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After 4,380 days, a pair of Danskos — and a calling — fall apart

Finance

September 8, 2020

My Danskos literally disintegrated last month.

I was in the hospital team room, finishing up my patient notes at the end of a busy hospitalist shift. I happened to look down at the floor, and there they were: black chunks on the carpet.

I thought, “Who left such a huge mess under the desk?”

I looked at the bottom of my black Danskos. There was a sizable chunk of the sole missing.

Finally, the …

Rural communities have unique vulnerabilities worsened by the pandemic [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 7, 2020

“While Imperial County faces a confluence of vulnerabilities that have led to its susceptibility during COVID-19, it is not alone. Like an insidious undercurrent, these deficiencies are lurking in every region of the United States. Structural issues require structural solutions—to effectively contain COVID-19, our local, state, and federal leaders must address these underlying faults in the foundation of the systems which …

Intentions don’t sanitize impact

Amelia L. Bueche, DO

Physician

September 7, 2020

While there are certainly instances of malicious intent in thoughts, feelings, and actions, most people operate with the intent to do good, be good, offer good to the world – but what we do isn’t always received in the way we set out to offer it.

In the words of Oscar Wilde, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

It can be frustrating and even paralyzing to consider this consequence, resigning us to, “What …

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Intentions don’t sanitize impact

Why doctors should be trained to speak out and lead the movement for social justice

Teshamae Monteith, MD

Policy

September 7, 2020

Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Institute of Health Director of Allergy and Infectious Disease and White House Coronavirus Task Force member, recently underwent surgery to remove a vocal cord polyp. This is not surprising given that a major risk factor for developing vocal cord polyps is overuse of the voice, something Fauci has likely experienced during the COVID19 pandemic as he has been called upon to speak …

Medicine’s culture forces us to ignore our health [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 6, 2020

“Physicians are steeped in a noxious culture that seems to be averse to creating healthy physicians. We ignore mountains of evidence that show exercise, sleep, and healthy eating is beneficial for cognitive function, learning, and performance — all aspects that physicians should optimize. But the current medical training system pushes physicians, residents, and students to the brink of their physical, emotional, and mental …

Clearing the misinformation surrounding medical cannabis

Samoon Ahmad, MD and Kevin Hill, MD

Meds

September 6, 2020

An excerpt from Medical Marijuana: A Clinical Handbook.

Imagine two patients sitting in the waiting area of a clinic. The first is a man in his sunset years who has recently begun treatment for stage 2 lung cancer. His treatment involves the use of chemotherapy, which has …

Recognizing childhood stress is so important. Here’s why. [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 5, 2020

“Advocate for the children in your community. Studies show that one of the most powerful buffering factors for kids experiencing toxic stress is having at least one supportive, caring adult in their lives. Who in your circles needs you to provide this role? Studies also show that a healthy foundation of sleep, nutrition, exercise, and coping strategies can also mitigate stress …

How I was wrong about health care

Robert Yoho, MD

Policy

September 5, 2020

An excerpt from Butchered by “Healthcare”: What to Do About Doctors, Big Pharma, and Corrupt Government Ruining Your Health and Medical Care.

Doctors help patients, and they love us for it. We fix bones, replace joints, cure killer infections, and control diabetes with insulin. We use painless …

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How I was wrong about health care

Medical student suicide is the trend that must end

Allie Poles

Conditions

September 5, 2020

Last November, our medical school’s community faced a devastating loss, as second-year student R took her own life. As she was rushed to our hospital’s emergency room, some of R’s classmates, as well as her physician mentor, were on rotation and bared witness to her getting rolled in. Understandably, the loss of R cut deeply. While not often discussed, medical student suicide has been no stranger to medical schools both …

A journey from security guard to nurse, and why nurses don’t get the credit they deserve [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 4, 2020

“The pharmacy department plays a vital role in hospitals. They prepare and dispense medications. Sometimes the pharmacist will receive an order from the doctor on a med whose written dosage he is not sure of. In some cases, the pharmacist will call the nurse in order to get clarification on this. The problem here is that …

Now is the time for postpartum home visits

Sonal Patel, MD

Conditions

September 4, 2020

I ring the doorbell, waiting patiently outside. I hear a weak “coming” and some shuffling. Who greets me is a mother in her robe, hunched over at the waist, supporting her protruding postpartum belly. Her hair is disheveled. Her mask is revealing exhausted eyes with attempted mascara to look a “little freshened up,” she confesses a little later.

“My husband is just getting the baby; please come in.”

I …

Blowing the whistle on health care fraud [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 3, 2020

“Fraud in the health care industry is a fact of life. In 2016 alone, the federal government estimated that improper payments by Medicare and Medicaid totaled about $95 billion. And that’s only a single year’s amount for just two of the government’s many health care programs. With an aging population, increased health care spending, the passage of the CARES Act, and …

Direct primary care: Great for some doctors, but challenging for patients

Ken Terry

Policy

September 3, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent drop in patient visits have led some observers to conclude that primary care physicians would be better off financially if they were capitated than if they were paid fee for service. If they received a fixed amount of money per health plan member per month, they’d have a guaranteed income stream regardless of how many patients came to their offices.

However, a growing number …

2 tales of physician assistant burnout

Hope Cook, PA-C

Conditions

September 3, 2020

For the first 12 years as a physician assistant, I thought provider burnout only happened to wusses, those better suited to working in health insurance or doctoring at a summer camp. Sure, I felt overwhelmed at times, but I planned to soldier on in clinical practice, happily serving my patients until retirement.

That was before. Before dreading Sunday nights, feeling heaviness in my gut, a tightness in my neck, and bouts …

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2 tales of physician assistant burnout

The transition from resident to attending: Setting the stage for your new life and career

Todd Skertich

Physician

September 3, 2020

You’re finally at the point in your career that you’ve been waiting for! Training has been strenuous, and you have spent many years of your life readying yourself professionally for this moment. It is now time for you to transition from a resident to an attending physician.

At this time, you may be tempted to jump right in and start working. I recommend taking a little time off for yourself first. …

An infectious disease physician says: Wear a F-ing mask [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 2, 2020

“In honor of one of the great classic novels, Go the F**k to Sleep, I would like to present to you my literary work: Stay the F@$k at Home.

To the healthy 20 year old who asks, “Why should I stay the F@$k at home, COVID-19 is not going to kill me?”

I ask: Do you want to kill your nana and grand-pops?

No?

Then …

The hospital CEO who made a surgical incision. What happened?

Skeptical Scalpel, MD

Physician

September 2, 2020

Recently on Twitter, I asked this question above.

The 130 (2.5 percent) of 5,213 respondents who said they would allow a CEO to make a skin incision highlight the unscientific nature of Twitter polls. Restricting voting to surgeons only is not possible. Many people asked me why I asked the question because surely no surgeon would ever have allowed it. Here is …

Virtual care needs to be designed for equitable usage and accessibility [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 1, 2020

“Although technology and disruptive innovation theoretically diminish systemic barriers and geographic isolation, in practice, they frequently widen chasms in access for vulnerable populations. The reality is telemedicine disproportionately caters to younger, wealthier, and more educated patients.

Hospital systems need to ensure every patient has access to remote health care services, whether through offering landline phone visits, examining pitfalls in digital skill requirements, …

Hassle-free real estate investing for busy doctors

Jeff Anzalone, DDS

Finance

September 1, 2020

A few short years ago, I started to worry about my family’s financial future while vacationing. During our annual ski trip, I took a nasty fall, landing on my wrist. The pain in my arm made me take notice of just how fragile our financial situation was.

As a self-employed periodontist, I asked myself:

What if I was injured while playing sports with my kids?
What if I became permanently disabled?

If …

A letter to my first patient

Lindsay Fleischer

Education

September 1, 2020

It was only my first week in the hospital as a third-year medical student when we met. I entered your room early Tuesday morning. Only knowing your chief concern, I knocked on your door and entered the room. You didn’t complain when I awakened you. You didn’t complain when I asked many questions about a story you had already relayed multiple times to others. You didn’t complain when …

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A letter to my first patient

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