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Merry Christmas
I'm taking a few days off from the blog. Actually, one of the things I have to do is finish my Christmas shopping this weekend and other things to get ready for Tuesday. So, I just wanted to wish everyone out there in blog land a happy and safe long weekend.
Above is a you tube clip from my favorite Christmas cartoon - and of course, it's Charlie Brown. This scene with Linus close to the end of the show still resonates with me today. Apparently, at the time, there was controversy with the broadcast network about whether to leave this scene in the show. I'm glad that they did. For me, it helps me remember the reason for the holiday....
Prostate cancer and tea
I know what you're thinking, "Dr A., what's the connection here?" I have to admit that I'm not really a tea fan, but my family is (maybe I was adopted - HA!). Anyway, there's a study from Japan that was just released stating that a certain type of tea - namely Green Tea - can decrease the risk of prostate cancer. (Associated Press)
A study of nearly 50,000 Japanese men aged 40-69 found that those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day reduced their risk of having progressive prostate cancer by half, compared with those who drank a cup or less, according to the Epidemiology and Prevention Division of the National Cancer Center in Tokyo.Christmas is less than a week away now (Wow, I can't believe that). So, if you're like me and do all of your Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve (It's really fun!), then don't forget about the gift of tea. Who knows? It may make a good re-gift for someone in 2008. HA!
The Secret Society
As everyone knows, I'm a little obsessive over my blog stats (I need to work on that). Anyway, I was looking at my stats the other day to see where people are clicking from. And I saw this site, which I really found intriguing.
Here's the post title, "Physician Blogs: The secret medical network of doctors that blog." I never knew I was part of a secret society. This phrase has the undertones of the Da Vinci code (see YouTube clip above) - Yeesh! I guess I need to learn the secret handshake and get the secret decoder ring.
As far as the list goes, it's an interesting list. I wonder if there is a more complete list out there. Where would there be a database where one would go to see the physician bloggers? I guess this is a good start. I'll have to check some of these links out.
Medicare 10% cut averted - For now...
Hot off the press from the Associated Press is a story stating that Congress is about to pass legislation which avoids the proposed 10% cut in Medicare payment scheduled to take place 14 days from now.
The legislation crafted by Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Finance Committee would give doctors a 0.5 percent raise when they treat the elderly and disabled. The Senate was expected to approve the bill Tuesday or Wednesday. The legislation would then move to the House, which hopes to wrap up work this week.Like practically everything else in government, there's a catch. What's the catch? Well, this HUGE zero-point-five percent raise in Medicare payment will expire on June 30, 2008. Which means, that docs will have to go through this stress and anguish and Congressional advocacy efforts all over again in six months.
I know what you're saying, what's the big deal? Docs have all kinds of money anyway. They don't need a pay raise like everyone else does. I don't want to get started on a rant. But, I will say that patients are feeling the effects of status quo or less payment by the federal government and private insurance companies for physician services. Here is how one patient sees it:
Docs, especially GP's (or PA's, my GP was on vacation and also works with a PA who handles some things, you can make an appointment with either but the PA is available much sooner usually) are so pressed-for time, something needs to CHANGE to make it so they can spend a little more time with each patient, geez! Yet not lose money because they might be seeing fewer by a couple, each day . . . . . and then there's all the paperwork, etc. I'm sure Doctor Anonymous, aka Dr. A, can chime in with some comments to this post, from his point of view (he's a GP).Presuming this legislation passes, I would like to thank Congress for the HUGE raise for taking care of Medicare patients. Of course, the private insurance companies will follow suit, or even continue their tradition of sometimes paying 80-90% of what Medicare pays. For all the Senators and Congress representatives out there reading this - Merry Christmas (er, for the politically correct, Happy Winter Solstice) and we'll see you in June when we have to do this dance all over again.
Do you Re-gift?
So, it's the week before Christmas. The office is deluged with sweets, and little gifts, and trinkets, and sweets. Did I mention sweets? I get a sugar high just walking through the break room. Sheesh! Anyway, sometimes I get a gift basket on my desk. And, sometimes it's stuff that I don't really need or want. So, why not re-gift?
Ok, so I wrote about this phenomenon/behavior last year? Do you know what this is? Well, according to the Urban Dictionary, here are the definitions:
(a). To give a gift that you have received to someone else.
(b). scandalously repackaging and claiming to have purchased on your own a previously received hideous piece of crapola and giving it to someone else as if you had actually been thinking about what they would enjoy.
(b). scandalously repackaging and claiming to have purchased on your own a previously received hideous piece of crapola and giving it to someone else as if you had actually been thinking about what they would enjoy.
Now, no one will admit it, but we all do it. It's those gifts that you get at the office Christmas party. You know, those "Secret Santa" gifts or in the office/work gift exchange. How about even on Christmas day (at your relative's house). "What would I ever do with this?," you ask yourself. Well, why not give the gift that keeps on giving. That's where the magic of re-gifting comes in.
I'm definitely into re-cycling. Go green! This year, don't return that gift you really don't want. Don't exchange that gift that you really don't want. Preserve the environment and give that unwanted gift to someone you love or someone you work with next year. You'll be glad you did. *cough*
Medgadget Award Nominations Open
Yes, boys and girls, it's that time of year again for the Medgadget Medical Weblog Awards. This will be the fourth edition of the awards and this year they are sponsored by scrubsgallery.com (must be nice to have a sponsor). There are seven categories for the 2007 awards. Nominations can be made in the comment section on that particular post.
Contrary to last year, I'm not asking for my blog to be nominated. In fact, I'm requesting that this blog not be nominated. I think there are a lot of other great medical blogs out there. In addition, I think I know some of the judges. So, that there is no awkwardness or any kind of conflict of interest, I respectfully decline any nomination for the Medgadget Awards.
Good luck to all, and be sure to nominate your favorite (other) medical blogs! The deadline for nominations is Monday, December 31.
Docs battle ice storm to save preemie
We had quite a winter storm come through here over the weekend. Tough for a doc like me being on call trying to get to and from work - although I'm less than 5 miles from the hospital. As I was scanning the medical news, I saw this story from ABCNews from last week.
Tuesday morning, a 2-pound baby named Dorotea Orgovanyi was born at 6:10 a.m. in Mount Pleasant, Iowa — three months premature and about 50 miles away from desperately needed treatment at University of Iowa Hospitals. Studies show that risk of death increases significantly when a preterm baby is born in a small hospital that does not have the specialized facilities for the tiny patients.Our hospital here is a small community hospital. And, I take care of newborns. Although I cannot exactly relate to this situation, I can definitely imagine what this small hospital was going through. We don't routinely take care of preemies. We stabilize them until an ambulance with neonatal specialists can get there and take over care. As for this case, great job docs!Under normal conditions, an ambulance or helicopter would have transported a special response unit to pick up Dorotea. But an ice storm made it difficult for the University of Iowa's Air Care helicopter and the ambulance to attempt such a dangerous trip. Travel advisories broadcast across the state warned people to stay off the dangerous roads.
Knowing the small community hospital in Henry County didn't have the facilities to treat the preemie, Mike Acarregui and John Dagle, neonatal doctors at the University of Iowa, took action.
Acarregui grabbed a rescue pack and the two doctors drove Acarregui's Audi four-wheel-drive sedan to pick up Dorotea and bring her to Iowa City. Meanwhile, doctors in Mount Pleasant improvised their own resources, rebuilding a warming bed in an ambulance for the baby to use on the trip back to Iowa City.
MexicoMedStudent: Runnin Down A Dream
I so remember this video. This is when MTV actually played videos on their channel. This was seen as "groundbreaking" at the time with animation. Plus, still enjoy Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. My favorite songs include this one and Free Falling. Ah, yes, high school memories.
Last night's show was definitely different than any of the previous shows in that you can hear the emotion in the voice of MexicoMedStudent. The way that he described his experience with his medical school giving him the runaround on procedural and paperwork issues - the frustration is palpable.
He has his wife and daughter with him close to the medical school and hospital campus - just bought a house. His wife had surgery in the past few months. And, now, he was charged tuition for classes he did not attend. On top of all that, his status as a continuing medical student is even in question.
I cannot even imagine being in another country, with my family, recently buying a home, and being told that your medical school career is over. What are the options here? Pick up and go home to Texas? Transfer to another medical school? What about all the debt that you have already accumulated?
This story has also moved some bloggers out there so much that they are talking about this today. I encourage you to read the thoughs of Fat Doctor, Scan Man, and AbelPharmBoy. If you listened to the show live or on the archives, how do you feel about the situation? Something like this probably happens more than we know.
So, MexicoMedStudent, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I hope you get good news from "that committee" that you referred to on the show last night. Keep "Runnin Down Your Dream" of becoming a doctor. We're all pulling for you!
Update: Enrico writes a very poignant and reflective epilogue to yesterday's show. I encourage you to check it out. Also, there's a great picture of his wife and daughter.
NHS Blog Doctor: What's happened?
I just got a distressing e-mail from my blog friend and colleague The Angry Medic. The last post on the NHS Blog Doctor's blog is on October 17th, 2007. As I scrolled down, I see 129 comments (as of this posting). The most disturbing is the following:
Hello to you all.I'm not one to spread rumors, but this comment, although sounding genuine, was very disturbing to me. Has anyone heard anything? Does anyone out there know anything? I hope this is not true. This is a true pioneer and legend in the medical blogging community. I hope this rumor is not true...This is not an easy comment to write, and I apologise for the lack of a full post, but 'John' was more than a little security conscious when it came to passwords, I have contacted "blogger" to explain circumstances but as yet have not had a reply.
Getting to the point, so to speak, I am a senior partner at 'John's practice, I have only become aware of this 'weblog' after accessing his email account through our internal system. Other partners have read this website, but none of us knew who the author was - although in retrospect there are a number of clues we could have picked up on!
There is no easy way to say this, but the doctor known as 'John' or 'Crippen' passed away in a road traffic accident mid-October. Although I appreciate the esteem in which many of you obviously held him, I must ask that the emails cease as of now - they are all redirected to our mail server and this is causing some difficulty.
Dr. Crippen's identity may no longer need to be secret for his own purposes, but out of respect for his family and remaining colleagues I shall not be sharing this here, neither will I post another message or reply to any left. This webblog will be removed once I can circumnavigate the security protocols for obvious reasons of confidentiality.
This said, I thank all who visit here for their support of our dear, and much missed colleague.
Kind regards, Dr.P.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 11:20:00 PM
Update: People have been e-mailing me over the past 9-10 hours saying this is not true. I don't want to "out" my sources here. I really feel bad if I'm spreading an inaccurate statement. But, I guess there really is no way to confirm or not confirm this, unless someone in the UK can help clarify this. If someone wants to go "on the record," put it on your blog and I'll link to it.
Update: Someone commented on KevinMD that this report is false. The Holford Watch states "unequivocally that there is no truth to this cruel story."