Policy

The fight for reinstatement: Advocating for early opportunities for excluded health care professionals battling opioid use disorder

Policy
June 28, 2023

I’ll begin by saying that I have a diagnosis of opioid use disorder (OUD) secondary to PTSD. I began diverting Norco from a pharmacy with which my hospice company had a contract. At the time, I had access to various narcotics as an RN case manager, which was quite concerning. This environment became a breeding ground for nurses seeking to divert medication for their own substance abuse.

My battle with OUD …

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An alarming rise in military suicides: Unveiling hidden crisis and urgent need for action

Policy
June 23, 2023

During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, suicides among active-duty troops were frequently reported. Since then, news reports have subsided but the suicides have not. In fact, a 2022 report from the Defense Suicide Prevention Office revealed that there were more suicides in 2021 than any other year since the September 11 attacks. According to Army Times, suicide deaths among active-duty troops in 2021 “climbed …

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Unlocking the power of value-based care: How collaborative partnerships drive health care success

Policy
June 20, 2023

Value-based care (VBC) holds the opportunity to re-create partnerships designed to increase health care sustainability by strategically improving processes, care delivery, and patient outcomes. However, the potential of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Triple Aim framework will never be optimized until the major stakeholders are identified, connected by a common goal, and willing to participate equally. Thus, the movement toward VBC delivery models is found mainly in …

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EHRs must do more to help combat climate change

Policy
June 19, 2023

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 …

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Conferences’ duty of care in the face of discriminatory health policy

Policy
June 18, 2023

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 …

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Unveiling the hidden impact of social inflation: Soaring costs for medical professionals revealed

Policy
June 16, 2023

The Doctors Company

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 …

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Revolutionizing oral health care: the affordable solution that’s breaking barriers and boosting health equity

Policy
June 12, 2023

Concern is rising about the shortage of health care workers in the U.S. As Senator Bernie Sanders told the media, “We don’t have enough doctors. We don’t have enough nurses. We don’t have enough psychologists or counselors for addiction. We don’t have enough pharmacists.”

He should have added, “We don’t have enough dental health workers.” Because study after study shows that oral health is integral to overall …

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How healthy eating can protect us from extreme weather

Policy
June 10, 2023

Hurricane season starts June 1, and many of us in the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast are stocking up on bottled water and other supplies. As a physician focused on preventive medicine and public health, I recommend filling your pantry with healthful plant-based foods like black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, pecans, canned soups, peanut butter, oat milk, and apples. Many plant-based foods can withstand a loss of …

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Georgia’s new law promoting truth and transparency in health care credentials

Policy
June 8, 2023

Landmark legislation was signed into law by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on May 2, 2023. Senate Bill 197, the Health Care Practitioners Truth and Transparency Act, is likely the most comprehensive state law promoting exactly what its name promises: truth and transparency, in this case regarding health care credentials.

Informed consent for a patient means, in part, that the patient understands exactly who is treating them. This new Georgia …

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Unveiling the global pandemic threat: insights into risk factors and urgent measures for prevention

Policy
June 4, 2023

As the current COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the globe, many are left wondering when the next pandemic will occur. The reality is that pandemics are not a new phenomenon, and throughout history, we have seen numerous instances of infectious diseases causing widespread devastation.

While we cannot predict with certainty when the next pandemic will occur, there are certain circumstances under which they are more likely to occur.

One such circumstance …

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Why the WHO’s pandemic accord is critical for global health care

Policy
June 2, 2023

In a recent article in Health Affairs, U.N. Foundation vice president Peter Yeo and former Director of The Global Fund Mark Dybul, MD, broke down the elements and imperatives of a process underway to develop a better approach to pandemic preparedness. Currently in draft form, the “Pandemic Accord” is being shepherded by the World Health Organization at the behest of its 194 Member States after the global COVID-19 response called …

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The revolutionary Kaiser-Geisinger deal: How health care giants are reshaping the industry and empowering patients

Policy
June 2, 2023

Health care’s most recent billion-dollar deal took the industry by surprise, leaving medical experts and hospital leaders grappling to comprehend its implications.

In case you missed it, California-based Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, which make up the insurance and facilities half of Kaiser Permanente, announced the acquisition of Geisinger, a Pennsylvania-based health system once acknowledged by President Obama for delivering “high-quality care.”

Upon regulatory approval, Geisinger will become the first …

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Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

Policy
May 29, 2023

While housing costs have escalated, health care costs have not been left behind. According to the National Health Expenditure Account (NHEA), health care spending grew 4.6 percent in 2019, reaching $3.8 trillion or $11,582 per person. The correlation between these two factors is multifaceted.

When housing is unaffordable, it consumes a large chunk of a household’s budget, leaving little for health care. This can lead to skipped doctor appointments, unfilled prescriptions, …

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Uncovering the truth about racial health inequities in America: a book review

Policy
May 29, 2023

When I started my intern year, that is my first year of training in medical residency, I noticed something peculiar about the epidemiology of disease in our hospital. The Black patients on the medical wards would often present with the morbidity of their diseases almost ten to twenty years earlier than their white counterparts. A Black person with leg swelling and shortness of breath who presented with advanced heart failure …

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Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

Policy
May 26, 2023

Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are among the higher ed institutions involved in a U.S. Supreme Court battle over affirmative action that is expected to be decided this spring or summer. As a former appellate defender in the Gratz v. Bollinger affirmative action case in 1993, as well as an emergency medicine physician serving under-insured patients, I know firsthand how affirmative action …

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The untold story of Hispanic/Latino health: Why subgroup data matters

Policy
May 25, 2023

In 2000, the question, “Is this person Spanish/Hispanic/Latino?” emerged on the U.S. census, grouping these populations for the first time on a national scale. Prior to this, there was no consistent or comprehensive way to collect data on the Hispanic/Latino community, making it difficult to understand their demographics, needs, and trends. This question provided policymakers, researchers, and community organizations with data to make informed decisions regarding education, …

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Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

Policy
May 22, 2023

On the night of April 28, 2023, in a sleepy community 50 miles north of Houston, Texas, bullet-riddled bodies of five human beings, including an eight-year-old boy, lay lifeless, cut down in the most gruesome way. Their only sin was asking for a night of peace, but their request was met with the deafening sound of gunfire from a neighbor brandishing an AR-15. This senseless tragedy is yet another grim …

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Family physicians unite at the U.S. Capitol, seeking congressional support for Medicare reform and health care transformation

Policy
May 22, 2023

Picture this: Hundreds of family physicians and future family physicians arriving on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to share the top challenges they face and to ask their leaders to make a purposeful investment in primary care. They’ve earned the right to make this request through the hard work, long hours, and comprehensive care they’ve offered patients and their families across the country. They served on the front lines …

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Breaking down barriers: Illinois bill calls for cultural competency training for physicians to improve health care for LGBTQ+ community

Policy
May 13, 2023

Illinois HB 4654 is a bill requiring physicians to undergo cultural competency training focusing on caring for patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and two-spirit LGBTQ2S+, or questioning LGBTQ+. This training is critical for ensuring that all patients receive the best possible care, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity in the state of Illinois. Even though the bill has been …

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Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

Policy
May 10, 2023

May 25th marks the anniversary of the brutal murder of George Floyd. I remember feeling numb when I first heard the news. Then, some days later, the tears filled my eyes, then came my anger. It is frustrating that we still live in a world filled with so much ignorance and the complicit attitudes of individuals who gain from their white privilege. However, the experience of George Floyd, and the …

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