Out of the numerous learnings from the pandemic, COVID has highlighted several issues within our social structures; one of the most significant findings is the discrepancies in vaccination rates among minorities. For many appropriate reasons, there is a great amount of mistrust. This behavior originates from historical occurrences leading to fatal outcomes. Another issue being that those that… Read More »
As we live longer, certain disease states will continue to become more prevalent in the elderly, such as dementia. Unfortunately, our health care system is focused on episodic care versus the needs of those with chronic conditions, especially when they need long-term services outside of a care setting. The question arises concerning who delivers such care, are they… Read More »
As we continue to address health inequities, we must also consider underlying structural issues. If I am to deliver care focusing on equity, the basis for my treatment must be grounded in science. However, if my science is flawed due to underlying systemic biases and flaws in study design, we will never progress. Since inequities are pervasive and… Read More »
In 1973, an article entitled, “Does Race Interfere with the Doctor-Patient Relationship,” was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It pointed out systemic biases that impact the care for those in minority groups. Almost 50 years later, have we improved? Though the article delineated a significant amount of attention that addresses health inequities and the… Read More »
All too often, we forget that physicians and clinical scientists are humans. Because of this, we do not create the space needed for human reactions in difficult times. Furthermore, we often mention burnout and resilience, yet fail to focus on the underlying humanistic needs required for a healthy psyche and periods of grief. Let’s Consider the Current Models…… Read More »
In our present financial models of healthcare reimbursement, the setup frequently places the physician and their practice staff in a real predicament. Consumers request that they deliver care during their time of need in a reverent and life-giving manner. Additionally, they are required to collect your co-pay and/or co-insurance while simultaneously understanding your benefit plan, including how much… Read More »
There is a new phenomenon in our health care settings. After an arduous 18 months, those on the frontline of COVID are beginning to experience a completely different form of fatigue and burnout. We are beginning to observe anger at those that have not been vaccinated and refuse to mask. Recently, Chavi Eve Karkowsky wrote about this in… Read More »
As the COVID pandemic continues to rage on and is once again rapidly accelerating, it’s crucial to step back and ask ourselves, why are we in this situation, when we have excellent public health measures and a very efficacious vaccine? One would think as a society, we can overcome anything as we have proven in the past. Historically,… Read More »
As we continue to struggle with vaccination rates, the debate rages over individual rights and the politicization of the present situation. Because of this it is essential to step back and decide upon our goals. Are we attempting to eradicate, eliminate, cohabitate, or conflagrate with the virus? With each of these, the endgame is drastically different. For instance,… Read More »
A hero is understood to be a person who performs an exceptional feat, putting others in front of oneself. The ideal of heroism represents the convention that an individual can accomplish more than seems possible. The heroic narrative extols three traits: individual skill, willingness to sacrifice, and stoicism in the face of physical and emotional hardship. The culture… Read More »