Hospital-Based Medicine
How one food truck saved a chaotic hospital shift
“Thank God for the food truck,” said the charge nurse to no one in particular.
It hadn’t been a great morning at the no-name hospital in Upstate New York. They were short-staffed to begin with, and a nurse had called in sick. Her staff was used to working with bad ratios, but today was worse than usual. Everyone and their mother had decided to come to the ER. She knew not …
Internal medicine physicians: leaders and the foundation of comprehensive health care
The nickname bestowed on us residents by our internal medicine residency program director was “city savages.” There was a tremendous amount of pride amongst the residency programs in Boston back in the late 1980s, and it was no different in my program.
I recall exploring residencies in Boston. While interviewing at another highly regarded Boston Hospital, I asked the …
Legitimate vs. sham peer review (SPR): Is there a difference?
For an introduction to SPR, read this overview. Additionally, you can explore the history of SPR.
When summoned for a peer review, how can you tell if it’s a sham? The biggest clue is whether the peer review process seems intended to help or harm you. If you feel sincerely supported by colleagues and the peer review proceedings are uniformly applied throughout your practice, you have less cause for …
Effective strategies to reduce hospital readmissions amidst staffing shortages
Hospital readmissions continue to be frequent despite their negative impact on health outcomes and financial strain on the health care system overall. On average, 14.56 percent of patients across the nation who have been discharged from a hospital, whether to a post-acute care facility or a home, will be readmitted for unforeseen circumstances. Readmissions can be triggered for various reasons and may be inevitable, yet some could be easily …
Pandemic lessons: How better staffing and communication can save health care
An excerpt from Healing Healthcare: Evidence-Based Strategies to Mend Our Broken System.
The greatest challenge facing our professional workforce today is creating a healthy work environment in which nurses care for patients. A significant characteristic of a healthy work environment is appropriate staffing. Nurse staffing is a multifaceted issue, and it is extremely difficult to objectively advocate for change. Different members of the health care team have different concepts of …
When corporate hospitals cause real harm
When patients go to the hospital seeking help, they are vulnerable and fully trusting of the modern hospital system to do only what is needed and nothing more. And with good reason—patients are well aware of the incredible sacrifices doctors have made, including the oath to do no harm, and their passion to save lives. What is less known by patients is the fee-for-service model of health care that awaits …
The progression of women’s health issues in the workplace from menstruation to menopause
It was recently circulated on social media that flamingos are known to lose their bright pink hue in times of adversity, such as when raising their young. This is due to the tremendous energy it takes to nourish their young flaminglets, often at the sake of their own wellbeing. Similarly, women lose their metaphorical bright “pink” during …
The resilience of international medical graduates
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that count.”
– Winston Churchill
In this vast world of hopes and dreams, few would shine as brightly as the dream of becoming a physician and saving lives. Each year, amidst tough competition, millions of young, eager minds compete for the limited spots in medical schools in their respective countries. After this first stepping stone, they continue to …
Inside the hidden world of sham peer reviews in medicine [PODCAST]
Creating a subspecialty track for experienced hospitalists
A formal clinical track should allow experienced hospitalists to function as inpatient subspecialists: a so-called “focused practice in inpatient subspecialty.” This proposal makes sense on multiple levels.
First, there is a shortage of inpatient subspecialists, particularly in small community settings. Hospitalists, qualified and certified as inpatient subspecialists, could fill this gap.
Second, the practice of hospital medicine is an ideal launching pad for a focused practice in an inpatient subspecialty. Hospitalists are …
Not all healers wear scrubs or lab coats: Paying homage to our modern-day Santa Claus
Terminology has changed over the years.
When I was in training (1996-2000), we were called physicians. Nurses were called nurses. Nurse practitioners (NPs) were called nurse practitioners. Physician assistants (PAs) were called physician assistants. Patient care assistants (PCAs) were called patient care assistants. And the suits were just that … the suits. They kept the lights on and the doors open. They didn’t provide any direct …
Photography made me a better doctor [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Join us for an insightful discussion with Moksha Patel, an internal medicine physician, as we explore the fascinating parallels between clinical reasoning and photography. Moksha shares how principles like focus, zoom, and flash …
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Catholic hospitals in America [PODCAST]
A mother’s harrowing hospital experience
An excerpt from NERVE: Surviving Medical Madness.
“There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts, before this and after this.”
— N. Kazan
It was a peaceful, uneventful drive—until it wasn’t. My husband and I flipped to the local news radio station and heard them discussing an extreme weather event just as we looked straight ahead …
Innovation doesn’t have to be flashy to make a big impact
Labor shortages have become a pressing concern across the health care sector, with the nurse staffing crisis looming large over hospitals and health systems nationwide.
A report from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission illuminated the severity of the workforce challenges, revealing a doubling of vacancy rates for registered nurses in the state’s hospitals from 2019 to 2022. Despite concerted efforts, the problem persists, with health systems still resorting to costly pandemic …
Improving maternal health with integrated technology and coordinated decision-making
The U.S. infant mortality rate, children who die under one year of age, rose to its highest rate in two decades in 2022, up about 3 percent to 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
At the same time, the nation’s neonatal mortality rate, infants who die in less than 28 days, increased by 3 percent from 3.49 to 3.58, and the post-neonatal mortality rate, infants who die between 28 days …
The voice that saved lives: a doctor’s pandemic hero
I would not recognize her if she crossed before me on the street. I could not pick her out in a staff photo of her and her colleagues. I do not know the color of her hair or skin; I could not even guess if she is short or tall. But her voice—I know her voice. I could recognize that voice anywhere.
I first met Julie sometime before the COVID pandemic, …
The curse of the excellent doctor
The reward for good work is always more work. The employer becomes dependent on the quality of work that you do because he knows that you, as a person, are a workaholic and perfectionist. You put your heart and soul into everything you do. No other employers can do the kind of work that you do. But don’t ever think that you would be appreciated for your hard work. You …
Hospital retaliation and my fight for patient rights
I found myself compelled into the complex world of health care advocacy under extraordinary circumstances last year when I went to my university administration to request a table to do a free speech petition because of a personal and troubling experience. My mother, a respected pediatric intensive care doctor, had been abruptly terminated from her workplace after she raised concerns about patient safety.
Throughout my studies as an undergraduate, I frequently …
Past Week
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Health equity in Inland Southern California requires urgent action
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Could antibiotics beat heart disease where statins failed?
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How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis
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The backbone of health care is breaking
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Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support
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Universities must tap endowments to sustain biomedical research
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Past 6 Months
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Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices
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COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account
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Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives
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New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine
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Why pain doctors face unfair scrutiny and harsh penalties in California
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mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?
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Recent Posts
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When doctors breathe the same air: How medical professionals become environmental activists
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Why vitamins should be part of the mental health conversation [PODCAST]
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Why transplant equity requires more than access
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An IMG’s story of exclusion in U.S. residency
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The 4 foundations that sustain physicians through burnout and balance
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Should anesthesiologists object to unnecessary procedures?
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Past Week
-
Health equity in Inland Southern California requires urgent action
-
Could antibiotics beat heart disease where statins failed?
-
How restrictive opioid policies worsen the crisis
-
The backbone of health care is breaking
-
Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support
-
Universities must tap endowments to sustain biomedical research
-
Past 6 Months
-
Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices
-
COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account
-
Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives
-
New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine
-
Why pain doctors face unfair scrutiny and harsh penalties in California
-
mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?
-
Recent Posts
-
When doctors breathe the same air: How medical professionals become environmental activists
-
Why vitamins should be part of the mental health conversation [PODCAST]
-
Why transplant equity requires more than access
-
An IMG’s story of exclusion in U.S. residency
-
The 4 foundations that sustain physicians through burnout and balance
-
Should anesthesiologists object to unnecessary procedures?
-
