Wound Care in Crisis

Chris Farley Wound Care, “Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!”

 

by Michael Miller DO, FACOS, FAPWCA, WCC

For those of you who cannot remember the now deceased comedian Chris Farley, did not find his humor funny or simply cannot remember any of his memorable performances; I suggest you move on to another, less controversial, “here’s how to use scissors” type of blog.

 

Michael Miller
Miller Care Group

Chris Farley was a genius. His insights covered many, many topics but their pertinence, I have found, is particularly suited to wound care. Those of you who work in the vicinity of a wound care dabbler, I invite you to cut this blog out and surreptitiously leave it where they cannot miss it or send them the link. I am betting that one or two of the following will strike home but even if not, at least they will get the message that someone (probably many-one) wants them to reconsider their current as-yet-unrecognized (you may substitute the words barbaric, substandard, fraudulent or wasteful) practices. Recently, the shenanigans of several 4-hour-per-week wound management company puppets have led a handful of patients to file complaints with their clinics, hospitals and in two cases, demand that they not be charged (believe it or not, with no coercion, suggestion or turbo charging and actually with a second or two of feigned disbelief on my part).

 

The basics are simple, so let’s get them out on the table. The keys to success are not just avoiding making mistakes but recognizing that one was made and avoiding making it again. While Mr. Farley inadvertently but repeatedly insults Sir Paul McCartney during an adoration-fueled interview, he rewards each faux pas he commits with a smack to his forehead accompanied by his self-acknowledged cry of “Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.” The resultant laughter from the audience and his embarrassment should result in Chris’ reminding himself not to act stupidly again. Of course, the key to the comedic bit is his ability to say the wrong thing again and again and punish himself for the wrong thing again and again. If only Chris had a check list on which to remind himself what things were safe to ask and what questions or actions would take him into treacherous territory. Fortunately for his audience, he just never got it right … read more