Author's posts
Trapped in a cauldron of suffering, medical staff are weary
Sometimes I really look forward to something new. An alien race arriving on earth would be a nice start. I think we could all use a change in the news cycle. Because I am very tired of thinking about, talking about, and especially treating COVID-19. In…
Vaccine hesitancy is complex
Given the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, many are asking why people would be hesitant to be vaccinated against it. That’s the question that bounces around the skulls of countless physicians, public health experts, journalists, poli…
Why do people keep going to church?
Physicians in general are a pretty intelligent group of professionals. However, we sometimes make the mistake of thinking that we must also know a lot about almost everything because we know a lot about one particular thing. However, given the explodin…
This physician is tired, and he’s not alone
I have a lot of energy. I have been going and going and going for so long. And today, it hit me. I’m tired. I began this pursuit of medicine in 1983 when I decided to be a zoology major. I worked and went to medical school. And I went to medical school…
COVID-19 and the college experience
Everyone seems to be walking about in disbelief. College educators and administrators are shocked. Public health officials are incredulous. Politicians are confused, and news reporters are busily shaking their heads at the numbers. Physicians, my colle…
The downsides of going to the ER for primary care
Despite the fact that many people have difficulty finding a family physician, there remain many options for medical care. From emergency departments to urgent care clinics to clinics based in retail stores and pharmacies, there are several different wa…
We can’t expect large medical centers to absorb every case
My small community ED has a fairly high acuity. As such, I was recently trying to transfer a couple of patients, one of whom was an NSTEMI, pain-free but with a rising troponin. In the process of trying to arrange things, I learned that our main region…
Truth dies in silence. Sadly, so do people.
I have been writing columns for physicians for twenty years. And year after year, I have had physicians say this: “I’m glad you said what you did. If I said it, I’d be fired.” There are variations on the theme, but they’r…
In these dark times of a pandemic, look to history for hope
This is a frightening time. The coronavirus is called “novel” because it is new, and what is new is often terrifying. We don’t know enough about our new microscopic enemy. Scientists, clinicians, and policymakers are all working tirelessly with limited…
COVID-19 will expose EMTALA and the physician shortage
Coronavirus, a.k.a. COVID-19, is lurking on the edges of the United States. What it will do here has yet to be seen. I was initially very concerned since I work on the front lines in community emergency medicine. For the last week or so, I have felt…
