Public Health & Policy
Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine
Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are among the higher ed institutions involved in a U.S. Supreme Court battle over affirmative action that is expected to be decided this spring or summer. As a former appellate defender in the Gratz v. Bollinger affirmative action case in 1993, as well as an emergency medicine physician serving under-insured patients, I know firsthand how affirmative action …
The untold story of Hispanic/Latino health: Why subgroup data matters
In 2000, the question, “Is this person Spanish/Hispanic/Latino?” emerged on the U.S. census, grouping these populations for the first time on a national scale. Prior to this, there was no consistent or comprehensive way to collect data on the Hispanic/Latino community, making it difficult to understand their demographics, needs, and trends. This question provided policymakers, researchers, and community organizations with data to make informed decisions regarding education, …
Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike
The streets surrounding Elmhurst Hospital in New York City have become the staging ground for over 150 resident physicians striking for pay parity. The future of the medical profession is forced to grapple with a persistent issue long evaded – wage disparity.
Elmhurst Hospital, a critical pivot of public health and a notable battleground during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, now sits as the epicenter of a different kind …
Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change
On the night of April 28, 2023, in a sleepy community 50 miles north of Houston, Texas, bullet-riddled bodies of five human beings, including an eight-year-old boy, lay lifeless, cut down in the most gruesome way. Their only sin was asking for a night of peace, but their request was met with the deafening sound of gunfire from a neighbor brandishing an AR-15. This senseless tragedy is yet another grim …
Family physicians unite at the U.S. Capitol, seeking congressional support for Medicare reform and health care transformation
Picture this: Hundreds of family physicians and future family physicians arriving on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to share the top challenges they face and to ask their leaders to make a purposeful investment in primary care. They’ve earned the right to make this request through the hard work, long hours, and comprehensive care they’ve offered patients and their families across the country. They served on the front lines …
Navigating the complexity of “first do no harm” in modern medicine
“First do no harm” is the opening line of the Hippocratic Oath, and virtually everyone is familiar with it, as it is quoted on every TV medical drama at least once a season. We tend to think that the oath was highly influential in medical training and practice when it was written circa 400 BCE. Still, it had limited applicability, as it only applied to students trained in Hippocrates’ style …
Behind the erosion of patient-physician relationship and how organized medicine can save it [PODCAST]
Journeying towards ending oppression and becoming trauma-informed for meaningful change [PODCAST]
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In this episode, we sit down with Maiysha Clairborne, an integrative family physician and co-author of Conscious Anti-Racism: Tools for Self-Discovery, Accountability and Meaningful Change. Maiysha shares her insights on the journey towards ending oppression, and the …
Breaking down barriers: Illinois bill calls for cultural competency training for physicians to improve health care for LGBTQ+ community
Illinois HB 4654 is a bill requiring physicians to undergo cultural competency training focusing on caring for patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and two-spirit LGBTQ2S+, or questioning LGBTQ+. This training is critical for ensuring that all patients receive the best possible care, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity in the state of Illinois. Even though the bill has been …
Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action
May 25th marks the anniversary of the brutal murder of George Floyd. I remember feeling numb when I first heard the news. Then, some days later, the tears filled my eyes, then came my anger. It is frustrating that we still live in a world filled with so much ignorance and the complicit attitudes of individuals who gain from their white privilege. However, the experience of George Floyd, and the …
Restoring professionalism in health care: How 8-hour shifts and direct payments could make a difference
Yes, America’s health insurance mess requires repair. Meanwhile, there’s an even more crushing burden on America’s patients and health professionals—the replacement of professionalism by greed, the replacement of genuine professional leaders with pliable greedy ones.
For a long time before the 1980s, nearly all hospital nurses worked 8-hour shifts, getting sign-off before and giving it after, the same for hospital respiratory therapists, custodians, and pharmacists. Then, in the …
Breaking down the link between social rejection and Black women’s health outcomes
As ethnic diversity increases in the United States, it is important for physicians (and all in the health care delivery workforce) to keep in mind what factors play significant roles in the matter of ethnic health disparities.
With a U.S. population of over 330 million, Hispanics—inclusive of Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and South Americans—now number 62 million, according to the 2020 Census. This equates to almost 19 percent of the …
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How world leaders’ health has shaped history and the role of modern medicine in leadership
The health of world leaders has often played a critical role in shaping the course of history. Decisions made while under the influence of poor health or illness can have far-reaching consequences, and the untimely demise of some leaders has altered the trajectory of nations. This article explores the lives of a few famous leaders whose health issues significantly impacted their countries …
Here’s how to fix the public health system in the U.S.
Today, the current health care ecosystem is broken and in need of an overhaul. To start, this country’s high cost of health care is not sustainable, preventing millions of Americans from accessing important health care services. The recent ruling will only exacerbate this to remove requirements for preventive screenings from the Affordable Care Act. Further, there are vast omissions of care provided to individuals in historically marginalized communities. These inexcusable …
Poverty: America’s disease with devastating consequences
I need to tell you about John (not his real name). He is a Cameroonian immigrant who came to the U.S. on a student visa. He waited tables in a popular pub in downtown Houston to earn a little change and support himself through school. Hardworking, courteous, and gregarious, John wears the most infectious and charming smile you have ever seen.
It didn’t take long for him to get noticed by …
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America’s ailing health care system: How it’s failing patients and doctors
As painfully revealed by the coronavirus pandemic, the American health care system is ailing, plagued by the inefficiencies and greed of big business and for-profit medicine. It is not unlike the virus, attacking vital organs one by one until the whole is weakened. In more grave cases, the severely ill can’t survive. In much the same way our health care system is killing Americans. The sickness is proving incurable, for …
Why HIPAA isn’t enough to protect your health data
After all the hours spent in HIPAA training over the years, physicians and other health care workers might think of HIPAA as a powerful regulation. It’s true that HIPAA does require health care workers to follow a number of rules, with pretty harsh penalties for violations. But from a patient’s perspective, how well does U.S. law protect overall health information privacy? Unfortunately, not very well, and things are getting worse.
The …
The truth about hard cases and abortion: Separating fact from fiction
Though celebrated by anti-abortion advocates across the country, the overturning of Roe v. Wade by no means closed the book on the abortion debate. However, it was a victory for both human rights and federalism. The decision reinforced that the U.S. is a constitutional republic composed of individual states, each with its own agenda. States are now individually empowered to enact abortion legislation anywhere along the human gestation cycle. As …
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How lack of access to clean water is devastating developing countries
Maybe dogs aren’t the only ones drinking water from a toilet bowl. In the United States, we have easy access to clean water. We use culinary water to do our dishes, bathe, wash our cars, and even fill our toilets. Most Americans don’t ever consider the possibility of running out of drinkable water; the same can’t be said for the friends I made in the Philippines. Let me tell you …
Past Week
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What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
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How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight
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How the 10th Apple Effect is stealing your joy in medicine
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Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure
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Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor
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Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care
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Past 6 Months
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Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients
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How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care
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What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
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How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship
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The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you
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The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care
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Recent Posts
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How doctors took back control from hospital executives
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Improving patient encounters: time-saving strategies for physicians [PODCAST]
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How art and science fueled one woman’s path to medicine
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In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals
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4 traits every new attending physician needs to thrive
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2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors
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Past Week
-
What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
-
How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight
-
How the 10th Apple Effect is stealing your joy in medicine
-
Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure
-
Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor
-
Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care
-
Past 6 Months
-
Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients
-
How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care
-
What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
-
How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship
-
The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you
-
The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care
-
Recent Posts
-
How doctors took back control from hospital executives
-
Improving patient encounters: time-saving strategies for physicians [PODCAST]
-
How art and science fueled one woman’s path to medicine
-
In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals
-
4 traits every new attending physician needs to thrive
-
2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors
-
