Prevent youth suicide: essential steps for parents to secure their home

Conditions
August 13, 2024

This blog contains information about youth suicide which may be triggering for some readers. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal ideations, please seek attention from your own medical provider, call 988, or text 741741 for guidance and professional support.

As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I spent a fair share of my day speaking to parents about suicide prevention. Oftentimes, when a parent is thinking about how to …

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The heartbreaking decision that taught me the power of boundaries

Physician
August 13, 2024

Many years ago, our family rescue dog’s health began to decline quickly. He was around thirteen years old at the time, so we knew the end was coming soon. If you’ve ever experienced an aging pet, you know how extremely difficult it is to make the decision to say goodbye. To add to the difficulty, I felt like I was making the decision alone since my divorce. I had a …

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How psychotherapy can rescue burned-out physicians [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 12, 2024
YouTube video

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In this episode, we delve into the critical issue of burnout among health care providers with our guest, Susan Landers, a retired neonatologist. We explore the alarming rates of burnout and depression among …

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The truth behind opioid use disorder

Meds
August 12, 2024

Anyone reading health care news today must be aware that American medicine – particularly pain medicine – is in crisis. Doctors are experiencing high levels of burnout due to administrative burdens, prior authorization demands, and a health care system that often prioritizes efficiency over patient care. This burnout is leading to mental health issues and, in some cases, physician suicides.

Medicare payments to physicians have decreased by 26 …

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Mindfulness: Beat the overwhelm and find your focus

Conditions
August 12, 2024

Does it sometimes feel like you are a teeny tiny person in a world that is so big, surrounded by giants doing their giant people things? Does it feel like, to keep up, you have to do ten thousand tasks? And somehow, even when you manage to complete those ten thousand things, it’s still not enough, and there are ten thousand more waiting. Just writing these lines is giving me …

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Find fulfillment: Reject societal pressures and embrace simplicity

Physician
August 12, 2024

Such calmness,
Groundedness,
Beauty,
Standing tall and mighty.
The sense of peace in your presence—
Protected,
Safe,
A patient teacher.
No rah-rah, motivational fluff.
Quiet, yet confident,
Not rushing,
Not chasing,
Not running around striving.
Still, grounded, present.

In a world where people tell me I need to take big financial risks to be fulfilled, I say bullsh*t.

My inner fulfillment is felt when still, calm, and trusting that this simple life I cherish is the most fulfilling of all. Connected to humans, connected to …

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From Super Bowl to supermarket: How candy ads shape kids’ diets

Policy
August 12, 2024

A gummy candy shimmies on stage, dancing to Flashdance. The music swells; it pulls a chain and is showered in multi-colored candies. The ad, for Nerds Gummy Clusters, was one of dozens of food ads that 123 million people saw during the 2024 Super Bowl. While the nostalgic soundtrack entertained adults, the cartoon candies were engineered to appeal to a different audience: children.

And it …

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Solutions for lymphedema in breast cancer survivors [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 11, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Steven L. Chen, a breast surgeon, as we delve into the advancements in breast cancer treatments and the challenges of managing breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). As survival rates improve, the focus is …

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Bridging the health gap: Empowering Latino communities for a healthier future

Physician
August 11, 2024

As an endocrinologist, internal medicine physician, and public health leader, I have witnessed firsthand the health disparities that affect Latino communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has only magnified these issues, especially with chronic diseases, emphasizing the pressing need for culturally competent health care to address these inequities.

In Arizona and across the nation, my efforts have been dedicated to educating and protecting our communities through media outreach, training community health workers, and …

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Strategies for living and coping with invisible illness

Conditions
August 11, 2024

I have a handicap placard. I appear healthy, and I walk a lot, but sometimes, the looks I get when I park in the designated handicap space are priceless because I am taking up a special parking spot for someone who is “sick.” “What gives?” they are thinking. “She doesn’t look sick!”

“It’s a big emotional load,” Dr. Sands says. “People are scowling at you because you took that handicapped parking …

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Am I an internist or a milkman?

Physician
August 11, 2024

I have too many important tasks during my workday to leave anything to chance in the hazy, slanted dawn. Failure is not on my schedule for tomorrow. So tonight, I will once again pack a lunch, lay out my clothes, and set up the coffee pot.

Before arriving at work in the morning, I will know who I will be seeing and—often—why they are coming to me. If, for some reason, …

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Systemic failures in mental health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 10, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Claire Ellerbrock, a nurse practitioner with a background in psychiatric and behavioral health care. Claire shares her powerful and transformative experience with a patient named John, whose tragic passing …

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Why speaking up in medical school could save lives

Education
August 10, 2024

It was a fresh start to my first day of medical school as a second-year student. With a slightly stronger arsenal of information compared to my first year, the energy was palpable. My team and I huddled in our small conference room, gathered around the table, ready to tackle our first case of the week as part of our team-based learning. The first patient was a 1-year-old female infant presenting …

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Are rapid weight loss drugs hiding the real obesity problem?

Meds
August 10, 2024

According to some academics, in 2019, a ban on junk food advertising across London’s entire public transport network—foods and drinks high in fat and salt and ads for foods–resulted in the prevention of 100,000 obesity cases. Yet the U.S. love affair with the new semaglutide-based weight loss drugs like Ozempic gives junk food advertising and availability a huge pass.

Drug makers and Wall Street are pleased that instead of changing …

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A journey of self-worth and healing [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 9, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us for a conversation with Jillian Rigert, an oral medicine specialist and radiation oncology research fellow. Jillian shares her journey of overcoming mental illness during medical school, redefining self-worth, and challenging harmful …

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Street medicine: a lifeline for Florida’s homeless amidst new public sleeping ban

Policy
August 9, 2024

Despite the evening hour, the sun beats down on our group as we gather to orient new participants to the street run. It’s a typical Spring day in Florida, with temperatures already in the upper 80s. We stand in a circle on a downtown sidewalk in our green t-shirts. In the center of our circle are bags filled with socks, toiletries, and naloxone, an opioid reversal medication. We’ll distribute these …

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A cardiologist’s urgent call to combat heat-related health risks

Physician
August 9, 2024

As I drive to work and back, my eyes are on the ambient temperature reading in my car—it has been creeping up every day. I routinely listen to NPR, and extreme heat in various parts of the world comes up in daily discussions.

As a heart failure cardiologist in the clinic, I routinely ask my patients about their activity levels. Most of them complain about the heat and how it impacts …

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Untold stories of physician suicide and mental health [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 8, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us as we explore the world of clinician wellness and mental health with three remarkable guests. Kim Downey, a physician advocate, shares her insights on supporting health care professionals. Betsy Gall, author …

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How a group of British medical students fought for social prescribing

Education
August 8, 2024

An excerpt from The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging.

With slicked-back hair, a fancy-buttoned vest, and a politician-like charisma, you wouldn’t guess Dr. Bogdan Chiva Giurca, a doctor for England’s National Health Service (NHS), grew up in a Romanian village, handwashing his clothes because he couldn’t afford laundry. “I got to taste the real social determinants of health without knowing they were called …

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