Author: Gene

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  The struggling doctor’s office For 32 years, I have been in private practice in California’s Santa Clarita Valley.  I run a small business, have employees, … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  History repeats itself We were at war.  Yet, there was a second battle against an airborne virus plaguing the army as well as citizens.  Those … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  Monitoring destiny You’re sick.  Is it a cold, seasonal flu, or COVID-19? Whether you know the answer or not, the fatal destination typically is your … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  Dear bailout company As a frontline provider of healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic brings new urgency caring for patients.  Every day I have to carefully calculate … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  A perfect storm It’s a perfect storm.  A pandemic colliding with the opioid crisis. We are told to shelter in place, yet for patients under … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  Screening hospital personnel rapidly Forty years ago while working in a VA Emergency Room, I examined a veteran who I thought could be anemic…low red … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  No visitors allowed Our mother, who is 98 years old, lives close by.  Because of potential exposure to the coronavirus, I sometimes have to avoid … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  Having an end-of-life discussion, now There are horror stories around the world.  Not enough medical life-saving equipment, with difficult decisions who will live and who … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  “Hose me down..!” Being a geriatric healthcare professional, when I come home, my wife forces me to “hose down.” I come through the garage, close … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19:  Stay home, now what? We are in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic and should listen to Public Health and CDC updates with the hope … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Who’s under the sheets? Sometimes medical care can be impersonal. My first surgical rotation included morning rounds where hospital admissions were identified by “the patient closest … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The seven year itch Both lost their spouse in their early 80s.  They found each other at church seven years ago as a bothersome itch kept … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) A message to my colleagues Your patients are suffering. Healthcare is in shambles, and the consequence is not just physical weakening of bodies, but the degradation … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Wiping out sepsis Sepsis is a potentially fatal blood infection leading to hospitalization, and costing millions of dollars a year.  Commonly, patients are older women that … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Cocaine in your soda In the late 1900s, soda pop contained cocaine and caffeine as acceptable ingredients.  Not until a sensible President, Theodore Roosevelt, was it … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Someone should make an app! When I see a patient for the first time, being able to obtain information is sometimes difficult.  There are many details … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Trumping algorithms While away for the weekend, my patient developed dizziness and “couldn’t walk straight.”  Because of his symptoms, he sought help and was seen at … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Patient have patience Physicians see patients in the office, hospital, and sometimes on housecalls. Doctors attempt to stay on schedule, but many factors slow us down:  … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) To protect and to serve Keeping a medical practice afloat is not easy as every day there is more paperwork and hoops to jump through.  Many … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Home Health Care vs. Home Care:  Aging in place You break your hip.  After hospitalization, Medicare provides 20 days of Home Health Care including nursing with … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Public trust When those in responsible positions take money for personal benefit, public trust is threatened: – Votes of elected politicians swayed by special interest dollars: … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Dodging bullets He fell and couldn’t get up, requiring hospitalization. A surgical procedure corrected the problem. On discharge, medications were changed including stopping a water pill … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Advice to new doctors Learning the art of medicine for 40 years allowed me to accumulate an abundance of clinical experience while being of service to … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Dissecting Life Expectancy statistics Life Expectancy for Americans is decreasing. This is a trend. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) publishes data annually along with interpretation … Continue Reading →