Category: Policy

America’s “sick” secret and the need for a primary care czar

America has a systemic and pernicious problem: health care without primary care. Just a century ago, primary care physicians were the trusted cornerstone of the U.S. health care system, providing the first point of entry into health care, addressing mo…

How South Carolina’s eye care laws are blocking telemedicine innovation

People learned during the COVID pandemic that getting limited care online via telemedicine can be a great way to expand access, especially in rural areas. But Visibly, founded in 2014, was ahead of the curve. The Chicago-based company invented technolo…

Why is our health care system going down the drain and no one seems to care?

I want to express my frustration with the state of health care in the United States, particularly in the context of my own experiences within the system. Over the past 12 years, I have submitted articles to KevinMD advocating for quality patient care a…

Medicare’s cobra effect: How a well-intentioned policy spiraled into a health care crisis

In the sweltering heat of 19th-century colonial Delhi, legend has it that cobras were taking over the streets. To eliminate the dangerous snakes, British officials offered a bounty for every dead cobra brought to government offices. Soon, locals began …

Effective strategies to reduce hospital readmissions amidst staffing shortages

Hospital readmissions continue to be frequent despite their negative impact on health outcomes and financial strain on the health care system overall. On average, 14.56 percent of patients across the nation who have been discharged from a hospital, whe…

Rising ER wait times signal larger health system challenges

Emergency department (ED) wait times are on the rise across the United States, a troubling trend that reflects deeper systemic challenges in the nation’s health care systems. According to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services…

The aging nursing population is contributing to the U.S. nursing shortage

The aging nursing population is one of the underlying conditions contributing to the nursing shortage in the United States. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 1 million nurses are at least 50 years of age, and 60 percent of nurses are over age …

Pandemic lessons: How better staffing and communication can save health care

An excerpt from Healing Healthcare: Evidence-Based Strategies to Mend Our Broken System. The greatest challenge facing our professional workforce today is creating a healthy work environment in which nurses care for patients. A significant characterist…

The hidden heroes who fought for women’s reproductive rights in the 1950s

The term “Dainty Maids” could refer to various subjects depending on the context—ranging from historical groups to fictional characters. Historically, women in service roles, such as maids or attendants, were referred to as Dainty Maids. Th…

From Super Bowl to supermarket: How candy ads shape kids’ diets

A gummy candy shimmies on stage, dancing to Flashdance. The music swells; it pulls a chain and is showered in multi-colored candies. The ad, for Nerds Gummy Clusters, was one of dozens of food ads that 123 million people saw during the 2024 Super Bowl….