care coordination

I’ve always been the kind of doctor who enjoys engaging in dialogue with patients and families. I encourage them to ask questions about their health and about the recommendations I provide. A thoughtful question will occasionally prompt me to do additional reading or to “curbside” a colleague for input. Doctors are skilled and knowledgeable, but

We all want our parents to live as long as possible, but seeing them deteriorate can be heartbreaking. I didn’t have the benefit of watching my mother age, as she passed away at the age of 49 from complications of leukemia. I would have loved to have more time with her as she grew older.

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 adequate coverage. The decision is a binding one and can’t be changed until either the

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 the medical team, but I have also been on the other side of the table

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 much time to talk to you and hasn’t been able to adequately review the chart.

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. Today, almost thirteen years later, I am asked this question very rarely. Due to numerous changes