Category: primary care

Last March, I was working in a small primary care practice on the west side of Denver. COVID-19 came to town. On Thursday, March 12, we were told the schools would be closing. On Friday, we were told that clinic staff had to wear masks — and the …

I love Bruce Lee. From his martial arts skill and athletic prowess to his philosophy, he was a cultural icon. There are hundreds of anecdotes and stories, some based in fact and others in fiction, that are a testament to the value he placed in the purs…

Although Pride Month is over, awareness and advocacy for equity among the LGBTQ+ community must continue to be prioritized. This is especially important in health care settings. Many LGBTQ+ people feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in doctors’ offices, a…

Everybody dies. And doctors can’t change that reality. But we’ve created a system where we lead people to believe immortality is possible. We expect clear-cut answers to health questions. We’ve been trained to look for multiple-choice questions with an…

Does this scenario sound familiar? You bring your car into the dealership for routine servicing. The service representative (patch on his shirt says his name is “Bob”) checks your car history. He tells you they will do the routine service c…

When I turned 60, it was a weird feeling, something I had not experienced with previous birthdays.  I remember thinking, “SIXTY! Am I really 60?” Where did the time go? Looking back, I realize how much of it I had “wished away.” We all can fall into th…

Dear medical student: I was in your shoes twenty years ago. At that time, I thought that becoming a doctor was all about gaining medical knowledge. When I started my clinical rotations, I was convinced that the “history of present illness” …

As a public health physician and epidemiologist, I’ve learned a lot of lessons during this pandemic.  But the importance of preventive health was probably the most striking.  It became clear relatively early on, that countries with healthier population…