Category: Editorials

(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 →

(Snippets from the frontline) Hospital administrators on a pedestal Last month, a hospital administrator retired and all local media outlets had press-release headlines lauding his accomplishments.  Two years ago, our … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Look at the medication As our mother entered her late 80’s, living at home alone became more challenging.  Within a four month span, she was admitted … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Courage, Character, Responsibility Sometimes my surgical colleagues impress me with not just their skills, but the quality and spirit of their character. A neurosurgeon gets up … Continue Reading →

Denied You’ve been told surgery required to repair a herniated disc has been denied;  a mammogram to evaluate a new lump won’t be allowed; or you must be discharged from … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Congress doesn’t go on Medicare With all the recent headline hubbub concerning creation of a new healthcare law, the public must realize Congresspeople don’t go on … Continue Reading →

Paperwork Doctors and their staff are inundated with paperwork…and it is getting worse.  Despite computerization, the volume is overwhelming, and the data collected is mostly used to substantiate insurance payment … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Comfort Care – Know the difference Your loved one is seizing and brought to the Emergency Room.  The staff offers “comfort care” and of course who … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Bring accountability to your hospital stay You or your loved one has been hospitalized.  For most, this is an unfamiliar road. Beware, as nowadays hospitals are … Continue Reading →