Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine published “Oral Health for All — Realizing the Promise of Science,” authored by some of the most respected officials in dentistry and medicine, including the U.S. Surgeon General. They declared …
Category: Public Health & Policy
A specific way to improve our health care delivery system
This spring, in my culminating semester of PA school, I took a course entitled “Health Care Delivery Systems.” After 30-something months, the end was in sight, and I was not particularly excited for another serious class while I was wrapping up rotatio…
Gender inequality is making burnout worse
The 2022 Medscape poll on physician burnout confirms what has been painfully obvious to doctors on the frontlines of COVID-19: Their burnout is intensifying. According to the survey of 13,000 doctors, the nation’s most burned-out physicians are t…
The trials and tribulations of health care delivery
The reason I pursued PA school pertained to a loved one’s cancer diagnosis. During the trials and tribulations of the diagnosis and treatment, I learned a lot about our health care system. I witnessed the work of phenomenal PAs as they took care of my …
The health care systems in the United States and Canada are failing
There are no two ways about it: The health care system in the United States and Canada is failing. Few want to talk about a dirty little secret, but the facts are clear. Health care costs are rising at an unsustainable rate, and millions of Americans a…
The health care systems in the United States and Canada are failing
There are no two ways about it: The health care system in the United States and Canada is failing. Few want to talk about a dirty little secret, but the facts are clear. Health care costs are rising at an unsustainable rate, and millions of Americans a…
Want to stem frontline worker burnout and walkout? Here are 3 ways.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Lorna Breen, MD, a New York City emergency room doctor, committed suicide following weeks of incredible stress she endured at work. Nearly two years later, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act was sign…
Does Chicago needs a rapid response to food sanitation and safety?
As the momentum to mitigate food insecurity continues to unfold, we need a stronger emphasis on ensuring better food sanitation and safety in economically disadvantaged and under-resourced communities. For example, the closing of 400 Dollar General St…
New legislation addresses health care professionals’ mental health needs
The U.S. government took an important step forward to help address the high incidence of health care professionals’ burnout, depression, and suicides. On March 18, 2022, President Biden signed the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection A…
Acknowledging and mitigating unconscious bias in health care [PODCAST]
“Unconscious bias in health care describes associations or attitudes that reflexively alter our perceptions, thereby unintentionally affecting behavior, interactions, and decision-making. Health care organizations need to be actively discussing t…
