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Why health care can’t survive on no-fail missions alone

Physician

August 20, 2025

We don’t send SEAL teams into the field without backup, but we routinely send health care workers into no-win situations and tell them: don’t fail.

I celebrated friendship and teamwork during a Change of Command ceremony this week—full of honor, tradition, and those stirring reminders of what it means to lead. But one repeated phrase stuck in my craw: “This is a no-fail mission.”

It’s meant to inspire. It’s meant to light …

An addiction physician’s warning about America’s next public health crisis [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 19, 2025

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Addiction medicine physician Safina Adatia discusses her article, “Why gambling addiction is America’s next health crisis.” She warns that following the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling to overturn sports gambling bans, the U.S. …

Gen Z’s DIY approach to health care

Amanda Heidemann, MD

Education

August 19, 2025

There is a generation change happening in how health information and care is accessed, understood, and delivered, driven by Gen Z. They are the first generation of digital natives and the first to fully benefit from the Affordable Care Act, which has cut uninsured rates in half for 19- to 25-year-olds, improving access to preventive care services. But now, as they enter adulthood and are becoming responsible for their …

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Gen Z’s DIY approach to health care

What street medicine taught me about healing

Alina Kang

Education

August 19, 2025

In a little area outside our free clinic in Miami, ten of us sit together in a group. The air is thick and unmoving. Some wear torn shirts while others arrive in stylish outfits. A few have not had the chance to shower in weeks, but all show up, bringing their full selves to the group. These are the people who call the streets home, men and women who sleep …

Smart asset protection strategies every doctor needs

Paul Morton, CFP

Finance

August 19, 2025

Don’t let a lawsuit undo decades of hard work. Here’s how to keep your wealth safe!

According to the American Medical Association, approximately one-third of all physicians will face a malpractice lawsuit, and just under 2 percent of physicians will face a lawsuit each year. While the volume of lawsuits seems high, roughly half of these lawsuits are considered frivolous. These statistics should prompt any physician to add asset protection measures …

The silent cost of choosing personalization over privacy in health care

Dr. Giriraj Tosh Purohit

Tech

August 19, 2025

I still remember the first time a physician told me they felt they had become a “data clerk with a stethoscope.”

And to my surprise, it wasn’t about too many clicks; it was about trust.

As a product manager building EHRs, RCM systems, practice management tools, remote monitoring, and AI scribes for over 12,000 health care professionals across the U.S., I’ve spent countless hours listening to clinicians, shadowing workflows, and observing quiet …

How IMGs can find purpose in clinical research [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 18, 2025

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Clinical research physician Khutaija Noor discusses her article, “Why clinical research is a powerful path for unmatched IMGs.” She addresses the intense pressure and profound disappointment international medical graduates (IMGs) face when …

Why the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is essential to saving lives

J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD

Policy

August 18, 2025

You may have noticed the Supreme Court announced several crucial rulings on controversial topics. Buried in most coverage was a note that the Court upheld the legality of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

Most folks have no clue what the USPSTF is or does. To people like me, it is crucial to advancing the early detection and prevention of cancer in the United States. For now, we can be …

Medicaid lags behind on Alzheimer’s blood test coverage

Amanda Matter

Conditions

August 18, 2025

I remember a patient in her early sixties who came to our clinic with subtle memory problems. She lived alone in a rural county, relied on Medicaid, and had been passed between social services and different primary care providers for more than a year. No one had ordered imaging, and there were no neurologists nearby. By the time Alzheimer’s disease was suspected, her window for early intervention had already closed.

Medicare …

The unspoken contract between doctors and patients explained

Matthew G. Checketts, DO

Physician

August 18, 2025

We often sign extensive contracts when entering long-term commitments — think of the fine print in a mortgage, a car loan, or a new job offer.

While there are privacy forms and acknowledgments of office policies, the expectations of the physician-patient relationship are often assumed rather than explicitly stated. Some providers do outline expectations, and in today’s medicolegal environment, HIPAA notices are always signed — but that’s not the same as …

AI isn’t hallucinating, it’s fabricating—and that’s a problem [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 17, 2025

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Psychiatrist, internist, and addiction medicine specialist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article, “In medicine and law, professions that society relies upon for accuracy.” He argues that labeling AI errors as “hallucinations” is …

Brooklyn hepatitis C cluster reveals hidden dangers in outpatient clinics

Don Weiss, MD, MPH

Policy

August 17, 2025

An excerpt from Disease Detectives: True Stories of NYC Outbreaks.

Dr. Westyn Branch-Elliman contributed to this chapter.

There exist within NYC, communities that feel more like a small town than a perspiring slab of metropolis. People know and speak to their neighbors, greet each other warmly on the street, and watch over each other’s children. Single- and two-family brick homes with small, manicured lawns line quiet streets. There is usually one …

The truth in medicine: Why connection matters most

Ryan Nadelson, MD

Physician

August 17, 2025

Being a doctor is about more than diagnosing illnesses or prescribing medications. It is about more than knowing the latest research, the right drug dose, or the most effective treatment plan. Those things matter (of course they do), but they are just part of the job description.

The reality is more human, more vulnerable, and more complex.

Imagine what it is like to sit in the waiting room before your appointment. You …

New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

Tom Phan, MD

Physician

August 17, 2025

I got into the car outside the bus station in Lowell, Massachusetts, where my father was waiting to pick me up. He looked nervous when he handed me an envelope. Inside was my medical school decision letter. I was accepted. We let out a cheer.

Along with the acceptance letter was the projected cost of attendance: around $70,000 for the first year, climbing to nearly $90,000 by the fourth. I would …

Why trust and simplicity matter more than buzzwords in hospital AI

Rafael Rolon Rivera, MD

Tech

August 17, 2025

Everyone wants the best model. The flashiest algorithm. The one with the highest AUC and the sexiest machine learning buzzword attached.

But here’s the problem: In hospital care, especially at midsize institutions, the “best” model on paper might be the worst fit for your people, your patients, and your workflow.

As a hospitalist and data-minded clinician, I’ve been exploring how we can use AI to reduce 30-day readmissions—an outcome tied not just …

Putting food allergy safety on the menu [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 16, 2025

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Leading food allergy advocate Lianne Mandelbaum discusses her article, “What one diagnosis can change: the movement to make dining safer.” She explains how for millions of people living with food allergies, dining …

Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

Angela Rodriguez, MD

Conditions

August 16, 2025

Everyone deserves informed, compassionate and respectful health care. As medical professionals, we have the profound privilege and responsibility to make a difference in the lives of others.

As a practicing Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in San Francisco, CA, I have dedicated my practice to serving trans women, trans men, non-binary and gender-diverse individuals. Through this practice, I have viewed discrimination at the most basic levels. Patients struggle to find primary care …

Why “the best physicians” risk burnout and isolation

Scott Abramson, MD

Physician

August 16, 2025

This is a famous teaching in the Talmud, which in the Jewish faith is the commentary on the Hebrew Bible. Why would the holy book of the Jews make such a proclamation? It turns out this is about arrogance. It is about humility. The “best doctors” may also be the most prideful. Their arrogance may prevent them from realizing they need help. If they do realize it, their pridefulness may …

Why the Sean Combs trial is a wake-up call for HIV prevention

Catherine Diamond, MD

Conditions

August 16, 2025

We are now waiting for sentencing in the Sean (P. Diddy) Combs trial. Onlookers reading about the trial could have various thoughts. Thoughts about how power corrupts behavior. Thoughts about how men manipulate women through violence and sex. There could be schadenfreude. There could be prurience. Me, I think about HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

You heard correctly, PrEP. When I hear testimony about multiple partners and escorts, my concern is for …

Why real medicine is more than quick labels

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

August 16, 2025

An excerpt from Real Medicine, Unreal Stories, Volume 3.

The café was quiet, tucked between a shuttered bookstore and a yoga studio that only seemed to open during Mercury retrograde. It was the kind of place that didn’t advertise, which made it perfect for writers, wanderers, and today, two physicians who had long since discovered that stories, not stethoscopes, were the truest diagnostic tools.

Dr. Gary Handler stirred his coffee absentmindedly, …

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