Dig Deeper Texas

At the town hall meeting that UTHSCSA gave when it began its “merger” with CTRC, the speakers assured the audience that they would take the best from both organizations. Well, it has become clear that UTHSCSA thinks that only they have the best.

While it’s annoying to hear that you have to change because that’s the way UTHSCSA “has always done it,” it’s disturbing when the answer is simply “our policy doesn’t allow that” without any indication that it might be necessary to see if a change in policy is necessary. You know, when you take over an organization that is providing different services than you, it is a distinct possibility that you might need to change some things in order to deliver those new services effectively, or maybe even at all.

Take for example, “we don’t allow departments to buy food” policy. Maybe that policy was designed by UTHSCSA to cut down on employees drinking too much coffee and running out of paper in favor of hot chocolate. But what if the food isn’t being bought for the employees at CTRC? What if the food is being bought for patients who are often required to be fasting at the time they start receiving chemo and then are given snacks to make it through the next eight hours? Or maybe because vomiting on an empty stomach is not the medically recommended option?

Nope. UTHSCSA policy is clear, no purchasing of food. Maybe the department can get it listed as medical supplies. Or maybe they can do like UTHSCSA’s grand rounds and get the drug reps to bring in the food. But wait, I thought it was against UTHSCSA policy to allow drug reps in the building much less to bring food? You mean, there might be some cases where there are exceptions to the policies?

Well, at least with UTHSCSA dominating the new UTHSCSA/CTRC logo, patients can blame UTHSCSA instead of CTRC. And who knows, if enough patients decide to go somewhere else to get their chemo where they don’t have to pack their own snacks, maybe the UTHSCSA policy won’t be an issue anymore.

Filed under: CTRC, Cancer Therapy & Research Center, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, UTHSC-SA, UTHSCSA