An excerpt from End Medical Debt: Curing America’s $1 Trillion Unpayable Healthcare Debt.
Medical debt is the mortal enemy of the patient, the physician, the hospital, the community, the state, and the nation. When we think of others’ debts, we tend to think such debts are their personal responsibility. If they’re unable to pay the debt, it’s their problem. (We make …
With over two-thirds of the public believing that health care should be a top policy priority, there is no debating the importance of “fixing” our health care delivery system. On one extreme of the aisle, there is a growing chorus in support for “Medicare-for-all,” a single-payer, government-funded approach estimated by two independent studies from both liberal– and conservative-leaning institutes to cost …
“HIV has been a blessing in my life.”
Lola was a 48-year-old woman living in Denver when I interviewed her in 2002 about her HIV-positive diagnosis. She said the diagnosis improved her life in important ways; she had received income and housing support, nutritional assistance, health insurance, medication assistance and primary and infectious disease health care based on that diagnosis.
She said her sense of life’s purpose had changed, her basic needs …
Are you a woman, and your sanity has been questioned? Congratulations: You are now an activist.
There is such a thing as implicit bias in which we may not be aware of how our subconscious thoughts are affecting our conscious thoughts, opinions, or actions we have daily.
They manifest in all aspects of life. Whether you come to see me for a surgical consultation and when you walk into the room, you …
Thirty-five years ago, as a first-year student, I (DWS) wrote an article for my medical school’s student-run newspaper titled, “Sexism in Medical School.” The article highlighted three examples of sexism:
I smiled as the Afghan family of six approached my triage station in the Philadelphia airport. The three young boys were laughing, playful, and full of energy despite the long journey. The oldest, who looked about 10 years old, sat on a chair and immediately began describing his symptoms—sore throat and cough, most likely a viral upper respiratory tract infection. I completed my physical exam as the medical student flipped …
Black feminism describes that Black women are inherently valuable and the specific liberation of Black women is necessary in its own right. It parses out these political identities and desires to have true humanity for Black women—arguing that it is impossible for there to be bondage of any other group when we liberate marginalized genders and Black people as these populations are seen as the most marginalized …
“In fully-humanized health care, I envision patients as clients, with doctors as part of the health care team in a role more akin to expert consultants and skilled proceduralists. The consumer is empowered in the network to drive his or her own health — taking the central role rather than …
For years, the surgical practice has been an essential medicine to treat many diseases, such as benign lesions or neoplasms, deliveries, cesarean sections, infections, obstructions, bleeds, and cardiovascular diseases. In many cases, the standard of care is surgical intervention as the first-line treatment and often curative. Without surgical care, a health care system is inept at running properly.
The dilemma with surgical practice and its globalization is that it Read more…
“I have no doubt, given my extensive experience in health care and being a Black woman in America, that we as health care professionals have made the same mistakes as Chris Harrison with our patients. Instead of listening to and validating our patients’ concerns, we make excuses for ourselves or …
“The problem with health care isn’t ‘fixing’ the system. The problem is continuing to ensure that profits can be made and millions can be employed while better health care outcomes and experiences are achieved.
We won’t find the solution to that problem by embracing the solutions offered by either the right …
“The pandemic has demonstrated the value of online platforms, especially in health care – but equitable access has not matched this growth. Sadly, many Americans cannot reap the benefits of connectivity. State and federal funding sources are required to enable digital health equity. Moreover, there should be a focus on …
Earlier this year, Houston Methodist gave its 26,000 hospital employees an ultimatum: Get vaccinated or get a new job. It was one of the nation’s first vaccine mandates. And it was a big, multilayered risk: with legal, financial and ethical consequences all hanging in the balance.
In the end, …
As a doctor, it is pretty humbling to reflect on the fairly minimal impact our health care system has on individuals’ overall health. One study I find particularly intriguing shows that socioeconomic factors (e.g., education and income), and physical environment (e.g., security and safety at home and reliable access to transportation), affect a person’s health outcomes just as much as their behaviors (e.g., mental health, diet, and physical activity) and …
“Some may say that we all come into this world with our own luck, and if we end up having to endure a disability, then other people in society should not be held financially responsible. To that I say, do we not have a moral imperative to ensure that we …
During these solemn high holy days of repentance and reckoning, millions of Jews around the world beseech God to stop COVID-19 from spreading and ending lives. Although it can be soothing and reassuring to believe that the universe is governed by a supreme being who listens and responds to the prayers of sentient human beings, the last 19 months suggest to me that “no one up there is listening or …
As Delta numbers soar, I yearn for an escape from the daily discussions about why you should get vaccinated and why a mask is necessary, an escape from the daily worry that our six-year-old asthmatic son’s cough is just that, and not more, and when can we get him a vaccination, and when can I get a booster as I edge past the 8-month anniversary of my first round of …
As third-year medical students, we recently stepped out of the classroom and onto the wards, eager to provide the quality care we had been working towards for the better part of the last decade. We were, however, quickly met with a stark reminder of how climate change can jeopardize our ability to do so. We entered the ER in the midst of a blistering heatwave to find two patients waiting …
I’ve always had a strong sense of justice. I think that’s what attracted me most to superheroes as a child. Growing up, my favorite by far was Spider-Man.
Many people think it’s because of his superpowers, but for me, it was always about Peter Parker, the man behind the mask. Peter Parker is a nerdy guy who loves science and makes inappropriate jokes all the time. He has this immense personal …
Despite the bright pink walls of its exterior, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility stands inconspicuously, set back along a stretch of a frequently traveled road. We had come to meet Carla (identifying information changed), a detainee seeking asylum whose lawyer had requested a medical evaluation from our medical student-run human rights clinic. The immigration officer peered closely at our letter granting entrance and balked at the medical equipment …
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