1) Pete Stark continues his attack on the medical profession, calling specialty hospitals places for “back rubs and silk robes”.
My take: Specialty hospitals deliver higher quality care with a lower complication rate and at a lower cost.
Mr. Stark’s profound ignorance of medical issues is stunning and dangerous. It is frightening that a politician of his stature is so openly biased and antagonistic against physicians.
His personal ill-will against the medical profession will harm the public he represents. His goals of driving down physician reimbursement and closing specialty hospitals will do nothing more than deprive patients of physician access and the option of specialty hospital care.
Doctors will survive Mr. Stark’s assault. I’m not so sure about the patients.
2) Two resident physicians are featured prominently endorsing weight loss products.
My take: I’m not going to take issue with DOs specifically, since plenty of MDs also hawk questionable products.
More striking is that residents are targeted. Graduating medical school with a $150,000 debt and making around $50,000 for the first few years out certainly puts some financial pressure on the newly-minted doctor. Like Drs. Marshall and Swanson, there are plenty who will feel the need to sell their name and degree for quick cash.
One thing to keep in mind. In addition to the hit their reputation takes, their good name will be forever linked on search engines to Hydroxycut and Rapid Slim SX. Not the biggest marker of confidence for prospective patients who will undoubtedly Google their physician.
