Alejandro Badia is an orthopedic surgeon.

The future of orthopedic care: Embracing the ASC-urgent care model

Physician
December 6, 2024

The landscape of orthopedic care is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by rising health care costs, patient demand for convenience, and the increasing popularity of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). As an orthopedic surgeon dedicated to advancing minimally invasive techniques and maximizing patient outcomes, I believe the key to navigating this evolving landscape lies in prioritizing patient access to the appropriate clinician via seamless care delivery. Simply put, “the right clinician …

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The future of orthopedic care: Embracing the ASC-urgent care model

Blame game in U.S. health care: Who’s responsible and what’s the solution?

Policy
February 16, 2024

The perception that our U.S. health care system is broken has become nearly fact among health care workers and the public alike. Many other countries are facing similar challenges, beyond the recent spotlight on our Canadian and British friends across the pond. The issue remains: Who are we to blame and more importantly, what can we do about it?

The angst is typically directed at insurance companies or government interference. Many …

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Blame game in U.S. health care: Who’s responsible and what’s the solution?

Computers and your hands: Dispelling common myths

Conditions
August 21, 2022

Have you heard that computer use causes carpal tunnel syndrome? In fact, there is a near-universal belief that technology gadgets can cause all sorts of hand problems. Both the lay public and most healthcare providers believe that entities such as “Blackberry thumb” and “repetitive strain injury” truly exist and that common hand problems such as flexor tendonitis and basal joint arthritis of the thumb are caused by repetitive typing or …

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Computers and your hands: Dispelling common myths

The failure of COVID-19 vaccine distribution confirms government incompetence

Conditions
January 4, 2021

The COVID-19 vaccine has failed.

I don’t mean that the vaccine itself doesn’t work—far from it. I mean the ineffective way such an important lifesaving, pandemic-ending vaccine is being rolled out. The slovenly effort is putting the lives of millions of Americans at risk. At the vaccine’s current injection rates, or even if they got it to 1 million a day, it’ll still take a year before all Americans are fully …

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The failure of COVID-19 vaccine distribution confirms government incompetence

Health care from the trenches: Change must come from us

Policy
October 10, 2020

A patient came to see me with terrible shoulder pain, which I suspected was caused by an acute rotator cuff tear. As any good orthopedic surgeon would, I ordered an MRI. My radiology tech, however, was not permitted by Medicare to perform the study.

Now, my patient needed to secure an appointment for an MRI across town. Then, after the MRI, she needed to schedule another appointment with me so I …

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Health care from the trenches: Change must come from us