MD Whistleblower

The House of Representatives enjoyed success weeks ago, depending on how one defines success.  Unquestionably, the passage of TrumpCare was a great political success that was not easily achieved.  I can’t fathom the intensity of threats and pressure that was utilized to convert a few ‘no votes’ into TrumpCare supporters.  The president and his team desperately needed a win after so many setbacks domestically and internationally.  And, this is a clear win, at least in the short term.  We will see if this vote becomes one that GOP House members can run on or will try to run from in 2018.  Indeed, the GOP high-fiving and Rose Garden ceremony seemed premature considering that they have ascended only about 20% of their upward trek on an icy mountain as they hope to slog to the summit.  They may never get there.  The Senate, who have been quietly working on their own reform bill, are unlikely to endorse the House bill which contains antagonistic policies toward Medicaid expansion and pr

Words matter.  Patients can get spooked by the words we use.  All of us have heard vignettes of how some inadvertent harsh words from a physician have caused injury.  I know there were times that I wish I could rewind and erase some errant words.  Sometimes, an innocent remark from the doctor doesn’t land innocently.   When I ask as a matter of routine, ‘is there a family history of colon cancer’, as I do with every patient, this may provoke anxiety in a patient who is seeing me for a bowel disturbance. Words Matter We ask every patient who arrives at our ambulatory surgery center if they have a living will.  This often causes the patient to utter a nervous joke.  We then go on to ask if the patient has ever been ‘a victim of abuse or neglect’.   We are required to ask this..  It would seem rather unlikely that a patient who has just purged themselves for the pleasure of a colonoscopy, would confess to a nurse that (s)he is meeting for the first time that (s)he has been

Freedom is not Free. Expressing profound gratitude to all those who served our nation and serve today, and to their families who share their sacrifice.

I had an interesting conversation with a patient in the office some time ago.  He was sent to me to evaluate abnormal liver blood tests, a common issue for gastroenterologists to unravel.  I did not think that these laboratory abnormalities portended an unfavorable medical outcome.  Beyond the medical issue he confided to me a harrowing personal tribulation.  Often, I find that a person’s personal story is more interesting and significant than the medical issue that led him to see me. I am taking care to de-identify him here, and I did secure his permission to chronicle this vignette.  He is active duty military and is suffering from attention deficit disorder (ADD).  He likes his job.  He was treated with several medications, which were either not effective or well tolerated.  Finally, he was prescribed Vyvanse, which was a wonder drug for him.  The ADD symptoms melted away.  This is when military madness kicked in.  He met with military medical officials who concurred that this

When I am facing an alcoholic in the office, I do not advise him to stop drinking.  Other physicians may advocate a different approach.  We live in a free society and individuals are free to make their own choices.  I have decided, for example, not to own a firearm, ride a motorcycle or bungee jump as these activities are not only beyond my risk tolerance threshold, but are also activities that I have decided would not enrich my life.  Many smokers, though addicted, enjoy the experience and are aware of the risks of this activity.  Preparing One for the Road My responsibility as a physician is to inform and counsel, not to lecture or preach.  I tell alcoholics with clear candor the medical risks they face if they decide to maintain this lifestyle.  I advise them that if they wish to aspire to sobriety, that I will refer them to appropriate professionals for treatment.  I further inform them that in my decades of experience, very few alcohol addicts can quit on their own, des

I was covering for my partner over the weekend and saw his patient with end stage liver disease, a consequence of decades of alcohol abuse.  He was one of the most deeply jaundiced individuals I have ever seen.  His mental status was still preserved.  He could converse and responded appropriately to my routine inquiries, although he was somewhat sluggish in his thinking.  It’s amazing that even after the majority of a liver is dead, that a person can still live. The Liver - Alcohol's Enemy When I do my hospital rounds, it is rare that one of my patients is not suffering some complication of chronic alcoholism.  In the hospital, the disease is rampant.  In my office, this addiction is much more easily disguised.  I know that many of the high functioning alcoholics whom I see there have kept their addiction a secret.  Some lie and others deny.  There was a dispute with regard to the jaundiced patient referenced above.  There was no disagreement among the medical prof

What should a medical consultant do when the referring physician wants a procedure that the consultant does not favor? Of course, this sounds like a lay up.  The consultant, readers would surmise, should have a conversation with the referring colleague to explain why the procedure is not in the patient’s interest.  The colleague then thanks the consultant for his thoughtful input, and for sparing the patient from the risks and expense of an unneeded medical procedure.  Then, a rainbow appears, songbirds tweet in harmony and the lion lies down with the lamb. When Physicians Dialogue, the Heavens Open and Music Plays! This is not how it works in real world of medical practice.  I wish it did.  Indeed, this issue has tormented me more than, perhaps, any other in my decades of work as a gastroenterologist.  Many referring physicians request procedures from us – not our opinions – and expect that their requests will be complied with.  This is the same mentality that all phys