Category: KevinMD

COVID-19 showcases the bravery of first responders

When first responders answered roughly ten calls from a long-term care center in Kirkland, Washington, over the course of a week, they did not expect to become patients themselves. Entering the Life Care Center of Kirkland last month exposed them to th…

The casualties of the Iran missile attack: not your father’s concussion

Recently, revelations indicated that the Iran missile strike on the U.S. base in Iraq actually did cause head injuries.  So why did the U.S. initially claim no “casualties”?   From the limited reports available, it appears that most of the soldiers’ sy…

What coronavirus is teaching us about telehealth

“Should I cancel my business trip?” That is not the kind of question that patients typically ask their doctors. For most people, that’s not even a question they can ask their doctors, at least, not without an appointment, a co-pay and an anxiety-induci…

What coronavirus is teaching us about telehealth

“Should I cancel my business trip?” That is not the kind of question that patients typically ask their doctors. For most people, that’s not even a question they can ask their doctors, at least, not without an appointment, a co-pay and an anxiety-induci…

How to prevent coronavirus: Your COVID-19 questions answered by a public health professional

1. What can I do to prevent becoming infected? When people are sick with a respiratory disease like COVID-19, they cough or sneeze particles into the air. If someone is coughing near you, the virus could easily land on your eyes, nose, or mouth. These …

COVID-19’s biggest threat is to the health of our economy

“Made in China.” Words ubiquitous throughout the products we use every day and now, ironically, applicable to the virus that has laid siege around the world.  Illness and death have spread across borders and continents, as well as fear and …

A great nurse shares their knowledge and does not judge

As a new nurse, I was constantly overwhelmed.  I had spent four years of my life learning how to become a nurse, and then here I was, being “a nurse” and wondering all the time whether I was even any good at it. My heart was in it. But every moment of …

System failure: We need a reboot to better handle intersectionality

In medical school, physicians learn how to diagnose and treat medical conditions. We learn about all the different presentations and revel in catching a complex or rare diagnosis. In essence, we learn to categorize disorders based on a cluster of sympt…

Here’s why doctors are financially depressed

Finances were reported as the second leading cause of physician depression for men and women in 2018. Doctors, like anyone else, face normal challenges that life throws at them. Additionally, they carry a huge weight on their shoulders as they go throu…

My first physician colleague who died by suicide

I was busy running around the ER on a particularly busy shift when my phone buzzed, and a text message from Jane’s ex-boyfriend David popped up on the screen. I was surprised since I had not talked to him in over three years; therefore, I ignored…