“I want to use the art of medicine to meet the individual needs of my patients.” These words emanated from the computer as I stared at the Zoom screen. Two large, soft brown eyes, accompanied by a toothy smile, stared straight at me, all framed within a silk hijab, one which was ocean blue with a wisp of pink at the edge. My heart skipped a beat as the reflected …
Doing residency interviews while tired on a Friday afternoon
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We explore the evolving landscape of health care data management with nurse executive Betsy Castillo. Drawing on her decades of experience, Betsy discusses the importance of timely registry data, the critical role of …
How technology can free up nurses for better care [PODCAST]
Imagine seeing a commercial featuring Ryder and Marshall from the popular kids’ cartoon Paw Patrol lighting up cigarettes and enjoying a smoke together. It’s hard to fathom that happening, but in 1961 beloved cartoon characters Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble happily smoked cigarettes in an ad for Winston. Most children of that era could easily recite the ad slogan: “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.”
With that sort of youth …
Cannabis advertising takes a page from the tobacco playbook
A series of behaviors in autistic children, not well addressed by medical providers today, include self-harming, hitting, biting, mouthing, licking objects, pickiness with food, clothing textures, and touching private areas – otherwise known as “sensory behaviors.” Some of these behaviors, often found to be embarrassing, can remain prevalent and persist into adulthood. Part of the problem is that medical providers typically are not educated regarding the nuances of these unique …
Overlooked problems in individuals with autism
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We sit down with medical student Medha Venigalla to explore the urgent issue of resident sleep deprivation and its impact on health care. We discuss the systemic challenges residents face, including long hours, …
Why medical training is pushing residents to their breaking point [PODCAST]
In the silence of a rural village, where dreams were often tethered to survival, I first learned the language of resilience. Life’s trials were as persistent as the dusty winds, shaping every step of my journey from those humble beginnings to becoming a surgeon. My story, like that of many others in the medical field, is one of quiet perseverance—a journey marked not by loud victories but by the soft …
Resilience whispers: the silent triumph through a surgeon’s lens
As a pain management specialist, I have often found that the course of treatment for a patient requires a careful balance of many factors before making a recommendation. But sometimes, the best course seems obvious. That was the case with Mr. Bautista (name replaced to protect identity). He was an older gentleman, and his imaging scans showed spinal stenosis that was likely to lead to nerve pain. And what was …
Physical exams: the life-saving tool doctors must reclaim in modern medicine
“Just take a deep breath.”
It’s the first thing we say when we see someone upset or overwhelmed, and generally, it’s good advice. There is a wealth of evidence supporting the benefits of deep breathing, and it is not uncommon for me to pull out a handout during a patient visit to walk someone through a breathing technique. I’m a family physician—anxiety, asthma, COPD, cancer—it’s all relevant; it’s all primary care. …
How a physician’s COVID-19 scare revealed a hidden health condition
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Join us as emergency physician and digital asset consultant Noah Kaufman dives into the evolving role of Bitcoin in investment strategies. From its early days as a speculative asset to its current standing …
Bitcoin $100K: a game-changer for physicians’ financial freedom? [PODCAST]
I’ve heard this question asked in interviews, and I’ve been asked it myself.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve become involved with several organizations that are working hard and taking positive action in this regard. I’m a proud ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, I’m on the traction team for Medicine Forward (MF), and I’m a strong collaborator and supporter of the Health Care Reinvention Collaborative (HRC).
As …
Do you think the needle is moving in health care?
Regardless of how one might have voted in the election, the aftermath now includes a dizzying array of proposed cabinet and other health-related appointments and rumors about what they and the new administration might do. How do we in medicine navigate all of this? The answer may not be intuitive: gratitude. We’re not talking here about insincere gratitude, …
The answer is gratitude and it puts you in a good place
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
– Henry Ford.
The changing landscape of health care, along with a rising trend among patients for more affordable, manageable, and specialized solutions, has made ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) gain noticeable traction as a preferred surgical option. The value ASCs provide to patients, providers, and insurers is a perfect combination of convenience, safety, and cost savings. Here are ten data- …
Reasons why you should consider having your surgery at an ASC
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We sit down with pulmonary and critical care physicians Tonya Jagneaux and Hollis O’Neal to explore the complex challenges emergency departments face when diagnosing and treating sepsis. With overcrowded EDs, rising patient volumes, …
Faster sepsis diagnosis in emergency departments [PODCAST]
The landscape of orthopedic care is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by rising health care costs, patient demand for convenience, and the increasing popularity of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). As an orthopedic surgeon dedicated to advancing minimally invasive techniques and maximizing patient outcomes, I believe the key to navigating this evolving landscape lies in prioritizing patient access to the appropriate clinician via seamless care delivery. Simply put, “the right clinician …
The future of orthopedic care: Embracing the ASC-urgent care model
In a post-election fog on the morning of November 6, I attended my third-grade daughter’s Veteran’s Day assembly. It was deeply moving and full of the trust, hope, and optimism that we want all children to have. They enthusiastically sang “Proud to Be an American” and a less well-known song, “American Tears.” The lyrics hit hard that morning in the auditorium, and many of the audience members were shedding them. …
American tears and allyship: Who is at your table?
The sudden death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson has pulled back the curtain on something we’ve all known deep down: America’s health care system is failing. Every day, we hear heartbreaking stories of people denied life-saving treatments like cancer care, not because those treatments don’t exist, but because someone decided they weren’t “cost-effective.” This isn’t just a health care problem—it’s a crisis of humanity.
We talk about “making America great …
What the death of UnitedHealth CEO reveals about our broken health care system
On May 9-10, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a workshop titled “Training health care providers on pain management and safe use of opioid analgesics — exploring the path forward.” I attended the workshop in person to offer comments on behalf of chronic pain patients. A summary of my observations at the time was published by the now-defunct Pain News Network. The following extended extract is from …
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is talking when they should be listening
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Join us in this insightful episode as we delve into the 2024 MGMA DataDive, the gold standard for physician compensation data. Our guest, Jon Appino, the driving force behind Contract Diagnostics, will explore …
Physician compensation secrets: 2024 MGMA DataDive insights [PODCAST]
In today’s medical world, cancer treatment guidelines are constantly evolving. CME events are held worldwide to help health care professionals become more familiar with new treatments. They can be live events held at specific locations or online activities. I will not go into further detail about the CMEs or industry-sponsored CMEs because that is not the focus of this story.
The best thing about being a physician is the opportunity to …
Why every physician craves a break from daily chaos
Jane Doe – her real name being hidden to protect her young child – thought she knew how to help her eight-year-old son “”Baby Doe.” She was well-educated, employed in a professional role by a federal agency, and comfortable navigating bureaucracies and unresponsive gatekeepers. More importantly, she was a fierce advocate for her child, who had been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and needed occupational and speech therapies, which …
The hidden truth about ghost networks: one mom’s fight for mental health care justice
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