From the dreams of a long and fruitful career in medicine, the story of dialysis in America has instead become the story of my own life. Tom Mueller spent six years researching and learning about the heart of American dialysis and why it started with such hope and devotion but has devolved into a mainly for-profit duopoly filled with greed and indifference. Many of the people mentioned in this meaningful book have been my own personal friends and colleagues in a battle to bring "optimal" dialysis back to America.
Belding Scribner, MD and his colleagues in Seattle such as Christopher Blagg, MD built a lifesaving device into an entire medical field that was the first to be able to replace a non-functioning organ and give the gift of life back to millions of patients around the world. In many ways, what Dr. Scribner put together in the 1960's was the peak of dialysis with his first experimental treatment resulting in 11 years of extended life alone for Clyde Shields. Unfortunately, dialysis in the US has not progressed as the other fields of medicine in the same period of time except as it did as a device for profiteering and greed.
Nancy Spaeth who began dialysis with Dr. Scribner on December 26th, 1966 has stated that her home dialysis in the 1960's gave her the best benefits of her entire life compared to what she experienced later with shorter, and faster dialysis in the 70s and 80's. For all who have experienced renal failure in the US, this is our story that Tom Mueller brings to view through his talents as an author and humanist concerned with the inhumane treatments of far too many of my fellow dialysis patients, all for the love of money alone. Nancy lived life well until last year and is an author, a nurse, a mother, and grandmother and revered friend to thousands of dialysis patients around the world who she encouraged and supported.
I am one of those who was given the gift of life through dialysis and I have now enjoyed nearly 17 years of borrowed time. But, those years have been fraught with the disappointment of a medical field that has sold its soul for monetary gain at the expense of suffering and death of those that they are charged to protect and care.
Tom Mueller captures this story through the eyes of another one of my friends and hero's in this life, Arlene Mullins. Over 23 years ago, Arlene made a promise to her then dying husband that she would save as many dialysis patients as she could from corporations and government oversight that maximized profits while producing the worst dialysis outcomes in the developed world. Arlene and hundreds of whistleblowers, civil rights and legal groups are now converging to bring this story that is largely ignored except by those who are forced to endure an industry gone wrong through greed. Belding Scribner said it best as noted by his friend, Christopher Blagg:
"Scrib was always interested in the big picture. In 1961, he was espousing development of dialysis centers but progress was slow. By 1965, he had seen the success and cost savings with home hemodialysis and was urging its use to enable more patients to be treated. Senator Henry Jackson, who had a childhood friend on dialysis, introduced the first legislation for government support of dialysis and transplantation in 1965. Scrib’s views were also a major influence on the Gottschalk Committee that looked at the potential role of government in 1967. He, among others, helped to get Congress to pass legis- lation for the Medicare End Stage Renal Disease Program in 1972, but later became disillusioned as he saw the large profits in the early years and the growth of for-profit dialysis organi- zations. He said that what he had regarded as “a noble experiment” had become a vehicle fueled by greed rather than concern for providing the best treatment for patients. He continued his interest in renal politics for the rest of his life."
I urge all to read and share the story that Tom Mueller has published in support of the fight for truth and healing of a medical field in need of remembering where it all started, with a man who gave freely to his patents so that patients could live and prosper even with full renal failure. HOW TO MAKE A KILLING, by Tom Mueller is a tribute to Dr. Willem Kolff who invented the first workable dialysis machine and freely gave his machines to the world to save lives.
"The exciting thing is to see somebody who is doomed to die, live and be happy.
https://achievement.org/achiever/willem-j-kolff/
Dr. Scribner gave his Scribner shunt and other medical devices freely to the world to simply save lives. It is time that nephrologists in America remember and honor how this noble experiment gave life to people like myself and millions around the world. It still is a noble experiment that deserves to return to what Scribner and Kolff envisioned well over sixty years ago. Would it be that we will see many people doomed to die, live and be happy.
HOW TO MAKE A KILLING, by Tom Mueller is an important book that all who have or ever will need the benefits of humane and compassionate medical care will appreciate for his visionary insight into the perils of for-profit medicine.
Great to hear from you once again! I always looked forward to your posts on the IHateDialysis.org site back in the day! And I think it was important and eyeopening for Mr. Mueller to point out how even an M.D. and home dialysis patient could run afoul of a medical system gone mad - glad to see you lived to tell the tale!
However this reminds me of how I acted with a mutual acquaintance back in the day, Bill Peckman. The more I think about it, the more I believe I made a terrible mistake. I'll just say it is a long story how my mind went down a bad path. I know Bill is gone, but if he can get this message from above - I'm very, very sorry!!! (R.I.P) And if he kicks my rear-end from above - I deserve it!
The above paragraph is a little off topic, but some memory cells got stirred up.
Posted by: Chris Schwab | Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 01:54 PM
Thank you Chris.Tom has written a very impactful and important book that all dialysis patients, nephrologists, nurses and techs should read and understand.
We can do better and Scribner did do better, leaving a legacy of restoration and return to a productive life. The for-profit dialysis industry has left a legacy of death and destruction.
Posted by: Peter Laird, MD | Sunday, October 08, 2023 at 05:52 PM