Practicing Art on Medicine's Front Lines: Tales From the OR and the Bedside

Simply not true...

The comment about elderly people receiving the same dosage as younger people is simply not true. I work in the medical field & accuracy & knowledge is no more important anywhere on the planet than in the medical field.

response to "Angelicas" comment

Wow...the fact that you would consider it to be an issue in believeing in God and him needing more faith is astounding to me and while I know you are young and have much to learn, sometimes we endure things even in the midst of our great faith. I know this man and hi wife personally and it would humble you to know that they are strong believers in God and his ablility to heal. In fact, they are counting on it every disappoint they face...As Bart and his Wife have endured this challenge they have rose up in the midst of death and cried out for the cause of Christ...Bart spends his time seeking to save the lost and speaking into young boys lives...HE GETS THE VISION OF ETERNITY. He and Rhonda have seen the glory of God in a way that few can...its in the death of the valley that God shines forth His mercey, grace and love. Their faith is ever increasing and they stand firm to what they Lord has promised...Unfortunately we dont know what life has and sometimes brings...all we know is that HE, the God of Heaven and Earth, knows best and THEY put their trust in that. Dont be quick to judge and assume its a lack of faith that doesnt bring healing...remember we have a limited view of what God is doing and all we can do is walk by faith in knowing that whatever happens we will serve the Lord all of our days...YOu dont think that Bart and Rhonda are praying MORE then every night asking for Christ to heal them???? Dont be ignorant, please, and dont insult the nature of their relationship with God. If only everyone would strive to serve the Lord in there weakest and darkest hours...They have asked for healing, they believe it will come...whether its hear on earth or perfect healing in heaven...THEY ARE FAITHFUL...

mi jobs lab tecnician

my name is sanjay kumar sharma

para medical lab tecnician diploma

mi contact number ; 09001058395 ,09784628804

Bogus Rankings ...

Here's the story of one patient's journey that you will not read in US News:

http://adventuresincardiology.com/

WHAT I THINK.

I THINK IF HE JUST BELIEVE IN GOD EVERYTHING WOULD TURN OUT TO BE GOOD.BECAUSE WITHOUT GOD THAT TREATMENT DON'T HAVE TO WORK IT COULD MAKE THE PROBLEM WORST BUT GOD COULD MAKE IT BETTER BEFORE YOU NO IT.I WANT TO BECOME A DOTOR WHEN I FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL.I'M ONLY IN THE 9TH GRADE BUT WHEN I FINISH HIGH SCHOOL, AND BECOME A DOTOR I WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE WHO COME IN THE DOTOR OFFICE GET THE RIGHT MEDICAL HELP THEY NEED. BTU WANT NUN OF THAT HAPPEN WITHOUT GOD OR WITHOUT ME KEEPING THE FAITH. WE DON'T HAVE TO BELIEV WE SICK BECAUSE,GOD DIED ON THE CROSS FOR US AND ALL OUR SICKNESS IS ALREADY HEALED. GOD SAID IN ISAIAH 53 CHAPTER BUT HE WAS WOUNDE FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES:THE CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE WAS UPON HIM;AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.IF YOU KEEP SAYING THAT EVERY NIGHT AND BELIEVE IT YOU WILL BE HEALED.

science can go but so far

But it is so facinating how far it can go. What these doctors do is a gift from God.

Great Article

What a great article. It was simple and right to the point.

I am an employee @ UMGCC and proad of it. Our physicians are smart, compassionate and also on the cutting edge of new treatments. Our physicians treat patients, teach in the school of medicine, and do research so that we can be on the cutting edge of any breakthroughs.

Our Customer Service skills to help alleviate anxiety for the patients and there families, I would put against any hospital or medical facility.

Keep up the Great Work.

Scare tactics

Because a many of the details have yet to be finalized regarding any type of legislation concerning health care reform, much of the mainstream media are making assumptions about what the changes ahead will eventually mean for us as American citizens. These assumptions interpreted as facts by readers will create unfounded fear for people who do not understand that good medical professionals will not allow parameters to be imposed on their work which directly counters the Hippocratic oath to which they have pledged.

I work in a non-clinical support functions in materials contracts for a 1200 bed hospital system in the southeast US. Two thirds of my responsibilities include managing procurement agreements for orthopedic prosthesis implants. In the past few years, IRS and ethical standards legislation, has reduced the opportunity for price gouging by orthopedic suppliers. The problem is, their pockets are so deep and so many different ways have been devised to circumvent appropriate business practices, it will take an FBI crackdown scenario to require these companies to do the right thing.

The structure of these companies, most of them European-owned, are such that the bulk of the focus is on profitability first, bells-and-whistles second, patient care third. At the hospital level, support professionals are tightening the situation up for these companies where we can, and the legal environment has improved to encourage surgeons to get the appropriate materials for the best price. We are grateful that these dynamics have improved in recent years, as previous physician preference relationships were often perceived as unethical when supplier exclusivity was mandated. People don't realize the impact these relationships have had on the health care financial system in the previous three decades.

It will be a long road to get there, but the American people should know that we are finally getting better tools to do an effective job on behalf of patients and the non-profit organizations for whom we work. Surgeons and other clinical professionals are getting better tools to do a better job evaluating OR products and supplies. Improved efforts among cross-functional teams make all the difference.

All of the improvements we need won't happen overnight. But, we are heading in the right direction.

More Info is better than less

More information is always better than less.

Today there is too much 'one size fits all' thinking in the practice of medicine. Old folks are often given the same dosage as younger people, which is often not appropriate. A computerized model should warn the physician to consider the age of the patient in prescribing.

I think a computer database would bring all physicians up to at least a certain level of proficiency as well as including new developments in a field that he/she may not have had a chance to read. A person in specialized practice, generally, does not even have the time to stay fully abreast of new developments in his own field as well as have a full patient load. The database could help to rectify that, citing findings that may be appropriate to a specific situation.

There are areas with many doctors in this country and the competition is such that a physician has to be good and medical schools are on the cutting edge, also competing with each other. There are other areas of the country with too few doctors to support the numbers of people living there and just regional clinics. Those doctors, in particular, in a computerized system, would be greatly helped.

There are so many people in this country who are under served due to medical costs. That so many middle class people with coverage and jobs are declaring bankruptcy sue to medical costs, we need to do some serious changes to the system. THe high cost of insurance is actually shrinking the population that is availing itself of the system and treating too few people may actually bring down the quality of health care.

The overhead of Medicare is 3% - for the insurance companies it is about 20%. Add profits on top of that and higher executive salaries and there could be some dramatic cost cuttings in a single payer option.

Most of our country's budget for 'foreign aid' is actually military, making military the largest part of the US budget. I think more of our money should be diverted into saving lives rather than what we have now.

Gigabites of information or just what's in the MD's brain?

The outcry about "socialized medicine" (which politicians find just fine - for THEM),"controlled" treatment", "decisions by insurance companies and legislators", "no choices for patients" is sheer propaganda.

Use your brain.

The argument that having available vast amounts of data from a computer prohibits one (even a doctor) from making decisions as to what to do with the information is obvious nonsense. That dog won't hunt. The doctor needs a knowledge base. What's wrong with having the largest and best?

Get real! The rest of the world doesn't find computers restricting or dominating. Why should doctors?