Teddy A. Teddy is an internal medicine resident.

When AI misses a diagnosis, the cardiologist signs alone

Conditions and Diseases
September 3, 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly reshaped cardiovascular imaging, particularly echocardiography, where machine learning algorithms now assist in image acquisition, chamber quantification, valvular assessment, strain analysis, and diagnostic interpretation. While these technologies promise enhanced efficiency and diagnostic accuracy, they also introduce an unresolved legal dilemma: When AI contributes to a missed diagnosis, who bears responsibility? Traditional malpractice principles designate the interpreting cardiologist as the primary legal decision-maker. Yet these doctrines evolved …

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When AI misses a diagnosis, the cardiologist signs alone

HBCUs built the doctors America cannot afford to lose

Medical Education
August 9, 2026

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have served as critical pillars of America’s health care workforce for more than a century. Despite representing only a small fraction of U.S. colleges and universities, HBCUs have produced a disproportionate number of Black physicians, nurses, pharmacists, public health professionals, and biomedical scientists. At a time when the United States faces physician shortages, widening health disparities, and declining access to care in underserved communities, …

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HBCUs built the doctors America cannot afford to lose

Electrophysiology malpractice: conduct, not outcome

Conditions and Diseases
July 22, 2026

Cardiac electrophysiology is uniquely demanding. Even in the most experienced hands, procedural risk cannot be eliminated. Yet in malpractice litigation, adverse outcomes are frequently misinterpreted as evidence of negligence. This conflation threatens both physician practice and patient care. A more precise articulation of the standard of care in electrophysiology is essential.

Under tort principles, malpractice requires proof of duty, breach, causation, and damages. The standard of care is defined by the …

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Electrophysiology malpractice: conduct, not outcome

When a DNR order becomes a legal liability

Conditions and Diseases
July 14, 2026

A 78-year-old Black woman with advanced heart failure is admitted with shortness of breath. Her admission order set: full code. The next day, after a brief family conversation, a resident changes the order to DNR/DNI. No note explains the discussion. Two days later, she goes into cardiac arrest. The code team hesitates, then proceeds based on an outdated full code order still visible in the chart. The family later sues, …

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When a DNR order becomes a legal liability

Diversity in cardiology is a power problem, not a pipeline

Physician
July 7, 2026

A Black medical student with top board scores applies to cardiology fellowship. She has no research mentor, no letter from a famous cardiologist, and no one to tell her which programs to target. She does not match. The system calls it merit. But was it?

Health inequity is often discussed at the bedside, focusing on access to care, treatment decisions, and clinical outcomes. Yet by the time a patient reaches the …

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Diversity in cardiology is a power problem, not a pipeline

Cardiovascular disease in Black Americans is structural

Conditions and Diseases
May 30, 2026

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, yet its burden is not evenly distributed. Black Americans experience higher rates of hypertension, heart failure, and premature cardiovascular mortality. These patterns are often called “health disparities,” but that language risks understating a central reality. Cardiovascular risk does not arise in isolation. It accumulates along lines of social and structural inequality.

The relationship between social conditions and cardiovascular health …

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Cardiovascular disease in Black Americans is structural