“When Breath Becomes Air”: A Poignant Memoir of a Life Cut Short by Cancer
Guest Post from Deborah L. Benzil, MD, FACS, FAANS Vice President, AANS Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee MKMG Columbia University Medical Center Mt Kisco, New York Sometimes a physician heals with their hands, sometimes with their heart. Neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi, MD, (1977-2015) did both with amazing skill and courage. “When Breath Becomes Air,” […]
Right on the Money
Guest Post from Deborah L. Benzil, MD, FACS, FAANS Member, AANS Board of Directors Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee MKMG Columbia University Medical Center Mt Kisco, New York There is not much about healthcare policy on which everyone agrees; however one irrefutable fact acknowledged by most is that U.S. healthcare costs are rising, […]
Death and the Doctor: Under-valued Skills
Guest Post from Deborah L. Benzil, MD, FACS, FAANS Member, AANS Board of Directors Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee MKMG Columbia University Medical Center Mt Kisco, New York One obvious but often-overlooked thing constantly challenges practicing physicians: DEATH. While we all know that death is inevitable, death intrudes into every physician interaction with […]
Specialty Medicine Responses to New York Time IPAB Editorial
Now that everyone is back to the grind and by now over their turkey-induced comas, we wanted to highlight that last week, Alex Valadka, MD, FAANS, FACS, a neurosurgeon from Austin, Texas, and spokesperson for the Alliance of Specialty Medicine, penned a letter to the New York Times on behalf of the Alliance in response […]
New System for Patients to Report Medical Mistakes Could Be Potential Disaster
According to a New York Times report, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed a new proposed program that is intended to complement safety reports already being submitted by providers, including doctors and hospitals, with those from patients and their relatives. This proposed reporting system, would allow patients and family members to […]