Breaking the cycle of childhood obesity

Conditions
March 14, 2023

Every specialty has its burden, and pediatric endocrinology’s is obesity. Primary care providers refer because they or the child’s parents suspect the cause is hormonal. It almost never is. The overly adipose child invariably has, using older terminology, exogenous obesity.

Traditionally, this has implied excessive calorie intake and inadequate expenditure (the “overactive fork and underactive foot”), arising from sloth and gluttony. I don’t share this belief. Over the years, I have …

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Paddle your way to wellness: Navigating the whitewater of medicine and finding balance on the water

Physician
March 14, 2023

Whitewater paddlers make it look easy—staying upright in raging waters, navigating huge swells, and leaning and cutting at the right time to avoid dangerous obstacles. And when they do flip upside down, they can pop themselves right back up. It’s a marvel. But no matter how expertly they paddle, they always have to respect the power of the water. They can make careless and costly mistakes when they let their …

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Fostering the next (diverse) generation of clinicians

Physician
March 14, 2023

As a medical student, I never saw myself as a future CEO or anything close. I was often the only Black person in the room in classes and rotations. After I became an attending, I spent a great deal of time and mental energy fitting in. Speaking up and having opinions were luxuries I couldn’t afford, let alone aspiring to leadership.

What made a difference? Having a mentor.

My mentor, Wes Curry, …

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From grief to gratitude: How writing changed my life

Physician
March 14, 2023

Dan died, and I became a writer. I didn’t know it, but I did. Back then, I wrote one story, almost by accident, trying to make sense of my personal chaos. That essay chronicled a small-town doctor losing a beloved middle-aged friend who was rapidly fading from pancreatic cancer. It felt like being dropped into a horrible Lifetime movie come to life, where one day in August 2016, Dan developed …

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Beyond textbooks: the importance of empathy in medicine

Physician
March 14, 2023

An excerpt from All Bleeding Stops.

Megan continues to take his blood pressure every few minutes. With growing tenderness Denis watches her fidgeting with the IV, biting her lip, eyes flitting from one machine to the next, desperately seeking the reassurance she knows will never come.

She thinks she’s not a good doctor because she hasn’t memorized enough textbooks or performed enough …

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From tragedy to advocacy: a journey through medical errors [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 13, 2023
YouTube video

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In this episode, Alisa Sano, a public health research assistant, shares her personal story of loss and the impact of medical errors on families.

We will explore the complexities of the health care system, including the “swiss cheese …

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Unintended consequences of Health Care Quality Improvement Act: a violation of physicians’ civil and constitutional rights

Physician
March 13, 2023

The Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements, as well as the Human Rights Campaign for the LGBTQ+ community, are a few examples of where American democracy and values have triumphed in restoring dignity and civil and constitutional rights to marginalized individuals. Although much work remains to be done, the enlightenment brought about by these movements will undoubtedly continue to strengthen American democracy. However, it is concerning that during the …

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We need a new approach to Black mental health

Policy
March 13, 2023

In recent weeks, an outpouring of new research has highlighted the severity of the Black mental health crisis. One new poll shows that 77% of Black and Latinx women face mental health barriers related to racism. Another new study found that Black women are undertreated for depression. Yet another shows that even vicarious experiences of racial discrimination increase anxiety. All this is on top of research showing …

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ChatGPT: How generative AI is revolutionizing health care

Tech
March 13, 2023

Over the past decade, I’ve kept a close eye on the emergence of artificial intelligence in health care. One truth remained constant: Despite all the hype, AI-focused startups and established tech companies alike have failed to move the needle on the nation’s overall health and medical costs.

Finally, after a decade of underperformance in AI-driven medicine, success is approaching faster than physicians and patients currently …

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Healing from the pandemic: a journey to recovery

Physician
March 13, 2023

While it appears we are on the downhill slope of COVID-19’s integration into everyday life, burnout rates are rising, and organizational trust is taking a nose-dive. Aren’t we supposed to be in the post-disaster recovery phase? What is the bottleneck holding us back from moving toward our new horizon? On the surface, issues like operating losses, staffing shortages, and scarcity of supplies appear to be a few of the big …

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Be like Mike (Jordan) and build your personal doctor brand

Physician
March 13, 2023

Gatorade’s commercial featuring Michael Jordan from 1992 and its catchy song, “Like Mike,” is now part of pop culture history. The lyrics were likable. “I dream I move, I dream I groove, like Mike, if I could be like Mike, oh if I could be like Mike.” Let’s face it, growing up, many of us dreamed to be like Mike. As their first athlete endorser, Michael Jordan elevated the Gatorade …

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The holistic solution to obesity: Addressing mind, body, and behaviors for lasting weight loss

Conditions
March 13, 2023

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro. These names have entered our common parlance within the last year via news articles, television stories, and celebrity exposes. Everyone from Hollywood to your neighbor seems to be on medication for weight loss or trying to find a way to access one via their medical provider, from primary care physicians to dermatologists. The widespread demand for these medications has resulted in a shortage for those who could …

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A personal journey through hospital-acquired psychosis [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 12, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us for a touching and insightful episode with Natasha Khalid, a geriatrics fellow, as she shares her personal experience of dealing with ICU psychosis in a loved one. Natasha takes us on a journey through her …

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The secret to success in medical school: self-awareness and courage

Education
March 12, 2023

Self-awareness and courage. Out of all the information and knowledge you gain during medical school, from a personal development standpoint, I would say that self-awareness and consistent courage are what make the difference between a good student and an excellent student. As a third-year medical student, I can confidently say that beginning medical school with these traits and continuing to keep these traits close during medical school will take you …

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The paradox of health IT: Improving care, impeding communication

Physician
March 12, 2023

Advancements in health IT have created ease and efficiency in delivering health care that has never been seen before. Electronic ordering and prescribing have reduced medication errors from misinterpreting handwritten information. The interoperable transmission of critical patient history, lab work, and digital imaging from one hospital to another has reduced costs and unnecessary extraneous tests. Virtual care and telehealth utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionized how patient encounters are …

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Sleep matters: Addressing the neglected vital sign

Conditions
March 12, 2023

It wasn’t until I reflected upon how many times the highway rumble strip had potentially saved my life that I sought the help of a physician trained in sleep medicine. Prior to that, no doctor had ever asked me about my intractable insomnia.

Sleep is increasingly being recognized as an underappreciated vital sign. An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans may have a sleep disorder, and according to the Centers …

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The rise of chatbots for patient empowerment

Tech
March 12, 2023

Giving patients the information, abilities, and resources they need to actively participate in their care is at the heart of the critical health care concept known as patient empowerment. Health care professionals can increase patient involvement, boost health outcomes, and maximize the use of health care resources by empowering people. In recent years, there has been an increase in interest in using technology to encourage patient empowerment. Chatbots, in particular, …

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An inside look at the orphan drug revolution [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 11, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us as we explore the history and evolution of the orphan drug revolution with James Geraghty, a health care executive. Discover how the pharmaceutical industry of the 1970s, driven by a pursuit of predictable profitability, led …

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The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

Physician
March 11, 2023

As an OB/GYN, I know that medication abortion is safe, commonly used, and effective. Women’s rights, family building, and abortion are recognized in many international human rights documents. The United Nations’ 1966 Human Rights Treaty states that all people have a right to the highest attainable standard of health. The ability for someone to choose when and if they want to have a child is the basis of the Reproductive Justice framework and is paramount …

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