“Much is written about the advantages for primary care physicians and patients of working within a retainer model, direct primary care, concierge-type care model. Little is written about the downside or disadvantages. It is time to shine a light …
Category: primary care
I am overwhelmed right now. I know I am not alone.
I am overwhelmed right now. I know I am not alone. I hear it in the voices of my friends, family, colleagues, patients. We are all feeling it. I am overwhelmed by this virus. There is so much to learn, so much to teach. Every day the information change…
A medical educator shares his love for medicine [PODCAST]
“Each patient I have seen over these four decades has made me a better doctor. Books do not impact long term memory the way a real patient can. I once heard the chair of medicine at a teaching hospital say that the worst thing about being on call…
Strategies to foster meaningful connection during telemedicine visits [PODCAST]
“The COVID-19 pandemic has upended health care, with telemedicine emerging as a strategy to reduce risk exposures for patients and clinicians. Video visits, in particular, can be effective for many types of clinical care and offer convenience and…
Telehealth is the future but it is obscured by a dismal present
In so far as our current public health emergency is concerned, telehealth has obvious, indisputable benefits. The redirection of patient flow has enabled the conservation of personal protective gear, decreased nosocomial transmission of the coronaviru…
A physician who knows the power of listening and teamwork
Standing in the hallway, I look attentively to the computer screen while the attending skims the records. “This is a longstanding patient of mine. I’m just going to have you listen while we do a visit with our psychologist,” he says. With the paucity …
Don’t be afraid to say “Black” when asking about someone’s culture
On the morning of George Floyd’s funeral less than ten miles from our medical center in Houston, I was avoiding the word “Black.” Despite wholehearted pride in the strong Black presence in our community health center’s physicians, staff, and patients, …
Primary care is dying: Why that should scare every large employer
Primary care is on life support. COVID-19’s toll on American health care extends beyond the hospitals and medical workers besieged by infection. An equally insidious but less-visible crisis is engulfing primary care, the long-neglected foundation of ou…
How writing inspires this physician [PODCAST]
“Being present is a wonderful thing. It relieves stress caused by focusing on failures of the past and worries of the future. Both realms are unreachable, largely unchangeable. But at the same time, they both entice and tease our minds such that …
When a diagnosis leads to sadness instead of triumph
He did a double-take as we passed on our small town sidewalk the other day. “Hey Doc, I didn’t recognize you dressed like that, without your …”, he gestured to where my tie or stethoscope would have been. I was wearing a cafe-au-lait colored T-shirt an…
