An excerpt from Get What’s Yours for Medicare: Maximize Your Coverage, Minimize Your Costs. Carmella Mason has been a caregiver since her husband, Frank, had a heart attack fifty years ago. They were in their 80s when we spoke. Frank likely owes …
Category: Conditions
Parents in crisis: How physicians can help
Did you hear the news from the U.S. Surgeon General recently? Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory called “Parents Under Pressure,” outlining the ways in which the 63 million-plus parents and caregivers in the U.S. are struggling—really stru…
What U.S. veterans with ALS deserve to know
When considering the diseases that United States veterans are burdened with, you might think of COPD, Type 2 Diabetes, certain cancers, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. However, there is another disease diagnosed at twice the rate in vet…
Psychological safety for all: Why this phenomenon matters to everyone
We saw the smile vanish from her face instantly. Our colleague, a zestful individual with a passion for obstetrical care, fell silent after our superiors met her ideas for improving her training experience with defensiveness and deflection. After the m…
The shocking fall of a respected ICU nurse
In the ICU, there was an experienced nurse. She was full of information and knew the policies and procedures inside and out. She was proficient in her role as an ICU nurse. But she was flawed. Something was wrong. Each day, she came to work wearing a g…
What you need to know about near-death experiences
Imagine a medical syndrome so common that as many as one in five patients who nearly die in a medical setting experience it. Also, imagine that this syndrome has a profound, lifelong effect on both the patient and their family. Finally, imagine that if…
Postpartum crisis: a physician’s call for comprehensive maternal support
The moment my daughter was placed on my chest, I knew something was wrong. Her skin had a blue-purple tinge, and she barely cried. I instinctively began rubbing her tiny body, trying to stimulate her, but she remained quiet and minimally responsive. Wh…
Solving the health care dilemma: Why older adults are skipping vital care
As a gerontologist, it is disheartening to engage with older adults who express disinterest in routine medical check-ups. Many of these individuals outright refuse to follow doctors’ orders or take prescribed medications. This troubling trend is …
A new approach to antidepressants and anxiolytics: the microbiota-gut-brain axis
Our understanding of anxiety and depression has evolved over the years, leading to advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and clinical management. However, their prevalence has not lessened; in fact, it has heightened in recent years due to the COVID-19…
A new approach to antidepressants and anxiolytics: the microbiota-gut-brain axis
Our understanding of anxiety and depression has evolved over the years, leading to advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and clinical management. However, their prevalence has not lessened; in fact, it has heightened in recent years due to the COVID-19…
