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A new approach shifts thought patterns to improve mood

Moshe Bar, PhD

Conditions

September 11, 2023

Imagine this …

You’re shown a number of words one after another: “lettuce, tomato, green, head, vegetable, cabbage, carrot, food, leaf, salad, hamburger.” Then, you’re shown a different set of words: “thread, needle, shot, nurse, drugs, alcohol, wine, cheese, mouse, cat, dog, bone.” Notice any difference between the two chains of words – or even how you feel?

These two sets of words were part of a groundbreaking Massachusetts General Hospital and …

Insurance struggles in pediatric headache care

Victoria Karian, CPNP

Conditions

September 11, 2023

Most of the time, I enjoy my job as a pediatric nurse practitioner working with chronic headache and pain patients. I enjoy the relationships with the families, figuring out what can help manage the headaches and life issues best to allow optimal functioning. I enjoy performing certain procedures, like Botox for chronic migraines or injection procedures for my patients, which very often improve their headache profile. I can even find …

Job search sabotage: Avoid common mistakes

Jawaria Suhail, MD

Physician

September 11, 2023

People can inadvertently sabotage their job search efforts in several different ways when searching for jobs. This can happen in a variety of ways.

An unfocused job search results from not having a clear vision of what you are looking for or which industries and roles match your skills and interests. The goal and position you are aiming for should be clearly defined. It’s not enough to say, “I want to …

Challenges of prolonging hospital stays

Deepak Goyal, MD and Ronald Hirsch, MD

Physician

September 11, 2023

In a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, a rheumatologist at a teaching hospital lamented about “hospital problems,” a phenomenon where patients are not allowed to stay in the hospital when they no longer have a medical necessity for hospital care, even though the physician may want to keep the patient longer to wait for test results or get prepped for a test. He proceeds to …

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Challenges of prolonging hospital stays

Podiatry and direct care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 10, 2023

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

Join Grace Torres-Hodges, a podiatrist with a passion for physician autonomy and patient-centered care. We’ll delve into the significance of clarity in purpose and how the direct care model empowers physicians to prioritize their patients’ well-being. Discover how this approach not only enhances the doctor-patient relationship but …

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Podiatry and direct care [PODCAST]

A chance encounter in Chicago: lessons in compassionate medicine

Emily S. Hagen, MD

Education

September 10, 2023

It was a frigid January night in Chicago. My whole body felt cold as flurries of snow landed on my clothes, prompting me to quickly enter the restaurant to find my friend.

The dinner began to unfold how I had imagined. My friend, a fellow medical student, and I eagerly chatted about our life updates. I shared stories from my days in the hospital, and she described the progress of her …

REITs: Should they be a part of your portfolio?

Amarish Dave, DO

Finance

September 10, 2023

Many of us own our practices and the buildings in which we work. Well, this is one way to understand investing in REITs.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are investment vehicles that cover many sectors, including health care and many other industries, such as storage facilities, commercial real estate, and many others. For doctors seeking investments that provide income, REITS may offer one alternative.

Of course, with all investments, discussing this option …

Doctor convictions: Unmasking the 3 threats you need to know

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Physician

September 10, 2023

Why would anyone lie about you? And what makes you prone to conviction? There are three types of people that will absolutely bring your world crashing down on you, and you need to know who they are. But first, we need to understand the formula that prosecutors have developed to target doctors.

Prosecutors go after doctors because they are easy targets. The formula developed by prosecutors has three steps: First, make …

The complexities of healing and faith

Michele Luckenbaugh

Conditions

September 10, 2023

As a physician, there are moments during the day when you must deliver a disheartening diagnosis to your patient: pancreatic cancer, ALS, leukemia, and unfortunately, the list goes on. The patient must face the harsh realities that are now placed before him/her. Those realities, at times, leave him with a very small window of hope for improvement. Sometimes, solutions cannot be found with the use of a scalpel, chemotherapy, or …

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The complexities of healing and faith

Perseverance in medical school [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 9, 2023

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

Join Marthena Phan, a medical student who shares her story of perseverance, setbacks, and ultimate triumph. From struggling with academics to facing the daunting prospect of starting over, Marthena’s story is a testament to resilience, the power of support, and the importance of embracing challenges.

A season of emotions: spring, trauma, and healing

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

September 9, 2023

Spring is an interesting time of the year for me. April 15 may actually be my favorite day, but certainly not because income taxes are due. My dad was born on April 15, but that’s not the reason either.

Let me set the scene. I lived in a beautiful home in a wooded area outside Philadelphia for ten years. The area is known as the Brandywine Valley. It’s the site of the …

The impact of certificate of need laws on rural health care

Jaimie Cavanaugh, JD and Daryl James

Policy

September 9, 2023

Rural communities have a problem. Their health care options continue to shrink, as medical facilities close or consolidate. The trend has accelerated in recent years, but Westfield Memorial Hospital in Western New York wants to expand.

The tiny facility on the shores of Lake Erie has four inpatient beds, and has plans to double its capacity to eight. The $700,000 project would not require an additional wing or any new floor …

Don’t disrupt success in Medicare

Theresa Forster and Logan Hoover

Policy

September 9, 2023

Each year, Congress goes through its annual budget process to determine how to spend more than $6 trillion on America’s priorities. This year, as part of the discussions on how to spend Medicare’s $900 billion budget, we are being told the Medicare Trust Fund, which is projected to spend $415 billion in 2023 for Part A expenditures, which cover inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, nursing home, home health, and hospice care, …

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Don’t disrupt success in Medicare

Part-time opportunities for modern physicians [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 8, 2023

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

Join Corinne Sundar Rao, an internal medicine physician, and Aaron Morgenstein, an orthopedic surgeon, to explore the evolving landscape of medical practice. We discuss the challenges health care facilities face in recruiting and retaining physicians, the shifting …

Unveiling the inner dynamics behind high achievers’ success

Michaela Weaver

Conditions

September 8, 2023

In the realm of leadership development, an array of groundbreaking initiatives is surfacing, igniting profound transformations on multiple fronts. Resilience programs, in particular, are equipping leaders with the agility to navigate our fast-paced world and fostering the internal adaptability essential for constant change. Yet, despite these promising strides, a disconcerting surge in anxiety, stress, and burnout among executives has emerged.

Startling statistics underscore this disconcerting trend. In 2022, a staggering 31% …

Support your local plasmapheresis center

Martin C. Young, MD

Conditions

September 8, 2023

Every day, thousands of people lie on a couch and have their arm stabbed with a large needle. Blood from the venipuncture snakes down into a container. In some individuals, this continues until the volume is about a pint – 500 mL; for this, they get a cookie and a glass of juice. In others, the collection is larger – around 2,500 mL; for this, they get between $50 to …

Diversified treatments are needed to fight the increasing threat of liver cancer

Eugene Chan, MD

Conditions

September 8, 2023

Since the mid-1970s, rates for liver cancer have been on the rise. A 2017 study found that liver cancer increased by 75 percent worldwide between 1990 and 2015, with the highest rate increases occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Worldwide, hepatitis B—a virus that damages the liver and is spread through contact with infected blood and other body fluids—is the most common cause of liver cancer; however, in …

Coaching for medical students [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 7, 2023

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

We’re joined by Amruti Borad, a family physician, to explore the transformative power of coaching in medical education. From the highs and challenges of medical school to self-doubt and purpose-seeking, we discuss how coaching can enhance resilience …

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Coaching for medical students [PODCAST]

Transparency, not charity: a real solution to America’s medical debt crisis

Sami Alahmadi and Fadi D. Masoud

Policy

September 7, 2023

A recent act of kindness from Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has gone viral for its creative method of tackling medical debt. It involves the church paying off $3.3 million in medical debt belonging to 3,355 local families – complete with a cathartic video of the oppressive debt being burned to ashes – by purchasing it for pennies on the dollar from debt collectors. Though heartwarming at first …

Artificial intelligence in mental health care shows how lonely we really are

Weisheng Mao, MD

Physician

September 7, 2023

Like many psychiatrists, I have scoffed every time I’ve heard about artificial intelligence providing psychotherapy or other mental health care. How could patients not notice the difference between me and a bot, or how could they not care? Yet this is a direction that is being actively explored in mental health care as a way of increasing access and reducing stigma, with multiple AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants on the …

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