Category: KevinMD

How belief and prayer uncover the hidden power of healing

Have you ever thought of someone, and then a few minutes later, they called or texted you? Have you ever felt or had a whole conversation in your mind to later be told that is exactly what someone was saying about you at the same time, even though you …

Critical care in critical moments: Anesthesiologists play a vital role in maternal health

Maternal mortality crisis in the U.S. The U.S. faces a significant maternal health crisis, with alarmingly high maternal mortality rates compared to other developed nations. As of 2022, the overall maternal mortality rate was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 li…

How America’s health care system depends on international doctors

The current U.S. medical education and health care systems undeniably benefit from the immigration of talented international medical graduates (IMGs). Many of my favorite teachers, residents, and colleagues have been IMGs. However, the longstanding U.S…

The HEARTS Act: Empowering schools to save lives

Every year, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) claims the lives of thousands of students and student-athletes in the United States, making it one of the leading causes of death. The condition is particularly insidious as it often strikes without warning, leav…

How to use biomarkers to boost your healthspan and longevity [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! In this episode, John Thomson Smith, a physician executive, explores the science of longevity and the critical role of healthspan in living a vibrant life. They discuss ho…

Why health systems must renegotiate contracts to survive

Providers must stop subsidizing payors’ profit margins. Consider United Health Care, which boasts a 6 percent margin on revenue (equivalent to $22 billion), while hospitals manage a slim 3 percent margin, and physician practices often struggle to…

Grief and climate change: a year of lessons we can’t ignore

This wasn’t the article I had initially planned to publish. I had intended to discuss the health care system, calling it a “proverbial dumpster fire.” But in a year marked by relentless challenges, the metaphor feels too raw, too real…

The miracle of immune checkpoint inhibitors: a physician’s unforgettable journey

Even a half-century later, a physician cannot forget the first death of a patient under their care. It happened for me during my postgraduate medical training in the 1970s in an academic medical center hospital in the western half of the United States….

The miracle of immune checkpoint inhibitors: a physician’s unforgettable journey

Even a half-century later, a physician cannot forget the first death of a patient under their care. It happened for me during my postgraduate medical training in the 1970s in an academic medical center hospital in the western half of the United States….

How AI is transforming medicine faster than ever before

Since the release of large language models such as ChatGPT in November of 2022, medicine has been transformed in ways previously unimaginable by using artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to solve problems. The use of natural language processing (NLP…