Health & Fitness
**Patients at Risk**

Patients at Risk exposes the political maneuvering and corporate greed that has led to the replacement of physicians by lesser trained practitioners, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants. As corporations seek to save money and government agencies aim to increase constituent access, minimum qualifications for our nation’s healthcare guardians continue to decline—with deadly consequences. This is a story that has not yet been told, and one that has dangerous repercussions for all Americans.

Latest Episodes:

The blind leading the blind? New NP gets bad advice from other NPs on Facebook Oct 23, 2024

Show notes

Christopher Garofolo, MD, unpacks the many errors shared by a more seasoned NP to a brand new NP seeking advice on a Facebook post.
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/Imposter-Doctors-Patients-at-Risk/dp/1627344438/

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Physician training saved my newborn grandbaby's life: I fear future patients won't have this privilege Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

On the last podcast, I interviewed Dr. Anu Shokla who shared her story of her newborn baby being treated for an emergency rapid response by a nurse practitioner who had just rotated with her on the inpatient adult hematology oncology service.
After hearing that podcast, Dr. Carol Nelson reached out to share a story of the alternate version: her newborn granddaughter was saved because of the outstanding care from well-trained physicians and non-physicians working together in a physician-led care team.
Please enjoy this inspiring and uplifting story of why physician training matters.

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

"My newborn baby required a rapid response: The NP that showed up had just rotated with me on the adult heme/onc service." Aug 20, 2024

Show notes

Primary care physician Anu Shukla shares a personal story about the dangers that patients face when physicians are replaced with nonphysician practitioners.
Dr. Shukla's comments on this podcast reflect her views and opinions. She does not speak for or represent her employer.
Physiciansforpatientprotection.org
patientsatrisk.com

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Bloomberg Report Questions NP Education Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

In the first of a series 'The Nurse Will See You Now,' Bloomberg reporters investigate concerns about nurse practitioner education.

The Miseducation of America’s Nurse Practitioners

They don’t merely support doctors—NPs increasingly treat patients independently, including in specialty practices and emergency rooms. When they aren’t well trained, the results can be tragic. By Caleb Melby, Polly Mosendz, and Noah Buhayar

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-07-24/is-the-nurse-practitioner-job-boom-putting-us-health-care-at-risk
Patients at Risk podcast episodes with nurses interviewed for the Bloomberg article:
Rayne Thoman, RN - Episodes 13, 14
John Canion, NP - Episodes 91-93

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Dangers of nonphysician ketamine infusions Jul 18, 2024

Show notes

There are an estimated 500-750 clinics across the U.S. providing infusions of Ketamine for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions. This is big business, estimated to bring in $3.1 billion per year and projected to rise to 6.9 billion by 2030. But is Ketamine safe and effective?
Psychiatrist Kristina Kise, MD discusses the use of ketamine infusions in psychiatry, including the potential dangers to patients when physicians are not directly involved in drug oversight.

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Why Psychiatry Needs Psychiatrists (and not just psych NPs) May 27, 2024

Show notes

Psychiatrists are increasingly being replaced by non-physician practitioners - psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) and physician assistants (PAs). This webinar explains the difference between a psychiatrist and a PMHNP and reviews the evidence regarding unsupervised care of patients with mental illness by non-physicians.
Link to webinar video: https://youtu.be/djDos6xbRos
Contact me: PatientsAtRisk.com

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Physician Leadership Through Self-Ownership May 13, 2024

Show notes

Over the last decade, as physicians have increasingly turned to employed practice to cope with declining reimbursement and increased administrative requirements, our role in advocacy has diminished. Doctors are afraid to speak out because we fear being fired and losing our livelihoods. But without physician advocacy, corporate interests, academic centers, and government agencies are increasingly making decisions contrary to the best interests of patients, including replacing physicians with nonphysician practitioners. It is time for physicians to step up and take back control of healthcare decisions, and one of the best ways to do this is through self-ownership.

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Small Democratic Groups (SDG): The solution to reclaim medicine from corporate interests? Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

Arthur Smolensky, MD describes his experience creating a Small Democratic Group (SDG) to take over emergency department staffing from corporate contract management groups.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-smolensky-719806/

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

JOURNAL CLUB: Article claims that NPs, PCPs have same rate of inappropriate prescribing to seniors Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

In today's episode, Teresa Camp-Rogers, MD, MS analyzes a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the journal of the American College of Physicians, entitled

Inappropriate Prescribing to Older Patients by Nurse Practitioners and Primary Care Physicians

The article, which seems to call for an expansion of unsupervised practice for NPs, contends that NPs and physicians showed no differences in inappropriate prescribing to seniors based on Beers criteria, however, notes that NPs were overrepresented among clinicians with the highest and lowest rates of inappropriate prescribing.
Dr. Camp-Rogers points out that since most NPs are practicing under physician supervision, with an estimated 2-6% of NPs practicing without physician supervision, this study may simply prove what other studies have established: the physician-led care model works - NOT that unsupervised practice is safe. Further, she argues that this study begs a follow-up question: with such variation in potentially inappropriate prescribing by NPs, what do we know about which NPs were in the top and which were in the bottom?
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/m23-0827
Get the books! https://www.amazon.com/Imposter-Doctors-Patients-at-Risk/dp/1627344438/

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Doctors' Day revisited: What has changed in the last three years? Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

Three years ago, we aired a podcast criticizing Doctors' Day posts from hospitals and healthcare organizations that included non-physicians and referred to physicians as 'providers.' Fast-forward to today, and some organizations (but not all!) seem to have gotten the message.
Happy Doctors' Day to all physicians - thank you for your sacrifice and dedication to patient care!

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

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