In 2014 I learned about the worsening maternal mortality statistics in the U.S. and the racial disparities in maternal health, which socioeconomic or medical risk factors could not explain away. I decided a community-based solution was necessary because, as an African American obstetrician, I had no expectation that my fellow obstetricians would soon recognize how racism permeated our specialty and impacted …
“The primary benefits for mobile care units are the fact that they decrease patient travel times by arriving at their residences and ensuring that appointments are never missed. It also relieves the stress of finding transportation for dialysis patients, outright eliminating the need for the CMS to find alternative transport …
Five years into my practice as an academic allergist/immunologist, my perceptions continue to evolve. Though once primarily informed by my mentors’ wisdom, I continue incorporating my experiences as both physician and autoimmune patient to guide my practice. Though we all know medicine isn’t like it used to be, nostalgia is bittersweet. In its wake, the real question remains: how are we going to respond to ongoing changes and fight for …
When the greatest-of-all-time gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the Olympics to focus on her mental wellbeing, most observers applauded her decision, viewing it as an act of courage and bravery, an eye-opener for breaking the stigma around mental health. Many felt it was a positive step (no pun intended) because it reignited conversations about elite athletes and other high-stress professionals and their ability to perform under psychological adversity. However, does the …
This article is sponsored by Wall Street Alliance Group.
While physicians provide a vital service to the U.S., they often have blind spots when it comes to maintaining their own financial health. Many in the …
The page comes during a lull on an otherwise busy day in the well-baby nursery (WBN). My pager’s shrill cry rouses me like the blast of a starting pistol.
DI-DI GESTATION. 37 WEEKS. BABY A WITH NON-REASSURING HEART TONES. BABY B BREECH. OPERATING ROOM A. COME STAT.
Translation: Twin birth. Baby A is STRESSED. Baby B attempted a front flip but got stuck. HURRY.
The race is on, and I am determined to …
Due to emerging science about transmission in vaccinated people, the CDC now recommends all teachers and students wear masks in school, and that people living in COVID-19 hotspots, or areas of the country with large outbreaks, wear masks indoors, CDC officials said on Tuesday.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, attributed this updated guidance to new science surrounding the Delta variant, showing that “some vaccinated people infected with the Delta …
Caregiving in the United States has reached a crisis due to an aging population, a lack of investment in a professional caregiving infrastructure, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors pushed millions of Americans out of the workforce and into a caregiving role, particularly women. Those Americans already providing care for a loved one experienced a 36 percent increase …
“President Joe Biden recently signaled that a multi-trillion-dollar spending plan for our country should be paid for by the rich corporations and wealthy individual Americans who make over $400,000. Doctors fit the latter category and should tune in.
Beyond the government, the unique qualities of doctors make us a target for …
Medical groups’ calls for COVID-19 vaccination mandates for health care workers reached a fever pitch on Monday, with the American Medical Association (AMA), American Nurses Association, and 55 other organizations joining the chorus supporting mandatory vaccination.
“It is critical that all people in the health care workforce get vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of our patients and our colleagues,” said Susan R. Bailey, MD, immediate past president of the AMA, …
A year ago, I started writing. I wrote to process what I had seen and done and to prepare for what I knew was to come. It was inevitable. Humans would return to their normal activities, and despite mine and so many others’ advice, would do so without utilizing mitigating behaviors or respect for others. We knew it was coming, and it did. The summer surge, followed by the darkest …
“What if I had access to real solutions? What if I had resources to provide to a person to help them overcome their problem? As a primary care provider with over 20 years of experience, I know viscerally that I will never “fix” anyone. I can teach, I can guide, …
I remember the second I received my first phone call from admissions to a medical school. I was sitting at an airport, after having finished another interview. After putting down the phone, I started to cry. All of those years of hard work had been recognized, and I was finally welcomed into the profession of my dreams. I never thought that I accomplished something less meaningful because it was a …
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Some pediatric practices refuse to provide care for children with vaccine-hesitant parents.
Those pediatricians are quick to offer rationalizations for this decision. Many of their reasons are compelling. I’m confident you yourself are thinking of some right now. This piece isn’t intended to be a deep dive into those reasons. No justification for refusing care to certain children changes the outcomes.
We assume that these families end up at organizations like mine: …
A public health expert and a web developer have created a new digital communication tool to get more COVID-19 shots into arms — a vaccine emoji.
Social media users have been using the syringe, microbe, or mask emoji in their posts to talk about the pandemic. The new vaccine emoji, however, will display a flexing bicep patched up with a Band-Aid, representing an …
Increased prevalence of ophthalmic diseases due to continued population growth and aging requires an increase in the number of ophthalmologists nationwide. Multiple sources, including the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), report that the number of people with the most common eye diseases will double between 2010 and 2050. This includes the elderly suffering from long-term eye diseases such as cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), …
“I think doctors are just wired that way. We are productive. We get things done. It is expected. We are supposed to do more, do it all, and be all the things to all the people. We come to a point where we try to satisfy this, and then we …
“How many lives did you save today, Dad?”
That is what my kids would ask me, rather sarcastically, many years ago, when they were young and when I arrived home late, missing our game of backyard basketball. They knew I was a neurologist. And, of course, they knew I didn’t exactly save lives since, as I had explained to them many times, my job consisted of giving folks lots of medications …
“It’s rare for anyone to try and tally the precise cost of unnecessary care. But when they do, the estimates are staggering. The Washington Health Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to making care safe and affordable, analyzed insurance claims from 1.3 million patients who received one of 47 tests or services …
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