30 Days of US Healthcare: Private Equity Visits Rural Medicine

[@AdvancedBoerboels4.24.7]

"re-coop your investment. You own chickens now!" Love it!!!! So true to life in the country. This time of year we pay with tomatoes and garden goodies.

[@williambrown319]

The good news is in about four weeks, its hog season. So bacon, chops and sausages and ribs to go with all that fresh garden goodies

[@GTAmaniac1]

​@@williambrown319damn, y'all don't even thoroughly dry your bacon before using it for trade? Dried meats take time.

[@Annie_Annie__]

@@williambrown319I don’t even live in the country anymore, but during hunting season all my friends and family barter with venison, javelina, boar, duck, dove, and rabbit meat. My kid is a teenager and he’s eagerly awaiting the season when he can do chores and odd-jobs in exchange for venison sausage.

[@safaiaryu12]

Fresh garden-grown tomatoes are THE best currency...

[@sim_aware]

Nothing wrong with that moonshine sterilization! (or the patients that bring us some to say thanks)

[@margaretbear]

They defeated private equity!! Go team!🎉

[@alma4938]

All they had to do was be in a small community that doesn't make money.....😂

[@hop-skip-ouch8798]

with poverty

[@hobodarkness7696]

Whoop whoop

[@LexYeen]

defeated? no. drove off.

[@VashdaCrash]

@@LexYeen Yeah, this doesn't look like a win at all.

[@Rrt98]

People suffering from insurance companies' greed: Millions Those companies' net worth: Billions The look on Bartholomew's when he realized the staff couldn't care less about him and his money: Priceless🎉

[@ahmadsaab5217]

I’m pretty sure they were interested in the money in order to upgrade their facilities and pay their staff

[@Rrt98]

@ahmadsaab5217 Of course they were. I meant they didn't really care about returning the guys' investment money. It became clear when they offered to pay him back in chickens

[@flyinjenny]

With the ore mining, crafting, and chicken farming, I'm starting to see the possibility of a Rural Medicine video game.

[@katanah3195]

Honestly, this would be a good resource management game. I'd play it.

[@AConquerorsVendetta]

They already have that, it's called Stardew Valley

[@robertstoll1818]

My grandmother went into labor with my mother 80 some years ago at home. She was right in the middle of baking bread, after my mother was born my grandfather asked the doctor how much they owed him. He looked at my grandparents and told them that he would call it even for three loaves of bread, not a bad deal for a house call and delivering a baby.

[@johnlucas6683]

Must be darn good bread as well. Nice!

[@Brineytoes]

That very well could have been my grandfather delivering the baby. He delivered “over 5,000 of them at home, many of them after arriving in a horse-drawn buggy. Then my dad graduated from med school the year I was born, and they became partners.

[@Cristiana-15_09]

That's the sweetest story 😊

[@teslaromans1023]

@@Brineytoeshow old are you if you don’t mind me asking ?

[@janharris8672]

Darn good bread made from non-gmo flour and other ingredients free from noxious pesticides, herbicides, dough conditioners, and other stuff our grandmothers didn't recognize.

[@saobleach8226]

Rural communities are the only ones that can defeat private equity

[@lennierofthethirdfaneofchu7286]

Because they don't have enough money for PE to take.

[@olenickel6013]

@@lennierofthethirdfaneofchu7286 The one thing worse for workers than being exploited in capitalism is not being exploited in capitalism

[@mikeh3240]

@@olenickel6013oof. Too true.

[@xxgn]

After watching Wendover's video about Dollar Stores, I have faith that private equity can find a way to extract money out rural communities. I wonder if something similar is possible in rural medicine.

[@TisOnlyAScratch]

​@@olenickel6013Disagree. This portrayed rural community is free. They have their NEEDS (Shelter, Health, Food, Transportation, Clothes, Communication) taken care of. Lower their standards of WANTS and greed and they're untouchable. I have non-Amish friends who live in a similar non-Amish community and everyone takes care of each other.

[@ashurean]

And the lore of Texaco Mike's Gas Station Mine and Observatory Fan Boat Therapy Service with a dual MRI/CT barbeque machine (which he probably also uses to smelt the ore) expands.

[@HisameArtwork]

honestly Texaco Mike sounds like my husband. he's a theoretical nuclear physicist in Romania. we left 5 years to live in Michigan, when we came back what little infrastructure he made fell into disrepair. when you're a poor east european McGuiver seems like a toddler.

[@somebodyelse6673]

So, who should play Texaco Mike in the documentary? Surely there's gonna be a documentary, right?

[@North_West1]

Does he still sell jerky and gas? Or do we need to siphon the red diesel?

[@Feisty_Elfgirl_5258]

​@@somebodyelse6673TMike needs to remain unseen. It adds to the whole mystique

[@LadyAnuB]

Texaco Mike is Minecrafting in rural life

[@rolmodel12.]

Anytime Big Money loses, the calloused, black pit where my heart used to be begins to warm. 😊

[@EdjieboaNova]

God Bless rural doctors. I met one who told his son, "Do not go into medicine unless you are doing it for the patients, because insurance and paperwork makes your life hell." that was about 10-15 years ago. He also accepted chickens. xD -Texas

[@darrenjackson9646]

This was absolutely perfect - a big investment firm bought Pineville, KYs hospital for like, $2mill, thinking they could cash in on it being the only hospital in 15 miles - joke was on them, they lost so much money having to do things to bring the hospital back up to code and lost health insurance certifications because, hey, all of a sudden Texaco Mike doesn’t know the guy running the lab, so he ain’t getting certified for free, and basically they went bankrupt and the hospital got bailed out by the state

[@docbklyn]

I’ll guarantee that private equity still made $ on that deal. They take their own $ out and then some long before the business crashes. The scene in Goodfellas demonstrating what happens when a small business owner takes on a Mob boss as a silent partner also describes private equity perfectly.

[@FireflyArc]

Giving 'you live like this' a new level

[@DLlama]

Don't worry, they'll get tax payers to bail out the debt/losses, AND buy a functioning company just to load it up with their debt. Then /that/ company goes bankrupt, not them. Just like any leaderboard, the guys at the top are always cheating.

[@shingshongshamalama]

And then the state took ownership of the hospital, right?

[@NYKevin100]

@@docbklyn That just means the bank lost the money instead of private equity. There's always *somebody* left holding the bag.

[@MSte21]

I love Rural Medicine. And I love that he successfully turned away Private Equity just by being honest.

[@christawilliams8068]

This is my favorite of the 30 days series. The truth is, most health care workers care more about helping than getting wealthy - at least in primary care. We need to stop aligning ourselves with those who see medicine as a revenue generator.

[@duckdictator6531]

As a healthcare worker, I work to get paid. Don’t let hospitals or corporations take advantage of you. Know your worth.

[@kyba74]

Its a job. You do it to get paid so that you can survive, pay your rent, your bills, put food on the table. Also its a shit job most of the time. Overworked, shitty admin, ungrateful patients, extreme work loads and hours and so forth. So yes, people do care more about getting paid than helping. That's not to say they don't care. Most do. However if it wasn't for the compensation then most wouldn't do this job. (Nurses, doctors, paramedics etc).

[@nicolaplays1134]

@@duckdictator6531 @kyba74 Thank you both for the work that you do. Being paid according to your worth is essential, that's indisputable. But there is a difference between getting paid and getting wealthy. It's the corporate leeches who are out to get wealthy.

[@ianh1504]

​@@duckdictator6531then why arent you working in admin..?

[@majesticglue9100]

​@@duckdictator6531 There's a difference between those who get paid while doing their job correctly (healthcare professionals), and those who get paid while not doing it (healthcare administrators).

[@vilis16]

Texaco Mike is an inspiration to us all

[@ashleysmith9516]

A real MVP

[@shamurphy6255]

😂😂

[@crash.override]

I'm now convinced he operates an SCV from Command & Conquer. Gotta mine those ores!⛏️

[@NathanWubs]

Texaco mike is just a story of season/runefactory protagonist.

[@ShmuelSpade]

Texaco Mike is a Jonathan that got free

[@vyrv6719]

I've heard EXACTLY this conversation. My grandfather and his two brothers were surgeons and started a small hospital in the town next to our family farm. I won't say which hospital for privacy, and the "he doesn't care about this community".... yeah that one brought back some frustrating but pride filled memories. Rest in peace Captain. You will be missed.

[@bar111a.5]

What an amazing story and act of kindness, they must've been amazing people 😊

[@VashdaCrash]

Wait, it even was the same company? Private Equity? Man, it's easier to see this people as parody, or entirely fictional.

[@dominateeye]

@@VashdaCrash Just in case you aren't aware, "private equity" isn't the name of a company. It's a kind of investment fund that buys up businesses and reorganizes them to generate the most money for the investment fund possible, almost certainly to the point of totally destroying the business. Many companies can be considered "private equity".

[@MichaKucharczykNR]

@@dominateeye I applaud you for explaining things that many people would consider common knowledge without being judgmental.

[@dominateeye]

@@MichaKucharczykNR Every concept has someone out there who hasn't heard it yet! Getting to (potentially) teach someone something new is a great thing. 😊

[@adrianb3869]

My coffee came out of my nose at the “Recoop your chickens” line.

[@LittleMountain90]

BB: "There will be significant budget cuts." RM: *snort* "Yeah, okay." Can't cut what isn't there.

[@HisameArtwork]

genius I say

[@rivergreen1727]

Reminds me of a story I heard some musicians tell. They were in a shady part of a Mexican tourist trap town and the cops tried to detain them if they didn't pay a bribe of like $100. Joke was on the cops though, these broke musicians only had like $15 so they let them go for the $15.

[@rainbowconnected]

I knew I could count on rural medicine to restore my faith that there is good in the world and there are people fighting for it. Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear fleece.

[@OrNaurItsKat]

I've been watching your channel for some time now, for some reason I underestimated the level of bro that ortho really involved, but today I went to my first ortho consultation ever, and we were going over my medical history which included a large pericardial effusion a few years ago and the surgeon responded with "so they stuck that big needle in your heart?! Like in Pulp Fiction?? Aww cool I've never gotten to do that!" and now I see where your character comes from and I appreciate it even more.

[@animuldoc]

As a housecall veterinarian, I feel most reflected through the Dr. G series by the rural Doctors

[@safaiaryu12]

House call veterinarians are heroes... thank you for what you do to help sick animals feel comfortable. ❤

[@Debbie338]

Me, too! Even a small animal vet in a very small town knows all this stuff!

[@Sashazur]

We ❤ 💕 our house call vet! Makes things so much easier with cats that *HATE* the carrier and the car. And it was such a blessing when we had to put our sweet old sick cat to sleep. It must be so hard to do so much euthanasia, I can’t imagine. Thank you for what you do!

[@animuldoc]

@@safaiaryu12 well thanks. But honestly, I started it for semi-selfish reasons. Just to be a better mother because I was a single mom and him being the first kid at daycare and the last picked up and then plopped in front of the TV at the clinic while I wrote stuff up and called clients didn’t seem like the way I wanted to raise my son. Turned out to be the best thing I ever did and now he’s 30 and an MD. As we stay in the house an RD. (“Real Doctor” 🤣🤣🤣) and I am loving doing house calls.

[@docgammycat]

​@animuldoc Single mom AND vet, whoosh!!! Hard enough keeping the home litter boxes clean--can't imagine keeping up with diaper changings AND paying for college 😹🤣😹🤣😹🤣‼️

[@ItsAsparageese]

As someone who really wants to do time in rural med (thanks mostly to you) and who cherishes the "I have nothing to lose, you can't manipulate me" positions in life, this installment was the first one to be heartwarmingly inspiring for me instead of depressing

[@obsessionmine]

Jonathan and Texaco Mike are either going to bring down this world or lead us to utopia and at this point I'm honestly down for either one

[@Stephen-Fox]

Why not both? Can't build a utopia without breaking a few corrupt systems.

[@chanticleer0714]

Why not both?

[@JanStrojil]

The rural community is so wholesome I feel like smelting some needles, despite not really knowing how to smelt or what smelting is.

[@SugarandSarcasm]

The extraction of metal from its ore by a process involving heating and melting

[@bakhtqureshi9562]

that was so wholesome actually..... like watching the power of friendship defeat a supervillain

[@markmartens7817]

Love the video! The funny thing is I cover vacations for anesthesia at a very rural critical access hospital. They have all the nice things. Multiple farmers have donated over $1M to the hospital and one farmer gave $8M.

[@BeeWhere]

You just need to reattach the right persons arm and they tend to give you a hand in the future.

[@nicolaplays1134]

@@BeeWhere LOL!

[@lijohnyoutube101]

Wow not the typical rural experience!

[@glottal]

This video cements Rural medicine as my favorite doc. Not even private equity can stop him!

[@cphilips502]

Hurrah for Rural Health!! Always fighting the good fight, one chicken at a time. Rural is similar to mental health in that there is no money to be made, so when we're told about the possibility of services being taken over by private firms (this is in the UK where we are facing creeping privatisation), we take bets on how long it is until they pull out of the deal and the services are back with the NHS.

[@jtkane317]

Rural Medicine is my hero. Dude is straight up empathy personified.

[@scrollcaps]

That's going to be an awkward fanboat ride with Texaco Mike. He helped raised those chickens. They have names. He has pictures. You too good for those noble feathered ladies, suit boy!

[@JackDespero]

Rural medicine staff are my heroes. I will grab a pick and help Texaco Mike with that ore.

[@maivezonk]

A rural hospital about an hour's drive from me went under in 2014. They were done in by an inability to fill inpatient beds. Many private practices had switched to doing outpatient surgery in their own facilities, plus insurance companies were refusing to authorize inpatient stays over 24 hours for major surgeries and baby deliveries. Add to that declining Medicare reimbursements. They tried and failed at chapter 11 reorganization and eventually filed chapter 7 bankruptcy leaving a very large area multi-state region without a hospital for over a decade. Recently a large conglomerate hospital system bought the little hospital for pennies on the dollar and is reopening it next year as a satellite clinic.

[@SandfordSmythe]

Medicaid expansion?

[@sarahprice659]

Gawds, I hope it works out somehow! I can’t even imagine.

[@XyatuX]

Doc Glauc couldn't handle dealing with the clusterfuck that is US healthcare for a whole month, but decided to keep going for at least another 3 days. RIP

[@TheLeopardBrightsky]

What?

[@HappleProductions]

@@TheLeopardBrightsky There was a typo on the title when it first posted. It said "3 days of US Healthcare."

[@mineown1861]

What , what ?

[@mineown1861]

​@@HappleProductions Huh ?

[@HappleProductions]

@@mineown1861 I...don't know how much clearer I can be? There was a typo, and instead of thirty days, it said three. The good doc was quick in fixing it.

[@stevengibbs8117]

GREAT our 30 days of us healthcare has been reduced to 3 days of us healthcare and i'm still paying the same premium

[@tamarinmangold1414]

🤣🤣🤣💀

[@shellyrae777]

Bartholomew was terrified at the idea of having to sit on a DIY stool 😂

[@micahphilson]

Hey, expertly handcarved stools are way more comfy than you'd think!

[@shellyrae777]

@@micahphilson very true, but not for Bartholomew, he only wants one made of real gold 😂

[@SuperSasukey]

I'm a doctor from Iran and I love your videos ❤

[@Brineytoes]

Why? Please explain…

[@Sahdirah]

Welcome in! I hope the healthcare system there is at least a little less terrible that the US. ❤️

[@infernox1099]

I like how I could see where this was going immediately, and I bloody love it, you go rural medicine!

[@virginiamoss7045]

Ooooo, I just love this one! The whole 30 days is fabulous and incredibly needed as a public service announcement. Endless thanks to Dr. Glaucomflecken.

[@ebubechiibegbula5968]

Wow !!! They defeated private equity !!!! This deserves a second watch

[@nish12110]

I love seeing rural medicine sticking it to private equity!

[@noahhobson4521]

Every time rural medicine shows up I am more in awe of Texaco Mike. It's not everyone who can not only build his own MRI/X-ray machine but also brew the contrast dye for it. I'm not at all surprised that he forges suture needles, but that he mines his own ore and smelts himself. Texaco Mike is a true polymath.

[@shawnfranke2637]

😂😂😂 I LOVED this one! Truly made me laugh! The ‘rest’ of the truths are depressing and painful. Our healthcare isn’t ‘going to hell in a hand basket’, it’s already there. Not to make you a target yourself, but some insight on what we can do would be helpful? I, for one, don’t know the first thing about instigating ‘big change’. But I do know that you have provided a great service to us by creating these videos. So great job! Stay safe and blessed! ♥️🙏♥️

[@pedropimenta896]

You can move to another country.

[@shawnfranke2637]

@@pedropimenta896 that’s much easier said than done. You’re kidding right? Unless you’re one of the top 1% in this country wealth wise, you couldn’t afford it. And if that were my case, I would be seeking my healthcare here in this country by a doctor who actually addresses the source of health issues, rather than just throwing pills at symptoms. Which, in fact, insurance also DOES NOT COVER. Integrative medicine doesn’t keep you in the sick and pharmaceutical consuming state which is where it seems to want to keep people.

[@grmpEqweer]

Join a "March for Medicare for all" group or some other group organizing to pressure Congress/president. ...Insurance lobbies donate a lot of campaign cash; I'm not going to lie to you and say this will be easy.

[@shawnfranke2637]

@@grmpEqweer well, it’s a place to start! And that’s all I am really asking for, so thank you! ♥️

[@jbush53]

Awww Rural Medicine is so wholesome. I really appreciate this one after the painful, but hilarious reminders about the misery in our health care system so far this month! Please continue to spread awareness about the changes that need to be made in healthcare!

[@BirdSpotter43]

I love the rural community videos. Id watch an entire series on itm would be thr best medical drama

[@juliabos2970]

Dr. Glaucomflecken do you know how addictive your short videos are?? Anyone else out there like to just binge watch 'em?

[@ShadoonGrogono]

Rural medicine is one of my favorites. Every time I end up laughing. Hope to see some medical bill coding stuff one day. There is a silver mine in that. Like how doctors just code whatever and leave it to some one else to figure out… or how there is a team of people that just handles the rejections or denials from the insurance companies, so that the bill is covered and what not.

[@MrOrthodox13]

Now I wanna be a rural medicine specialist. Damn these guys are cool.

[@thomaswodarek1257]

This was actually pretty wholesome! It's been hard watching some of these, so I really needed this pick-me-up

[@jimvanlieshout7657]

Bartholomew Banks-finally a name/character that tops Snidely Whiplash!

[@jamesburton1050]

Private equity *turning down* a deal is the best feeling!!!

[@andiskene7346]

Bravo, team rural medicine! 🎉

[@MichaKucharczykNR]

This "yeah okay" is one of the best delivery this channel had.

[@snoopsnet8150]

Thank you so much for producing this series and exposing the abject corruption between big health, big pharma and big government.

[@lissakaye610]

❤ it! It’s the first one that didn’t make me sad at the end.

[@rsh793]

THIS is the way to open up people's eyes to change the US Healthcare system - and stop it from spreading into other countries as well. I love it :)

[@Crymeariver227]

I’m all in for the barter system’s return!

[@SugarandSarcasm]

Absolutely!

[@LiorMor1]

That "recouping your investment" joke had me in fucking stiches. Absolutely brilliant

[@goliathcleric]

Rural medicine is the GOAT.

[@matthewrudomin]

This is the day that the good guys win🎉

[@randolphmahoney]

Barty Banks has met his match!!! Rural medicine is his Kryptonite!!!!!

[@Zeyev]

Brilliant. Especially in light of an AP article on the closing of maternal health centers in rural America.

[@Miniredfoxette]

Rural medicine is so wholesome 😊

[@_Squiddy]

I adore Rural Medicine with every fibre of my being

[@archimedesscrew3710]

Oh yes, brilliant!😂 Insulin! An AED! Outstanding 👏🏻

[@sopyleecrypt6899]

The re-coop/recoup pun is one of your finest.

[@elinor6525]

Inside two weeks, one friend had double knee surgery after tripping on the fireground, one other 9days in hospital after a stroke, with a ride in a medical chopper...no bills to anyone. None. Australian universal healthcare. Thank you

[@mimimo555]

I love the rural videos the most!!

[@trellises]

Rural medicine ROCKS!!!!

[@ZachHixsonTutorials]

That ending was surprisingly wholesome

[@Oriansenshi]

That was so wholesome and awe inspiring!

[@animeguardianxx]

*adds mining and smelting to the list of Texaco Mike’s skill/jobs/tasks*

[@redactedname247]

Texaco Mike is just out here playing Runescape

[@HarryPotterFreak623]

😍🥰 this one and the neurologist one are my favorites of the group!

[@alonelyshrub]

Hooray for Rural Medicine! So prpud of my farm boys!

[@jorderon]

Unexpectedly wholesome.

[@MBMCincy63]

Everyone should respond this way! Way to handle the money monger Rural Medicine! 🎉🎉

[@nataliecochrane1111]

Oh, thank goodness! A video this month that hasn’t left me feeling like health care is going to the dogs!

[@sandraodell4423]

Love, love, love rural medicine.

[@LibraryAce]

I knew Rural would defeat him if he ever made it out there! Though I thought it might involve Jasper and his shotgun. This was even better.

[@edwinlikeshistractor8521]

I was heading to retirement. Tried and tried to find someone interested in taking over my rural practice. Everyone wanted bright and shiny with CT and MRI next door. Just not going to happen in a town of 3,500 people. Finally sold to a group that owned 10 city and rural practices. Nothing as rural as mine though. Then private equity made them an offer they couldn't refuse. They closed my practice and sent me a letter telling me my services were no longer needed. Ouch! I don't have enough oomph to start over. Non- providers owning practices is a horrible idea . But it is now the norm.

[@anniehasting1133]

This was so heartwarming 🥹

[@drbobiwsky]

I love watching rural vs suits ... it is like a sports game.

[@AnnikaAwsome]

Rural medicine is the best ❤

[@Cristiana-15_09]

Faith in Humanity restored ❤

[@MythicFox]

That was immensely satisfying to watch.

[@daenku32]

So many good lines. Like an episode of Letterkenny.

[@sarosenna5850]

And this is why Rural Medicine is my fav.

[@roryconroy9669]

This was all kinds of glorious

[@redbarronreviews2429]

Excellent! I love the rural medicine in this series!

[@tuesdaythomson4418]

Perfection. Absolute perfection.

[@BaronRathorne]

When I saw the (revised) title, I was eager to see how this went down. Was not disappointed.

[@docniksnk]

Love it!!! Got him good. And Texaco Mike probably makes a good needle too. 🎉

[@reformedguy777]

You need to add this video to your "Rural Medicine" playlist.

[@acsproule]

This Is The Best! I love rural medicine.

[@leeannehicks9125]

I wish insurance companies would watch these!

[@esta8651]

They already know…they don’t care

[@tlf7674]

The hero we need.

[@therowofboats4840]

Texico Mike is a true hero.

[@lexigrimhaive]

I love rural community doc. 🤩

[@happyash6048]

We're not rural, but we did once trade moving a piano for stitches/surgical gluing my daughter's ear. It felt like the old days! (It was the height of the COVID pandemic and ERs were overrun. My friend's husband was a surgeon who offered to fix her ear and we happened to have a piano moving business and they happened to need a piano moved.)

[@CalmTempest]

What a wholesome vidoe Makes my heart feel warm

[@simonbas6]

That Texaco really is a truely multipurpose system

[@drtomrountree]

So wholesome at the end... love it

[@adoseofcare]

Rural medicine is the best!