Category: primary care

Overcoming health challenges: one patient’s story

The patient was a typical one in my primary care practice, and for those of you in my field, one familiar to you as well. Jim, as we will call him, was a middle-aged, obese male with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, whose most c…

Medicine has become the new McDonald’s of health care

I was having a conversation with a colleague about a state-funded Medicaid managed care organization (MCO). She told me that the mental health performance measures used by the state to evaluate the MCO were all “placement and provider issues,&#82…

What does the term “doctor” mean, who can use it, and does it matter?

From the Oxford Dictionary: Doctor. a qualified practitioner of medicine; a physician. (a number of synonyms are listed, including “quack”) a person who holds a doctorate. Increasingly, non-physicians are using the term “doctor.” Clearly, a…

Empathetic patient care: Addressing disability in education

The students entered, chattering among themselves about their recent break. This is their interviewing and communication class, and today’s guest lecturer is a bit different than the usual physician educator. Speaking today is Linda Long-Bellil, …

Holocaust survivor’s hidden past: a doctor’s discovery

As a medical doctor, I have peered into the lives of many patients who have unique experiences. When I started practice 40 years ago, some of my patients had parents who lived during the Civil War; a few fought in the Spanish-American War, and more rec…

Balancing life and medicine [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join us for an engaging podcast conversation with Kim Downey, a physical therapist, and Stephen Lewellis, a dermatologist. They share their unique professional journeys, discussing the chal…

Empathy meets efficiency: a health care transformation [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Matthew Troup, a physician assistant and health care executive, as we explore the critical issue of balancing empathy and efficiency in modern medicine. Matthew shares his personal jou…

Decoding doctor designations: the crucial need to ditch the “provider” label

Health care terminology has evolved significantly over the years, with the term “provider” becoming a standard reference for various health care professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. While the t…

Combatting physician burnout: the case for subsidized vacations

Physician burnout is a pressing issue in the health care industry, with detrimental effects on both health care providers and the American public. Family physicians, in particular, play a crucial role in the well-being of individuals and communities. T…

The connection between organ systems and skin health in Chinese medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), health is perceived as a holistic concept that encompasses not only the physical aspects of our bodies but also the emotional and spiritual dimensions. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have long held the…