His boots were enormous, and caked with the dirt of his work. His clothes, brought up by an ER tech in a clear plastic bag, included a construction helmet and vest. Crushing chest pain and shortness of breath had bought him this sunny day off of work and a direct ticket to the cardiac catheterization lab at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. (more…)
Not only is Halloween candy lining drugstore aisles, but it seems to have taken residence at the workplace (those pesky candy dishes!), supermarket shelves and even the doctor’s office. The holiday of ghouls and goblins not only brings plenty of tricks and scary costumes, but it signifies the start to a holiday season filled with treats. Healthy habits you’ve worked so hard to instill can fall by the wayside as Halloween candy transitions to pecan pie, Christmas cookies and fruitcakes. The good news is that we’re here to help you navigate the holidays and help you maintain a healthy balance. First up: Halloween! (more…)
The Kaiser Health News reported “The new health-care law encourages people to get the preventive services they need by requiring that most health plans cover cancer screenings, contraceptives and vaccines, among other things, without charging patients anything out of pocket. Some patients, however, are running up against coverage exceptions and extra costs when they try to get those services.
“… in wild profusion because, in his experience, every question had an answer and a test that would get you there.”
We have become a society where test scores are associated with success so it is not surprising that this has become a controversy in physician education.
Recently an article in the New York Times noted: “My young friend had just finished the last months of his medical training. He had faced down many multiple-choice tests and triumphed over them all.”
“When nursing is not optimal, patient care is never good.”
It’s always interesting and illuminating what we learn from physicians who report on their experiences as hosptalized patients.
The New York Times article reported about the hospitalization experience of a legendary physician.
“Last June, the month he turned 90, Dr. Arnold S. Relman, the eminent former medical educator and editor, fell down a flight of stairs at his home in Cambridge, Mass. He cracked his skull and broke three vertebrae in his neck and more bones in his face.”