President Trump recently signed two executive orders directly related to prescription drug prices in the U.S. One order would allow the “reimportation” of prescription drugs from Canada. This longstanding idea would allow U.S. pharmacies an…
Category: Public Health & Policy
How being an immigrant shaped my approach to patient care
Think about the fear and uncertainty that ensues when being involuntarily uprooted from one’s home and community. Now imagine a shy, self-conscious fourteen-year-old girl being told that she has to switch high schools – not once, but twice. You may rea…
Speak up for Black lives
I never gave much thought to racism until the Black Lives Matter movement, let alone dwell on my role as a physician with the power to contribute to the marginalization of Black Americans. I didn’t think that I needed to do so; I considered mysel…
Can there be hope amid politics?
I consider myself to be an apolitical person. I try to stay informed. I vote. But when it comes to politics, I prefer to listen to what others have to say more than I like to talk about what I think. But after watching the first woman of color accept t…
Why physician advocacy is so important [PODCAST]
“We need to stay healthy for our patients, but also for ourselves and our families. We need to mobilize the faction not just with regard to this pandemic, but by anticipating the arrival of others. So how do we advocate for ourselves? A great way…
The path to a healthy nation starts with the you, the voter
It is hard to envision that this is an election year. With a paucity of campaign ads and the presidential nominees locked up for quite a while, I didn’t even know that the Democratic convention was going on until I saw a report about it after the…
Love one another. Respect each other. We sure could use this today.
I never have a problem going to sleep. In fact, after I work a night shift, I easily go into a semi-coma. But tonight is different. 2 days off from work, with a regular sleep schedule at night, but my mind is twirling. I can’t sleep. So at 3 a.m….
Pediatric practices face financial strain [PODCAST]
“Physicians are trained to do what is best for their patients and to do no harm. Independent practices have sat quietly watching, feeling hopeless as our communities cannot access the care they need, shamefully shutting our doors to spend hours o…
Why working at polling locations is good public health
Much of the conversation around voting in the primaries and general election has focused on the safety and feasibility of mail-in voting, yet we must also protect the millions of Americans who vote in-person during these elections. While we encourage p…
Ownership of outcomes: Reuniting power and responsibility
Expectations, particularly when unmet, can be a source of disappointment. Anticipating something to happen a certain way and having it not come to fruition can leave us wanting, waiting, wondering. It can be particularly challenging when we feel respon…
