Contained inside the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill is a political time bomb for Republicans. Included in the bill’s long list of stimulus spending is a provision that delivers on President Biden’s promise to stren…
Category: Public Health & Policy
Health care from the trenches: Change must come from us [PODCAST]
“We, as a profession, must accept some blame for many of the developing problems in health care delivery. No, I am not suggesting that we caused the problem. I am stating that we have had ample opportunities to manage the debacle and even to reve…
Why environmental justice is integral to the future of medicine
This past year has been one of overwhelming extremes: global pandemic, a national reckoning on racism, devastating wildfires and storms, and political disarray. To some it was perhaps just a difficult year. But to those who can identify the common thre…
How physicians can emerge stronger after 2020 [PODCAST]
“With 2020 behind us and the pandemic still raging, it is incumbent upon us to take a close look in the rear-view mirror. While the vaccines’ approval gives us all hope, the vaccination initiative’s slow rollout should worry us. Physicians, healt…
Emergency departments need to claim their role in the social safety net
A patient once told me, “I sit on the side of the road asking for change. People look right through me like I’m invisible. Food stamps aren’t enough. I can’t afford to exist and I want to die.” A man is dying of poverty — this is an emergency, bu…
3 ways health plans can help providers
Just as providers have reimagined their clinical and business models in light of the pandemic, there is an opportunity to reimagine their relationship with health plans. Particularly in the context of evolving value-based contracts, there are a variety…
Gender disparities in medicine: How popular literature mirrors 2020 society
I’ve been looking for anything to take my mind off of 2020. During these tumultuous times of COVID-19, racial injustice, social unrest, and outright political upheaval, I’ve found myself turning back the clock to one of my favorite pastimes: reading. A…
The pandemic exposes critical gaps in Canada’s health workforce planning
Health workers in Canada experience endemic levels of burnout directly related to understaffing and work overload. Leaves of absence from work for mental health and stress-related issues are 1.5 times higher among health workers than the rest of the po…
How do we talk about race, racism, and white supremacy without screaming at each other?
In the recent impeachment trial, many Americans, alongside U.S. Representatives and Senators, are reliving the Capitol riot’s chaos and confusion. For us, that infamous day showcased a unifying emotion: anger. We can see the anger in the aggressi…
Children cannot afford to wait: We need to all work together to help schools reopen
I hesitated to write this because I am just a pediatric neurologist and epileptologist. Plus, I didn’t have any time until I dropped my kids off at school. Yes, you read that correctly. I just dropped my kindergartener and third-grader off at s…
