"We, as a profession, must accept some blame for many of the developing problems in health care delivery. No, I am not suggesting that we caused the problem. I am stating that we have had ample opportunities to manage the debacle and even to reverse some of the disturbing trends, yet we rarely allow our voices to be heard.

Is health care reform impossible? It certainly isn't. But we, as doctors, need to step up to the plate, to stand up to the growing bureaucracy in the system, and make sure our voices are heard. The change will be long, slow, and painful, but we can't allow the system to continue to swallow us whole. The change must come from us."

Alejandro Badia is an orthopedic surgeon and author of Healthcare from the Trenches. He can be reached at Healthcare from the Trenches and on Facebook and Instagram @badiahandtoshouldercenter.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Health care from the trenches: Change must come from us." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/health-care-from-the-trenches-change-must-come-from-us.html)