Category: Public Health & Policy

Clinicians unite for health care reform

One thing that contributes to burnout in medicine is the inefficient and cumbersome nature of the systems in which we practice. This is particularly true for compassionate, trauma-informed clinicians who must watch their patients suffer under a system …

Diversity and inclusion: Go beyond performative actions

The performative actions of institutions, corporate America, academia, and hospitals among other entities have made me highly dislike the acronyms DEI, EDI, DEIB, or whatever other fancy acronyms the C-suiters come up with. I remember hearing from a co…

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and why medical professionals should care

On October 7, Hamas, a terrorist group, launched an unprecedented assault against Israeli civilians. Thousands have been confirmed killed, while hundreds have been taken hostage. Israel has retaliated by pounding Gaza with rockets, killing thousands mo…

Bringing words to a knife fight: Why we’re losing the health care war

Every week, I explore with great interest the commentaries, viewpoints, perspectives, podcasts, social media posts, and other dispatches from my peers and colleagues who are seeking to explain and influence the state of both the health care professions…

How busy clinicians can advocate for fossil fuel divestment

As general pediatricians whose intention is to promote health and wellness in children and youth, we witness the direct and indirect health effects of increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The climate crisis looms as an existential threat to human…

The health care disruptors are not coming. They are here.

Plenty has been written and said about how health care in the United States is too convoluted to be disrupted by new entrants. Dan Munro, health care author, and Forbes contributor compiles most of the rationales provided by thought leaders in his 2018…

A shop teacher’s daughter on transforming patient safety

Just a few weeks ago, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) issued a report, “A Transformational Effort on Patient Safety.” This was both a “surprise” and “not a surprise” to me …

Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD. Do no harm. We learn this throughout our medical education and training, and in practice it is a keystone for clinical decision making. This principle continues to inspi…

The pros and cons of whole life insurance for high-income earners

According to the American Council of Life Insurers, permanent insurance is the most common type of life insurance purchased in the U.S. today. There is a variety of permanent life insurance available, but traditional whole life insurance is the most po…

Pediatricians grapple with guns in America, from Band-Aids to bullets

“My best friend was murdered while we were walking home from school.” The once lively thirteen-year-old boy now slumped in the chair across from me, his words spilling out with newfound heaviness. As I looked at him during what was supposed…