Author: Gene

(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 →

(Snippets from the frontline)   The indignity of getting old   Eventually, we all get there.  Some say it starts at 40; most hope not until 80:   We see … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Embarrassed Gradually over 6 weeks, her symptoms worsened. Being a diabetic two decades, this 70 year old was sensitive to bodily changes. Now with progressive and … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Gatekeepers My senior neighbor, an avid walker, developed a knee problem with pain, swelling, locking, and popping.  She went to an HMO primary care doctor who … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The business takeover of medicine For centuries, American doctors were guided by the Hippocratic Oath caring for their patients.  About 30 years ago though, business saw … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Because they can… Raise drug prices Increase rent Boost gasoline costs Inflate health insurance including premiums and deductibles Kick you out of the hospital after 4 … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) In the nick of time She is an 88-year old diabetic discharged from the hospital two days earlier after a three-day stay. Her admitting sugar was … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The simple path of life Stewart had a green thumb growing seasonal flowers bringing color and sweet aromas to his home.  “When I was in the … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Doctors as lie detectors His story was perfect, right out of a medical textbook. He needed pain medication for his unremitting migraine headache, but it was … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Too-big-to-fail should go to jail Thousands and thousands died. Many suffered along with their families. Homicide charges were never filed, and only a slap of the … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The “glitch” He was ill requiring a stay in the ICU for sepsis. Still weak, yet recovering enough to eat, the “four-day rule” of hospitalization was … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Let’s put grandma in a nursing home! Older adults abhor the thought they might be forced into a nursing home. Yet, they might not have a … Continue Reading →