5 /5 Maureen Lagasse: My children are teenagers and have been seeing regular pediatricians/ primary care physicians since they were born. They routinely receive athletic waivers from their doctors every year. This year, however, we waited until the last minute to get the athletic waiver done, and so we ended up at Hoag Urgent Care for the first time ever.
Imagine my disbelief when, within 20 minutes, the doctor identified the signs of a rare genetic disorder in my child and refused to sign the waiver! I argued at first, thinking he had to be wrong because my children are good athletes, and I have always been told that theyre perfectly healthy and have no medical issues. The doctor, however, stood his ground and explained that the disorder could prove fatal under the stress of athletic performance. He referred us to several specialists, including a cardiologist, orthopedist, and geneticist. Given his warning, and the fact that my own recurring health issues have been dismissed as "psychosomatic" for three decades, I took the doctors advice. The results from my childs first test confirmed his concerns.
Dr. Zwi Steindler may very well have saved my childs life that day, and I will be forever grateful to him. I now have the necessary information to ensure that medical practitioners respond to my familys "psychosomatic" ailments appropriately, and that my children (and future grandchildren) are informed and prepared for ordinary situations that, for them, could be fatal. Thank you, Dr. Steindler! You are an honorable physician and a rare treasure in a system that is too often rushed, dismissive, and focused on profits rather than people.
