At the Children’s National Hospital Grand Rounds in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to deliver the Annual Holbrook Lecture. There, I embarked on a journey through time, tracing the evolution of knowledge dissemination through to the transformative power of...
A recent article series looked back at the last five years of progress in U.S. healthcare (noting precious little had been made) and then looked ahead at the next five years (noting what improvements could be made if urgent action is taken). Last month’s survey asked...
Last month, I published an article on Ozempic as a weight-loss drug. While medications like this have the potential to help our nation fight obesity, they carry a large price tag: upwards of $16,000 per year. With that in mind, I asked readers to weigh in with their...
Countries with world-leading medical outcomes provide universal coverage for all citizens through public hospitals and government-run clinics—at costs far less than in the United States. Although the doctors elsewhere provide excellent care, delays are common for...
The June edition of Monthly Musings on American Healthcare kicked off with a series of articles and podcasts about current and upcoming books. So, I was curious to know know if readers of this newsletter make time for reading fiction and/or nonfiction. Here are the...
Founded a century ago in 1922, PEN America (the abbreviation short for “Poets, Essayists and Novelists”) champions the freedom to write, and the power of writing to change minds—and even the world. Literary greats Eugene O’Neill and Robert Frost were among the...
A recent Pew Research survey found that Americans are worried about the ethical impact ChatGPT will have on medical practice. Last month’s reader survey asked for your thoughts on some of medicine’s biggest ethical questions. For each questions, participants had to...
Thirteen years have passed since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, our nation’s last significant piece of healthcare legislation. Though the landmark law helped reduce the number of uninsured Americans and expanded Medicaid in many states, the bigger...
My April newsletter (see: Monthly Musings on American Healthcare) led with an article about the role of regulators in healthcare. The April reader survey asked you to weigh in on (a) the industries most in need of tighter regulations and (b) the sectors of healthcare...
Republican and Democratic leaders promised to leave Medicare alone as they debate the nation’s debt ceiling. But with 10,000 Americans retiring every day, Medicare costs are quickly outpacing the tax revenue needed to keep the program afloat. Last month’s survey asked...