As a physician and health care leader, I initially declined to comment on the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. I felt that speculating about the shooter’s intent would only sensationalize a terrible act.
Regardless of the circumstances, vigilante violence has no place in a free and just society.
But now, more than a month later, I feel compelled to address one aspect of the story that has been widely misunderstood: the …
Artificial intelligence (AI) advances are ushering in a new era of health care innovation, and small language models (SLMs) deployed on edge devices are leading the charge. Unlike large-scale AI systems, SLMs are lightweight, efficient, and capable of operating on localized devices such as smartphones, wearables, and IoT sensors. By combining the power of edge computing with the adaptability of SLMs, health care professionals can benefit from real-time, cost-effective solutions …
An excerpt from Med Spa Mayhem: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Secrets of the Aesthetics Industry.
Over the last 20 years, the medical aesthetics industry has grown from infancy to a $20 billion industry. Botox was approved for cosmetic use in 2003, giving birth to a new Wild West of medicine. It may have started in the offices of plastic surgeons and dermatologists, but now there are med …
Returning home from medical school for the holidays, I had an all-too-familiar experience for medical trainees, but with a cultural twist. My Chinese American family bombarded me with medical questions. “I wake up at 4 a.m. every day, 不舒服 (bù shū fu; body feels uncomfortable), feels like 心跳 (xīn tiào; heart palpitations).” “I get woken up at 3 a.m. every day, 胃痛 (Wèitòng; stomach pains), but I …
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Navigating the uncharted waters of long COVID in children, Elham Raker shares a deeply personal journey of advocating for her daughter’s health while questioning the medical system’s approach to chronic illness. This episode …
Dr. Steven Pearce, Dr. Bruce Berger, and I had an inspiring discussion about motivational interviewing. Bruce offered specific and practical suggestions for clinicians to help patients explore their motivation for treatment adherence. Steven responded, “I’m thrilled. I’m sitting here saying I can’t wait for him to give me more examples because I’m going to go use them in about an hour!”
Dr. Steven Pearce is a practicing gastroenterologist and creator of …
Most physicians subconsciously know there are many significant and persistent challenges to their ability to reach their ultimate medical practice potential. Coupled with the intense pressure all physicians are increasingly being forced to tolerate over decades of independent medical practice, they gradually become indentured servants of the medical-industrial complex.
The three sources of administrative manipulation of medical careers stem from the overriding desire for government control, not just of health care, …
January
In a blistering commentary, the American Medical Association’s flagship journal, JAMA, condemns the corrosive effect on patient care of the profit-seeking practices of health insurers. Separately, the organization announces that it’s selling the 13 journals in its JAMA Network to a private equity firm for $375 million “in order to enhance our mission of promoting the betterment of public health.”
February
Quickly following up on a campaign pledge to slash the federal …
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Denise Reich shares powerful insights as a patient advocate, highlighting the importance of front desk staff, accessibility, accurate billing practices, and the impact of small changes on patient care. This episode dives into …
“The doctor was wonderful, but her staff …” “The receptionist was so rude. I won’t be back.” “They never sent the referral even though I called several times.” Ever seen reviews like these?
No matter how good a doctor you might be, you’re not the one making the first impression at your practice. Your office staff and their practices set the tone of the visit. Their conduct can make or break …
It was a Sunday, and the day was bright and sunny. I was the only doctor on duty in the emergency room that day. On Sundays, our hospital typically has only a few staff members present, as most are off for the holiday except for those who are on call.
Interestingly, there were only two patients in the ward that day. All the other patients had been discharged. For the first …
I write these words after a full week of jury deliberation in the Daniel Penny trial. I now realize that what I have been describing about medical malpractice litigation is a signal of a much more serious problem infecting the social order of the entire country. It goes far beyond 85,000 medical malpractice lawsuits filed per year and even the inability, or the unwillingness, of finders-of-fact to discriminate between a …
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Susan Landers shares her heartfelt journey as a neonatologist navigating the challenges of burnout, the rewards of practicing medicine, and the complex emotions surrounding early retirement. From her intimate experiences in the NICU …
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The U.S. health care system is an inefficient maze of bureaucracy, redundancies, and waste. As a practicing physician, I see firsthand how these inefficiencies frustrate both providers and patients, inflate costs, and undermine the quality of care. If we are serious about transforming health care into a system that works for everyone, we need bold, outside-the-box solutions. Here are just some of the most glaring inefficiencies I see that could …
A daily dose of sarcasm to trigger some thought, and to ask some serious questions we all should be able to discuss peacefully. These are not necessarily my personal beliefs, lest I need to be attacked at some point by misinformation protector professionals.
But let’s start here: I’ve never known Batman, or Robin, for that case, to ever get ill. And I am old enough to remember racing home to catch …
“We are here to make a choice between the quick and the dead …”
With these solemn words, Bernard Baruch, a trusted advisor to U.S. presidents, addressed the United Nations (UN) Atomic Energy Commission in June 1946. Less than a year had passed since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the world stood at a crossroads. Baruch’s message was clear: humanity could either embrace the hope of global peace …
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Brian Whorley, a health care executive, dives into the groundbreaking Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP), exploring its potential to revolutionize medication adherence and patient outcomes. With 54 million beneficiaries eligible, this initiative promises …
Journalist Te-Ping Chen wrote about the nature of a physician’s career in a recent featured article in The Wall Street Journal where older physicians criticize the younger generation as being less committed to their patients. The article is titled: “Young Doctors Want Work-Life Balance. Older Doctors Say That’s Not the Job.”
The major point of discussion was the definition of a career in medicine as a “calling” versus a “job,” …
Yes, I said it. Health care is a dumpster fire—a meme-worthy catastrophe of epic proportions. It’s the chaos that future comedians and historians will roast with gusto, leaving us shaking our heads in embarrassed agreement. My somewhat cynical sense of humor is helping me mentally process the dumpster fire that is the current U.S. health care system. But as bleak as it feels, there’s a glimmer of hope. When health …
“Are you the medical student?” the resident asked me in between bites of his vegetable lo mein. We were in the hospital conference room, and I was sitting at the table by the projection screen while he was scarfing down a quick meal before the noon lecture. “Actually, I’m the attending,” I replied. He paused with fork in hand and turned beet red. “Sorry,” he murmured.
I couldn’t blame him for …
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