MD Whistleblower

Presently, your humble scrivener is situated in Atlanta, Georgia, the destination of a long road trip from Cleveland, Ohio.   Tucked safely inside our car, we were insulated from the novel coronavirus as well as the storm surge of seething of the nation.   As of yet, there is no vaccine or truly effective therapeutic agent available for either of these afflictions.   My sense is that the virus will be sooner and more easily vanquished than will be the malignant divisions that are threatening our society.    Am I being serious here?   Do I actually argue that a scourge from an invisible warrior that has wounded millions will be more easily defeated than our vile and vindictive politics?   Is reaching across the aisle or across the street or across the table such in insurmountable task? Here’s why the virus, as wily and destructive as it is, will at some point be the first to be defeated. Our politics, in contrast, will be more like arthritis and diabetes, long term and progressive d

To note that our nation is seething with anger – although deeply disturbing – is certainly not Breaking News, except on CNN where Breaking News flashes even when they are breaking for a commercial.  It is not that the nation is angry over a handful of controversial issues; we are angry over every issue.  Indeed, part of my dismay and fascination is how even a trivial event or utterance can provoke rage.  A few decades ago, if a person provoked or insulted someone, an argument might ensue.  Today the same provocation can have a fatal outcome.  Let me offer a very bold pronouncement.   I do so under my own name and stand ready to accept a searing rebuke.    Ready?   Humans are not perfect. Yet, when we judge current political leaders, historical figures, athletes, law enforcement personnel, writers, musicians, educators and the rest of us, any flaw discovered may generate outrage.   The paradigm is not to consider any surrounding circumstances or the context of the time that might

 In one’s profession and in life, we strive to improve our performance.  There are so many pathways available to progress on this journey.  One of the best ways is to emulate others.  Athletes, artists, musicians, writers, parents, tradesmen, educators, clergy, law enforcement personnel and even physicians can better their performance by imitating others.  And while it might seem axiomatic that our best role model is one who is more proficient than we, this is not necessarily the case .  The team captain can learn much from a rookie.  The Jewish Talmud expresses the truth more eloquently.                                                 Who is wise?  One who learns from every man. Over my career, I have tried to improve my practice of medicine from watching other physicians and nurses in action.   As an example, I have heard medical professionals having difficult conversations with patients which taught me how to do this better. So, when President Trump’s doctor recently led several

The year 2020 has been an annus horribilis and it's not over yet.  Seemingly out of nowhere a virus, heretofore unknown, has seeped over the globe like hot molten lava leaving a wake of destruction and despair.  The fatalities here in the U.S. have been staggering and the death count continues to rise.  Millions here have been infected and have suffered greatly with severe illness, hospitalizations and intensive care unit treatment.  Those who have so far escaped infection are anxious that their fate might change at any moment.  All of us have been affected. And, we have had a catastrophic economic melt down from which we may never fully recover.   Furloughs, layoffs, bankruptcies and permanent closures have affected nearly every sector of our economy.   The airline industry – the nation’s circulatory system – now has a very weak pulse, as one of countless industry examples.   Job losses have crippled much of the nation which has caused consequences to real people and families f