Category: Policy

Physician burnout is as much a legal problem as it is a medical one

A career as a physician has traditionally been considered to be among the best vocations that talented students can pursue. That may no longer be the case. All too many doctors report that they are unhappy, frustrated, and even prepared to leave the pr…

Physician burnout is as much a legal problem as it is a medical one

A career as a physician has traditionally been considered to be among the best vocations that talented students can pursue. That may no longer be the case. All too many doctors report that they are unhappy, frustrated, and even prepared to leave the pr…

Has your doctor asked you about climate change?

When Michael Howard arrived for a checkup with his lung specialist, he was worried about how his body would cope with the heat and humidity of a Boston summer. “I lived in Florida for 14 years, and I moved back because the humidity was just too much,” …

Physicians are not commodities to be cut. Physicians are not waste.

Another emergency physician asked me what I think will happen if the “surprise bill reform” with a benchmark fix happens.  I told her privately, but I am sharing, so everyone can understand why I am working so furiously on a seemingly boring and crass …

Primary Care First: CMS develops a value-based primary care program for independent practices

The monumental shift in health care from fee-for-service or a volume-based approach to value-based care will change health care delivery for the better in the United States.  When physicians do what is necessary and avoid over-testing and procedures of…

Scope of practice expansion: Patient safety is sacrificed for greater access

When a patient seeks the care of a professional, they expect that person to be well trained, experienced, and constantly continuing their education. As an ophthalmologist, I completed a 4-year undergraduate program at Virginia Commonwealth University, …

Understanding professional liability insurance in physician employment contracts

An excerpt from Physician Employment Contracts, The Missing Module: A comprehensive introduction to physician agreements written for doctors. Professional liability or “malpractice” insurance protects a physician and the employer from claims related to…

Define what true resilience means for you

Can you let things roll off your shoulders? Are you the tough, no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is, stand-your-ground type? Do you show up to work no matter what? Has no one ever seen you cry at work? Are these things resilience? We nurses openly divulge t…

Reduce health care’s carbon footprint to save our patients

I would like to explore a typical American health care experience through a different lens: energy. Upon entering a hospital, I would see bright lighting and hear the gentle hum from ventilation. If I were to get an MRI, this requires significant energ…

What Ocasio-Cortez and Cruz get right about birth control

I think we can all agree that women have a lot more hoops to jump through when it comes to contraception. If a woman wants to go on the pill, she has to go through the bureaucratic process of seeing a doctor and getting a prescription. This is why I am…