Dr. Peter Onorato, an accomplished anesthesiologist, found himself at a crossroads. With a lucrative career and a substantial income, he was eager to grow his wealth. Like many high-income earners, Peter believed he could outsmart the market. Despite his wife’s concerns, he decided to invest over $300,000 in a tech startup after several days of online “research” and hearing from several colleagues in the doctor’s lounge about the expected 25-30 …
After more than a decade in private practice, taking care of tens of thousands of patients—everything from preconception to hospice care—I’ve learned how important it is to set and protect your boundaries. I’ve worked in various environments throughout my career, from running my own multidisciplinary medical center to being part of other practices. If I had to choose, I would prefer to be part of an established practice. Running my …
For years, the U.S. public has been hearing that prescription opioid pain relievers are always and forever a bad thing—and that doctors and big pharma companies are supposedly responsible for an epidemic of addiction and drug overdose-related deaths. However, these assertions are outright lies. Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Veterans Administration know it.
The recent national opioid settlement is as bogus as a three-dollar bill—and …
The journey of electronic health records (EHRs) mirrors my own professional transformation. As a practicing anesthesiologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in the early 2000s, I handwrote paper charts in an era when computers were already integral to other parts of the hospital.
Relying on manual notes was frustrating and inefficient, so I jumped at the chance to help implement Moffitt’s anesthesia electronic record system. This effort sparked an interest in health …
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We sit down with Rebecca Arnold, an author and certified executive leadership coach, to explore the emotional challenges faced by physicians experiencing disillusionment in the health care system. Rebecca shares insights on how …
Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have been advancing steadily in health care, and anesthesia is no exception. A critical development in this area is the rise of closed-loop AI systems, which automatically control specific medical variables using feedback mechanisms. The primary goal of these systems is to improve the stability of key physiological parameters, minimize the repetitive workload on anesthesia practitioners, and, most importantly, enhance patient outcomes. For instance, closed-loop …
Trust is vital to the provision of quality health care. Quality outcomes have shown a correlation with exceptional health care experiences, with patients associating higher trust in health care professionals with “more beneficial health behavior, fewer symptoms, and improved quality of life.” Sadly, trust in American health care is on the decline. Stress placed on the health care system by the COVID-19 pandemic amplified growing concerns, with forty-eight …
In medicine, when something isn’t working, we tend to fix it. Whether it’s a treatment plan that isn’t delivering results or a clinical process that’s creating inefficiencies, we identify the problem, adjust the approach, and find a better solution. But when it comes to the RVU (relative value unit) system—the very framework that dictates how physicians are compensated—we seem to be stuck. Despite growing evidence of its flaws, its inherent …
There was an article published recently addressing the shortage of pediatricians. Though the article focused on this specific shortage, it actually raised many additional questions regarding the physician workforce in general. It is difficult to disagree that continuing to decrease reimbursement, increasing maddening payment schemes, and increasing regulatory requirements to pediatricians and physicians in general will have predictable results. There will be physician shortages, and patient access will be compromised.
Hospitals …
Like him or not, Bruce Springsteen’s albums have served as the soundtrack to our lives, writing songs that are a reflection of ourselves, challenging our assumptions, and helping us make sense of our messy, chaotic lives. People from all walks of life and from all over the world have found meaning in his music. So, it was no surprise that several months prior to the 2024 presidential election, while on …
Sometimes in life, we experience feelings of desperation, uncertainty, confusion, or curiosity.
I was desperate and wanted to explore my options regarding employment after completing two fellowships, one in oncology and the second one in palliative care.
I don’t have many opportunities in my city due to the limited number of oncology centers. So I started considering other centers, especially in the surrounding cities.
I was thinking about the nearest city, which is …
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Join us for a conversation with Fazlur Rahman, a hematology-oncology physician and author of Our Connected Lives. In this episode, we explore how Fazlur’s journey from physician to patient transformed his understanding of …
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As a child, I was always reading. As is the case for many people, I lost my literary passion in high school and college as my time was taken up by extracurriculars and doomscrolling on my phone. One thing I have thoroughly enjoyed about my gap years between graduation from college and matriculation into medical school is reconnecting with reading. I have read a wide variety of books, but below …
Sure, going on a hike is great exercise. Every step brings you closer to your healthiest body. But did you know, hiking confers brain benefits? What’s more, if you do it right, hiking is magic for your mind. If you’re feeling scattered and your mind is drifting without direction, a properly curated hike can lead you to the right mental path. The color of your hike (green, blue, or red) …
Too often, language and cultural barriers prevent diverse immigrant patients from receiving the quality treatment they deserve. Hospitals frequently fail to provide basic translation services that are efficient and culturally complementary for immigrant patients or fail to train health care professionals on how to incorporate these services into treatments. This lack of proper care for immigrant patients is a discriminatory, biomedical issue that robs them of their voice and rights.
Imagine: …
I lost an inspiration—my relative (Dr. PBA), a dedicated and talented doctor, who succumbed after a long and courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer and brain metastasis. She was the driving force behind my passion for oncology research, especially in breast cancer. Her journey began with a late and missed diagnosis, leading her across borders in search of evidence-based care, from one health care provider to another, and through relentless …
As an OB/GYN for the past 22 years, I have loved delivering babies, performing surgeries, and having long-term relationships with my patients. Now, I am on the other side of things, as a patient myself. I was diagnosed with adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD) in April of 2023 at the age of 59.
APBD is an ultra-rare, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a deficiency of glycogen-branching enzyme. The result: an accumulation of …
I am a surgeon from a family of surgeons, all based in Massachusetts. Throughout my career, I have faced many challenges, both in and outside of the operating room. Like most doctors, I am saddened by the current collapse of our system in general and my own hospital in particular, which is facing closure due to mounting debt owed to private equity. For the record, I have been warning my …
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