SCV Physician Report

(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 →

(Snippets from the frontline) On being a housecall doctor For over 30 years I have visited patients in their home, mostly elder seniors. None of them drive, while 40% are … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Know your Medicare rights Hospitals generally treat Medicare patients like herding cattle:  “get ‘em in, get ‘em out.”  A patient is admitted, diagnosis made, treatment started, … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline)   Loss of the TCU The most detrimental loss to elder seniors in our community was the hospital closing the Transitional Care Unit (TCU).  It served … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) “Patient-centered” healthcare  Several years ago, our hospital celebrated it’s 40th anniversary.  On Medical Staff were 10 founding physicians, but none were invited. About the same time, … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Intentional confusion As a senior on Medicare, I received my first EOB (Explanation of Benefits) for a doctor visit.  It was like attempting to make sense … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Shortage? We have a shortage of doctors and nurses in our country, but some of these professionals are siphoned off by hospitals, insurance, and pharmaceutical companies … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Defining your doctor Doctors reach their level of education through intellectual mastery, raising to the top of the class with superior grades.  They score well on … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) What happens in the hospital, stays in the hospital A medical record is a legal document, but who owns it?  The doctor or hospital claims the … Continue Reading →