The Podcast by KevinMD

"We have to heal ourselves first. That begins with caring for our own minds and bodies, and souls. It means not avoiding (as I did) caring for our own physical and especially our mental health. It means we must be a part of the lives of our families and loved ones as well. Once that is accomplished, then and only then can we move on effectively to heal and revitalize our beloved profession. And likewise, that is not a battle that can be shouldered alone. We must join with and support each other. We must arm ourselves with knowledge and motivation by taking advantage of mentors and coaches. And perhaps most importantly, we must be aware of when we need to be the mentor and when to be the protégé. Only then will we heal ourselves. Randy Cook is a surgeon and physician coach. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "How to heal and revitalize our beloved profession." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/09/how-to-heal-and-revitalize-our-beloved-profession.html)

"If you are encountering families with feeding concerns, I strongly encourage you to ask them if sitting down together for meals is part of their regular routine. The more prescriptive 'eat this, not that' or calorie counting model that has been traditionally used in medicine is clearly not working well. As we see continue to see increased obesity and disordered eating alongside decreased resilience in our children, a return to the daily 'ritual' of the family meal may be the most beneficial first step for some of our struggling families. Encourage them to start small if necessary. If they are currently not eating together set the goal of one meal per week. If they are already doing it, suggest that they do so with more verve and intention. Educate yourself on the overwhelming benefits of the family meal for children and parents alike. Practice it in your own home so that you too may know the magic of this simple act. Family meals are a small change that is accessible and manageable for just about anyone— and maybe just what the doctor ordered." Kristin Saxena is a pediatrician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The surprising power of family meals." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/09/the-surprising-power-of-family-meals.html)

"Like some insidious conditions, feelings can fester. They can spread like cancer, and sap the spirit of nourishment until it starts to die, riddled with doubt and sensations of inadequacy. They can degrade the soul, as though it were suffering from a systemic inflammatory disease. But this progression, like many conditions of the flesh, is treatable. With early detection, the process can be arrested and cured. Talking about feelings, journaling, praying, or finding an outlet in wellness activities that channel joy is as essential to academically thriving as studying, practicing, and pushing to meet the demands of a health care provider." Stephanie Wottrich is a medical student. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Joy is our antibiotic. Let not your stings fester." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/joy-is-our-antibiotic-let-not-your-stings-fester.html)

"Bipolar runs in my family, so I knew the harsh realities of this untreated illness. A family member faked his own death after a counterfeiting spending spree. My grandfather told people that I would die in a car accident, and he would take my body up to the mountain and bring me back to life. When I was younger, surrounded by this family chaos, it was easy to tell myself, 'They are crazy!' I bought into many of the stigmas of mental illness — that those with mental illness are unpredictable, incompetent, and have trouble holding down a job. I thought I was different. I was married to a hospital CEO, attended charity events, lived in a beautiful home, and had three healthy children. Yet, life felt unbearable. The stigmas around mental illness kept me from getting the help I desperately needed, so I continued to suffer in silence." Sonja Wasden is a mental health advocate and co-author of An Impossible Life. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "I bought into the stigmas about the mentally ill, until I became one of them." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/06/i-bought-into-the-stigmas-about-the-mentally-ill-until-i-became-one-of-them.html)

"How do we create a world where all of us can express our unique selves the way we choose without derisiveness and shame? I am not here to criticize the wonderful parents and caregivers who are reading this – they only love their children. Common sense must prevail. I only ask with respect that parents and caregivers let their kids explore freely so we all can find a way to live together with our differences celebrated. What a wonderful day that will be." Craig Pomranz is a vocalist and actor. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Tomgirl and tomboy: Rethinking gender stereotypes." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/tomgirl-and-tomboy-rethinking-gender-stereotypes.html)

"We all know watching a module on resilience, sitting in a lecture about mindfulness, being told to practice more yoga and breathing techniques does not make you feel less burnout. It's having the support and buy-in from your workplace, to actually have the time to do the things that feed your soul and fill your cup. Adding more onto an already overflowing plate of life's stressors only makes it heavier and more overwhelming. I want support. I want authentic connection and compassion. I want someone invested in my well-being who prioritizes my self-care to prevent me from having to be perpetually resilient. I want someone who values my heartiness and helps to cultivate an environment that fosters continued growth for myself and others." Michelle Owens is a palliative care physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "I do not want to be resilient." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/i-do-not-want-to-be-resilient.html)

"As the next wave of the pandemic unfolds, the rise in cases is once again straining health care systems. But that's not the only reason hospitals and health systems could experience an influx of emergency or critical care visits. Findings from the National Poll on Healthy Aging based at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation revealed that nearly one in three Americans between the ages of 50 and 80 put off an in-person appointment for medical care in 2020 because they were worried about potential COVID-19 exposure, and with the emergence of new variants, that trend could continue. There is a growing concern that patients will either see a relapse in their illness or will experience new complications as a result of waiting too long to visit the doctor. Put simply, there could essentially be two health crises crowding the system: those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, and those who delayed routine preventative and ongoing care for ailments such as chronic disease or mental health." Matt Dickson is a health care executive. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Why now is the time to get patients back to in-person routine care." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/why-now-is-the-time-to-get-patients-back-to-in-person-routine-care.html)

"Frontline workers may have temporarily experienced a heightened sense of personal success and gratification, but I doubt many of us are still able to feel satisfied at this point, after all the repeated moral injuries and losing so many patients. COVID-19 assuredly changed me. The virus changed my residency experience. It changed the hospital, and it changed the entire world. As Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently stated, 'We simply cannot revert instantly … to life as it was before COVID.' We must try our best to carry on, cautiously, into the new unknown era of vaccines and virulence. For me, that means wearing a mask in public long after restrictions are gone." Elizabeth Sarah Haberl is a resident physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Carry on, my weary one: Persevering in the aftermath." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/carry-on-my-weary-one-persevering-in-the-aftermath.html)

"As a mother, a physician, and an educator, I refuse to accept this as normal. It is not! What should we tell the parents of these young physicians? How do we explain to them that their dream of being a doctor became a nightmare with a tragic ending? What do we tell their children when they ask for daddy's good night kiss, or for mommy's caring hugs? Where are the leaders? How did nobody notice their sadness, lack of hope, and deep desperation? Sadly, this tragedy is not isolated. These types of events are happening around the country and in different institutions. The hopes of young physicians are transforming on fears, the excitement on stress, the smiles on tears. Where are the leaders? How did nobody know that something wrong was happening?" Miriam Zylberglait Lisigurski is an internal medicine physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Physician suicide: Where are the leaders?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/physician-suicide-where-are-the-leaders.html)

"Provider organizations may look at their budgets and think the traditional model of fax machines and landlines is serving their entity in optimizing revenue streams. They may even look at their providers' full schedules and believe there isn't a patient population that still needs care. But this would be a miscalculation. Without appropriate methods to close the gap on referrals and communicate appointment information to patients, no-show and cancellation rates risk burdening providers and costing practices and health systems millions. With the right technology and procedures at the care coordinator level, patients in need of care can be seen quickly. Patients that otherwise would slip through the cracks in a health system's infrastructure are connected with the care they desperately need. Finally, with this increased connectivity and patient care, provider organizations can continue to expand their networks and connect with more providers and services to make sure they stay competitive and relevant across the health care ecosystem." Curtis Gattis is a health care executive. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Why clinicians can't keep ignoring care coordination." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/why-clinicians-cant-keep-ignoring-care-coordination.html)