A pulmonologist’s COVID diary

Here are the stories you missed on KevinMD. Thank you for your continuing readership. --------------------------------------------------------------- Here are the stories you missed on [KevinMD](. Thank you for your continuing readership. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors [The State of Healthcare Communications: 2020 Survey](. We want your opinion on the priorities, challenges, and communication technologies that are redefining the health care industry. Take this 3-5 minute survey to [help inform new research](. Now that you have [reopened your practice during COVID-19]( you may have questions about risk. Find answers to top insurance coverage questions and learn how to [anticipate issues](. While many businesses are still experiencing the [brunt of the pandemic]( insights have emerged on how health care practices have transformed at a rapid pace. Download the Updox white paper and learn the [5 predictions for the future of health care](. [Tax planning for physicians]( updated with recent COVID-19 changes. Learn how to save taxes and keep more of what you make by registering for [this month’s webinars]( Make the Most of Your S-Corp Deductions and Hiring your Children (Including Spouse and Parents) --------------------------------------------------------------- KevinMD Plus: Jul 6, 2020 [A pulmonologist’s COVID diary]( June 25 Like most physicians, I am bad at scheduling my own doctors visit. This year, despite COVID craziness, I had made an appointment with a new PCP to get Singulair refills (my allergies were a killer, and a drippy nose behind an N95 is no joke). I loved my new PCP! She connected with […] [When a diagnosis leads to sadness instead of triumph]( He did a double-take as we passed on our small town sidewalk the other day. “Hey Doc, I didn’t recognize you dressed like that, without your …”, he gestured to where my tie or stethoscope would have been. I was wearing a cafe-au-lait colored T-shirt and faded Levis. “Did you hear about the appointment with […] [Let’s assume you have coronavirus]( There are now 16 states (as of the end of June) that require people to wear face coverings when out in public. But we need to acknowledge it: many Americans really don’t want to. Our president and vice-president don’t wear masks, even though members of their staff have tested positive for COVD-19. When protestors gathered in […] [How the United States depends on doctors trained in other countries]( An excerpt from Doctors’ Orders: The Making of Status Hierarchies in an Elite Profession. Copyright (c) 2020 Tania M. Jenkins. Used by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved. I met Trevor on his very first day of residency, at the start of three years of practical, on-the-ground training in internal medicine following medical school. […] [How writing inspires this physician [PODCAST]]( “Being present is a wonderful thing. It relieves stress caused by focusing on failures of the past and worries of the future. Both realms are unreachable, largely unchangeable. But at the same time, they both entice and tease our minds such that we often find ourselves everywhere, but at the moment as we focus on […] [People with COVID-19 who live in highly polluted areas are more likely to die]( The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on the health inequities many Americans face because of where they live and the air they breathe. We are seeing what I have long seen in my allergy practice—many of my patients live in communities with unhealthy air. Patients like James, a 50-year-old African American bus driver who lives […] [AAMC’s video interview tool for admissions is poised to introduce further bias to medical school admissions]( Recently, the AAMC announced its partnership with HireVue’s video interviewing platform to introduce the Video Interview Tool for Admissions (VITA), an online, one-way recorded interview without a human interviewer. The candidate is shown several text prompts on HireVue’s system and instructed to record a ~3-minute response to each prompt. A list of participating medical schools […] [Who should be the first responders to mental health crises?]( First and foremost, a mental health crisis is a medical emergency well within the sector of public health. Therefore, the question of who should respond to mental health emergencies is one in which physicians and all medical providers should have a say. Medical providers should not only be aware of the systems in place to […] [Burnout might not be an option for tomorrow’s physicians]( Long before COVID-19 plagued our nation and world, physicians in the United States found themselves facing their own epidemic within the profession – occupational burnout. Associated with depression and suicidal ideation as well as potential risks to patient safety, physician burnout has uniquely profound and possibly deadly implications in this field, unlike in other professions. Likewise, doctors have […] [Patients in Sweden received fewer post-op opioids. Why is that?]( When I was in Sweden, I heard this phrase several times: “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad preparation.” They said this when we asked them what they did with their children in dead of winter. The proud parents made it very clear that no matter what the weather, when it is […] [Spare older anesthesiologists COVID-19 coronavirus risk [PODCAST]]( “This pandemic presents a unique opportunity for senior anesthesiologists to see the benefit of accommodating the health care needs of our workforce. Just as I tried to avoid the teratogenic effects of certain cases when pregnant, we should consider the most effective ways to protect senior anesthesiologists from a life-threatening infection. When the pandemic has […] [Refining the role of police in our society]( In the wake of George Floyd’s death and the rush of similar stories from around the country, many have called to “defund the police.” While critics paint this as a reactionary response to high-profile incidents, the phrase deserves deeper consideration than that. The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others are […] [Educational curricula, policies, and parenting that support anti-racism beginning in pre-school]( Every day since George Floyd’s death, I have read to my five-year-old, brown-skinned boy about reasons to love his skin. After reading a book that explained how black and brown-skinned people are not always treated fairly, he asked, “Does that mean white people are mean?” As we discussed ways that systemic racism plays out in […] [Immigrant women are essential: Sociocultural factors clinicians should know during times of crisis]( Across the globe, the month of March became a turning point for the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst daily clinical updates, dramatic increase in cases, and rapid policy changes, International Women’s Day – an observance that allows gender equality to take the spotlight – came and went. Since March, COVID-19 worsened existing health disparities, further exacerbated by […] [A shift in mindset in our approach to the “fight” against COVID-19]( The fight. The battle. The conquest. The opponent. The enemy. The nemesis. Our collective descriptions of our response to COVID-19 are analogous to our descriptions of wartime. We have cast the novel coronavirus as the opposition and ourselves as the mighty conquerors. Reflecting on this portrayal over the past three months – during the final […] [Observations of a Black frontline worker and protester]( There is a certain amount of privilege associated with being white, educated, and upper-middle-class while protesting as a frontline worker. There is also a large amount of protection and a lack of “ fear of consequences” mentality. Case in point – my clinic held a kneel in as part of #whitecoatsforblack lives on June 5, […] --------------------------------------------------------------- If a friend sent you this email and you want to subscribe, go to [KevinMD](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 345 Hudson Street New York NY 10014 USA [Unsubscribe]( | [Change Subscriber Options](