For years, empathy has been seen as a moral virtue that binds relationships, the antidote to pain and suffering while caring for patients. But lately, empathy is facing a surprising backlash in society and the medical profession. From being called “toxic” to being labeled outright as a “sin,” the virtue of feeling others’ pain is now under sharper scrutiny across ideological, psychological, and even religious groups within our society.
In caregiving …
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve typed out a broken heart emoji in response to yet another tragedy, I’d probably be able to take a break from work for a while. But here I am—because I love what I do despite it all.
There are many days my heart breaks.
Not in the cliché, romance-gone-wrong kind of way. It’s deeper than that. It’s …
Calling for a heart surgeon: a plea for change
I’m in this place of noticing—not reacting—simply noticing the dance between myself and my environment, in the clinical setting and beyond.
I’m noticing myself in conversation with colleagues. I’m asking the tough questions I hadn’t thought to ask before: Do my thoughts, ideas, and opinions truly contribute to moving the conversation forward? Do they actually help shape the actions needed to reach the end result?
As physicians, we often believe they do. …
The quiet shift: Practicing presence in the fast-paced medical profession
Unless you’ve lived it,
you can’t fully understand.
We’ve all cared for patients with cancer. We’ve delivered hard news, sat beside bedsides, explained scan results, and offered hope when we could. We’ve been the calm in the storm. That’s what we were trained to do.
But being on the other side of the table changes everything.
When you become the patient, the world shifts beneath you. Suddenly, you’re the one in the gown, lying …
From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
How or when did physicians move from being teachers and healers who comfort and ease fear and pain to fear-inducing informational social media establishments?
I am a huge fan of sharing information and using tools and technology to do so with a larger audience. After all, our office or operating room are no longer the only venue where we can impact patients.
However, why have so many turned to fear-inducing videos, posts, …
From healers to influencers: How fear took over health care advice
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Anesthesiologist Colleen Naglee discusses her article, “We should tip health care workers too.” Colleen reflects on the rise of tipping culture in everyday services and questions why health care workers—who risk violence, …
Why health care workers deserve more than a thank you [PODCAST]
Gone are the days when careers followed linear paths and job titles neatly fit into predefined boxes. Today’s health care industry celebrates versatility, and hybrid professionals are redefining what it means to succeed. A hybrid health care professional combines skills and expertise from different fields, blending knowledge to create unique value in the health care space. Whether you’re a nurse with coding skills, a doctor with a passion for data …
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Family nurse practitioner Bettina Reed discusses her article, “The hidden crisis in health care: How corporate greed is destroying patient care.” Drawing from four decades of experience across hospitals, private practices, FQHCs, …
Why health care is collapsing under corporate greed [PODCAST]
She arrives at the emergency room, her body limp, her breath shallow. The gurney rushes through the glass doors, past her family, who stand frozen in place, their eyes wide with fear. Her teenage daughter grips her little brother’s hand, whispering, “Mom’s going to be OK, right?”
Inside, the team springs into action.
“No pulse.”
“No spontaneous breathing.”
“Start compressions!”
Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
To advocate effectively for physician well-being, we must be strategic rather than reactive.
In today’s ever-evolving health care landscape, transformation is not driven by passion alone but by thoughtful alignment with the priorities of those who shape the system.
It is tempting to seek fairness, to call out what is wrong, and to lament the losses inherent in modern medicine.
Culture and systemic change will not come from complaining; it will come from …
Physician wellness is a strategic imperative—not a moral crusade
My journey in nursing has led me to experiences and insights I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
I declared nursing as my major because I was passionate about making a difference in patients’ lives. I envisioned sitting by patients’ bedsides, holding their hands, and providing comfort in their moments of need. I dreamed of showing up every day to make a meaningful impact.
I almost left health care: my nurse practitioner burnout story
Health care is meant to heal, but what if it’s quietly doing the opposite? While we rely on medical professionals, hospitals, and treatments to keep us healthy, the system has hidden dangers that can put lives at risk. For every life saved, countless others are harmed due to systemic failures, personal oversight, or deep-rooted inequities.
This article will examine ten critical reasons why health care can become deadly …
10 ways health care might be killing you (and what you can do about it)
Not long ago, my husband and I had a sobering realization: If we did not make major changes, we would regret spending our best years using every ounce of our energy on work. We accepted that exhaustion from our jobs was normal. Burnout became our status quo, and even a sabbatical didn’t create lasting well-being.
Unwilling to live with the regret of overworking, we ultimately made major changes and …
From burnout to balance: 5 stages of career transformation
Last week, a mother of six children—four of whom have disabilities—made the trek to the health care campus where I’m a faculty member to share her story. She’s making this trip weekly on Thursdays to give the same presentation twice in succession for a duration of an hour each time, for five weeks in a row. That’s ten times telling her story to a faceless crowd of interprofessional health care …
The cost of presence: a lesson in listening
I worked in rural health in Kentucky for twenty years, then in urgent treatment centers in Denver. All sorts of patients pop up in primary care and in UTCs. Most have easily identified complaints: UTI, sinusitis, flu. Others are there for regular refills, for hypertension or cholesterol meds. There were a few patients I remember whose presentations were less straightforward, whose diagnoses were more elusive.
The following two patients presented with …
The unexpected truth behind these misdiagnosed medical cases
“I want to be white,” he said.
I didn’t know how to respond.
I was quiet.
He was serious, waiting for my reply.
He was only 8 years old, in the hospital with an asthma flare-up.
I had asked him, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
I wished I hadn’t.
I’ve thought a lot about his answer in the …
Why racism in health care is still an emergency
Every day, over a million doctors across the nation rise with a singular, noble purpose: to heal and to help. This isn’t a calling pursued for recognition or praise—it’s a commitment rooted in a deep, unwavering care for others. From family physicians who anchor communities to pediatricians who safeguard our children, from surgeons who wield precision in the operating room to specialists unraveling the toughest medical enigmas, these …
A tribute to the unsung heroes of medicine
They never said it outright. Not at first.
They didn’t have to.
I was a physician at the edge of the Republic, serving those the system had long since forgotten. When the last doctors left, I remained. I healed. I endured. I became necessary.
And for that, the system turned.
Not with conviction, but suspicion.
Not with verdict, but process.
How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
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Family physician Pamela Buchanan discusses her article, “Why diversity in medicine saves lives.” Pamela shares powerful stories from her career, like adjusting a biracial child’s treatment for a scalp infection and saving …
How diversity transforms health care and patient outcomes [PODCAST]
When I first started my career in medicine, CT scans and MRIs were nonexistent. Scientific advancements and technology facilitated the development of these and many other diagnostic tools.
These changes have enhanced medical care, enabling physicians to diagnose and treat patients more effectively. The integration of computers has played a crucial role in this advancement by ensuring better continuity of care, whether at home or in the hospital, through improved communication …
The business of medicine: How hospitals are putting profits over patients
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