Category: Public Health & Policy

The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

I may have less direct patient interaction as a radiologist than in other medical specialties. Still, I have a unique vantage point from which to observe the overall picture of the hospital. I see the prevalence of diseases affecting our patients and t…

Closing the gap: Improving mental health care access for communities of color in the COVID era

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated disparities in mental health care access for communities of color. The care gaps in mental health are further accentuated as more health care services, such as mental health, begin to be delivered virtually through…

The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

Nebraska has taken another step towards effectively banning abortion and criminalizing the practice of medicine. I want to try to clarify that this bill is not supported by the medical community. It does not seek to improve the lives of Nebraskans. In …

Voices unheard: the plight of patients and clinicians in the health care system

“The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head.” – William Osler I hear a voice in the still of the night when all the sounds of the …

The rise of direct pay: a solution to the fragmented, impersonal and costly medical system

It used to be easy. You didn’t worry about your health care or how to pay for it. You had a family physician who cared for you in the office and the hospital. They coordinated every aspect of your care, including working with consultants. And aft…

Ensuring universal access and quality care: the advantages of a mixed health care system in Canada

Canadian physicians, like many other Canadians, generally support the country’s publicly funded health care system, which is designed to provide universal access to medical care. However, despite its strengths, there are some areas where the publ…

Against all odds: How two cities tackled the COVID-19 crisis

An excerpt from On Medicine as Colonialism. In Central Falls, Rhode Island, where I work, the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard. People who live in Central Falls, the smallest and poorest city in Rhode Island, live in densely packed houses, often eight or ten…

Why doctors must speak out on political issues impacting patients

As a physician, I was taught to remain neutral in the public eye regarding political issues. My viewpoints and opinions do not enter my work because the work is not about me but about the person sitting across from me who seeks help. As a psychiatrist …

Lessons from a civil rights icon: How to lift as we climb

Mary Eliza Church Terrell famously wrote, “And so, lifting as we climb, onward and upward we go, struggling and striving, and hoping that the buds and blossoms of our desires will burst into glorious fruition ‘ere long.” Lift as we cl…

A dentist’s journey to improving oral health for special needs patients

When I was a dental student, a 5-year-old child with special needs started coming to the clinic for dental care. I remember him as inquisitive but lacking the ability to focus or respond correctly to some verbal prompts. He would sit quietly in his mom…