Anti-vaxxers invited the Grim Reaper for the Holidays- we will all have to feed him.
It only took Omicron a few weeks to spread all over the country. It is 400% more contagious than even Delta. To put that into perspective, Delta was only 10% more infectious than the original virus. You know what Delta did. You can’t imagine what is coming in the next few weeks. Let’s get specific: … Read More
Omicron Part 2: Travel bans- what goes around, comes around (in devastating ways).
Omicron; what goes around comes around- in more ways than one. What was the United States’ reaction to the news of Omicron? What is a travel ban? As soon as the US government found out about Omicron, the President took several wise steps. We’re going to talk about one of his stupid decision- an all … Read More
Omicron. Part 1. The Basics.
(See the previous post for an explanation of medical- scientific terms). What is Omicron? “Omicron” is an important new ‘cousin’ of the SARS-Cov-2 virus (the original virus of the pandemic). It was identified in Southern Africa (South Africa and Zimbabwe) a few weeks ago. The previous dominant version, the Delta variant, “Delta”, caused huge trouble … Read More
Basic scientific terms about viruses
Before we talk about Omicron, let’s go back over some important medical terms. Particles. Viruses are very very tiny. Even with a really good microscope, you can’t see them. Also, there is debate on whether a virus is actually a living being or not For both of those reasons, individual viral organisms are called particles. … Read More
Seriously? Did Trump kill the World Health Organization during a pandemic?
What is the WHO? The World Health Organization (WHO) tracks and manages pandemics. [1] The WHO organizes and coordinates the world’s response to global disease. [2] Despite what you may have heard (from Trump), the WHO doesn’t play favorites. The advice and guidance from the WHO are even-handed. That means that they aren’t going to … Read More
Listen to your doctor (not Trump)
Trump’s agenda? We agree that Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America (POTUS). His current objective is to get us to ignore the pandemic until after the Presidential election in November 2020. [1] What does he do? He is intentionally destroying America from so many directions that it’s hard to know … Read More
Back to elementary education during to COVID-19
How, when, and where to go ‘back to school’ got complicated. That’s not surprising. Nobody seems to trust anybody these days. However, few things are as important as our kid’s education. For their sake and for our future, let’s talk about things with a little less emotion. Put a pause on unproductive assumptions (even if … Read More
Rebuilding the soul of healthcare (my dad taught me how)
My dad and modern healthcare would not get along I’m glad that my dad (Don Fish) is not around to see the modern healthcare industry. He would not be happy. Dad was a man of simple, radical integrity Don Fish was a man of subtle extremes. I’ve already mentioned that he was from West Texas, … Read More
What is Trump really trying to do?
What in the world is Trump doing? In times of national peril, Americans rightly expect to hear at least some truth from our President. We even expect him to do what is best for America when it really counts. However, the information that Trump gives us about COVID-19 is intentionally false. It’s hard for us … Read More
COVID-19 and the American healthcare system
This was a long time coming To some of us, it was obvious long ago that the American healthcare system was irretrievably broken. It was not a question of if it would catastrophically fail. The only question was when. Indeed, it is even clear that the way we go about fixing it is was completely … Read More
Rebuilding the soul of healthcare (my dad taught me how)
My dad and modern healthcare would not get along I’m glad that my dad (Don Fish) is not around to see the modern healthcare industry. He would not be happy. Dad was a man of simple, radical integrity Don Fish was a man of subtle extremes. I’ve already mentioned that he was from West Texas, … Read More
They claim to have value, but at what cost?
After reading what I have to say, some self-serving and ill-informed people will complain. They’ll say things like: “…not every malpractice attorney is like that.” “Some doctors need to be punished.” “Who else is going to stick up for the poor victims of the small minority of greedy, negligent, or incompetent doctors?” “The economic impact … Read More
Why it’s so hard to understand your doctor’s life
Everybody wants to know what it’s really like to be a doctor. However, it’s hard to get good information on the topic. That’s for at least two reasons: 1. The most common sources are not always accurate. Hollywood, publishers, and TV make their money by getting you to buy their stuff. The more sensational and … Read More
Death Pays Well
It’s long past the time when we dealt with the industry that eats away at the heart of medicine. Let’s talk about it frankly and honestly. Death Pays Well Medical malpractice attorneys are in the business of profiting from death [1] [2] We all know that medicine is not perfect. We also know that sick … Read More
Why Leaving Any Medical School Means Leaving Medicine
Although it is theoretically possible that, if you quit one medical school, you could transfer to another school, in practical terms, that never happens If you did want to restart/transfer to another school here is what the student is facing: 1. Disprove the “can’t cut it” label that you acquired for quitting. 2. Convince your … Read More
Beating the Healthcare Business at Its Own Game- The Squeeze (Part 1)
Everybody has been financially ‘raked over the coals’ by the healthcare industry. The business practices and tactics that industry uses to get your money have cost some folks their life savings. Healthcare often takes money from you that it doesn’t deserve. It usually does so without delivering what you deserve. The Heart of a Doctor … Read More
The General of Your Family’s Healthcare
It’s cliché that good family doctors are approachable and even friendly. Since your family doctor probably less formal (deliberately so), and she takes care of almost every issue no matter how mundane it may seem, you might think that what she does is easy, less sophisticated or less deliberate than what other doctor’s do. Nothing … Read More
Healthcare Lost Its Way Long Ago
The Revolution started with good intentions, but we lost our collective minds The advent of Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, etc. and the internet/social media phenomena was originally intended to augment our human reality not replace it. In a similar way, technology was intended to extend the vision and appreciation of medical doctors not replace, not … Read More
Rebuilding the soul of healthcare (my dad taught me how)
My dad and modern healthcare would not get along I’m glad that my dad (Don Fish) is not around to see the modern healthcare industry. He would not be happy. Dad was a man of simple, radical integrity Don Fish was a man of subtle extremes. I’ve already mentioned that he was from West Texas, … Read More
Fishism 1- Compassion without Compromise
“Every patient is the only patient. Everywhere. All the time.” I received the following inquiry regarding the first and most important principle of our healthcare revolution. I call it the first “Fishism.” Question: What does “only one patient every-time” mean if your poor or simply lower middle class? How would this work? Reply: All too … Read More
America is Our Home- Our New Mantra
Here is what’s on the mind of this, particular, American citizen: 1. I don’t want to hear one more person utter the words “America, love it, or leave it.” “Love it or leave it” is a shameful, condescending, dismissive, and manipulative demand for Americans to be UN-American. What it means is this: “don’t get involved,” … Read More
Beating the Healthcare Business at Its Own Game- The Squeeze (Part 1)
Everybody has been financially ‘raked over the coals’ by the healthcare industry. The business practices and tactics that industry uses to get your money have cost some folks their life savings. Healthcare often takes money from you that it doesn’t deserve. It usually does so without delivering what you deserve. The Heart of a Doctor … Read More
A Bullet in the Head for a Headache (The Perils of Self-Care)
How Works in Rural America’s Emergency Rooms I was a family doctor in a ridiculously small town for a while. Let’s call the town Blue Sky, USA. Blue Sky was far away from any city. It’s people were fine, hard-working, and conservative- a lot like you might expect in any rural community town in America. … Read More
A Tragic Death but a Clean Slate (Living and Dying without Regrets)
Because of the new work rules, the residency had to give us two weeks off per year. As for the end-of-the-year holidays, we got a third week of vacation either before or after Christmas. Without that, even more of us would have quit or ‘cracked up’. Since the residents were the doctors for most patients, … Read More
Back to elementary education during to COVID-19
How, when, and where to go ‘back to school’ got complicated. That’s not surprising. Nobody seems to trust anybody these days. However, few things are as important as our kid’s education. For their sake and for our future, let’s talk about things with a little less emotion. Put a pause on unproductive assumptions (even if … Read More
Rebuilding the soul of healthcare (my dad taught me how)
My dad and modern healthcare would not get along I’m glad that my dad (Don Fish) is not around to see the modern healthcare industry. He would not be happy. Dad was a man of simple, radical integrity Don Fish was a man of subtle extremes. I’ve already mentioned that he was from West Texas, … Read More
America is Our Home- Our New Mantra
Here is what’s on the mind of this, particular, American citizen: 1. I don’t want to hear one more person utter the words “America, love it, or leave it.” “Love it or leave it” is a shameful, condescending, dismissive, and manipulative demand for Americans to be UN-American. What it means is this: “don’t get involved,” … Read More
America- Let’s Talk about Our Patient
https://youtu.be/4rzC8XVdt0M
George Floyd’s Murder- Clarity and the Way Forward
The murder of George Floyd has stunned the world. I have friends and followers from everywhere contacting me about it. They want to know how this could have happened in America- the land of “Liberty and Justice for All.” There is so much emotion regarding the murder that it will challenge us to move forward. It … Read More