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Why superheroes never get sick: the mask connection

Conditions

January 25, 2025

A daily dose of sarcasm to trigger some thought, and to ask some serious questions we all should be able to discuss peacefully. These are not necessarily my personal beliefs, lest I need to be attacked at some point by misinformation protector professionals.

But let’s start here: I’ve never known Batman, or Robin, for that case, to ever get ill. And I am old enough to remember racing home to catch …

Humanity’s crossroads: peace or nuclear war?

Nathan Swidler and Jennifer Obel, MD

Policy

January 25, 2025

“We are here to make a choice between the quick and the dead …”

With these solemn words, Bernard Baruch, a trusted advisor to U.S. presidents, addressed the United Nations (UN) Atomic Energy Commission in June 1946. Less than a year had passed since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the world stood at a crossroads. Baruch’s message was clear: humanity could either embrace the hope of global peace …

How the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan transforms health care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 24, 2025

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Brian Whorley, a health care executive, dives into the groundbreaking Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP), exploring its potential to revolutionize medication adherence and patient outcomes. With 54 million beneficiaries eligible, this initiative promises …

How the patriarchy shaped medicine and why it’s time for change

Joan Naidorf, DO

Physician

January 24, 2025

Journalist Te-Ping Chen wrote about the nature of a physician’s career in a recent featured article in The Wall Street Journal where older physicians criticize the younger generation as being less committed to their patients. The article is titled: “Young Doctors Want Work-Life Balance. Older Doctors Say That’s Not the Job.”

The major point of discussion was the definition of a career in medicine as a “calling” versus a “job,” …

How to thrive as a physician during the U.S. health care collapse

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Physician

January 24, 2025

Yes, I said it. Health care is a dumpster fire—a meme-worthy catastrophe of epic proportions. It’s the chaos that future comedians and historians will roast with gusto, leaving us shaking our heads in embarrassed agreement. My somewhat cynical sense of humor is helping me mentally process the dumpster fire that is the current U.S. health care system. But as bleak as it feels, there’s a glimmer of hope. When health …

Why being mistaken for a student is my secret weapon in medicine

Jason Liebowitz, MD

Physician

January 24, 2025

“Are you the medical student?” the resident asked me in between bites of his vegetable lo mein. We were in the hospital conference room, and I was sitting at the table by the projection screen while he was scarfing down a quick meal before the noon lecture. “Actually, I’m the attending,” I replied. He paused with fork in hand and turned beet red. “Sorry,” he murmured.

I couldn’t blame him for …

When assumptions in health care lead to devastating consequences

Anonymous

Conditions

January 24, 2025

It is heartbreaking to recount the journey my husband and I have been through. My husband, an award-winning triathlete, and I had a rich and vibrant life together. We traveled extensively, taking nine trips in 2014 alone, including attending the World Triathlon Finals in London, visiting Paris, cruising the Hawaiian Islands, and enjoying a helicopter tour. Even in his late 80s, he had a strong spirit, shaped by years of …

How integrative medicine saved a family doctor [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 23, 2025

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Jeffrey Gladd shares his transformative journey from burnout to a thriving career in integrative medicine. Discover how shifting from treating symptoms to addressing whole-person care changed his life and practice. From battling burnout …

How belief and prayer uncover the hidden power of healing

Diana Londoño, MD

Physician

January 23, 2025

Have you ever thought of someone, and then a few minutes later, they called or texted you?

Have you ever felt or had a whole conversation in your mind to later be told that is exactly what someone was saying about you at the same time, even though you were physically in a different place?

How can that be? Is it merely a “coincidence,” or are these beautiful hints from the universe …

Critical care in critical moments: Anesthesiologists play a vital role in maternal health

Christina McGinnis, Alexandria Raab, Gloria Bachmann, MD, and Alopi Patel, MD

Conditions

January 23, 2025

Maternal mortality crisis in the U.S.

The U.S. faces a significant maternal health crisis, with alarmingly high maternal mortality rates compared to other developed nations. As of 2022, the overall maternal mortality rate was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, with a disproportionately high rate of 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births among Black women. These figures starkly contrast with much lower rates in countries like Germany, Australia, Japan, and Sweden.

Maternal …

How America’s health care system depends on international doctors

David M. Mitchell, MD, PhD

Physician

January 23, 2025

The current U.S. medical education and health care systems undeniably benefit from the immigration of talented international medical graduates (IMGs). Many of my favorite teachers, residents, and colleagues have been IMGs. However, the longstanding U.S. reliance on immigrant physicians raises questions about what policies best support both domestic and international priorities moving forward.

Beyond medicine, the immigration of talented scientists and engineers has also sparked recent public debate. Elon Musk recently …

The HEARTS Act: Empowering schools to save lives

Jay Tamirisa and Ashwini Chowdhury, MD

Policy

January 23, 2025

Every year, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) claims the lives of thousands of students and student-athletes in the United States, making it one of the leading causes of death. The condition is particularly insidious as it often strikes without warning, leaving schools and communities grappling with preventable tragedies. While student-athletes are at a higher risk due to the physical demands of sports, SCA can affect any student, highlighting the urgent need …

How to use biomarkers to boost your healthspan and longevity [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 22, 2025

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In this episode, John Thomson Smith, a physician executive, explores the science of longevity and the critical role of healthspan in living a vibrant life. He discusses how tracking key biomarkers, such as …

Why health systems must renegotiate contracts to survive

Jeffry A. Peters, MBA

Policy

January 22, 2025

Providers must stop subsidizing payors’ profit margins. Consider UnitedHealthcare, which boasts a 6 percent margin on revenue (equivalent to $22 billion), while hospitals manage a slim 3 percent margin, and physician practices often struggle to stay financially viable. This imbalance underscores the urgent need for hospitals, health systems, and physicians to negotiate rates that not only cover their costs but also generate margins sufficient to offer competitive salaries and reinvest …

Grief and climate change: a year of lessons we can’t ignore

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Physician

January 22, 2025

This wasn’t the article I had initially planned to publish. I had intended to discuss the health care system, calling it a “proverbial dumpster fire.” But in a year marked by relentless challenges, the metaphor feels too raw, too real, so I will save that for a later date. Parts of the country are literally on fire, with Los Angeles and nearby areas battling raging infernos that have torn families …

The miracle of immune checkpoint inhibitors: a physician’s unforgettable journey

Richard D. Sontheimer, MD

Meds

January 22, 2025

Even a half-century later, a physician cannot forget the first death of a patient under their care. It happened for me during my postgraduate medical training in the 1970s in an academic medical center hospital in the western half of the United States.

She was a delightful young married woman who was the mother of three small children. She was admitted to the hospital for recurring seizures. Her workup revealed a …

How AI is transforming medicine faster than ever before

Melvin Speisman, MD

Tech

January 22, 2025

Since the release of large language models such as ChatGPT in November of 2022, medicine has been transformed in ways previously unimaginable by using artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to solve problems. The use of natural language processing (NLP) in a transformer model allows physicians to explore the massive amount of data in a patient’s electronic medical record to identify key opportunities to improve patient care. In addition, machine …

How sleep affects your fertility and boosts reproductive success [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 21, 2025

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We dive into the powerful connection between sleep and fertility with guest Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, a fertility specialist. Discover how sleep impacts reproductive hormones, gamete quality, and the success of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). …

Beyond the stethoscope: the AI-powered revolution and personalized medicine will shape the next era of U.S. health care

Neil Anand, MD

Tech

January 21, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming health care, with a particular focus on enhancing patient care through precision medicine, advanced ultrasound guidance, and real-time treatment adaptation. These innovations promise a future where personalized treatment plans, more accurate diagnostics, and optimized care are not just possibilities but routine practice. Health care professionals are beginning to see the benefits of AI in real-world settings, and the potential for improving patient outcomes is nothing …

How natural disasters reveal resilience and the power of community

Derek W. Moss, MD

Physician

January 21, 2025

Watching the images of fires burning in and around Los Angeles is very triggering. I’m sure it is the same for other Western North Carolinians. It has not been that long since Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic flooding that devastated our communities, and it is not over for us.

At first, you are energized to do what needs to be done in the moment. But then, you are left with emptiness, exhaustion, …