Book Offers Tips for 'Survival' in Hospitals

     If you've watched a TV show with a hospital setting, you might have a notion - albeit exaggerated - of how the interactions between patients and doctors can create a dramatic scenario.

A new book written by a doctor-nurse couple says similar dramas are played out in real life. It warns of how we should be concerned about the lack of quality care that patients can receive in hospitals.

"Hospital Battlefield: A Field Manual For Survival," written by Lynne and Joseph Golonka, explains that inside knowledge and a lot of questioning, will go a long way toward improving health care in the U.S.

While being critical of hospitals - to the point of receiving their fair share of backlash from the medical establishment - the Golonkas are quick to stress that the power to make change begins with the patient.

"We want to stir up this closed-hospital system, not fight health care professionals," says Lynne, a registered nurse.

The real enemy, she says, is illness. The book gives practical advice to help patients avoid hospital errors, and infections, and ensure a quick and safe recovery.

The "going into battle" metaphor is not intended to pit patients against doctors and nurses in a war-like fashion, the authors explain. But it does convey the urgency of "survival" within an imperfect system.

Chapters titled "Securing Allies", and "Chain of Command" are not difficult to equate with possible traps and troubles in hospitals. But the self-help guide is also peppered with medical-themed cartoons, for a tongue-in-cheek approach to some of the challenges patients face along the way.

Yet the issue itself is a serious one, and the authors say preparation must be made for potential hospitalization. Some questions and ideas that raised include:

* What are the right questions to ask medical professionals? Specifically, to whom do you address the questions and how do you ask them?

* Why is it so important to demand accountability from hospitals?

* What is one of the major reasons why health insurance medical directors deny claims?

Ultimately, the book presents a realistic view of hospital health care, and cites a surprising 1999 study as the basis of its argument. As many as 98,000 die in hospitals each year, as a result of serious medical errors, according to the Institute of Medicine.

The Golonkas say that progress to improve the hospital system has been very slow, and therefore they urge patients and families to be ready for battle.

Date Added: Sunday, 10-26-2025 10:58:12 PM

Author:

Lynne and Joseph Golonka

"Lynne Golonka graduated from the College of St. Rose; Syracuse University, and the State University of New York with a Doctorate in Counseling. She is a Registered Nurse, trained in Mediation, certified as a Legal Nurse Consultant and licensed in Counseling. Her work history includes Staff Nurse at Veteran's Administration Hospitals; Mediator at Alternate Dispute Resolution Centers; Associate Professor of Nursing at Russell Sage College, Troy, New York; Therapist at the Consultation Center of the Albany Catholic Diocese; Dean of Russell Sage College. Joseph Golonka graduated from the University of Notre Dame and the State University of New York, College of Medicine in Syracuse with a Doctor of Medicine degree. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology. His work history includes Research Fellow, the U.S. Public Health Service; Private Practice in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology; Clinical Physician at the Capital District Psychiatric Center; Clinical Professor at Albany Medical College; Associate Chief of Medicine at St. Peter's Hospital; Medical Director at Well Choice (Blue Cross). Joseph and Lynne have been married for 45 years, and have six children and 19 grandchildren."