The health report

As I sat watching The Waiting Room, a documentary on the American heath care system, I could only think of two things: I’m happy that my family and loved ones are healthy… and yay for free health care.

The Waiting Room, directed by Peter Nicks and playing at the Cinematheque, made me laugh, tear up, and cringe. It follows the lives of those who wait through the tedious and impatient moments we’ve all spent in that room.

I was expecting a completely different documentary, one with experts and crunching numbers. Instead I was surprised to be placed right into the action of a waiting room, as one full day inside the Highland Hospital in Oakland, California.

Each scene included a close up of a patient, their families, and or staff. Each patient had a different story and each struggled with the medical costs.  The focus was not on names or dates; the focus was on the individual stories and their struggle to navigate the system. The Waiting Room is narrated through each individual and the interactive dialogue they have with others in the hospital.

In Canada we are fortunate to have free public health care. Yes, it may take you hours, days, and perhaps months to get exactly where you need to be but at least it’s free.

“Waiting for care is part and parcel of the normalfunctioning of any health system.” - Canadian Medical Association, TheTaming Of The Queue:  Toward A Cure for Health Care Wait Times 

Our taxes feed our healthcare system. If you’re Canadian you’re covered. If you have Immigration status, live here permanently, or are here six months out of the year… you’re covered.  More information at http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/mhsip/index.html

According to the Globe and Mail “Roughly 50 million people are without health-insurance, and millions of others are underinsured” in the United States.  Bottom line in the United States: if you have money you get health care and you get it fast, if not, you end up in a public waiting room and get stuck on a payment plan for your medical expenses.

If one part of the film stuck out to me, it’s the screen they were looking at to decide who goes in what bed, what room, to see which doctor. That spreadsheet looked like a migraine waiting to happen and it’s never ending. Even the movie’s tagline says 24 hours. 241 patients. One stretched ER.   

“You just hope it’s better than when you came,” said by one of the doctors, presumably, Dr. Douglas White.

They see as many patients as they physically can in one day. When a trauma comes in everyone drops what he or she is doing to help and sometimes its not enough. This film does a good job of portraying each character and their story. It demonstrates the stress each person is under and how everyone is trying their best from the social worker trying to find a home for a patient, to the doctor phoning around to find an opening appointment for his patient.  

My favorite part of the film:

A woman asks Nurse Johnson for some food.  This woman is complaining that she’s hungry and has been waiting a while and deserves a sandwich. The nurse responds “so will that be steak or lobster?” In a high stress and negative environment you need a positive humorous attitude otherwise you’ll never make it through the day. I was super impressed with this nurse. My aunt is an emergency nurse and I’ve seen how her work environment has taken a toll on her mind and body.

One criticism of the film: I would like to know what happened to some of the patients. Did the man with a testicular tumor get his surgery? Did the man with who had a stroke end up falling through the cracks? Did the little girl’s dad end up getting a job? So many questions unanswered. Some catharsis would have been nice.

Did this work as a documentary? Yes.

The Waiting room was filmed in a compelling fashion and narrated by the right people in their own words. It evoked feelings both happy and sad. It was filmed in a real location with real struggles. The filmmaker showed us people waiting, people becoming impatient, people getting treated, and people dealing with grief. There were natural sounds and appropriate music when needed. The composition was great too. The close ups, focus shifts, and fast forwarding shots made this film all the more intriguing to watch. 

Not sure if it’s just me, but when I’m in the waiting room I wonder what brought everyone else there. I begin to wonder ‘what’s their story’? This film gave me a glimpse into that answer.

For pictures go to:  The Waiting Room