Category: Public Health & Policy

An unspoken truth about non-compete clauses in medicine

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken on non-compete clauses and requested public comments on this issue for upcoming hearings. In health care, the majority of physicians have become employees, and most practices are being bought out by hospital…

Fostering the next (diverse) generation of clinicians

As a medical student, I never saw myself as a future CEO or anything close. I was often the only Black person in the room in classes and rotations. After I became an attending, I spent a great deal of time and mental energy fitting in. Speaking up and …

Unintended consequences of Health Care Quality Improvement Act: a violation of physicians’ civil and constitutional rights

The Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements, as well as the Human Rights Campaign for the LGBTQ+ community, are a few examples of where American democracy and values have triumphed in restoring dignity and civil and constitutional rights to marginalize…

We need a new approach to Black mental health

In recent weeks, an outpouring of new research has highlighted the severity of the Black mental health crisis. One new poll shows that 77% of Black and Latinx women face mental health barriers related to racism. Another new study found that Black women…

Rethinking access to the American tip jar: It’s time to include nurses and dental hygienists

Americans are accustomed to tipping for a wide array of services. We understand that our gratuity makes up an important percentage of the wages earned by many different types of laborers: massage therapists, Uber drivers, hair stylists, tour guides, ro…

Research literacy bridges the medical mistrust gap

A long inglorious history of medical racism and mistreatment has dire health consequences. Consider the atrocities associated with experimentation on African Americans without informed consent during the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-1972), which erode…

The Titanic sinking: a metaphor for the impending collapse of medicine

The re-release of the movie Titanic marks its 25th anniversary since it first sailed into theaters. Can you believe it? Twenty-five years ago, we watched Rose get undressed for a self-portrait with only a necklace on, Jack yelling, “I’m the…

Patient empowerment: the key to solving the health care crisis

A sobering study by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) predicts an unthinkable shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 doctors by 2034. If underserved populations had fewer barriers to medical care, that shortfall could reach over 180,0…

Wrongful prolongation of life: a growing concern in the health care system [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! In this episode, we sit down with patient advocate Althea Halchuck to discuss the importance of advance directives in end-of-life care. We delve into the story of Dr. Gerald Greenberg, a Ne…

The private health care debate in Canada: What’s the real issue?

The growing role of private health care in Canada is a hot topic at the moment. Provincial governments are outsourcing elective surgeries to the private sector and are considering or debating the option. Many Canadians are in favor because they recogni…