Communication versus Care

I am confused about the physician – patient relationship. I see doctors as diagnosticians, advisors and caregivers. I believe patients are information source...

Please let me die

OK, you caught me. I am mortal. After four score or so years, my body will fail and I will live no longer. Dust to dust. Not thrilled, but I expect most of you ...

The lesion’s curse

A frightened Diane called me today. She was in big trouble. Her primary doctor’s office had called with terrible news. The MRI showed Diane had a lesion. ...

Remembering a Healer

What is a “healer?” Is it a physician with encyclopedic medical knowledge? A doctor who possesses fabulous dexterity in performing complex procedures? One w...

Stop lying to the doctor

George Washington never met an Oncologist. I know this because of the Cherry Tree story. If our first President had spoken to a cancer doc, then that honesty fa...

Healthcare: Money vs. Quality

American medicine is about to undergo a revolution. No, not the Affordable Care Act, cuts in Medicare, malpractice reform, or tens of millions of baby boomers ...

The Heart of a Nurse

I love nurses. They are remarkable people who perform a critical job. They are the foot soldiers of medicine without whom healthcare would not move forward. I...

The Extra Patient

There are two in the solitary sick room.  Between covers, attached to the IV, connected to the monitor, is the woman.  Cancer assaults her body and she lies t...

Doctor Do Everything

Life is a miracle to be treasured and we fight to keep that remarkable gift.  The courage and desire of patients is most evident when they say to us, “Doctor...

RWJ Doc Medical Breakthrough

In a study published as the lead article* in the New England Journal of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Medical School physician Jeffrey L...