During one of my dad’s more frustrating hospitalizations my sisters and I were having a very difficult time communicating with the doctors. We provided them with numerous examples of his confusion and disorganized thoughts. We had significant concerns about his … Continue reading →
My mother was diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. She died from complications in June of 1995. I was a new wife, a new mother, and a second-year medical student. Needless to say, the one commodity I did not have in … Continue reading →
My father had several chronic health conditions and was cared for by multiple physicians. In addition to his primary care physician, he saw a cardiologist for hypertension and heart disease, a nephrologist for end stage renal disease, a neurologist for … Continue reading →
I dread open enrollment season. Every year I feel a little anxious about choosing health insurance for my family. Thankfully, we’re fairly healthy and we don’t visit the doctor often, but the future is unpredictable and it’s important to have … Continue reading →
Years ago, I had a gynecologist I really liked, but every time I visited the office I waited a minimum of 45 minutes to be seen. There was never a good explanation and it left me feeling incredibly annoyed. After … Continue reading →
I have a great primary care physician. He is personable and kind. He keeps up with the latest guidelines and provides excellent care. He utilizes an electronic medical record that allows me to access my lab results via a … Continue reading →
My father loved cars and he enjoyed driving. I have fond memories of family road trips in the station wagon as a young child, and in his Chevy Suburban during my adolescent years. But the vehicle he treasured the … Continue reading →
As discussed in last week’s blog post, the family meeting is an essential tool for communicating with members of the health care team when you or your loved one is hospitalized. I have participated in numerous family meetings as part of … Continue reading →
There’s nothing more frightening than having a loved one in the hospital and feeling clueless. You keep missing the attending physician despite arriving early in the morning. The nurse is so busy caring for other patients that she doesn’t have … Continue reading →
When I began practicing as a hospitalist physician my patients’ family members would routinely ask, “When is her regular doctor coming to see her?” They were happy with the care I provided but wanted to see a familiar face. … Continue reading →
