“I’m sorry, but we’re unable to accept this patient into the program right now due to a shortage of Spanish-speaking workers.” I have lost count of the number of times I’ve had to say this statement to the various referral…
Category: Policy
Innovation doesn’t have to be flashy to make a big impact
Labor shortages have become a pressing concern across the health care sector, with the nurse staffing crisis looming large over hospitals and health systems nationwide. A report from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission illuminated the severity o…
For treatment, please call Dr. Congressman
Recent regulatory changes create a national staffing level for nursing facilities. Despite the much-needed rule change and the well-known stench of understaffed nursing homes that many Americans dread going to, most of the news cycle has portrayed this…
The unseen impact of Miami’s homeless crackdown
17th Street – nestled between Jackson Memorial, a major U.S. safety net hospital, and Camillus House, the largest homeless shelter in South Florida – is empty. There are no bicycles or tents belonging to the individuals who typically inhabit the area. …
Why the U.S. must urgently address maternal health disparities for Black women
It is no secret that the U.S. lags greatly behind other developed nations in maternal health outcomes. When we hear the stories of women like Shalon Irving, who died three weeks after giving birth and whose pleas for help prior to her death were all bu…
How big business is ruining health care
In the not-too-distant past, health care was a local industry. If you saw a doctor, they were likely a solo practitioner. If you went to the hospital, it was probably run by a local religious order or non-profit. Health care leaders and board members s…
Can we afford to lose nurses? The economic argument for change
The medical alert blared over the hospital’s public announcement system. Someone was down in the medical office building. A medical team, including myself and a doctor, rushed with a portable cot to find a man in his early 30s unconscious on the …
America’s broken health care system: Can doctors lead the fix?
America’s health care system, much like Congress, is broken, and doctors have to be part of the solution. I don’t know a single doctor who doesn’t wish to improve our ability to increase access and the delivery of health services to o…
America’s broken health care system: Can doctors lead the fix?
America’s health care system, much like Congress, is broken, and doctors have to be part of the solution. I don’t know a single doctor who doesn’t wish to improve our ability to increase access and the delivery of health services to o…
Improving maternal health with integrated technology and coordinated decision-making
The U.S. infant mortality rate, children who die under one year of age, rose to its highest rate in two decades in 2022, up about 3 percent to 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. At the same time, the nation’s neonatal mortality rate, infant…
