MD Whistleblower

Even casual followers of the news are aware that actor Alec Baldwin killed one associate and wounded another during a film rehearsal.  It was a horrible tragedy that captured the nation’s attention.  How could such a thing happen? This is the same question we ask when we learn that a surgeon has removed the wrong kidney.   I’ll leave aside how much attention this tragedy has received in comparison to the intentional killings that occur daily in cities throughout the country.   While all lives are equal, it does not seem that every life receives the same attention. Based on what is now known, it does not seem to me that this shooting was a mere accident that occurred from pure happenstance.   Of course, the shooting was not intentional, but it appears that there was a reckless disregard of established firearm safety protocols.   Investigators will surely discover how a live bullet ended up in Alec Baldwin’s gun.   More facts are emerging daily ...

When improper actions are followed by proportionate and predictable consequences, it serves as an incentive for us to behave better.  Let’s face it.  We are not hardwired to do the right thing. If we were, then there would be no need for thousands of laws, rules and regulations to guide our behavior.  We need laws against theft, insider trading and assault because we have accepted that our natural human inclinations often lead us astray. And, if we were moral creatures by design, parents, teachers and religious leaders would not have to devote so much effort to teaching us to do the right thing. When a consequence is hollow it threatens our confidence in the integrity of the system.   When a professional athlete has committed assault, the investigations and punishments have seemed to be a very different process than we would expect if an ordinary person, like me, were the accused.   We have all witnessed examples of this over the years. Some time ago, Mike...

I don’t foresee them disappearing from the public landscape anytime soon. I think there will be a segment of the population that will continue to wear masks even after the pandemic has subsided.   Indeed, there are parts of the world where donning a face mask is routine. And as we have all seen, there is a vocal segment of the population that will refuse mask wearing regardless of the circumstances.   For example, sitting governors, with a keen eye for politics, have ordered that no mask mandates can be instituted in their states.   Score 1 for Politics and 0 for Science. Just as our country has not experienced its last hurricane or wildfire, there are other pandemics lurking over the horizon.   So, over time, mask wearing will rise periodically when nature’s germ warfare strikes us again. 'The Mask Stays!' I also suspect that many health care institutions will require their staffs to wear masks long after the public will have been advised that masking is no ...

( As published recently in cleveland.com) Should a physician who spreads misinformation on coronavirus vaccines lose his medical license?  Would this violate the doctor’s right to free speech?  Shouldn’t physicians be able to offer their patients counsel and advice that differs from mainstream medical thought?  Every profession has ethical and legal requirements to maintain the integrity of the profession as well as the public trust. ·       If an attorney lies to a judge, then this lawyer can expect to be severely sanctioned.  ·       If a public-school teacher instructs science students that the world was created exactly as recorded in the Book of Genesis, then professional repercussions are expected. ·       If a police officer is discovered to have planted evidence to justify an arrest, then the officer will likely face criminal penalties. In the medical profession, there are also professi...

 Recently, I faced 3 patients who had chosen not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.  Interestingly, each had a different reason underlying their hesitancy.  The first patient gave an adamant refusal that there is no way he would ever submit to the vaccine.   He didn’t trust the government.   The second patient offered the canard that the approval process was rushed.   The third patient had simply procrastinated.   Her family members had all been vaccinated and she has received many other vaccinations.   She was simply perched on the fence and hadn’t moved. I offered counsel to Patients #2 and #3 as I felt there was a chance I might have impact with them.   I hope that I did. Stop Vaccine Tyranny! The walls are closing in on the unvaccinated.   With the recent formal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Pfizer vaccine, and the increasing number of businesses, organizations and venues that will only admit the vaccinated, th...

We are taught from a young age to finish the entire job.  I confess that I still need reminding on this virtue. I suspect that all of us must plead guilty to partial task completion from time to time.   Have you ever washed some of the dishes remaining in the sink?   How about cleaning out part of the garage and rationalizing that this is enough work for one day.   How many of us have projects around the house that are waiting patiently for our attention as they sit frozen in time? There are more stark examples   when stopping short if the finish line is downright absurd. Consider some examples extracted from my imagination. An artist paints only on one side of the canvas, and I don’t mean for artistic reasons. A car wash cleans only the rear section of automobiles. A publisher distributes books that are 100 pages short of their true length. Silly, right? It’s easy to conjure up similar examples regarding the medical universe. A surgeon washes only...

We have all been counseled to avoid discussing religion and politics in order to reduce the risk of a hostile encounter.  I recall being reminded of this maxim when dining with a new acquaintance many years ago.  My response?  ‘That’s all I like to talk about!’ I am writing this at 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday and I’ve already had multiple conversations – both directly and electronically – with people in my life on both of these radioactive subjects.  As far as I know, all of the friendships remain whole.  Indeed, these debates and exchanges serve to fortify our friendships rather than to threaten them. I recognized that discussing religion can be fraught for many individuals and might be best avoided for them.  Same with politics.  Many a thanksgiving dinner has been sullied by someone who decides to serve as the family turkey  Look at the national response when a Colorado baker refused to bake a wedding cake for gay couple in 2012.  The cake...