I was asked to join Dr. Michael Consuelos (Senior Vice-President at HAP) and Dr. Eric Dobkin (Chief Quality Officer at Crozer-Keystone Health System) to make a few comments about physician leadership and teams at a conference this fall. Dr. Consuelos started off with the quote by Voltaire, “I know of nothing more laughable than a…
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How Do You Judge a ‘Good’ Hospital?
“Dad, what hospitals are good?” Working for the Pennsylvania Medical Society, traveling to many hospitals, and speaking to physicians across the state, I was flummoxed when my son, a surgeon to be, asked me that question. There are so many ways to measure good. My readers know that one of my favorite phrases is “the…
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The Unintended Consequences of Today’s Health Delivery Model
Efforts in the name of efficiency and cost reduction have unintended consequences. When I was in practice, I admitted, or at least followed, all my patients in the hospital. There were no issues of aftercare, because I discharged them with appointments to see me within a day or two (rarely more). I knew what medications…
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Health Information Exchange-a 21st Century Upgrade Opinion
Not long ago, I injured my knee and discovered something else in the process: a severe sprain in the medical information system. Here’s the story: The emergency room took X-rays and an MRI and referred me to an orthopedist. He reviewed the tests and sent me to a specialist. But my specialist—an expert in his field—suddenly…
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