Post Archive by Month

I’ve been taking a tour through the world of value-based care, which is the most recent place where the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) have changed the rules of the game for reimbursement at the organizational level. Value-based care is defined as as positive health outcomes divided by cost. It’s a new and interesting body of knowledge to learn …

For the past year, my wife has been on a mission to find a reasonably-priced Sunbrella© outdoor patio umbrella. When she began looking early last spring, the world was reeling from a wicked winter COVID spike and it seemed that everyone had the same idea to improve their homes’ outdoor living spaces all at once. We had a frustrating experience …

The title of this post is a quote from the film Juno, a cleverly dismissive bit of venom spoken by the protagonist’s stepmother in a rejection of medical authority. It came to mind today as I listened to a fascinating podcast recalling the history of laetrile in the U.S. during the 1970s. Laetrile was a drug made from the extract …

The most telling sign of aging has become the degree of discomfort I am willing to put up with during travel. A dear friend makes his home in the Andes in Peru, and recently returned from a week-long trek at 17,000 feet of altitude. During his trip, he exceeded the height of Everest base camp at times. We spoke on …

Physicians provide a historically target rich environment for financial predators. We assume our expertise in medicine translates into competence in other spaces, like investing. How do I know? ‘Cause I’m a doctor, that’s how I know!Alternately, we plead ignorance to all other facets of life because we are so darn busy saving lives. Finances? Who has time? Why dirty hands …

As a medical student at UCSF, I attended a two-physician panel intended to orient us to the future we were heading toward before we commenced our third year clinical rotations. One speaker was a gentle-voiced and charismatic academic internist who told us we were joining a tradition of healers who practiced the art of medicine. Mastering the science was necessary …

As you’ve figured out, dear reader, there’s been a bit of sadness prevailing over my mood for the last few weeks, which is why this morning offered me an extraordinary symbol of hope. To understand, I must begin with an oblique explanation: I am an unrepentant Californian. As such, I have evolved dietary preferences for which I employ terms that …

This morning I walked my son to his first day of junior high school. On our brief walk, he was the adult. Me: I’m going to miss hanging out and playing strategy games. Him: We’ll still spend plenty of time hanging out. Me: You’ll be busy with school work and friends, which is normal. Him: I’ll need your help with …

As the school year begins with pandemic uncertainty hanging over us all, certain facts help keep me grounded in mundane reality. I have two kids in middle school, both of whom have been seeing an orthodontist for “monitoring.” The eldest child recently had her follow up, at which time it was deemed that her teeth were not going to straighten …