“You have to show proof that you have something wrong with you in order for you to get the medicine. I put forth, and I maintain that if I was white, I wouldn’t have to go through that.” – Dr. Susan Moore. In a 7-minute-and-22-second …
Category: Hospital-Based Medicine
Pay heed to the little life traumas that hit us daily
In a world where everything is fast-paced, I believe we miss out on some stuff that deserves our attention. Just like we need to stop and smell the roses, we need to stop and pay heed to the little life traumas that hit us daily. For today, I will jot …
When retirement is code for “You’re fired!”
A colleague announces he is retiring. Unknown at the time is the fact that there were a series of fires and suicides committed by patients at the psychiatric facility where he was chief medical officer during the year prior to his departure. State inve…
Did the unvaccinated just save my rural hospital?
It’s no secret that rural hospitals have been struggling. According to online data from the University of North Carolina, 137 rural hospitals have closed in the U.S. since 2010. In Appalachia, the rural hospital where I work, which is staffed by …
The displacement of the health care family
Along came COVID, and no one was prepared. We had minimal PPE. We were told to put our N95 mask in a paper bag, use it on every patient, and use it for one full week. Normally the N95 mask would be disposed of after each patient room exit. Health care …
The worst code I ever ran
There is value in reflecting on the most difficult experiences, as it affords an opportunity to examine how we act, react and change in response to the forces around us. The most difficult experiences in medicine are often not discussed, as there is ty…
You are standing on holy ground
One of my favorite passages from sacred writings is the story of Moses, still tending his father-in-law’s sheep, an ordinary day in an ordinary place, suddenly encountering God, the ground he stood on now consecrated into holy ground, admonished …
Physician informatics demystified
Nurse: “I need help with the computer; patient transfer needs to be completed.” Me: “Ma’am, the patient’s medications are on ‘MAR HOLD,’ which means Medication Administration Record Hold. Therefore, we cannot a…
I wish it didn’t require a cancer diagnosis to trust me [PODCAST]
“The medical profession hasn’t changed. Our credibility hasn’t changed. Our commitment to care for you – to adore you, to grieve your diagnosis and what it means for you and your family – hasn’t changed. Our advice hasn’t changed. I’m grateful fo…
CME budgets expire soon: Use it or lose it
Most physicians receive a budget for CME expenses, and many of those expire on December 31. It’s important to take action now – if you have funds left, there’s a good chance they will be disappear when 2021 ends, and you will then be spending your 2022…
