MD Whistleblower

One of the most challenging symptoms that physicians and patients grapple with is fatigue.  It is exceedingly common and elusive.   In general, medical studies do not identify a cause and the symptom remains unexplained.  And, failure to identify an explanation only compounds the frustration. I have been frustrated recently over a new iteration of fatigue, a malady that has crept onto the national scene over the past few months.   This illness, spawned by the COVID-19 plague, is called Pandemic Fatigue (PF) and it is spreading aggressively. As of yet there is no vaccine to prevent it or any proven therapeutic agent to combat it.   Scientists thus far do not even understand how one contracts the illness.   Judging by the rampant community spread, one would suspect that it is highly contagious, but no infectious agent has been identified. The disease seems to follow several weeks of adhering to public health guidelines to mitigate the spread of cor...

  ‘Twas the night before Christmas And Trump was still lyin’, Hark!  What’s that sound? Is Pelosi blow dryin’.!   The nation is split Divided we stand As Trump tells his millions He’s still in command.   The election was rigged! The votes must be stopped! Except for the states, Where Trump was on top.   While the world welcomed Biden, One leader was rootin’, For Trump to prevail, Vladimir Putin!   And with Trump in the ditch, And becoming quite moody, He turned to that savior, We know as Rudy.   And as Trump trashed the system. The Dems are all sissies! The brave GOP Threw Trump lots of kissies.  For a profile in courage I have the sense That the man for the ages, Is Vice President Pence.   The virus roars on There’s no place for hidin’ We’re turning to you Vice President Biden. Joy and Peace!        

It is a pleasure to give patients favorable medical news.  It’s an even greater pleasure to receive it.  Technology has replaced so much of our wholesome and human interactions.  Book stores are disappearing.  Handwritten thank you notes?  Nearly extinct.  The corner hardware store where the owner knows your family?  Today, we have Big Box warehouses where, if you hire a private investigator, you might be able to find a hiding salesman.  Need a salesman?  Hire Sherlock! The joy and relief that a patient and family feel when the physician says that all will be well has no technological equivalent.   We have all had anxiety about our own health or the well-being of those we care about.   When the physician enters the room to deliver news, there is fear and tension knowing that lives may change after just a few sentences are uttered. Fortunately, the vast majority of the news I deliver is just what patients a...

Many of us have sought distractions from the rising fears and frustrations of the pandemic. Why do you think it’s nearly impossible to buy a jigsaw puzzle now?  They are all on back order as the supply cannot meet the demand.  Board games are also more popular than ever.  Even I've competed in a few rounds of Boggle.  And binge-watching various television series has become a welcome oasis from the surrounding chaos. Jigsaw Puzzles - Endangered Species As a medical professional and an ordinary person, I am well aware of the health and economic horrors that the virus has wrought.   Yes, the upcoming vaccines represent a monumental scientific triumph, but there will be many dark months before they are widely available. In this posting, permit me to offer readers a lighter look at COVID-19 to provide a few minutes of deserved distraction. Here’s a COVID-19 quiz to test how current and accurate your knowledge is.   True or False Anthony Fauci, MD is ...

This is not really a fair fight.  In one corner of the ring sits the novel coronavirus.  It's invisible and can attack without warning.  Moreover, when it lands a punch, the victim may not even feel its impact for several days.  It can fell even a highly trained athletic competitor.  And it has proven expertise in psychological warfare.  It's opponents - us - are scared that we might become tomorrow's victims.  The virus clearly understands and exploits the power of fear.   And with deepening pandemic fatigue, the virus gains a strategic advantage as we tire of practicing recommended public health mitigation efforts.   And in the opposite corner sits us, with a mask dangling loosely below our nostrils.  We thought that heading into the mall or to a friend's party would relax us before the competition.   After all, how much risk could there to be to have a quick drink at a coworker's house?   Or flying to ano...

How often have we heard or read after a courtroom verdict, ‘we are going to appeal’, issued by confident lawyers who claim that their crusade for justice will yet be realized.  Indeed, I think many of us misunderstand the appeals process.  You cannot successfully aim to appeal a verdict simply because you reject the outcome.  There is no automatic judicial do over.   The losing party must offer convincing arguments to an appeals court that there were errors in the trial that rendered the proceedings unfair.  In other words, the error(s) must be material and not simply a harmless error.  Obviously, any trial or human endeavor will include mistakes that have no bearing on the ultimate outcome. For example, if a physician like me mistakenly records a patient’s height to be a half inch shorter than the true height, then the error is not consequential and won't affect the patient's care. 'I lost? I demand an appeal!' One of the many regrettable developm...

What is your threshold for speaking up?  Most of us claim to hover at an upper orbit of personal integrity.  But for many if not most of us, the boundary can be wavy.  We see and hear every day how political leaders use different sets of weights and measures depending upon political considerations.  Let me make this plain for readers with the following brief example. “When your guy does it, it’s corrupt and dishonest!” “When my guy does it, it’s completely ethical!” Test your own integrity as you peruse the following list. "Hmmm, what do I tell mom?" Is it a lie to tell your mom that her meat loaf was great when it conjured up visions of Ken-L Ration? If you catch your kid plagiarizing a term paper, do you contact the teacher? If a friend divulges that he is working under the table to avoid paying taxes, do you notify the IRS? If a coworker asks you to punch the time clock for him to hide a late start, do you simply refuse or also notify the manager? Ha...