Again, I appreciate your input.
@EasyRider: We trust people everyday. We trust that cars will stop at red lights. We trust that the restaurant will serve us good, clean food. I see people trusting me every day when I walk through the door of the hospital room and I can see it in their eyes when they look at my white coat and look reassured: the doctor is here. They trust me to make the right decision for them. If I say they need surgery, they inquire as to the reason and alternatives, but in the end they trust me to not put my pocketbook ahead of their well being. Trust is necessary for us to live in the world we live in. Having said that, I am not naive. After all, we trust our government to look out for the interest of all of us... I can't say that this is the case today... But even then I trust that our president has the best intentions in mind, although misguided in my opinion...
On the other hand, I am not against other people making a profit. I do not expect others to make a sacrifice to keep me alive, business wise or "anything else" wise. If I want the best, I am willing to pay for the best. My business motto is "everyone wins". I do not want to make a profit at the expense of other people. I want to make a profit when the other person also profits from my work. A win-win scenario if you will. So, I do not mind if AC or Athena makes a profit, as long as it is beneficial to both of us. If they provide value to me, I would hope they would obtain profit from me. Otherwise why do it? for the benefit of humanity? Humanity starts with you and your family.
But I do apologize for posting this topic the evening of Xmas. It goes to show how much medicine, and the business of medicine, has permeated my life, and I suspect your lives as well. I hope you all enjoy a very Merry Christmas in the company of your loved ones. Give them an extra hug. They are, after all, the reason we are here.
