How unclaimed bodies are fueling a medical ethics firestorm
Last September, NBC News aired a one-sided report on the arrangement between a county coroner and a medical school apropos the transfer of unclaimed corpses with reportedly inadequate effort to find family. In addition to a grieving family, an academic bioethicist was interviewed who expressed horror at the transfer procedure. The report did a disservice both to bioethics and to necessary medical training and research.
In a similar incident, a coroner …
How poor communication is killing patients and burning out doctors
As an emergency room physician with 20 years of experience, I’ve witnessed countless moments where patients come to the ER not because their symptoms demand urgent care, but because they lack understanding about their own medical conditions. These are not isolated incidents—they’re a systemic failure in communication that contributes to patient distress, health care inefficiency, and physician burnout.
This week alone, I had two particularly heart-wrenching encounters:
A 65-year-old man with metastatic …
Doctors reveal the unspoken toll of shame and sacrifice in medicine
It’s capitalism, it’s greed, it’s the hospitals, it’s all those things, but for me, it’s sadness, it’s loss, it’s crying myself to sleep. Lest I sound ungrateful, I am appreciative of the income and career it has afforded me. I am not the victim but also not the perpetrator. In reality, we are all both at one time or another.
It’s the hushed calls to let me know a dear patient …
Is perfectionism something to strive for or heal from?
I used to pride myself on being a perfectionist and high achiever, and I held onto those identities tightly. Today, my diplomas are stored in a box at the bottom of a closet. I recycled the majority of my race medals, and reviewing my CV contributes to pain. I have created space from these visual reminders of how hard my past self worked to feel some sense of worthiness in …
Patient safety in focus: Helping to address risk factors associated with non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia
This article is sponsored by Stryker Oral Care.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia remains one of the most common—and deadly—infections patients face during hospitalization. Yet, while significant progress has been made in reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia, its lesser-known counterpart, non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP), continues to quietly …
The hidden grief of Black fathers after pregnancy loss
In the United States, as many as 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage (before the end of the twentieth week of pregnancy) and approximately 1 percent in stillbirth (after the twentieth week, including time of delivery).
Parents who experience pregnancy loss are often left to grieve not only the child they never had the opportunity to know but also the loss of a future they had envisioned. The …
The heartbreaking truth about advocating for aging parents in today’s health care system
My parents were born on the same day, six years apart, Depression-era babies. My dad died on Christmas Eve, 2016. Nearly every Christmas season after that, for the next seven years, I hoped Mom would follow him.
Was I wrong to wish that?
Dad played Santa Claus for three decades, donning a suit that had belonged to his mother, along with her bearskin gloves and a set of sleigh bells. Eventually, he …
I’ve felt the pain of 3 generations of nicotine addiction
“Almost everyone I know has either quit” – my friend paused, “… or died.” She said the “or died” part with a bit more resignation than horror.
We were having this conversation outside of our busy local pub a few weeks ago. Some of us had stepped outside to get some fresh air, and someone pulled out a package of cigarettes and offered them around.
What was once a common occurrence now …
How a network of changemakers is revolutionizing health care [PODCAST]
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Join us for an inspiring conversation on transforming health care with Kim Downey, a physician advocate and physical therapist; Dawn Ellison, an emergency physician; and Denise Wiseman, a health care executive. Together, they …
Geographic disparities in advanced cancer care: a call for innovation
Imagine two patients are diagnosed with liver cancer on the same day. Both have similar tumors and overall health. The only difference? Their zip codes. While we’d like to believe that all patients in the United States receive standardized care regardless of location, the reality is far more complex. Where a patient lives—and more specifically, which health care system they can access—may fundamentally alter their treatment options and outcomes.
This disparity …
The rise of at-home hormone tests: a double-edged sword for patients
At-home hormone testing kits have surged in popularity, offering individuals unprecedented access to tools they believe will help them understand their bodies. Marketed as convenient, empowering solutions to monitor fertility and general hormone health, these tests may seem like a valuable resource at first glance. However, the reality is far more complex. In many cases, these kits create confusion, unnecessary stress, and even lead to harmful interventions.
While the promise of …
Health care predictions 2025: What’s next for AI, access, and home care
I’ve taken a little writing break as I turned off news to preserve my mental health after the election. As 2024 limps to a close, I look forward to a fresh start in 2025 with a few of my own crystal ball predictions of what’s to come in American health care.
Accessing primary care will continue to be a challenge, not just in rural communities but in big cities too. Telehealth …
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Why dermatology deserves respect: a medical student’s perspective
As a medical student pursuing dermatology, I was disheartened at the recent Wall Street Journal article’s misrepresentation of dermatology. Describing the field as a superficial, cosmetically focused pseudo-science is a disservice to both dermatologists and the patients they treat; representations such as this one erase the true scope of dermatologic care. Based on the patients I’ve seen so far, dermatology and its physicians deserve more respect.
Dermatologists perform cosmetic procedures …
Navigating the ashes: Supporting emotional strength amid the Los Angeles wildfires
As an employee assistance program (EAP) therapist at a hospital, I am often called upon to help people navigate the emotional fallout of life’s most challenging moments. The wildfires devastating Los Angeles bring a unique layer of grief, stress, and uncertainty to our community.
David Kessler, a leading voice on grief, emphasizes that loss is not limited to death—it is any change or …
How health care boards can transform organizational culture and workforce development [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Explore the critical role of health care boards in shaping organizational culture, workforce development, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). Physician advocate and physical therapist Kim Downey and health care consultant Geoffrey …
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This perspective will change how physicians address pain and recovery
I implore all physicians to watch the film Tipping the Pain Scale. Invited by a friend to view from the perspective of recovery, I accepted in support and out of curiosity for the proposed approach to the treatment of pain. As an osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine physician, this is the chief complaint of many patients seeking care, often addressed with hands-on treatment considering structure and function and the unity of body, …
Peer review case: a surgeon’s fight for due process
We recently resolved a complex peer review case involving a surgeon in a Midwestern state. The case arose as the hospital began transitioning to an employed-physician model, seeking to phase out its non-employed, voluntary medical staff. Our client, a non-employed surgeon with privileges to treat patients at the hospital, was among those targeted in what appeared to be a strategic effort to remove voluntary non-employed physicians from the …
Transform feedback into growth with the ARISE model
I am going to ask you to do something, and I hope you’ll play along. Think back on your week. Did anyone tell you that you did something well or that you could tweak the way you did something just a bit? Did anyone pull you aside to say they would have communicated that diagnosis or performed an exam maneuver differently? I hope that you said “yes.” Good medicine depends …
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Personal financial planning shouldn’t be a taboo subject
Physicians face immense challenges, from demanding work schedules and administrative burdens to the emotional toll of patient care. Burnout, turnover, and even suicide are distressingly prevalent in the profession. While systemic changes to health care environments are essential, financial well-being is an often overlooked factor in mitigating these challenges. Personal financial education and planning resources should not be considered taboo but a vital component of physician well-being. When openly addressed, …
Past Week
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Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
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Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
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How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
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Learning to trust your body again: Healing the hidden wounds of medical training
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The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
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Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
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Past 6 Months
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How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
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Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
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What happened to real care in health care?
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The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
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Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
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How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
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Recent Posts
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The geriatrician who prescribes matzah and meaning in Miami Beach
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Understanding the ADHD brain: support, empowerment, and managing challenges [PODCAST]
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Why it’s time for doctors to become performance coaches
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You have nothing to prove: a bold message for every overwhelmed doctor
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The hidden impact of denials on health care systems
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Acknowledging the silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome [PODCAST]
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Past Week
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
-
How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
-
Learning to trust your body again: Healing the hidden wounds of medical training
-
The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
-
Past 6 Months
-
How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
-
Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
-
How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
-
Recent Posts
-
The geriatrician who prescribes matzah and meaning in Miami Beach
-
Understanding the ADHD brain: support, empowerment, and managing challenges [PODCAST]
-
Why it’s time for doctors to become performance coaches
-
You have nothing to prove: a bold message for every overwhelmed doctor
-
The hidden impact of denials on health care systems
-
Acknowledging the silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome [PODCAST]
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