Jordan Grumet, MD
Jordan Grumet is an internal medicine physician, host of the Earn & Invest Podcast, and author of Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor's Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life.
He has worked in academic as well as private practices, served as medical director of several nursing homes, and created palliative care programs for skilled nursing facilities.
He is a writer and storyteller who has been published in Medical Economics, the Pharos, the Annals of Internal Medicine, and the Journal of General Internal Medicine. His book, I Am Your Doctor And This Is My Humble Opinion, was published in 2015, and followed by Five Moments: Short Works of Fiction in 2017.
Jordan shares his stories at conferences nationwide, highlighted by an acclaimed performance at the dotMD conference in Dublin, Ireland.
Jordan speaks about the following topics:
- Bridging the intimacy gap between physician and patient
- Caring 2.0: Social media and the rise of the empathic physician
- Hospice and the way of the master clinician
- Doctor and society: An hour of storytelling
He is a member of Physician Speaking by KevinMD and is available for speaking opportunities. Please contact us for inquiries.
Physicians
An excerpt from The Healthcare Heist: How Physicians and Patients Can Unite to Transform Healthcare. Every day, Francine said a little prayer for her doctor, sometimes upon awakening, often before drifting off to sleep at night. Her world had narrowed…
An excerpt from The Healthcare Heist: How Physicians and Patients Can Unite to Transform Healthcare.
Every day, Francine said a little prayer for her doctor, sometimes upon awakening, often before drifting off to sleep at night. Her world had narrowed significantly since Simon, her husband, passed away the year before. With no children or close friends, Francine relied heavily on Doctor G to make sure that her needs were met.
Initially, …
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Why doctors leave medicine after a malpractice suit
Physicians
An excerpt from The Purpose Code: How to unlock meaning, maximize happiness, and leave a lasting legacy. Back in middle school, an awkward kid on the cusp of teenagerdom, I met a man who changed my life forever without intending…
An excerpt from The Purpose Code: How to unlock meaning, maximize happiness, and leave a lasting legacy.
Back in middle school, an awkward kid on the cusp of teenagerdom, I met a man who changed my life forever without intending to. He had stumbled upon his own sense of purpose and, because of it, was making his mark on the world—and those around him.
Roman was the picture of
…
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The man who changed the world with baseball cards
Physicians
As Hannah's granddaughter clutched at her skeletal fingers, the blanket fell to the side revealing the faded serial numbers on her forearm. The family gathered, yet again, to say goodbye. This time her acrid breath had lost humidity, her respirations…
As Hannah’s granddaughter clutched at her skeletal fingers, the blanket fell to the side revealing the faded serial numbers on her forearm. The family gathered, yet again, to say goodbye. This time her acrid breath had lost humidity, her respirations dry and raspy, the extremities mottled with a bluish tinge.
Death had visited the neighborhood before. Lounged in the parlor. Nibbled on crackers and tea. But letting go was not so …
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A story of persistence in the face of death
Physicians
It was not so much the words as the overall tone of the interaction. The doctor-patient relationship had been generally affable. There was the usual exchange of pleasantries over the years. Questions about family, children, and grandchildren. It was a…
It was not so much the words as the overall tone of the interaction. The doctor-patient relationship had been generally affable. There was the usual exchange of pleasantries over the years. Questions about family, children, and grandchildren. It was a good relationship — until Harvey got sick, that is.
Originally, there was weight loss and fatigue. The initial physical exam and slew of testing showed nothing but a frail, cachectic, middle-aged …
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When a physician gets yelled at
Physicians
Empathy My eyes glare across the table. I can feel his shoulders hunch forward as he subconsciously recoils in preparation for my response. The room becomes thick. Nurses, social workers, a chaplain. Everyone waiting for the doctor. Not just the…
Empathy
My eyes glare across the table. I can feel his shoulders hunch forward as he subconsciously recoils in preparation for my response. The room becomes thick. Nurses, social workers, a chaplain. Everyone waiting for the doctor.
Not just the doctor, but me. Sixteen years out of residency. Battle-scarred and warn by PTSD. The images from residency still so clear. A gasp, a gurgle, flat line. Wailing family members, angry nurses, and …
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What this physician misses the most
Physicians
You've been swindled. At least that's the conclusion I've come to. It wasn't the hucksters or the snake oil salesman. It wasn't big business, big medicine, or some greedy hospital administrator. It was most likely pharma with a large dose…
You’ve been swindled.
At least that’s the conclusion I’ve come to. It wasn’t the hucksters or the snake oil salesman. It wasn’t big business, big medicine, or some greedy hospital administrator. It was most likely pharma with a large dose of helping from your doctor. Plain and simple.
I’ve learned quite a bit being a hospice medical director. Covering dozens of new admissions a week has given me much insight into doctor …
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We are not shielding our patients from harm
Physicians
Many years ago, three doctors formed an internal medicine practice and were proud of the thousands of patients they accumulated. They were fine physicians and very dedicated to the masses who walked through their clinic doors. They saw patients in…
Many years ago, three doctors formed an internal medicine practice and were proud of the thousands of patients they accumulated.
They were fine physicians and very dedicated to the masses who walked through their clinic doors. They saw patients in the office, rounded at two hospitals, and visited a number of nursing homes. This was truly a full-service practice.
Around 2005, Dr. A was starting to fatigue. He was well into his …
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This story of 5 doctors is being seen around the country
Physicians
I have a confession to make. I don't understand the concept of burnout. I mean, I get the idea. Medicine is, at least when you are the kind of doctor who deals with life and death, inherently stressful. And I…
I have a confession to make. I don’t understand the concept of burnout. I mean, I get the idea. Medicine is, at least when you are the kind of doctor who deals with life and death, inherently stressful. And I feel the stress. It’s as if someone applied a vice grip to my insides in the middle of medical school, and it has never let up since. The pressure is …
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You want doctors to be doctors again? Get out of the way.
Physicians
I drive a fast car. Which if you know me, is quite uncharacteristic. I would say that it is one the few possessions that generally doesn't reflect upon who I am. How I chose this car, the make, and model,…
I drive a fast car. Which if you know me, is quite uncharacteristic. I would say that it is one the few possessions that generally doesn’t reflect upon who I am. How I chose this car, the make, and model, are a long story not to be discussed here. But let’s just say that it has quite a kick.
These thoughts jostled through my mind this morning as I pulled into …
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Physicians have to stay in their lanes
Physicians
I have come to believe that humility is an essential component of wisdom. Never have I found this truer than in the practice of medicine. In fact, for almost every atrocious professional error in judgment I have made, I can…
I have come to believe that humility is an essential component of wisdom. Never have I found this truer than in the practice of medicine. In fact, for almost every atrocious professional error in judgment I have made, I can pinpoint the exact moment where I stopped being humble.
Yet time and time again, humility quickly disappears when dealing with the difficult patient. In fact, the label “difficult” assumes the problem …
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You think the patient is difficult? Maybe it’s you.
Physicians
There are parts of medicine that are horrendous. Moments too painful to recount, and events that will break even the most innocent participants. And then, there is unspeakable magic. I live for the days when a patient comes to the…
There are parts of medicine that are horrendous. Moments too painful to recount, and events that will break even the most innocent participants.
And then, there is unspeakable magic.
I live for the days when a patient comes to the office with a particularly vexing set of symptoms. Specialist after specialist bows their head in disagreement. Laboratory values whisper falsehoods with jeering tongues. Symptoms are transient, physical exam signs inconsistent and in …
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Sometimes, being a doctor is magical
Physicians
At first, you'll question reality. You will hear your own words, but they'll sound foreign — apart from you. The ground will still reassuringly push back against your toes when you walk out of the room, but you will wonder…
At first, you’ll question reality. You will hear your own words, but they’ll sound foreign — apart from you. The ground will still reassuringly push back against your toes when you walk out of the room, but you will wonder if they are your feet. Like in a movie, you will negotiate the world convincingly. Yet, you are an actor playing a part. It is not the real you.
Be assured …
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What do you feel when someone dies?
Physicians
His voice was gruff and his expression surly. "I don't want any more medications." His face was indented by deep clefts, remnants of eight decades of life hard lived. His tone was commanding and certain. I knew that he was…
His voice was gruff and his expression surly.
“I don’t want any more medications.”
His face was indented by deep clefts, remnants of eight decades of life hard lived. His tone was commanding and certain. I knew that he was fond of me, but I could feel his patience slipping. He neither asked about nor accepted his diagnosis of heart failure. I could tell him till I was blue (or he was …
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Going with our gut, not guidelines
Physicians
It will start as a minor curiosity. Maybe a student will seem slightly too close to the resident on your team. When the grades are posted, you'll wonder why you didn't get honors, but he did. You might wallow for…
It will start as a minor curiosity. Maybe a student will seem slightly too close to the resident on your team. When the grades are posted, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get honors, but he did. You might wallow for a few days. Make an offhanded comment to your fellow students. Then you’ll let it go and move on. Or so you think. Until during surgery when the scrub nurse …
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Angry? Welcome to being a doctor. And here’s how to fix it.
Policy
If you are planning on complying with Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), make sure to allot the appropriate time and funding necessary to update/upgrade your practice. Realize that the measures will be arbitrary, the data implementation…
If you are planning on complying with Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), make sure to allot the appropriate time and funding necessary to update/upgrade your practice. Realize that the measures will be arbitrary, the data implementation arduous and the moments for live patient care fleeting. Expect that, no matter how Herculean the task may be, the finish line will move often and unexpectedly. Prepare to get …
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Don’t like insurance and Medicare? Just say no.
Physicians
"Too many times I feel We are losing time once shared And only when you're in ecstasy You seem to really care" I recognize the song immediately — Chuckii Booker's "Turned Away." Not the regular version, but the extended one.…
“Too many times I feel
We are losing time once shared
And only when you’re in ecstasy
You seem to really care”
I recognize the song immediately — Chuckii Booker’s “Turned Away.” Not the regular version, but the extended one. As the words rush over me, caressing my nostalgia, a memory, a moment comes back.
I was standing behind the counter at Homer’s Ice Cream on a brilliant summer morning before the doors opened. We …
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This the one thing that makes me feel like everything is OK
Physicians
An excerpt from Five Moments: Short Works of Fiction. “Dad ... you can let go now.” Thomas heard his daughter’s voice from a distance. It awakened him from his reverie. He relived those five moments of life and took their…
An excerpt from Five Moments: Short Works of Fiction.
“Dad … you can let go now.”
Thomas heard his daughter’s voice from a distance. It awakened him from his reverie. He relived those five moments of life and took their lessons seriously.
- Rejoice in the ordinary as if you were a child seeing everything for the first time.
- Unconditional love can lift you up.
- Forgive yourself over and over again.
- No
…
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The one last thing he experienced before he died
Physicians
It would never have gone down this way ten years ago when length of stay was all the buzz. The CT scan would have been done in the emergency department, and the patient would either have been discharged or admitted…
It would never have gone down this way ten years ago when length of stay was all the buzz. The CT scan would have been done in the emergency department, and the patient would either have been discharged or admitted for a quick observation stay. Bing, bang, boom. One, two, three.
Instead, the CT was pushed until morning. A resident saw the patient at midnight and then not a single practitioner …
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Here’s how and why patients lose in our current system
Physicians
I waited intently as the board members rearranged in their seats and look up expectantly. Silence. I wasn't going to let it be that easy. I repeated myself and paused again. This time a few tentative answers flutter up to…
I waited intently as the board members rearranged in their seats and look up expectantly. Silence. I wasn’t going to let it be that easy. I repeated myself and paused again. This time a few tentative answers flutter up to the podium.
Hospice? Comfort care? End of life? Giving up?
Now this is something I could work with. I cleared my throat and smile broadly.
Palliative care is a philosophy.
I can’t help but …
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Palliative care is a team sport
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