Rural communities have a problem. Their health care options continue to shrink, as medical facilities close or consolidate. The trend has accelerated in recent years, but Westfield Memorial Hospital in Western New York wants to expand. The tiny facilit…
Two scourges of 24 x 7 x 365 coverage may be lost on-the-job sleep and soured on-the-job peace for workers, especially for health care workers. Traditionally, attending physicians have had the privilege of call rooms while providing coverage for overni…
The hospital is like a river. Patients float downstream into our care, stay in sight for a moment, and leave after we have done everything we can to help them. Regardless of why they arrive or how long they stay, every person in the hospital will alway…
As I sit here contemplating the beginning of this unsent letter, I find myself questioning its intended recipient and purpose. The truth is, I don’t have the answers just yet. Perhaps, by the end of these few paragraphs, some clarity will emerge….
An excerpt from Our Hospital. Kush Kare Hospital in Columbia, New York, was the flagship of Kush Kare Private Equity Inc., a for-profit chain of hospitals across America. A for-profit that was listed on a lot of lucrative trading routes. Clearly its wo…
Tom, a doctor friend, recently told me he was reprimanded by Michael, his hospital’s medical chief of staff, after two patients lodged complaints against him. One instance involved a man whom Tom informed of a cancer recurrence. When the man crie…
Late last year, I decided I needed to get my health checked up on. I went through the motions, trying to make an appointment with the doctor that was assigned to me. Nothing was available for months. I called every other day, asking about cancellations…
I recently returned to the hospital where I had first worked as an attending. Everything felt different. It seemed darker and smaller, reminiscent of the feeling when you revisit your elementary school, and the water fountains appear almost touching th…
Mr. Sampson, a 70-year-old man with a history of diabetes, was referred to us by his primary care physician for nerve conduction studies. He had been experiencing increasing numbness in his right hand for the past year and had recently started having t…
During my first week as an intern, a question weighed heavily on my mind: “How am I going to survive my night shift rotation?” Soon after, another question arose: “How can I make the most of my night shifts and continue to learn and g…
