one of the gov’t programs you’re always reading about. exchange years of service for tuition payment or loans.
http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/
link for future rural pcps
July 14, 2009 by notadoctormikemore doctors are not the answer
July 10, 2009 by notadoctormikeThere are not enough resources not enough money, not enough MRI machines, not enough medical centers not enough time. No matter what more doctors, more primary care physicians will not solve the health care problems in the U.S. The answer for better health care goes further past doctors to the communities they live in and further still to the family’s the patients live in. Perhaps the family unit needs to grow again? perhaps multi-generational homes are going to be needed? But how do we get to that point?
How do you get an entire community to care for each other? Possibly having some sort of volunteer community clinic that serves to teach members of the community to take care of their family and friends?
no insurance endowment
July 7, 2009 by notadoctormikejust trying to think of ways to help those who come to the hospital who turn down care because of lack of insurance.
I had the idea of trying to set up a “no insurance endowment”.
Anyone giving handouts right now?
trying to circumvent insurance
July 7, 2009 by notadoctormikehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31777054/ns/health-health_care/
patients pay a flat fee for membership into the clinic and they don’t use insurance. “catastrophe insurance” can be bought at an outside broker…
Community Health Night
December 1, 2008 by notadoctormikeI was just thinking a little about rural community health. Perhaps even there is a segment of the population across the board rural or civic that would benefit from more face to face interaction with others in the general population. Perhaps a provider could create a community health night, where a short talk about public health can be given, dinner can be served in a small hall and people from the general population can be invited.
Could be a community building exercise.
Art Training
December 1, 2008 by notadoctormikehttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008453939_artmedicine30m.html
Art can be used to maybe train doctors? Maybe?
heartless human
November 20, 2008 by notadoctormikeWhat I think is the most moving about this story are the young teen’s comments about how being hooked up to a machine to pump her blood.
“It was like I was a fake person, like I didn’t really exist. I was just here. But I know that I really was here, and I did live without a heart.”
On the use of technology to make dx
October 14, 2008 by notadoctormikeFrom a NYT article about the difference between MRI images and those who interpret them and how relying on them to much may cause missed diagnoses.
“Pain is a way for Mother Nature to talk to us,” Dr. Thrall told me. “And when our invented process for understanding is at odds with what Mother Nature is telling us, we had better listen to Mother Nature.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/health/14scan.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
Pregnant 71 year old Oregon Man
September 29, 2008 by notadoctormikeFile this one under medical errors. AP reports that an Oregon hospital employee hit the wrong key on the keyboard and printed a discharge summary that informed a 71 year old man with abdominal pain that he was pregnant.
This is pretty funny, but it is also a worrisome symptom of an underling danger of the ever increasing search for efficiency. As we create systems to save time and energy we need to be careful to encourage, allow and maybe require for moments of thought.
