Category: Editorials

(Snippets from the frontline) A phone call away Your loved one has been admitted to a hospital.  What is the diagnosis and prognosis? Here are suggestions how to stay up to … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Mother Nature vs. vulnerable seniors We’ve seen it with hurricanes in Florida, flooding in Texas, and fires in California.  Vulnerable seniors perish.  Why? Does their frailty … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Corralling votes The first objective of newly elected legislators is to get re-elected.  Therefore in their crosshairs from the outset are two goals: 1) Expand campaign … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) What’s your DRG? Upon admission to a hospital, Medicare and some insurances assign patients a DRG code (Diagnosis Related Group).  This complex system is based on … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The stethoscope:  A symbol or a tool The practice of medicine has become a lost art. When assessing their patients, doctors commonly rely on technology in … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Power of Attorney A major struggle families face is who makes medical decisions if a loved one is mentally incapacitated?  Having a legal designee on a … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Age as a pre-existing condition When one reaches 65 years old, there is an option to apply for supplemental insurance known as a “secondary” to cover … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Cancer:  The stop button Body cells multiply allowing growth and development.  Some cells grow slowly, while others rapidly, all controlled by DNA. When you cut your … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Here’s the scam:  Observation Status You’re admitted to the hospital with chest pain.  Tests show you did not have a heart attack, and you are discharged … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Marijuana I don’t smoke marijuana but have no problem with those who use it judiciously and responsibly.  For some pain management patients, I prescribe marijuana derivatives. … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Lie Detector Innocent prisoners of color pack our jails because they are poor and had no access to reasonable legal representation. Wall Street bankers responsible for … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Skin in the game Our nightmare has begun again as lawmakers are going at it in Washington, D.C. to develop healthcare legislation for the American people.  … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Defining where a senior lives Some of my elder seniors have lived in their home for over 50 years, yet age forces difficult decisions moving them … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Drought-free America The essence of health is water. It makes up at least 60 percent of the human body, with our existence dependent on growing crops … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Safe Senior Driving Ever find yourself behind a slow car, and as you pass notice the gray haired driver tightly gripping the wheel while staring and … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The most difficult place to work in medicine The emergency room. It is a conveyor belt of medical care. Because the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) did … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Paperwork sequela OFFICE SCHEDULE: Morning: Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork See patient Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork See patient Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Living shorter lives Life Expectancy in the United States decreased last year for the first time in 23 years.  Despite advancing technology, innovation in drug therapy, … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Private Practice I’ve been practicing medicine for 36 years.  One of my patients fought in the 1898 Spanish-American War; a handful lived in three centuries…born in … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Doctor Shortage We do not have enough doctors.  Passage of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) amplified this deficiency in our healthcare system.  Even with new insurance … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Infrastructure Society needs roads, bridges, and power to function.  Likewise, the human body has an infrastructure requiring vision, hearing, and good teeth.    Physiologic infrastructure deteriorates … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Good hands We know a tight end can catch a football. How do you know a surgeon has similar hand-eye coordination?  Shouldn’t this quality be possessed … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Doctor Bonus Primary Care Physicians are internists, family practitioners, and pediatricians who are frontline doctors encountered by patients seeking medical care. Some physicians are in private … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Improving Nursing Home Care None of my seniors want to go to a nursing home.  Being surrounded by screaming patients, the odor of incontinence, and the … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Cost of Drugs Pharmaceutical companies have a stranglehold on us.  Medicare Part D was written by their lobbyists.  Drugs developed decades ago have gone up 10 … Continue Reading →