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From trusted family doctors to silent white walls

Conditions

February 20, 2024

The face of health care in today’s world is unfamiliar to me in many ways. When I was growing up, the family doctor was a well-known and respected member of the community. Patients trusted their doctor to help them navigate life’s challenges – the loss of a loved one, a cancer diagnosis, a complicated pregnancy, or depression caused by life’s stresses.

The physician knew their patients, and the patients knew them …

Truth be told: We have a leadership crisis, not a health care crisis

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Policy

February 20, 2024

In the annals of history, the transformative impact of a few courageous leaders has left an indelible mark, altering the course of nations and reshaping the face of societies. From the visionary leadership of figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to the groundbreaking initiatives of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, history is replete with examples of leaders who navigated their nations through crises, leaving an enduring legacy. Unfortunately, …

Are hospital CEOs overpaid? One lawyer’s skeptical take on executive compensation.

Dennis Hursh, Esq

Finance

February 20, 2024

As somebody who has reviewed physician employment agreements for 40 years or so, I have to admit I am more than a little jaundiced when it comes to the subject of hospital executive compensation. I’m not altogether convinced that one health system CEO really “earned” the $35.5 million he was reported to have been paid in 2021. I’m sure the pandemic was hard on him. Seeing all those physicians exposing …

Dry January’s untold value for older adults: a health revolution beyond youth

Michael Pessman

Conditions

February 20, 2024

As Dry January gains popularity and inspires millions of people to abstain from alcohol for a month, its focus appears to be geared towards young adults. A demographic that is often overlooked, but is likely to benefit significantly from this movement, is older adults. The National Survey on Drug Use and Heavy Drinking found that nearly 39 percent of adults aged 65 or older drink …

Reconnecting with nature and spirituality in psychiatry [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 19, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

Join Vanessa Velez, a psychiatrist, as we explore the fascinating connection between our inner selves, the natural world, and the demands of modern life. Delve into the importance of bringing back the concept of “psyche” or soul …

Primary care’s role in your wellbeing

Preyasha Tuladhar, MD

Physician

February 19, 2024

As primary care providers, we play an integral role in shaping the lives of our patients in critical ways. We are in the unique position to delve into a patient’s unique biomedical, psychosocial, economic, and cultural background, which allows us to understand each patient at a deeper level with a nuanced perspective. This holistic view informs the development of highly personalized treatment plans that have the power not only to …

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Primary care’s role in your wellbeing

Apple Vision Pro rebooting medical diagnosis

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Tech

February 19, 2024

An excerpt from Apple Vision Healthcare Pioneers: A Community for Professionals & Patients.

In health care technology, diagnostics, and disease detection have undergone significant advancements, notably with the introduction of Apple Vision Pro. Developed by Apple Inc., this cutting-edge technology promises to transform the early detection and diagnosis of diseases, marrying the clinical understanding of seasoned physicians with the precision of …

Beyond Ozempic: Why one size doesn’t fit all in weight loss

Janese S. Laster, MD

Conditions

February 19, 2024

I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, which is generally associated with a diet of all fried food. Prior to medical school, I thought many adults around me would eventually succumb to a diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes since they didn’t appear to think either was a big deal. However, my medical education quickly revealed that these co-morbidities were not merely inconveniences but were linked to some of the leading causes …

Transforming health practices through feedback [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 18, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

Join Ram Krishnan, a technology executive. Discover the power of provider feedback in improving health practices and gain valuable insights into fostering a supportive feedback culture, anonymous feedback mechanisms, and leveraging technology for continuous improvement. Learn from …

The medical profession’s silent struggle: Business knowledge matters

Curtis G. Graham, MD

Finance

February 18, 2024

Isn’t it incredible that generations of physicians today still do not know how to make money in a professional business way that is easy to learn, implement, and use?

Aside from the fact that every medical school in our nation over the last century has refused to even tell medical students that they would benefit from business education, you’d think that they had somehow been blinded to the fact that all …

Autism spectrum disorder and medicine: strengths, challenges, and stories

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Conditions

February 18, 2024

Dr. Shaun Murphy (played by Freddie Highmore) stars in ABC’s The Good Doctor, a television drama that centers around an autistic surgeon whose job at the hospital was frequently threatened and would be lost if it were not for the practical and emotional support from the hospital president.

I don’t know how many “Doctor Murphys” practice medicine in real life – autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevails in about 1% to 2% …

Mastering the art of efficient patient encounters: tips for physicians

Michael Morkos, MD

Tech

February 18, 2024

An excerpt from No Work After Hours: Tools to Maintain a Pleasant, Efficient, and Productive Clinic Without Work Before or After Hours.

The patient encounter is the core of clinical physician practices. That’s why we went to medical school from the very beginning. The excitement and passion for seeing sick patients and helping them on the path of healing was an ambition. One skill set is to be a good …

AI-powered health care messaging [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 17, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

Join physician executive Justin Norden as he delves into the world of health care messaging and how large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are transforming patient communication. Discover how LLMs can streamline patient messaging workflows, improve response …

A year-in-review process for busy physicians

Stephanie Wellington, MD

Physician

February 17, 2024

More than a decade ago I hired my first coach, and life was never the same. During my time with the life coach, I experienced first-hand the value of an end-of-year process that goes deeper than setting a New Year’s resolution.

Years have passed. As a busy physician, I’ve told myself that I don’t have the time for a deep dive reflection of my life and career. I have patients to …

Postpartum does not equal depression

Emily Little, PhD

Conditions

February 17, 2024

You hear it in conversations with friends when returning to work. Maybe in clinic visits with your patients. Definitely among celebrities and on mainstream media. And maybe you’ve even said it yourself. ”

“My sister suffered with postpartum.”

“I was just diagnosed with postpartum.”

“My wife had to seek help after we realized she was experiencing severe postpartum.”

Yet the word postpartum simply means: the time after childbirth. In the medical community, “postpartum” most often …

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Postpartum does not equal depression

How a ruptured spleen saved a life

Sid Schwab, MD

Physician

February 17, 2024

Of the many thousand operations I did in my surgical career, most were life-improving rather than life-saving. To me, life-saving implies immediate or imminent risk of death: gunshot wounds, stabbings, gastrointestinal bleeding or perforations, punctured lungs, and cracking a chest in the ER for a stab wound to the heart. Potentially life-saving but less dramatic is removing a malignancy that, untreated or treated later, would likely have killed the person.

Most …

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How a ruptured spleen saved a life

Breakthroughs in liver cancer treatment [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 16, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

We sit down with health care executive Eugene Chan to explore the rising rates of liver cancer worldwide and the potential game-changer in its treatment: monoclonal antibodies. Join us as we delve into the factors contributing to …

Blame game in U.S. health care: Who’s responsible and what’s the solution?

Alejandro Badia, MD

Policy

February 16, 2024

The perception that our U.S. health care system is broken has become nearly fact among health care workers and the public alike. Many other countries are facing similar challenges, beyond the recent spotlight on our Canadian and British friends across the pond. The issue remains: Who are we to blame and more importantly, what can we do about it?

The angst is typically directed at insurance companies or government interference. Many …

The unseen battle: America’s veterans and the crisis of chronic pain

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Meds

February 16, 2024

Since the Civil War, there have been seventy-four wars and conflicts America has fought in. But as bad as previous wars had been, there has never been anything in American history like the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. While America’s direct intervention against Germany and Japan lasted less than five years, the war on terror went on for decades. Extended time in extreme circumstances will cause extreme adaptations in the human …

We need to step up for Black mothers

Toni Brayer, MD

Conditions

February 16, 2024

I started my day today (ironically, Martin Luther King Day) reading another tragic story about a young Black mother who hemorrhaged to death after giving birth in a large public hospital in Brooklyn.

Statistics tell a shocking story. The maternal death rate increased by 79 percent from 2018 to 2021. Women of color had even worse numbers, with the maternal mortality rate among Black women increasing from 37 per 100,000 in …

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We need to step up for Black mothers

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