The many faces of anger: from frustration to social change
Understanding human anger is complex and multifaceted, rooted in a myriad of psychological, social, and even biological factors. We frequently confront personal experiences with everyday people reacting angrily to situations that could be handled with communication and a kind approach. The daily news is filled with violence related to anger.
One of the primary catalysts for anger is unmet expectations. When individuals perceive that their needs, desires, or expectations are not …
How physician groups can beat private equity
As a society, we should all be concerned about the increasing rate at which private equity firms are acquiring physician groups. Over the last decade, private equity firms have invested nearly $1 trillion in approximately 8,000 health care deals, encompassing a wide spectrum of medical services, from fertility clinics to neonatal care, primary care to cardiology, hospices, and everything in between.
The consequence? Health care has shifted towards a profit-driven model …
Forced immigration and the American dream: a physician’s story
My grandfather was forced to immigrate from Japan to Canada in 1910. As I learned, he owned many sake factories in Japan, which were nationalized in a government takeover of certain businesses. Governments do that. The family was heavily burdened, and the government pressured them to move across the Pacific.
Over the next century, our family prospered under the Canadian government, with some family members coming to the United States.
One reflection …
The truth about employee turnover: It’s inevitable (and OK!)
It is a simple idea, but we don’t think about it. Everyone will leave their job, including us. This thought occurred to me as our office was undergoing a painful turnover. I started my private practice in 2020, expecting it to be a small, close-knit office. I had the vision of practicing medicine as I thought it should be practiced, with attentive and caring staff who truly cared about the …
Assisted suicide legislation: ethical considerations [PODCAST]
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Join us as we delve into the complex terrain of end-of-life care and the contentious debate surrounding assisted suicide legislation. Cardiologist Joseph E. Marine offers unique insights into the ethical, medical, and societal …
How choosing purpose over design transforms your life and destiny
In our quest for personal and professional fulfillment, many of us meticulously plan our lives, crafting each step to align with our individual preferences and values. This “life by design” approach offers a clear path through the chaos of everyday existence, providing a sense of control and direction. However, while setting up our lives according to our own specifications might bring temporary satisfaction, does it truly offer long-term fulfillment? Contrast …
Xylazine: the lethal ingredient hiding in your pills
Xylazine has been found to be adulterating pills in America, and doctors will need to understand this new threat. First, xylazine is not “krokodil,” although it produces somewhat similar-looking skin ulcers. Krokodil is a pseudonym for desomorphine, which is created from a precursor chemical called alpha-chlorocodide. Desomorphine is dihydrodesoxymorphine and was developed in Germany in 1932. It is a very fast but short-acting, semi-synthetic opioid used mainly in Russia. Xylazine …
I was trolled by another physician on social media. I am happy I did not respond.
I enjoy using social media (SoMe). These social communications-based, user-generated platforms part of Web 2.0 can be a great way to eat up time while scrolling mindlessly through funny posts, “how-to” cooking videos, or find breaking news updates (while being mindful of source reputation, of course). In medicine, SoMe can be an exceptional tool to combat medical misinformation, evolve …
The doctor’s duty: Delivering bad news with care and compassion
Physicians have the unique duty of giving patients and their loved ones the worst news people can receive. It may be complicated, heavy, dark, somber, terrifying, and hopeless. It may also be a welcome, a relief, an ending, and a beginning. It is as important as anything we will ever say or do with or for our patients.
Research shows that the attitude and communication skills of the person delivering the …
A physician’s psychedelic journey [PODCAST]
When pregnancy becomes a health risk
Recent studies in Cell Metabolism and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that pregnancy was associated with acceleration of the aging process. The studies were picked up in a number of lay publications, including Time and the Washington Post. Their results also received extensive attention on social media. The widespread coverage had the media and commenters speculating about potential mechanisms for this …
Exploring the potential of Apple’s biosensing earbuds in health care
Apple’s recent patent application for a biosensing device integrated into their earbuds opens up numerous possibilities for health care. This innovative technology aims to measure various biological signals from users, including EEG, EMG, EOG, ECG, GSR, and BVP. Here’s how each of these technologies can be harnessed to improve health care:
1. Electroencephalography (EEG). Recording brain waves, EEG sensors in earbuds can monitor brain activity in real time. This capability can …
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Healthy hierarchy for patient safety, experience, and staff wellbeing
The hierarchy must be healthy to achieve critical outcomes in patient safety, patient experience, workforce health and wellbeing, and cost-effectiveness.
In a healthy hierarchy, staff must have the right skills, education, and experience to direct and carry out clinical and care-related tasks. Clear lines of communication, roles and responsibilities, policies and protocols, and scope of practice are all important. We can think of such things in terms of the structure. We …
Can weight loss medication interfere with ADHD meds?
Why bother going to work? If I didn’t work, I wouldn’t get paid, so there was that. But it seemed like a pointless exercise. I would stare at my monitor until it was time to go home. On some level I knew I should be, well, working, but I couldn’t collect my scattered thoughts enough to do it. I was also manic. Not the fun kind of mania where everything’s …
Health care disparities: Navigating complex care [PODCAST]
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We delve into the challenges faced by individuals who navigate complex health care systems with multiple chronic conditions. Our guest, Gary Marc Rothenberg, a podiatrist, shares his expertise and perspective on Maria’s journey, …
The first time I walked again after a spinal cord injury
Once upon a time, I’d imagined myself the Lone Ranger physician, self-sufficient and incapable of weakness, and when I had my spinal cord injury in 2008, I really felt alone, in the negative spiral of a victim mindset, my own worst enemy and in a dark space where my idea of myself felt entirely lost.
Then, one day, in December 2009, I heard about a center for spinal cord injury recovery …
Secret support for this family caregiver
Last month, while spring cleaning my home-based office, I faced off with a bookshelf full of past writing journals.
Get rid of them (I coaxed myself). Whatever you wrote here is history now.
My inner packrat resisted. Couldn’t I just box them up and move them to the basement to join all those other journals that, together, chronicle my three-plus decades of living in the United States?
One gray-covered notebook with pink post-it …
The voice that saved lives: a doctor’s pandemic hero
I would not recognize her if she crossed before me on the street. I could not pick her out in a staff photo of her and her colleagues. I do not know the color of her hair or skin; I could not even guess if she is short or tall. But her voice—I know her voice. I could recognize that voice anywhere.
I first met Julie sometime before the COVID pandemic, …
Rethinking postpartum mental health [PODCAST]
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Join Emily Little, a perinatal health researcher and founder of Nurturely, about the evolving definition of “postpartum” and its predominant association with postpartum depression. We’ll explore societal influences on this shift, disparities in …
Past Week
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How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust
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The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
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How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot
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The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care
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Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]
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What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
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Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
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Recent Posts
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How medicine repurposing enables value-based pain management and insomnia therapy
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Finding balance and meaning in medical practice: a holistic approach to professional fulfillment
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Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications
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How regulatory overreach is destroying innovation in U.S. health care
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Past Week
-
How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust
-
The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
-
How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot
-
The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care
-
Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it
-
How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship
-
Past 6 Months
-
Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]
-
What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
-
Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
-
How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust
-
Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR
-
The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
-
Recent Posts
-
How medicine repurposing enables value-based pain management and insomnia therapy
-
Finding balance and meaning in medical practice: a holistic approach to professional fulfillment
-
Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications
-
How regulatory overreach is destroying innovation in U.S. health care
-
Why the U.S. mental health care system is failing and how to fix it [PODCAST]
-
The unseen cost of detachment in radiology
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