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Personal experiences underscore need to change proposed rules
A letter to the editor that Edward Eckenhoff, president and chief executive officer of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, wrote to this magazine recently (Oct. 6, p. 20) should give us all pause.
In his letter, Ed was eloquent, direct and to the point, so much so that rather than paraphrasing what he wrote, I will quote from it:
"Forty years after being paralyzed, the odds say I should not be where I am today, the founding president and chief executive officer of a healthcare system employing nearly 1,000 people. More than 68% of Americans with disabilities are unemployed. Acute-care hospitals are working miracles by saving lives today that just five years ago would have been lost. But there is a difference between merely living and life. Are we condemning those patients to live the rest of their lives in an 8-by-10 room or will they be enjoying an active, productive life in their communities with family and friends?" During the past 18 months I've had two hip replacement surgeries, the result of years of competitive running and ice hockey. The truth is, I received so much enjoyment from those sports that the price was worth paying, even if I wish I didn't have to pay it.
The tough thing about hip surgery is that afterward there is a period when it's...