SCV Physician Report

(Snippets from the frontline) Forcing ICU patients onto hospice Some elder senior patients admitted to the ICU are targeted by hospitals and placed on hospice care.  Why?  It saves money. … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Hospice and end-of-life care Signs of aging are not always easy to identify.  Seeing wrinkles and gray hair in those  around you is acceptable, but inevitably … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Time The body talks to us.  Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain may be a reaction to food poisoning.  Chills and shakes could be the onset of … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline)  Rough draft of a new US healthcare plan -Everyone will be insured. -Coverage throughout the US. -Freedom to choose your doctor and hospital. -No pre-existing condition … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Healthcare Millions of Americans do not have access to healthcare. This is detrimental to the economy, society, and hinders our ability to progress as a nation. … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Elder suicide – the shrouded game plan Often we hear, “He died peacefully in his sleep.”  Or, “Their love was so great, they died together.”  For … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Smudge pot After lunch one day at the senior center, we sat outside and discussed bodily function (yes, this is what seniors do).  Two complained of … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Hospice abuse Hospice is end-of-life care, and as a separate governmental paying entity is vital to  Medicare patients seeking relief. Can anyone really predict how long … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Finding a doctor you can trust Seniors have always trusted doctors to be their advocate.  Now as a senior, I must critically look at my profession. … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Frailty At some point in life we begin to age.  Individually, this depends on genetics, environment, social status, and personal health habits. Toward the end of … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Discharge home:  Lost in translation As an admitting physician, discharge orders written in the hospital are translated into instructions brought home by the patient.  These are … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Voting and healthcare The epitome of democracy is the right to vote.  This singular action empowers all eligible citizens a role in society.  But over the … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Medicare open enrollment Every year we are inundated with advertisements touting “Medicare open enrollment” where eligible seniors opt into a healthcare plan.  Factors involved in this … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Evidence-based medicine Ignaz Semmelweis, an Austrian physician, observed in the mid-1800s hand washing prevented complications following childbirth saving thousands of women.  Later in the century, research … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Caregiver burnout Your in-need elder senior may be a spouse, family member, or friend.  They might be physically or mentally challenged, yet still require trips to … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The second Civil War Twelve score and two years ago, our fathers and mothers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty and … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Lesson learned As medical professionals, we are expected to care for all patients no matter their gender, race, religion, or economic status.  Sometimes there are lessons … Continue Reading →

(Snippet from the frontline) The tortuous healthcare highway Horror stories in healthcare persist:  Loss of medical coverage during treatment for cancer; denial of a surgical procedure after a mass is … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Futile Care? He smoked his entire life, developed lung cancer and was demented with paralysis.  Hospitalized, his discomfort was controlled, “futile care” discussed with family, and … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Start the clock The timer starts as the doctor walks through the exam room door. Do they greet you, or even sit down? How many questions … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Seniors aging in place Everyday, elders are jettisoned into nursing homes because our profiteering healthcare system dictates seniors have become expendable. Technology though can allow them … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Muzzling the best and brightest Some of the best and brightest have become doctors. In the realm of medical advancement, physicians have voiced opinions continually raising … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Bedpan attitude Much of my early training was reliant on good nurses providing expert knowledge in patient care tasks.  This was on surgical floors in large … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The corporate practice of medicine California law explicitly does not allow hospitals to employ doctors.  Understandably, if hospital administrators control physician salaries, then medical decision-making could … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Abe It was a panicked phone call to the office:  “My father has an appointment this morning, and he is going to ask for….viagra!” Abe was … Continue Reading →