by Noah Scheinfeld, M.D., J.D. Full Article: Medical Mergers, Hospital Takeovers and the Changing Face of Medicine Abstract and Introduction: The trend toward business consolidation, which has affected industries as diverse as car manufacture, advertising, and banks, has been accelerating among entities that provide medical care. That is, there are fewer and fewer entities that provide medical care, although the ranks of these larger medical entities have swollen. The Great Recession of 2008, and the “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA of 2010 (commonly called the “Affordable Care Act” (ACA) or, colloquially, “ObamaCare”) have hastened this consolidation. More and more residents (including dermatology residents) completing their training after … Continue reading
Code Black at the Brigham
by Gerrick Gu, Williams College ‘17 As an undergraduate intern, I spent the month of January, 2015, in Boston, shadowing cardiac surgeons at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Through long days I had the opportunity to observe complicated procedures performed by some of the most famous heart surgeons in the world. One of them was Dr. Michael Davidson,, a titan in the field of aortic aneurysm surgery. Although repairing large blood vessels involves a team approach, only one fearless cardiac specialist does the actual fixing. On a good day with no complications this surgical process can take up to 14 or 15 hours. Dr. Davidson was the acknowledged expert, shouldering … Continue reading
Can Doctors and Patients be Partners in Healthcare?
By James Channing Shaw, M.D. Trust in doctors. It used to be absolute. If our sick patients improved, we were celebrated. When we failed, families praised us for trying. This arrangement was not right, but no doctor went to any great lengths to change the perception. About three decades ago, the pendulum swung. Now doctoring is frequently viewed as market share, self-promotion, unnecessary procedures and testing. It would seem that professionalism has become obsolete. Patients, too, have changed with the times. Many patients would like to have every test, expect their health problems to be cured, fixed painlessly, no disruption to social calendars, easy parking, and why can’t this cancer be … Continue reading
Coleman Jacobson: An Untold Story about Another Shot Heard Round The World
Yusuf Anwar, Michelle Xu and Daniel Mark Siegel MD, MS (Management and Policy) Mr. Anwar and Ms. Xu are fourth year medical students at the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Siegel is a Clinical Professor of Dermatology. Coleman Jacobson: An Untold Story about Another Shot Heard Round The World Abstract Coleman Jacobson MD, a larger than life figure in twentieth century dermatology, played a role in one of the most memorable and tragic periods in world history. While details have been accessible on the web for over a decade, new findings regarding the Warren Commission are now finally being presented to the dermatology community from Dr. … Continue reading
The French Connection
For S, to whom this article is dedicated by Valencia Long, MBBS Dermatology is graced by many French terms that resonate in everyday practice. Here are some examples, presented as a tribute to the great French teachers and pioneers of dermatology. May this note also serve as an expression of solidarity with the people of France in the aftermath of the recent terrorist attack in Paris, November 13, 2015. The term ‘plaque’ is an elevated, circumscribed lesion used to describe conditions such as psoriasis and sarcoidosis. It is also used in “parapsoriasis en plaque”, which may be considered related to patch stage mycosis fungoides. “Collarette” means small French collar and … Continue reading
Specialists in the Skins of the Rich and Famous
top doctors make a difference Castle Connolly – Top Doctors by Dr. A.R. Pito, FRCP Castle Connolly often buys a full-page ad in the New York Times listing preferred physicians (16 per page). “The mission of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is to help consumers find the best healthcare. The top doctors who are listed in our books and on this website’s directory were nominated by their peers in an extensive survey process of thousands of American doctors each year. Those doctors who are among the very best in their specialties and in their communities are selected for inclusion. Doctors do not and cannot pay to be included in any Castle … Continue reading
Expressions of Emotion in Dermatology
by Valencia Long, MBBS and Leonard J. Hoenig, M.D. The whole gamut of human emotion has found its way into the dermatologic lexicon. A rash looks “angry” when it is inflamed. Other times, a dermatitis that oozes and exudes fluid is described as “weeping. Cosmetic dermatology often deals with “frown lines” that are furrows that form over one’s brow as the skin ages and which remind us of scowling, a facial expression of displeasure. “Laugh lines”, also called “smile lines”, occur along the nasolabial folds and with aging can grow in length and depth. Perhaps the most common emotion that is expressed in dermatology concerns love. Pain, and the most … Continue reading
Psoriasis: A Poem
Psoriasis by Mara Feingold-Link PDF: Feingold Psoriasis The bronze plaque on Lake Champlain’s bridge is missing a nail. The empty pit in the top left corner is the only indication that it has seen countless cycles of pouring rain and flaring sun. On this dry afternoon it sits proudly above a school of mooneye fish swimming upstream toward clearer, cooler waters in early April. In their haste they scrape their flattened bellies along rock-lined riverbanks. To swim so fast is rash; beneath those silvery scales lie hundreds of miniscule eggs, pinpoints of new blood waiting to be born. The mooneye head toward a quiet inlet where patches of watermilfoil float … Continue reading
Welcome to The Cloud Clinic
by A.R. Pito and D.J. Elpern Sugata Mitra hit upon the idea of unsupervised learning by computers in an iconic study of slum children in India. This evolved into Self-Organised Learning Environments (SOLEs) where children search for answers to ‘big’ questions. Why not apply this idea to the medical environment? We envision a Consultative Cloud Clinic. The primary aim of Cloud Clinic is to enhance diagnosis and therapy in the interest of patient care and autonomy. Mitra’s School in the Cloud project enables small groups, to competently search for answers to ‘big questions’, drawing rational, logical conclusions. The concept can be usefully applied to ‘health questions.” Mitra and his colleagues … Continue reading
Robotic Accutane Prescribing
Welcome to the Akamai Skin Clinic’s Robotic Accutane Centre. We recognize that many dermatologists do not want the hassle or liability of prescribing Accutane (a.k.a. isotretinoin) and so, we have developed a novel prescription system. Our certified realistic humanoid isotretinoin robotic paraprofessionals will make your office visit pleasant, entertaining and efficient. These Accu-Bots (ABs) have been programmed to care for people with severe acne since the clinician-patient interaction for this indication is structured and predictable. Our ABs have high-resolution scanners to grade your acne and compare your progress with previous visits. They also have the entire PUBMed database of isotretinoin articles in their memory to enhance patient care. Here is … Continue reading
