Not long after Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer this summer, he summoned his very own group of national cancer experts, a "tumor board," to discuss his case and recommend treatment. The New York Times called his health care "extraordinary" for several reasons: Tumor boards are usually convened by doctors for complicated cases, not by patients, and rarely is it possible to summon "more than a dozen experts," as Kennedy did, on short notice. While it may not be surprising that someone with fame, stature, or wealth would receive more attention when ill, it seems unfair that he should get better medical care than the rest of us.
Actually, he doesn't. Although the senator has unlimited access to expert doctors, he suffers from a different disease that rarely afflicts soccer moms but can be even deadlier than cancer: very important person syndrome. VIP syndrome strikes when doctors and nurses treat VIP patients differently—and, in the end, the medical care is worse, not better. Because VIPs are special, doctors and nurses deviate from usual protocols. As a result, the patient receives something other than the standard of care.
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