital employee contact...That's in 10.5 hours! So being the aspiring manager that I am I thought how could this be better? What could I do as a hospital manager to make the experience better? Can it be made better? And here's what I came up with...

This first thing I would like to do is ask who ever is reading this to try to think of an industry that provides a service to its customers yet thrives without any attention to customer service.

Well I've thought about that for the last 48 hours and the only answer I can come up with is a hospital. As an economist, I am very interested in the fact that the demand remains high for hospitals that provide little to no customer service. It has become the norm for a hospital to sit you in a waiting room for hours on end, upset patients at the ridiculously high prices ($20 for an aspirin), and yet their waiting rooms are always full. So have they just found the greatest industry to be a part of? One which requires no focus on your end consumer. Or is it that we can't give ourselves the medical attention we require so we must sit through their maze of paperwork and then ask for more?

I truly believe that we as consumers have the ability to change things we don't like...Even in the medical sector. So why haven't we done so? I will never go back to Baylor Medical Center of Irving. I know I won't individually change their balance sheet but if everyone who was dissatisfied changed the hospital they would go to...It would change.

So you ask "alright Ricky enough complaining already what do you think you could possibly do to make the situation in emergency rooms better?" Here's what I'd do, in a dream world if I ran a hospital.

The first thing I would do is make the waiting room a more welcoming place. Since it seems this is were most of my anger grew (and I'm sure most everyone else's), I would attempt to make it a place you wouldn't mind waiting. I would take out all those boring rows of uncomfortable chairs and replace them with a lounge or cafe atmosphere. I would begin with putting tables, ranging in seating capacity from 2-8 people, in the waiting room. These tables would be attended by nurses/waiters. I was told I couldn't have anything for my pain until I saw a doctor...What if a doctor saw you in the waiting room (all I wanted was some tylenol or something)? They could also bring you something to eat if it was feasible for your ailment/situation. Throw in some couches, better selection of reading materials, coffee on the house, and some soft music and the experience would be much better.

Unfortunately I don't have enough medicinal knowledge to explain how to fix the rest of the process, but it seems as if there was way too much waiting. For being highly educated, doctors seem to be highly disorganized and unconcerned with their patients needs. At one point I went up to the nurses desk and 8 of them noticed me but did nothing. I just stood there until someone asked me how they could help me...It took 5 minutes. One was having coffee, one was eating, and the 6 others didn't seem to be doing much of anything.

Maybe I'm just frustrated with my recent experience but I truly feel that we as end consumers of emergency room care can fix their problems for them with a reduction in demand at slow ER's. What do you think?

What an experience

If anyone needs to do a bit of thinking about; life, humanity, inefficency, or any other matter...GO to the ER! I just spent the last 10.5 hours of my life in the ER and if I wasn't so freaking tired I'd expand on this. But good for you I did so much thinking while at the hospital...there is MUCH to discuss.

p.s. I'm okay

I need bigger boobs

The Mavericks employees are getting flown out to the game on Sunday night and getting free tickets from the team. I knew that I wasn't gonna be able to go because I am classified as a 'part-time employee'. It's kinda crap anyway since I worked 100 hours last two weeks, but it's the classification of my position and I was over it. Until today. I was getting all the shirts that the employees were gonna wear to the game on Sunday together and noticed that 2 interns were on the list of people who needed shirts. I have been with the organization longer than both of them, work more than them, and since I get a paycheck and they don't I believe I get paid more than them...but apparently my boobs aren't big enough. They are two attractive 20 year old females and get to go on this free trip but poor little ole me gets to stay at home and watch it on tv. Either I need bigger boobs or we need some horny female VP's so I can hit on them! but I guess that's just the way the world works...just have to prove my worth the old fashion way.

sorry...

And we were singing
bye bye mr. mustache guy
took the razor to your face
now the stache is replaced
them good ole boys were laughing and cryin
singing this'll be the day that it died.

Yes everyone I'm sorry to upset the masses...but I shaved the stache. Two days ago I looked in the mirror and realized it wasn't funny anymore, but begining to get creepy. It was so creepy I almost signed myself up for the local sex offenders list in my city. An intelligent and fun to look at young lady said something very appropriate for the situation "A mustache has never added to the look of anyone...can you picture someone who you can say, you know that guy would look better with a mustache?"

So there it is my experiment and therefore the laughs are over. I'll try to keep the masses entertained but using a less...sex offenderish route.

World cup rant

In the 6th minute!!?? So you're the 5th ranked team in the world and you get your freaking medicine in the most important game of your lives? I can't believe how horrible the United States national team played today. In their 3-0 loss they seemed as if they had never played a game together before in their lives.

Here's what needs to happen before the USA can be a soccer power:

1. Play real competition. You can't win 30 games against 3rd world countries and then come into a world cup and expect to be ready for competition. Go play in Europe, go play Brazil...so what if you lose, you will learn the standard.

2. Have a clue what to do with the ball. The US didn't know what to do with the ball once they recieved it. The Czechs were moving passing and being so creative...it was a clinic for the midfield.

3. Teach the beauty of the game and not the arrogant US image of "you need to score for people to want to watch/play the game". Soccer is a beautiful game and we need to play it as if it is so.

I'm pissed.

Chics might not dig the stache

I don't grow facial too fast so it is taking some time but it is still looking pretty funny. I don't know how much longer I can take it but...it's funny so I'll let it slide.

Day 10

Chicks dig the stache

Well I've decided that it is time to grow a mustache. Not for the reasons you might think; it looks cool, some girl wants me to do it, I think I'm burt reynolds. I'm not doing it for any of those reasons, but because it will look hilarious! Yes folks I am putting myself at the hands of comedy. If you're mad that you won't be able to see the humor...WAIT! I will photo-document the process. Enjoy!!

Day 1

Day 3