Category: COVID-19 / coronavirus

The importance and power of physicians advocating for themselves

The COVID-19 pandemic has most of the country in isolation, but it is bringing doctors together. We are no different. After medical school, we parted ways, and thought nothing of it. We met in our first year, endured 4 of the most trying and formative …

COVID-19 is a war on two fronts

“I can’t fight you anymore. It’s you I’m fighting for.” -Ordinary Love by U2 I’m exhausted.  As the pandemic rages on, the mental toll of dealing with COVID-19 has started to wear on me.  As a practicing hospitalist …

COVID-19 is a war on two fronts

“I can’t fight you anymore. It’s you I’m fighting for.” -Ordinary Love by U2 I’m exhausted.  As the pandemic rages on, the mental toll of dealing with COVID-19 has started to wear on me.  As a practicing hospitalist …

4 small changes to help your practice now

This time of COVID-19 has brought us to a scenario of scale and scope that most had never planned for. Whether you are at a small practice or a large one, you are likely looking for ways to rapidly evolve your business and patient care processes to sur…

To the AAMC: Recommend an interview limit or else this year’s residency match may be a disaster

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned medical education upside-down. From exclusively virtual pre-clerkship courses, to delayed clerkships, to canceled graduation proceedings, there has been massive disruption. Now, after weeks of speculation, we’ve learned…

During COVID-19, not everyone can get with the digital program

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, hospital edicts issued to protect patients would expose institutional frailties. The drastic implementation of nationwide telehealth measures would detrimentally affect patients who lacked access to health…

A proposed public health response to facilitate continued adherence to COVID-19 restrictions

At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, 46 million people were placed under a 76-day lockdown in Wuhan, China. The conversation around this initial story centered on the resilience of that population, isolating in the face of an unknown and deadly t…

Is a new coronavirus already here?

Smithfield Foods, the nation’s largest pork producer, closed its Sioux Falls, SD, slaughterhouse after many Smithfield employees grew sick. Tyson Foods closed its Columbus Junction, IA pork slaughterhouse in April, according to the Wall Street Jo…

With COVID-19, we have a unique opportunity and need to deregulate buprenorphine prescriptions

My patient was a young man who wanted to be placed back on buprenorphine. He had started using again. He often missed appointments, did not pick up phone calls. So when I saw him in the room, I masked my surprise. “What makes you want to start today?” …

Don’t drink the COVID conspiracy Kool-Aid

Drinking the Kool-Aid Across the USA recently, demonstrators wielding, “Stop the madness! It is just a cold virus!” and “Let me work” signs, chanting “Freedom now” and “Fire Fauci,” dangerously demanded a…