Fred J. Schiffman, MD Providence, RI 02906

"Dr. Schiffman stopped by my father’s room in the last day of a nine day stay at Miriam. He brought a group of residents to hear my father’s story. Dr.Schiffman was both kind and patient while he listened to my dad’s medical as well as personal life. He told my father he was articulate and sharp for an 80 year old. His words meant a lot on a night when my dad was feeling completely broken and scared about going to rehab. What the doctor does not know is my father was discharged the next day with a terrible cough tested positive for Covid the very first day there.. which turned to pneumonia and later sepsis. He was never able to get to physical therapy but instead ended up back at the hospital right where he started last time in the ICU . He encountered Dr Winn who was just as kind to his 79 year old wife. Sadly , that is not the way the other residents at Miriam hospital carry themselves. My father’s stay at The Miriam has been a nightmare. It is impossible to get a resident or doctor to speak to my mother before 4:00 if at all. She worries all day how her husband is. We asked to speak to Dr. Sean Smith the resident on call one night when my father was altered and the nurse relayed that he could not speak to us because he did not want me too see his home number. I tried to tell another resident that my father was altered and I was afraid his infection was back . She dismissed me and said it was hospital delirium. My dad did in fact have an infection and ended up back in ICU. Even though we tried to get a call from 8:30 that morning we did not get a call until 3:30 that day telling us my dad had an awful night and had been non responsive all day. Last night my dad was moved with his hospital delirium during the night to the fourth floor with no call to my mother AGAIN. He was also put on an anti anxiety medicine and became unresponsive again.. AGAIN no phone call! I have had 4 different case managers to speak to in the last 3 days! The doctor’s said they were unaware of his move to fourth floor.but did say that the new medicine and move led to his unresponsiveness and delirium. The disconnect from the residents and doctors cannot possibly be what Dr. Schiffman is expecting from his residents. I hope he looks at my father’s records and sees that I am not making this up.The residents at Miriam should take their cue from Dr. Schiffman and Dr. Winn and treat the whole patient and remember that thereare people behind these patients who need to be treated with respect."