The paramedic looked apologetic as he wheeled by. I understood why. A quick glance at the patient, a young man, intubated, with CPR being performed by an EMT, was long past CPR. The family hustled into the ER right behind, tears and fear and resignation on their faces, but just a glimmer of hope as…
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If Only … Physicians Had the Tools to Fight Pill Scammers
Having had years of experience as an employed physician and an ER doc, when I opened my solo practice in the middle of my career in a suburban area, it didn’t surprise me that I was targeted. I was new, eager for business, and when the modest announcement was put in the local papers, they…
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Legislating Health Care
There are many current tragedies in the world. The rising number of deaths from overdoses is a national crisis, an emergency that has to be dealt with. It is hitting our young and has risen to the leading cause of accidental death in 2010 among ages 25-64, surpassing motor vehicle accidents. As a result, 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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