I was doing laundry last week when my engagement ring snagged on a shirt. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the four prongs holding the diamond in place was sticking up and on the verge of breaking.
Quickly, I took off the ring and placed it in a safe spot, relieved that it hadn’t accidentally gone down the drain.
Shortly after, a …
The magic of human connections
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Join us for a thought-provoking podcast episode as we dive into the critical topic of mental health and suicide among health care providers. Our guests, Jessica Singh, an experienced emergency physician, and Lorenzo Norris, a psychiatrist, provide …
Unveiling the mental health crisis in health care [PODCAST]
An excerpt from Mindful MD: 6 Ways Mindfulness Restores Your Autonomy and Cures Healthcare Burnout.
For Mira, the inner chatter started when her alarm buzzed at 5:15 a.m.—and it was anything but calm and friendly. When she didn’t get out of bed to exercise: I’m such a slug. Why …
Unlocking physician resilience: the mindfulness cure for health care burnout
Each day, as an internal medicine specialist who practices primary care, I care for patients who are experiencing the brunt of climate change. These patients have various medical conditions due to different causes. However, it is evident that greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, extreme weather, and heat-related illnesses are major contributors to the development and worsening of chronic medical conditions in the adult population. Electronic health record (EHR) systems are …
EHRs must do more to help combat climate change
You are called by the bedside nurse that your patient arrived on the floor from the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). The nurse tells you that the patient was delirious and agitated after anesthesia, pulled out their IVs, and was sedated by the PACU team. They are …
Advice for the hospitalist caring for a patient after delirium in the post-anesthesia care unit
I never envisioned a business trip could result in a diagnosis of a rare, under-practiced, poorly understood, and emerging chronic inflammatory breast disease affecting 2.4 women per 100,000 and growing. Two months after my return from that business trip, I started experiencing a multitude of symptoms, including breast pain. During a self-breast exam, I discovered a lump. Wasting no time, I called my primary care physician, who ordered both a …
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Join us in this captivating podcast episode as we delve into the world of health care with Paul Ruggieri, an esteemed general surgeon and the author of the compelling book, Confessions of a Surgeon: A Deeper Cut. …
A surgeon’s confessions expose corporate influence and physician struggles [PODCAST]
I’ve spoken at many medical conferences since co-founding the Peggy Lillis Foundation for C. diff Education & Advocacy following my mother’s death from a C. difficile infection in 2010. Unfortunately, I am often the only patient advocate. The pressure of representing patients in a group of hundreds of clinicians, scientists, and administrators can be intimidating. But for the most part, I have always felt welcome and valued.
One of my favorites …
Conferences’ duty of care in the face of discriminatory health policy
It is challenging to open a medical journal in any specialty without coming across an article on burnout. These articles present statistics, trends, and various causes in detail. Some even propose sensible solutions such as flexible scheduling, peer support, delegation of clerical work, and an increased focus on personal well-being activities as steps in the right direction.
I have previously emphasized that “the absence of burnout does not equal wellness,” …
Understanding the mind’s role and embracing contentment for a flourishing life
A lot of my patients take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). They generally work pretty well for their intended use. By limiting the secretion of gastric acid from the stomach, they can effectively blunt uncomfortable symptoms of erosive gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, H. pylori infection, and peptic ulcers. However, without further evaluation, these medications are not designed to be prescribed indefinitely, or for more than a two-month period. When patients experience …
The surprising risks of long-term proton pump inhibitor use
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Join us in this compelling podcast episode as we dive into the world of insurance denials and the challenges faced by physicians and patients. Our guest, Jennifer Lycette, is not only a rural hematology-oncology physician but also …
A physician’s fight against insurance denials [PODCAST]
Although the global pandemic is officially over, it has left a permanent mark on the health care landscape, reshaping the dynamics of hospitals in the United States. While staffing crises often dominate the headlines, health care institutions face an underlying financial crisis that remains largely underreported.
In 2022, a startling 50% of all U.S. hospitals concluded the year with a negative margin. Due to factors like elective surgical …
3 myths about ECMO that are costing hospitals and patients
An office visit with a health care professional can seem like a race against time and money. With rising co-pays and shorter appointments, arriving prepared for a health care appointment will maximize the likelihood of addressing as many concerns as possible and developing a personalized treatment plan. Below are the ways you can prepare for your upcoming dermatologist appointment.
Keep track of your scheduled appointments and arrive early.
Know the day and …
How to maximize your dermatology appointment for effective care
An open response to “Breast or Bottle: The Illusion of Choice” by Amy Kennedy, MD.
We see and hear you and are so sorry you endured these experiences. We are physicians practicing breastfeeding and lactation medicine, and we acknowledge the overwhelming lack of support for families after birth. Many of us have come to this field after experiencing our own similar challenges, and we would like to offer a different …
Revolutionizing postpartum care: Transforming breastfeeding support for families
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Join us in this insightful podcast episode as we discuss the challenges and importance of Medicaid access in the United States. Our guests include Fatima Al-Shimari, an epidemiologist, and medical students Miriam Al-Saedy and Salsabeal Al-Saedy. We …
Breaking barriers in Medicaid access [PODCAST]
In Philadelphia, a family alleged that a birth injury had led to their baby’s cerebral palsy. They sued Penn Medicine and were awarded $183 million.
In Boise, a jury recently awarded the state’s second-highest-ever award, $13.5 million, in a suit against an emergency medicine group that was filed after a patient was disabled by a stroke. This verdict …
Unveiling the hidden impact of social inflation: Soaring costs for medical professionals revealed
Health care organizations are complex systems that require a multitude of moving parts to work smoothly. The background operations that keep health systems running are key to enabling frontline doctors and nurses to deliver quality care. As a registered nurse and health care administrator for 45 years, I have a unique perspective on the challenges facing health care organizations today.
Earlier this year, I attended the Healthcare Operations Summit in …
I walked into my local improvisational comedy theater a few years ago and started taking classes to escape burnout and have some fun. It was so freaking difficult. Here I was, a frazzled, tightly-wound mid-career pediatrician, surrounded by all these creative, quirky folks from all walks of life who were just so funny. I kept hearing, “We don’t want to hear you on stage, Wendy,” meaning they wanted me to …
Unlearning perfectionism: Embracing imperfection and finding my true self through improv
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Welcome to our insightful podcast episode featuring Rosanne M. Leipzig, a renowned geriatrician and author of the enlightening book, Honest Aging: An Insider’s Guide to the Second Half of Life. Join us as we delve into the …
Unlocking the secrets to aging well [PODCAST]
While ChatGPT and Bard cannot provide reliable medical or treatment advice, there is a question of whether these chatbots can assist patients in selecting the right doctor or hospital. Surprisingly, both chatbots occasionally suggest individual physicians and hospitals, providing detailed provider information. However, the accuracy and usefulness of this information are difficult to assess. As I highlighted in a recent Forbes.com column, chatbots like Microsoft and OpenAI’s ChatGPT and …
Can chatbots help choose the right doctor or hospital?
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