The CDC’s restructuring: Where is the voice of health care in the room?

Policy
July 2, 2025

As a surgery resident, I see the long shadow of poor public health every day — whether it’s a diabetic foot infection that’s gone too long without care or a hypertensive crisis that never should’ve happened. That’s why the proposed restructuring of the CDC and other federal health agencies is not just administrative news to me — it’s personal.

The argument for reform often leans on efficiency: Reduce bureaucracy, streamline oversight, …

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Choosing between care and country: a dual citizen’s Independence Day reflection

Policy
July 2, 2025

There’s a stretch of days at the beginning of July, between Canada Day and Independence Day, when I find myself holding my breath. It’s a liminal space that I know intimately as a professional, a mother, and a dual citizen. Born Canadian and naturalized American. Over the past several years, as I have come into the full realization of who I am as a parent of a child with complex …

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What Elon Musk and Diddy reveal about the price of power

Conditions
July 2, 2025

I remember those days well. Long before the era of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, another Hollywood “power couple” captivated the world: Jennifer Lopez and Sean “Diddy” Combs. J.Lo brought the glamour and Latin flair, while Diddy embodied the swagger of hip-hop’s reigning bad boy. Their union was a bold fusion of Latina sass and African American pop culture, a sizzling romance that lit up the entertainment world.

Diddy wasn’t just another rapper …

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3 tips for using AI medical scribes to save time charting

Tech
July 2, 2025

If you’re a clinician who’s tired of staying late at the clinic, bringing charts home, or sacrificing your lunch just to catch up on documentation—you’re not alone.

Documentation burnout is one of the top contributors to job dissatisfaction and work-life imbalance for health care professionals today.

Fortunately, new tech tools are offering a way out. Enter AI medical scribes—artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can save you so much time charting!

AI medical scribes …

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Why working in Hawai’i health care isn’t all paradise

Physician
July 2, 2025

Most people could think of several good reasons to move to Hawai’i and work in health care. It’s a beautiful gem of a place with welcoming people and Aloha Spirit. Why save up for an occasional Hawaiian vacation when you could be enjoying sunny beaches, warm waters, and lush jungles year-round? The problem is that entry into Hawai’i’s health care system has largely become a revolving door of those who …

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A physician’s reflection on love, loss, and finding meaning in grief [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 1, 2025
YouTube video

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Hospitalist Jasminka Vukanovic-Criley discusses her article, “When grief hits all at once: a morning of heartbreak and love.” Jasminka shares a deeply personal account of a Saturday morning where unexpected news of …

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How fragmented records and poor tracking degrade patient outcomes

Policy
July 1, 2025

Medicine today is single-encounter oriented with documentation largely tailored for legal purposes rather than medical care. When an encounter ends, the physician must sign off the documentation and no further changes can be made; any corrections require another document that must also be signed off, but this is seldom done.

A further problem with current medicine is that many diagnoses are differential diagnoses instead of confirmed ones, which may be OK …

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How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

Physician
July 1, 2025

Across America, physicians worry about malpractice litigation—but what happens when state policies unintentionally create a malpractice litigation magnet? New Mexico offers a troubling case study every health care provider should know about.

Between 2019 and 2024, New Mexico lost 248 practicing physicians; for a large state with a small population, this is significant. Rural communities bear the brunt of this exodus. Specialists, surgeons, and primary care doctors alike have left, most …

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How I learned to stop worrying and love AI

Education
July 1, 2025

Is artificial intelligence going to replace physicians? I think the most accurate answer that can be given at this point is “maybe.” Either way, vehemently denying the mere possibility serves no one. If the takeover does happen, being proactive (rather than reactive) and carving a meaningful space for the physician workforce in light of AI leaves us better off than sitting on the sidelines as the next chapter begins. And …

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Understanding depression beyond biology: the power of therapy and meaning

Conditions
July 1, 2025

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines mental health, including depression, in terms of pathology or a deviation from normal that is reliably exhibited in observable behaviors. It describes genetics and risk factors, differences in gender, and considers cultural perspectives. Limitations of the DSM diagnostic criteria are acknowledged and recognize that human experience, or interaction between genetics and environment, cannot be captured completely. While the underlying neurobiology …

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Why compassion—not credentials—defines great doctors

Physician
July 1, 2025

I entered medicine like many young physicians do—eager, determined, and drawn to its promise of excellence. The white coat, the respect, the thrill of diagnosing a rare disease or saving a critical life—all of it called to me with undeniable force. I studied relentlessly, passed my boards, published research, and spoke on conference stages. Those achievements came with a sense of pride, even joy. But they were not the full …

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Addressing U.S. vaccine inequities in vulnerable communities [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 30, 2025
YouTube video

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Medical students Kaitlynn Esemaya, Anamaria Ancheta, and Annique McLune discuss their article, “Why vaccine access still fails America’s most vulnerable groups.” They highlight how social determinants of health drive pervasive inequities in …

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Why Canada is losing its skilled immigrant doctors

Physician
June 30, 2025

Canada prides itself on being a welcoming nation for immigrants, particularly those with advanced professional qualifications. However, Canada persistently underemploys highly skilled immigrant professionals, especially physicians. An official report by the Conference Board of Canada and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) in 2023 confirmed that growing numbers of immigrants are leaving Canada within seven years of landing. Daniel Bernhard, ICC’s chief executive, stated, “It’s not good enough to just …

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Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

Physician
June 30, 2025

It rolled past me—the same dull, tan utility cart we usually use to haul IV pumps, portable monitors, or the occasional dead printer. No decorations. No sign. Just an enormous pile of candy and snacks.

To be fair, it wasn’t bad candy. There were Kit Kats. Some decent chocolate. But still, the message was clear: “We see you. We care. Here’s a Kit Kat.” And because our admin staff does care—a …

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Would The Pitts’ Dr. Robby Robinavitch welcome a new colleague? Yes. Especially if their initials were AI.

Tech
June 30, 2025

When 2025 America tuned into HBO’s award-winning series The Pitt, we showed we’re seeking authenticity.

As someone who works at the intersection of health and invention and built their life around the creation of direct social impact, I see the show for what it is: a brutally honest portrayal of the intrinsic tragedy in our health care system. And an opportunity.

The Pitt’s unflinching portrayal of time, talent, and organizational politics is a …

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Why medicine must stop worshipping burnout and start valuing humanity

Conditions
June 30, 2025

Medicine loves a martyr.

From the first white coat ceremony to the last day of residency, we are told a story: That good doctors are tireless, self-sacrificing, endlessly available. That the more you give up—sleep, family, hobbies, sometimes even health—the more worthy you are to wear the title. The message is rarely said aloud, but it’s everywhere: the ones who leave early to pick up their kids are “lucky to be …

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Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire

Physician
June 30, 2025

An excerpt from A Return to Healing.

Patients often ask me to do whatever tests are necessary to make sure they don’t have cancer or any other really bad diseases. It’s called screening: Look for diseases before patients exhibit symptoms, then fix the problems before they can rear their ugly head. Many of my patients believe that they have had their lives saved this way, always by a caring and …

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How organizational culture drives top talent away [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 29, 2025
YouTube video

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Surgeon Suhaib J. S. Ahmad discusses his article, “Why even the best employees are silently quitting health care.” Suhaib explores the phenomenon of highly competent and once-passionate health care professionals disengaging and …

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Why perinatal mental health is the top cause of maternal death in the U.S.

Conditions
June 29, 2025

“I look at my baby and I don’t feel a thing,” the patient whispers as she cradles her 3-week-old baby. “I feel so much guilt … sometimes I don’t want to be here at all.” And yet, she is not alone. Her words echo the silent yet growing public health crisis of perinatal mental health.

Approximately 1 in 5 women is affected by mental health conditions during the perinatal period. …

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Why medical student debt is killing primary care in America

Education
June 29, 2025

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a physician.

My journey to medicine is not unique. My motivations ring familiar to all health care workers. Many medical students are cut from the same cloth in this regard. We want to help people, to use science to alleviate human suffering, and to push the envelope of medical research. But we also want to earn a living and have …

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