Uncertainty is the word that comes to mind when describing the United States’ current state of affairs. There is uncertainty about the presidential election and the country’s future direction, economic struggles for many Americans, race/gen…
Category: Public Health & Policy
May we all find the peace we search for
It has been a year of change and constants. Shortly after a new year was ushered in, we heard of a virus that was sweeping across China and Europe. We saw the devastation that this virus brought to humanity, people gasping for air in ICUs, no known or …
I will not stand here and mourn a world that could have been
When it has already happened, it feels inevitable. A girl appearing late one night, quiet from trauma, the crossed arms and loud voices of police breaking the relative calm of the early morning ER. After the shift, ordering breakfast at the deli counte…
Election anxiety? Here’s a guide to practicing medicine in Canada.
Oh, Canada! Every presidential election cycle, my colleagues joke that if the election result is not to their liking, they will move to Canada. On election night 2016, “move to Canada” trended on Google, and the Canadian immigration website crashed. Th…
Interstate licensure for telehealth can fuel medical practice growth
When it comes to using telehealth to treat patients out of state, most physicians are mindful about licensure issues. But some are not aware that if you don’t have a license to practice medicine in a given state, it isn’t just malpractice: It’s a crimi…
Think deeply about ways you can use your power as a physician to make change
I’d cried all the tears I owned, so when I heard about hospital administrators serving pancakes, I walked down to the cafeteria hungry for comfort. A dear friend served me and asked if I was OK. She knew I wasn’t. She couldn’t stop to eat pancakes with…
Physicians choose love, science, and healing
Physicians dedicate their lives to serving their patients and the communities in which they reside. We work tirelessly to educate and protect people, regardless of their background, political affiliation, immigration status, or gender. Most of us hav…
Medical brutality, social media, and collective activism
George Floyd’s murder magnified attention to police brutality and inspired collective activism leading to structural reforms and demands for abolition. His death provoked a national reckoning with the racism infecting all major American institutions, i…
Patients over paperwork: Medicare has delivered lower costs and regulatory relief for health care providers
The COVID-19 public health emergency has highlighted that government rules and regulations should not hinder providers from delivering high-quality care to patients. The Trump Administration exhibited an understanding of this principle long before the…
Filling the cavity between dentistry and medicine
Given that October is National Dental Hygiene Month, today we’re going to take a look back at the history of dentistry, its separation from medicine, and the importance of bringing them together. A 2006 article in Nature magazine describes the discover…
