Q: "Do you have your confirmation number?"
This was the question I was asked by the front desk staff of a hotel nestled amongst the goliaths of the Texas Medical Center. Last weekend, after working a full 8 hour shift at the community hospital doing psychiatric consults, I drove 4 hours to Houston to see my Mom who had suffered a massive stroke. I arrived around 9:30pm. The hospital in question was a testament to old excess, suffering from entropy and bad management. Anywhoo, while I was in the ICU with my sister an
Review: "Doctors Unionize to Resist the Medical Machine" – The New York Times
This was a story written by Noam Scheiber and published by the New York Times today. The author describes a common situation: physicians who want to be thorough run up against administrators who want to make money. The physicians feel trapped because they don't have individual influence enough to make their desired change. In this case, the remaining doctors formed a union. Please read the article and then ask yourself the following questions: Why do doctors feel trapped in a
Review: "Admitted to Your Bedroom: Some Hospitals Try Treating Patient at Home" – The New
What a refreshing article that reminds us that there are ingenious pragmatic souls in health care who still care deeply about the patient-provider relationship. This blog article was written by Daniela J. Lamas, MD. There's an adage in medicine that "the patient knows best." For pediatrics, we take that adage further: "Mom knows best." This is not to say that patients can diagnose or treat themselves without a provider, but they are the best historians for a provider to use i
Q: So what will happen to hospitals? It sounds like you hate them.
"So what will happen to hospitals? It sounds like you hate them." This was a question posed by a business friend of mine. First off, I love capitalism. I think it's great. And I don't hate hospitals. They were instrumental in making advancements in medicine through research and clinical policies. I think a good hospital is worth its weight in gold. But I began to notice the funniest thing. Hospitals began to look more and more like hotels. Yes, I do believe that pretty things