Rich Parker is an internal medicine physician.

The new 988 hotline has the potential to transform mental health care, but challenges loom

Conditions and Diseases
July 13, 2022

The federal 988 hotline represents a promising new approach to alleviating the nation’s growing mental health crisis, but several key challenges loom that could derail this well-intentioned initiative.

One significant information technology challenge the hotline will face involves how to uniformly store and interpret mental health data (more on that later) but the most immediate roadblock is a lack of awareness.

Though the hotline is scheduled to debut in July, the program, …

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The new 988 hotline has the potential to transform mental health care, but challenges loom

How to get young patients vaccinated against COVID-19

Conditions and Diseases
August 5, 2021

Vaccinations have long been a routine part of practice in late summer and early fall for pediatricians and family physicians.

Back to school brings enrollment vaccination requirements and sports physicals, as well as the opportunity to bring young patients up to date on recommended vaccinations. For years, childhood vaccinations have been largely unremarkable and uncontroversial—but not this year.

Questions over whether children should be vaccinated against COVID-19, the danger posed by the …

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How to get young patients vaccinated against COVID-19