Pediatrics
The pediatric health care system tested to the limits: an inside look at the “at capacity” period during the tripledemic
Where should I begin when describing a period that seemed to have no end in sight? When we, as pediatric emergency department (ED) providers, felt like we were drowning in a tsunami of pediatric patients coming from every direction – from adult EDs needing to transfer seizing children for a higher level of care, from EMS coming in with apneic neonates, and from the endless supply of those from the …
Integrating mental health services into primary care for children and adolescents [PODCAST]
The ABCs of parenting an LGBTQ+ child
Today’s politicians have gone amok with their unchecked and uninformed rhetoric and have decided to turn a blind eye to the new number-one killer of children in America. They have chosen to focus on matters that don’t matter, such as my child’s gender.
Supportive families like mine are persecuted daily, and affirming physicians like me are being threatened with the worst nightmare of any physician: the loss of our license to …
Why perfect parenting is a myth and how choosing love over judgment can save your teen’s future
As a new parent you look at your baby with a bright full future ahead of them. So much potential there swaddled in your arms. You look at parents of troubled teenagers and secretly look down on them; your perfect baby will never do anything like that. They must be poor parents. Too easy on their teenager. Not enough structure in the house, no rules or oversight. There is no …
Mother’s Day miracle: How our daughter’s Down syndrome diagnosis transformed our lives with gratitude
Like Seattle rain, the tears were persistent and recurrent for months. Hearing the words, “Your prenatal screening shows a high probability of Down syndrome,” followed two days thereafter by an ultrasound and the doctor’s words, “Well, you saw the ultrasound. This looks like Down syndrome and a cystic hygroma. You’ll need to come back for another ultrasound in a few weeks.” It was the first and last time we ever …
Stopping the cycle of bullying: How empathy and inclusion can change lives
The most vivid memory of my childhood is of me, a six or seven-year-old boy, crying in the playground corner every day for months. It is so intense that I wonder if that is a product of imagination. However, the same scene, with the blue bench, in the dark right corner of the playground, keeps on playing in my head when I think about those early days of my childhood.
It …
How a pediatrician fought back against a manipulative CEO [PODCAST]
A pediatrician’s view on critical self-talk among patients and doctors
A young teen patient, eyes averted, clutching a cell phone, sits in my office. It’s a scheduled annual exam, and the patient reports some ailments—fatigue, anxiety, and poor sleep. Across the room, the parent sits in apparent composure, but as my eyes meet the parent’s gaze and hover here for an instant, I register pain, frustration, and desperation. The patient’s symptoms are not new, and there may have been calls …
What I’ve learned from 10,000 needle procedures
How can health care professionals put patients at ease before and during stressful procedures? A new virtual reality (VR) technology might be the answer for millions of patients with fears and concerns about visiting the clinic.
Needles are the most common office procedure, and needle fear is nearly universal in young children. Studies show nearly two-thirds of children and one-fourth of adults have a fear of needles. Poorly managed …
A pediatrician’s memorable experience with a patient with Down syndrome
Recently, two of my most beloved teachers came to our continuity clinic as Mrs. Melendez brought in her daughter, Maria, for her annual physical (not real names). I have known the Melendez family for nearly the entire 18+ years I have been at this clinic, at first taking care of their four older children who were at that time in early middle school through high school. At one of the …
The current political climate is leaving youth and their physicians behind
This year’s Match Day for graduating medical students had the highest number of unfilled pediatrics residency spots in recent years. Fewer pediatricians means fewer pediatric subspecialists. Like too many of our deepest health disparities, this hurts teens the most and the current political climate may be to blame.
About 1 percent of pediatricians pursue fellowship training in adolescent medicine, a board-certified subspecialty devoted to …
Childhood obesity in the U.S.: a growing health crisis affecting millions and demanding action from pediatric health care practitioners
Childhood obesity has become a health crisis in the U.S. across all socioeconomic levels. CDC statistics from 2017 through 2020 indicate the following for children and adolescents ages two through 19:
- Obesity prevalence was 19.7 percent and affected about 14.7 million children and adolescents.
- Obesity prevalence was 12.7 percent among 2- to 5-year-olds, 20.7 percent among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 22.2 percent among 12- to 19-year-olds.
- Among Hispanic children, …
Words matter: Caring for pain patients with suspected opioid use disorder
“We need an urgent pain consult for patient Lucy Bee in room 5621. She’s a 17-year-old drug addict and is screaming and wanting morphine,” I was told. Lucy Bee is not a real patient, but a composite of patients I have cared for either when providing pain management services on our inpatient floors, or in the operating …
Surviving a manipulative CEO: my experience with gaslighting
The last time I met with “The King,” I wasn’t planning on meeting with him alone. I never would. It was July 2019, and my family was flying to Europe the next day.
“The King” is the former hospital president/CEO, hired by the board in 2015. He was the former chief of pediatric surgery at a well-known children’s hospital who came along with a demand that his wife, who he often …
From overworking to self-care: a pediatric neurologist’s journey [PODCAST]
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In this episode, we welcome Maria Xiang, a pediatric neurologist, join us to share her personal journey and insights on how to remain emotionally present in the midst of life’s challenges.
Maria opens up about how she believed that virtue and self-sacrifice were her protection, leading her to overwork and overprepare without considering her own …
Breaking the cycle of failure in modern medicine
The allopathic medical system has failed me – as a patient, mother, and physician. Like many physician peers, I entered the health care world with grand visions of healing others. I quickly learned during my clinical rotations in medical school that healing (in the truest sense of the word) was less likely but that helping was still possible. So I rolled up my sleeves and entered pediatric residency, where I …
The surprising power of Play-Doh in pediatric care: How it’s bringing families together
The power of Play-Doh. This sounds like such an ironic phrase considering the malleability of this childhood favorite. Between several personal trips to the local store, our clinic buying several boxes, and getting donations from one of our amazing third years who has donated books and goodies for our patients since early intern year; we ended up having a plethora of the stuff.
We needed to make room for more spring-focused …
The hidden gems of health care: Unlocking the potential of narrative medicine
“It’s such a shame that you’ve got all this data, and it goes unpublished … others need to benefit from our results!”
This statement is often repeated, in different forms, across all medicine departments, about the abundance of data from hospitals and clinics. This data, which can be utilized for research purposes, identifying emerging trends, and drawing new conclusions, often goes unpublished, especially in underfunded settings or countries.
Medical schools worldwide place …
Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care
One in five children and adolescents will receive a behavioral or mental health diagnosis by 18. That is more than the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer (1 in 8). According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 50 percent of pediatric office visits involve behavioral, social-emotional, or developmental concerns. Seventy percent of behavioral health medications are prescribed by primary care clinicians. However, …
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Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses
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The dark role of science, medicine, and tasers
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From fishing licenses to gun control
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3 key things to do before year end to reduce taxes
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How to select the right mutual funds for your goals
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Physicians turn feelings of frustration and powerlessness into purpose and hope
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Past 6 Months
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Medicare coverage saves lives. Enrolling shouldn’t be this complicated.
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The erosion of compassion in medicine
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Emergency department burnout: a cry for change
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Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses
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Pain medicine realities: beyond the opioid crisis
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When medical protocol meets family concerns
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Recent Posts
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How to select the right mutual funds for your goals
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America’s pain management nightmare: How the DEA shaped the opioid epidemic
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The middleman dilemma in health care
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Why write? Physicians share their stories of healing through writing.
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A complex patient interviews a retired physician
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Past Week
-
Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses
-
The dark role of science, medicine, and tasers
-
From fishing licenses to gun control
-
3 key things to do before year end to reduce taxes
-
How to select the right mutual funds for your goals
-
Physicians turn feelings of frustration and powerlessness into purpose and hope
-
Past 6 Months
-
Medicare coverage saves lives. Enrolling shouldn’t be this complicated.
-
The erosion of compassion in medicine
-
Emergency department burnout: a cry for change
-
Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses
-
Pain medicine realities: beyond the opioid crisis
-
When medical protocol meets family concerns
-
Recent Posts
-
How to select the right mutual funds for your goals
-
America’s pain management nightmare: How the DEA shaped the opioid epidemic
-
The middleman dilemma in health care
-
Tips for success as a plastic surgeon [PODCAST]
-
Why write? Physicians share their stories of healing through writing.
-
A complex patient interviews a retired physician
-
