Emergency Rooms Flat Lining
A The New York Times article out this week highlights a growing issue across the country: hospital rooms, particularly in urban areas, are closing at an alarming rate. In a study by The Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that, “In 1990, there were 2,446 hospitals with emergency departments in nonrural areas. [...]
Read MorePractice Medicine the Way You Want
In a recent blog for Kevin MD, a colleague, Michelle Au, MD, excerpts from her new book, “This Won’t Hurt a Bit (and other white lies): My Education in Medicine and Motherhood.” The anesthesiologist answers a question often pondered by patients, and lately perhaps, chewed upon by physicians, some disillusioned with the state of healthcare: [...]
Read MoreConcierge Medicine Makes Good News and Good Sense
Last week The Boston Globe weighed in on the growth of concierge medicine, yet another local media outlet, this one major, acknowledging that many physicians want a lifestyle change—and want it now. Concierge medicine is garnering its share of headlines because it makes so much sense for both doctor and patient. With every story in [...]
Read MoreThe New Inconvenience of Internal Medicine
I spoke to my friend Karen the other day, who recently visited her internal medicine physician for her annual physical. When she arrived at her appointment to see her doctor of more than 15 years, there was a sign that read, “Due to new insurance policies, you will need to make a separate appointment to [...]
Read MoreMagnitude 7.HELP
A seismic shift is occurring in healthcare. Many primary care physicians are scrambling to decide what—if any—their next move should be, while others remain frozen in place, unsure and unable to chart a course, hoping and praying that “this too shall pass.” Problem is, waiting and hoping may lead to nowhere, when in fact, viable [...]
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