The Podcast by KevinMD

"Last March, I was working in a small primary care practice on the west side of Denver. COVID-19 came to town. On Thursday, March 12, we were told the schools would be closing. On Friday, we were told that clinic staff had to wear masks — and the clinic had to start testing patients for COVID-19. The only problem? There were no medical-grade masks to be had. Not through the state health department, not on Google, not anywhere. Likewise, there were no COVID tests available. A patient came into the clinic late that afternoon, complaining of a high fever and a bad cough for three days. He wanted to know if he had COVID-19. So did I! But there was no way to test him." Janet Tamaren is a family physician and author of Yankee Doctor in the Bible Belt: A Memoir. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "I was thinking about retiring, and COVID-19 gave me a push." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/i-was-thinking-about-retiring-and-covid-19-gave-me-a-push.html)

"There has been a growing wave of entrepreneurial physicians finding joy and value in starting consulting and coaching businesses. Many use their expertise to work with physicians exclusively. Our company has been excited to play a part in better spotlighting these businesses. Today it is now even easier to find doctors who can give you guidance on everything from running your own practice more efficiently, build a better relationship with your spouse, to negotiating your next job contract. We are all aware of the tired refrain that 'physicians are bad at business.' It is time to retire that phrase. Business has not been our primary focus, and perhaps the state of medicine may result from that. So if given a choice, consider supporting more physician-owned businesses. If you have a problem that needs solving, there may be a colleague out there who has already figured it out and can help." Michael Woo-Ming is a physician entrepreneur. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Why physician-owned businesses need our attention and support." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/06/why-physician-owned-businesses-need-our-attention-and-support.html)

"Transections, eviscerations, exsanguinations, amputations, decapitations, disembowelments, penetrations, disarticulations, emasculations, enucleations, incinerations—these things he has seen. But of late he chooses to see only the glimmering vials. His vision fades and darkens as he draws closer to the OR where the ultimate reality lies prepped, draped, framed, and illuminated, waiting for the surgeon to fix it all, to make sense of it all. Exposure in surgery is everything." Michael J. Collins is an orthopedic surgeon and author of All Bleeding Stops. He can be reached on Twitter @mjcollinsmd. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Exposure in surgery is everything." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/09/exposure-in-surgery-is-everything.html)

"Her face is decorated in colors of the earth. With events on Earth Day and throughout the week, New York City celebrates sustainability and ways to live in harmony with the planet. Scheduled festivities include a march down Broadway with a mix of virtual talks and celebrations and in-person walks and volunteer opportunities across the boroughs. Earth Day began in 1970 as a way to raise awareness about environmental issues and became a global event in 1990; the event has been celebrated in parks across the city since 2000." Glenn Mark Losack is a psychiatrist and author of The Bonds We Share: Images of Humanity, 40 Years Around the Globe. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "A physician shares images of humanity." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/07/a-physician-shares-images-of-humanity.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"A child is born with a food allergy. They do not choose to have their immune system compromised. Parents do not get the choice to opt-in or out of having their child's body recognize ordinary food as a threat. Food allergies are a unique disease in that we need the help of those around us to keep our children safe. Let us remember that children, especially when they are young, often cannot protect themselves. A young child also may not truly understand the potential danger of sharing food with a friend. This is why food allergy education is critical for both teaching staff and students. But such education is often lacking." Lianne Mandelbaum is founder, the No Nut Traveler, and can be reached on Twitter @nonuttraveler. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "When celebrities attack children with food allergies." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/05/when-celebrities-attack-children-with-food-allergies.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"I believe there is an art to medicine, a psychological connection to your patients through a hands-on patient encounter. There are nuances AI may take decades to compete with. For now, in my lifetime, I hope that people examine patients and when there are questions about the quality of care, institutions perform a deeper dive into the real problem. (Was it the overall experience, a poor relationship with the doctor, financial stress that would be assumed by paying the medical bill, or actual malpractice?) Without support from our employers, physicians will continue to feel the accumulation of burnout and insecurity that leads to emotional duress, leaving medical practice or the worst outcome: physician suicide. We are not machines. The burden cost is evident, but when will the medical community, investors, and hospital administrators begin to truly support physicians and prevent these terrible outcomes?" Gina Ambrose is an emergency physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The psychological repercussions of patient complaints." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/07/the-psychological-repercussions-of-patient-complaints.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"We can't expect those with a business school mindset to solve physician burnout. What is needed is leadership throughout health care organizations by those with expertise in the core business, deep commitment to health care workers and patients, extensive tacit knowledge, and credibility. Physician CEOs have better outcomes in all critical metrics, including engagement among staff. And physician leaders have an ethical and fiduciary responsibility to serve patients. Those with a business school mindset do not." Patty Fahy is an internal medicine physician and founder, Fahy Consulting. She can be reached on Twitter @pattyfahyMD. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The business school mindset doesn't mind physician burnout." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/the-business-school-mindset-doesnt-mind-physician-burnout.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"I can imagine the horror of watching a colleague being attacked. I worry about the coworker who Lynne protected that day, since being a survivor can be so bittersweet. I can feel the shock of how quickly the violence escalated, tasting the bitterness from the desperation of being so alone in the immediate first seconds of the downwardly spiraling situation." June Garen is a nurse and author of Hey! I Could Use a Little Help Here! My Story of Healthcare Workplace Violence. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "In memory of a nurse who died from injuries sustained during a patient assault." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/in-memory-of-a-nurse-who-died-from-injuries-sustained-during-a-patient-assault.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"The first amendment protects your right to free speech. But it does not make you more right, more ethical, or more kind. And nor does it give one license to rewrite history as has been occurring since July 27th, adding insult to our experience. Let me break this down. On one hand, three pediatric medical professionals and one student spoke eloquently and rationally about facts, guidelines, and personal experiences. On the other hand, grown adults belonging to ironically named groups claiming to "protect kids," tried to intimidate, bully, and silence a child for exercising her first amendment right to free speech. We now have a vaccine against COVID-19. And even though we (individually and as a medical profession) anticipate continued harassment by these groups, bringing their hateful rhetoric and actions to light is the only inoculation we have against bullying." Anusha Viswanathan is a pediatric infectious disease physician. Jennifer Bish is a pediatric nurse practitioner. They share their stories and discuss the KevinMD article, "A pandemic of the bullies over others." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/a-pandemic-of-the-bullies-over-others.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"Is your health care organization reeling from a bad EHR implementation? There have been rumblings from hospital leadership and congressional committees about the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospitals' implementation of the Cerner Corporation electronic health record (EHR) replacing the VistA EHR. The $10 million EHR overhaul has been controversial since the staggered rollout started in Spokane, Washington. One report noted that months after the go-live, fewer users knew how to operate the system well. From the perspective of an outside informaticist, such frustration can be multifactorial. The typical issues are made worse by the COVID-19 hospital restrictions on normal hospital operations. However, many of these issues could have been mitigated by offering expanded in-person expert support to hospital staff supported by virtual technical assistance." Afua Aning is a physician informaticist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How to recover from a bad electronic health records implementation." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/how-to-recover-from-a-bad-electronic-health-records-implementation.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.