An excerpt from Huntington’s Disease Heroes: Inspiring Stories of Resilience from the HD Community.
These days as my father’s Huntington’s disease progresses and I take on more and more, I have learned how quickly being a caregiver can consume my life. Yes, he is still living two hours away, and …
The heartbreaking realities of being a caregiver with Huntington’s disease
Depression is a complex and multifaceted illness that affects millions of people worldwide. For a long time, the prevailing explanation for depression has been that a chemical imbalance in the brain causes it, and I, like many other clinicians, accepted this definition. However, looking back at my early years in clinical practice and comparing it to what I have witnessed and studied, the past diagnosis didn’t fully appreciate the uniqueness …
Breaking the silence on mental health: Why understanding past traumas is key
In a grocery store recently, a friend’s young child gave a big hug to a brightly colored, meter-high plastic cartoon mascot for a well-known candy brand standing at the end of an aisle surrounded by many bags of the candy on sale.
“Aww, that’s so cute!” was the mother’s first reaction.
Then it dawned on her – it wasn’t cute at all.
It was, she realized, very effective and invasive marketing. Not only …
When cute is actually harmful: It’s time to end the in-store tricks that hurt our kids’ health
Childhood obesity has become a health crisis in the U.S. across all socioeconomic levels. CDC statistics from 2017 through 2020 indicate the following for children and adolescents ages two through 19:
“We need an urgent pain consult for patient Lucy Bee in room 5621. She’s a 17-year-old drug addict and is screaming and wanting morphine,” I was told. Lucy Bee is not a real patient, but a composite of patients I have cared for either when providing pain management services on our inpatient floors, or in the operating …
Words matter: Caring for pain patients with suspected opioid use disorder
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In this episode, we talk with family physician Heather Awad about how to be an example of what’s possible for your patients on their weight loss journey. Heather shares her experience of embracing imperfection and how that …
How to make small changes for big weight loss wins [PODCAST]
Wouldn’t you care to know that patient of yours who is likely to come down with a life-threatening case of ACE-Inhibitor induced angioedema? My guess is that you would, especially knowing that in health care delivery, prevention is king.
Better still, what if I tell you that with an AI-powered image analysis, you no longer have to spend agonizing hours waiting for a NightHawk CT scan report? It gets even more …
The last time I met with “The King,” I wasn’t planning on meeting with him alone. I never would. It was July 2019, and my family was flying to Europe the next day.
“The King” is the former hospital president/CEO, hired by the board in 2015. He was the former chief of pediatric surgery at a well-known children’s hospital who came along with a demand that his wife, who he often …
Surviving a manipulative CEO: my experience with gaslighting
An excerpt from The Spine Encyclopedia: Everything You’ve Wanted to Know about Back and Neck Pain but Were Too Afraid to Ask.
As we age, our cells become less functional, and bodily tissues lose the ability to replenish and regenerate. The spine is not excluded from this process and undergoes predictable …
Unlocking the secrets to aging gracefully: How to keep your spine young
There has been growing recognition of the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in health care in recent years. EI refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s emotions and the emotions of others. One way to enhance emotional intelligence is by incorporating the Five Love Languages into health care practices. Dr. Gary Chapman developed the Five Love Languages as …
It was a Tuesday evening when I received a call from the emergency room that a young lady had been brought in after experiencing seizures. I quickly walked over to the ER, preparing myself for what was to come. As I walked through the entrance, I could see the family of the patient huddled together, whispering to each other. The patient was lying on the hospital bed with wires attached …
From uncertainty to certainty: Finding the cause of seizures in a young patient
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In this episode, we speak with Michael Bronson, an anesthesiologist, founder and CEO of AnesthesiaGo, about his journey into healthcare entrepreneurship. Michael discusses the pain points he encountered as a scheduler for anesthesia staff and how he …
An anesthesiologist’s solution to outdated OR case scheduling [PODCAST]
In health care, as in life, people devote a lot of time and attention to the way things should be. They’d be better off focusing on what actually could be.
As an example, 57% to 70% of American voters believe our nation “should” adopt a single-payer health care system like Medicare for all. Likewise, public health …
Why retail giants will revolutionize American health care
The intertwining of history, health care, and artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized medicine, opening up new possibilities for diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. This article will explore the journey from the inception of health care to the current era of AI-driven medical advancements and envision the future of AI in health care.
Health care through the ages
1. Ancient medicine: In the earliest human …
Revolutionizing medicine: the journey of health care and AI
One early evening in June, we sat in the second row of a Health Sciences Building classroom with 79 other students enrolled in the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP). We were excited to hear a guest lecture from a program alumnus, a clinician who shared that he, too, had lived in an underserved community, had Medicaid insurance, and relied on community clinics growing up. He concluded his presentation …
Raising reimbursements: the Medicaid imperative
As the spring planting season approaches, seven farmers from my home state of Illinois traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the “Farmers for Climate Action” rally. Farmers sought meetings with lawmakers, including Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Sen. Durbin and others are crafting the Farm Bill, and the farmers want to ensure climate change …
Food is medicine: Why doctors care about the Farm Bill
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In this episode, Sheetal Gambhir, a geriatrician, discusses the importance of feet in preventing falls in elderly patients. She shares insights on what to look for in shoes, including surface area, heel height, and sole consistency. She …
Preventing falls in seniors: the surprising role of shoes [PODCAST]
A survey published by the American Medical Association (AMA) last year reveals that patients are very concerned about the privacy of their medical information, perhaps more concerned than most physicians and practices are aware. As health care providers using the latest medical technology, we tend to view the ability to share information electronically with other providers and payers (and the ability to view and obtain records from care delivered elsewhere) …
Patient privacy: Why it matters more than you think
Working night shifts in health care, particularly emergency medicine, requires maintaining alertness and focus during extended hours. I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges and risks associated with sleep deprivation, including a frightening incident when I fell asleep while driving after a long stretch of night shifts. Fortunately, nothing serious occurred, but it highlighted the importance of staying alert. One potential solution gaining popularity …
The secret to staying alert during night shifts: coffee naps and more
This past year I was fortunate to begin a fellowship in contemplative medicine at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. Maybe this isn’t the extra-curricular activity you would expect from an orthopedic trauma specialist. Since I entered medical school almost 30 years ago, this has been the most rewarding experience by far.
Why? We all know our system is broken, but its brokenness goes beyond the “for-profits, occasionally also …
The sacred work of a quality doctor: lessons in contemplative medicine
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