She died thirsty! Ice chips matter when it comes to patient satisfaction.

Physician
December 15, 2014

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“My wife died uncomfortable and alone. She died thirsty!”

The man who spoke those words came in to the emergency room recently where I was working a shift. He was accompanied by his wife, a 70-year-old with high sugar, weakness, and nausea. The team worked to get her seen under the presumption that her diabetes needed control. Once she was brought back to …

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She died thirsty! Ice chips matter when it comes to patient satisfaction.

The lessons hospitals and physicians can learn from Ebola

Physician
October 30, 2014

Among reams of coverage on the Ebola outbreak, Politico just published a characteristic story with the headline, “In the world of Ebola, no room for error.” The only problem is that is as soon as you introduce a human element to any system, there will be error.

That’s the reality that health care leaders across the United States are grappling with now in a simultaneous effort both to tighten the health …

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The lessons hospitals and physicians can learn from Ebola

The palliative care discussion starts in the emergency department

Physician
April 10, 2014

During a recent lunch with my daughter, a senior at the University of Maryland, she shared her frustration with a question she often receives: “So, what are your plans for next year?” She commented that while her life experiences through present day have been memorable, each stage has been predictable. Now, for the first time, she has more questions than answers. This ambivalence — this fear of what’s ahead — …

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The palliative care discussion starts in the emergency department