Dr. Susan Taylor
Les Kelly Medical Group,
1920 Colorado Ave.,
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Dr. Susan Taylor:

RE: Constance Webb

In conversation with Steve Deitlebaum, he indicated that you and he decided that, rather than fulfilling Buc's plan of care, inclusive of your recommendation in writing that you feel that this patient requires protective supervision as I had recently requested, I should instead become a patient.

If indeed this is because you think that my health is being compromised or endangered by my caregiver role, then the best thing to do is to gain additional nursing for her, so that I can get some rest like any normal person.

I've mentioned to Steve that I again will have to return before a judge of the State of California, Adjudication Division, to gain this additional nursing. Your letter, along with a Dr. Kudrow's, can help assure the fulfillment of this need, and your decision continues to delay this, particularly if Buc needs to go back into reassessment.

The first step is to request these additional hours from both DPSS and IHSS in writing and by phone. Dr. Kudrow is not Buc's principal neurologist, nor has he seen her since 1999, so your recommendation will carry great weight in this matter, and I need it in writing now, not three weeks from now, nor sometime after my evaluation or after Buc's next reassessment.

The Kelly Group is Buc's only option to good care and I believe your Director, Yvonne Douglas and Dr. Bazoske have delayed and restricted the care and treatment Buc deserves and to which she is entitled, because of fiscal considerations, not medical.

I was actually quite shocked by your and Steve's position, especially when Steve told me that he wasn't going to charge me for the meeting, because I believed that such meetings were part of Buc's plan of care, since she is unable to speak for herself. If MEDICAL or MEDICARE do not cover meetings in regards to Buc's care and treatment, I should know this directly. Also, Steve knows that I am absolutely flat broke and cannot pay for my own patient care and services which Kelly might offer.

In reference to a potential reassessment of Buc, this is nonsense. Other than her bowels, she is doing better and better in regard to her initial injury, which has never been addressed once, since Buc has been with Kelly.

There seems to be the under riding opinion of her physicians that she is making little progress, particularly in communication ability, to the extent, that she cannot even receive the constant effort of specialists in this area, presumably, because the medical profession systemically views this as remedial and rehabilitative, where in fact, communication enhancement for her now provides better medicine for her in the long run.

I have been observing a very sick system, with most of the professional people going along with it and making excuses at the same time.

Four years ago, when Buc entered Freeman Marina Hospital, her PCP and principle internist bragged about their experience and medical understanding of her case, telling me that they have had thousand and thousand of patients in her condition, though at the time, only thirty-three ever existed. Her MAXPHYSICIAN carelessly evaluated her and gave his prognosis under impossible conditions, convinced beforehand that she was not redeemable. Some of the other doctors and nurses told me that she could not be evaluated for mental responses under the heavy sedation and medications they were giving her, but they were not affiliated with her HMO at the time, and thus could say nothing.

I do not think if fair or proper for anyone at Kelly to deny maximum effort to help their patient, especially if they are working from her past records and prognosis, no matter how much time it takes or what it costs, because what they are doing is condemning someone who otherwise cannot speak or easily communicate, because of their injury, to prove themselves worthy of redemption--which is exactly what appears to be happening on the surface.

Such bad behavior is further exacerbated by limiting, circumventing or omitting this patient's care and treatment, by suggesting that the patient's advocate needs help.

I really want you to start putting in TAR requests and DEALING with MEDICAL and MEDICARE on this patient's behalf, and its got to be done now, or you will lose her.

Sincerely,

Joel Webb

copies to:
Mr. Steve Deitlebaum - Case Coordinator
Ms. Yvonne Douglas - Director, Les Kelly Medical Group
Ms. Kathleen Connell - State Controller
All letters may be made reference to on www.zyx.org