An excerpt from Mirrors and Windows: Reflections on the Journey in Serious Illness Practice. I’m sitting next to Tony in the surgical intensive care unit doing my best to make out what he’s writing. He’s intubated and I’ve just …
Category: Conditions
Removing workflow burdens and improving access for colorectal cancer screenings
After much outcry, UnitedHealthcare announced that they are no longer moving forward with their controversial prior authorization policy that would require members to get approval from the insurance company to receive a diagnostic colonoscopy to detect…
Understanding migraine symptoms in children
If you’ve experienced a migraine headache before, the sensation is often very distinct: throbbing pain, sensitivity to light and loud noise, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Migraine symptoms can be uncomfortable and distressing. Equally concer…
Bully nurse in ICU: a shattered moment for a dying patient
She was oil, and I was vinegar. We didn’t mix. Ever. Even though we wanted the best outcome for our ICU patients, we stood on opposite poles of the earth. Sometimes, there’s only room for one alpha dog, one ultimate bully. And that person w…
Heart disease in the shadows: a closer look at cardiac sarcoidosis
My new internist began my annual checkup with a nervous confession: “You are my first patient with cardiac sarcoidosis.” Even during an urgent care visit for potential cellulitis, I was met with raised eyebrows from the treating physician w…
Lessons from Momma: the power of being present
An excerpt from My Grief is Not Like Yours. In March of 2018, I took Momma to a women’s conference in Dallas. We didn’t get great seats, but we were in the middle section, halfway back in a group with about 2,300 other people. I was hoping …
Personalized hypertension care in pregnancy: Beyond evidence-based thresholds
There has always been a research bias against the case of one. A success story that isn’t part of a research pool is called “anecdotal.” The implication is that no doctor should base treatment on a story of one. Then we devised the te…
“YES AND”: a vital, versatile, and visionary leadership tool
Patient safety, patient experience, workforce health, and cost-effectiveness are critical outcomes that share important common roots. They are all impacted by our ability to communicate effectively and respectfully. This can be challenging, in part, be…
Understanding the changes in migraine treatment
This article is sponsored by Pfizer. As a primary care provider (PCP) specializing in headaches and migraine, I cannot stress enough the important role of PCPs in diagnosing and treating migraine disease. Almost 40 million Americans and over a billion …
The Cactus Kid: an analogy for parents and youth who are living with mental disease
Everyone has phases, stages, and degrees of mental disease throughout their lives, especially children, adolescents, and young adults. It is a part of normal growth and development to go through phases of change. Sometimes, a young person gets stuck in…
