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#ThisIsOurShot to end the pandemic Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

"Vaccines have been around as early as 1776 when Edward Jenner first pioneered the smallpox vaccine and Louis Pasteur produced a rabies vaccine. As a microbiologist's child, I grew up hearing these stories from my father and thinking of these men as heroes. Vaccines have been proven so effective and safe that we are guilty of taking them for granted. There may have been a few mishaps, but given current standards for testing efficacy and safety, there is very little to worry about.

In 1980, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox was eradicated from the face of the earth, and there was no need for further vaccination. I, for one, cannot wait to hear the same about COVID-19."

Anupama Verma is a nephrologist and can be reached on Twitter @anuvmd.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "#ThisIsOurShot to end the pandemic." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/thisisourshot-to-end-the-pandemic.html)

Nephrology and kidney care during the pandemic Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

"COVID-19 wreaks havoc on multiple areas of the body, and myself and my fellow frontline workers across the globe have been forced to quickly identify what tools work best in our quest to keep our patients alive.

While we're working to identify which technologies can improve our patients' outcomes, it's encouraging that policy work is being done to ensure we can access the technology that allows us to provide life-saving care. We can't do it alone.

As we anticipate a potential surge of cases in the coming months, we must be prepared with the proper PPE, medications, and medical technologies that will result in less devastation than what we experienced this spring. When it comes to pandemics, that means we're intentional about establishing, nurturing, and supporting domestic manufacturers who can provide U.S. hospitals with the resources they need."

Maria DeVita is a nephrologist.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The need for on-demand access to medical technologies when treating COVID-19 patients." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/the-need-for-on-demand-access-to-medical-technologies-when-treating-covid-19-patients.html)

Reforming the peer review process Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

"The peer-review process is fallible, slow, and biased, and it takes advantage of the scientific community's altruism. We need to keep pushing the conversation forward about making publishing more equitable, timely, accessible, and fair. An obvious and easy way to begin is to pay the experts who perform the peer reviews. Either the journals need to reform their practices, or the medical community should establish an alternative."

Andrew Spector is a neurologist.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Fairness in medical publishing: Reforming the peer review process." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/fairness-in-medical-publishing-reforming-the-peer-review-process.html)

Doctors are killing themselves, and who is taking notice? Feb 07, 2021

Show notes

"I can do better. We can do better. Please partner with me and advocate for the ability for doctors and residents in our profession to receive medical and psychiatric care without fear of losing our licenses or having to face stigma and judgment. It can save lives. Please, we are more stressed than ever, and we need to speak the names of our fellow friends and colleagues who have died by suicide. We need to advocate for them and for all of us to have access unfettered by fear to utilize the very lifesaving treatments we recommend to our patients."

Courtney Markham-Abedi is a psychiatrist.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Doctors are killing themselves, and who is taking notice?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/doctors-are-killing-themselves-and-who-is-taking-notice.html)

This episode is sponsored by Augmedix: Ambient medical documentation and live clinical support powered by virtual scribes. (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd) Did you know that nearly 75 percent of clinicians surveyed in a recent study say they spend over 10 hours per week on paperwork and medical notes?

Augmedix is a leading provider of remote medical documentation, using remote AI-assisted live scribes to observe, listen, and capture relevant details from natural conversation for over 35 specialties. Augmedix provides real-time support that includes orders, referrals, and reminders to deliver accurate, complete, and timely medical notes.

Augmedix brings back the joy of practicing medicine.

To learn more and to bring the Augmedix joy to your practice, visit Augmedix.com/kevinmd (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd).

Why the preservation of the Affordable Care Act should matter to you Feb 06, 2021

Show notes

"Is the ACA perfect? Not by a long shot. In Kentucky, where I live, there are only 2 insurers selling individual policies on the exchange. A Silver plan for my husband and myself costs $1,800 per month in premiums, with a $13,600 deductible and an out-of-pocket maximum of $14,600. Therefore, the total exposure every year is over $36,000! Furthermore, there are no alternatives for individual coverage other than the exchange. However, without the ACA protections, we might not be able to buy health insurance at all. The best solution? The U.S. must join all the other developed countries around the globe and implement universal health coverage. Make health care affordable and accessible for everyone. It should be the American way."

Susan G. Bornstein is an obstetrician-gynecologist.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Why the preservation of the Affordable Care Act should matter to you." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/why-the-preservation-of-the-affordable-care-act-should-matter-to-you.html)

Augmedix brings back the joy of practicing medicine.

To learn more and to bring the Augmedix joy to your practice, visit Augmedix.com/kevinmd (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd).

Being a neonatologist and a mother Feb 05, 2021

Show notes

"Being a neonatologist and a mother is living with the knowledge that the question 'What would you do?' could so easily become real, not hypothetical. And so what would I do? I don't know, heartbroken mama. Because I feel too much, but I don't feel enough. Because I know too well, but I don't know at all. Being a neonatologist and a mother means sitting in those painful, fearful spaces of uncertainty, at a loss for what to say because I know that nothing I could ever say will be enough.

And so I just sit. In that space. With that other mother."

Diana Montoya-Williams is a neonatologist.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Being a neonatologist and a mother." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/being-a-neonatologist-and-a-mother.html)

Augmedix brings back the joy of practicing medicine.

To learn more and to bring the Augmedix joy to your practice, visit Augmedix.com/kevinmd (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd).

Thank you pediatric medical professionals Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

"As the mother of a child born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, besides going through four open-heart surgeries and coding, my son has also had eight abdominal surgeries, including a Ladd's procedure and resection of his colon. William also functions without his appendix, spleen, and gall bladder. In addition to every kind of therapy imaginable, he has had to endure pamidronate infusions, daily shots, G-tube feedings, and TPN. Who knows how many times he's been X-rayed and poked by a needle. It's been a roller coaster, but he wouldn't be here without you: all of you."

Wendy Hind is a health care consultant.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Thank you pediatric medical professionals, as we fondly bid you adieu." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/thank-you-pediatric-medical-professionals-as-we-fondly-bid-you-adieu.html)

Augmedix brings back the joy of practicing medicine.

To learn more and to bring the Augmedix joy to your practice, visit Augmedix.com/kevinmd (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd).

Prison medicine during the pandemic Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

"Rumor has it that the SARS-CoV 2 virus was brought into prison via inmates who were on a work-release program. Allegedly, they boarded a city bus with a driver who was ill. From there, it crept beyond the work-release camp and wafted over to the general prison population. The pandemic had reached this impenetrable fortress; a tiny virus with no proper consideration of human incarceration rules. It had failed to stop at the gatehouse.

Traditionally, due to the nature of prisons and the nature of convicts, infectious illnesses do have a presence in prison systems. SARS-CoV 2 is no exception. As the alarms within the prison rose from orange to red, and new hotspots named, the direness increased.

Then, the ebb and flow of prison life ceased and came to a complete halt.

Similarly, in the free world, those who had no convictions or felonies became imprisoned in their homes. When once, a workday end meant freedom as we left the gatehouse behind, now it only meant further seclusion. Prison had crept outside the gatehouse. We left one boiling pot only to enter into another."

Edna Wong McKinstry is an internal medicine physician.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How to find joy in prison." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/how-to-find-joy-in-prison.html)

Augmedix brings back the joy of practicing medicine.

To learn more and to bring the Augmedix joy to your practice, visit Augmedix.com/kevinmd (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd).

Stuck between a virus and a cold place: A choice for homeless Americans Feb 02, 2021

Show notes

"What form the incoming winter will take depends on the location and status of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each city must find a method that will provide the most relief and assistance for their homeless population. Analyzing the results of the measures already taken by shelters in the country will prove vital to developing individualized intentional plans for others. Finances will have to be the deciding factor on whether a shelter will install an HVAC system, engage in strict lockdowns, tap into the community, or develop a hybrid solution. Whatever the choice, shelters and the cities best act fast, because after all – winter is coming."

Miracle Diala is a medical student.

He shares his story and discusses the KevinMD article he co-wrote, "Stuck between a virus and a cold place: A choice for homeless Americans awaits." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/12/stuck-between-a-virus-and-a-cold-place-a-choice-for-homeless-americans-awaits.html)

Augmedix brings back the joy of practicing medicine.

To learn more and to bring the Augmedix joy to your practice, visit Augmedix.com/kevinmd (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd).

I will be a doctor because I was once a patient Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

"Everything I ever have and ever will accomplish is in part due to the doctors, nurses, administrators, and security officers who gave me safe, compassionate care. This was no fairytale ending; I wish I never had to make this choice, and I grieved for months for the path I did not choose. But I often think of the resident who held my hand in the procedure suite and told me I would make a fantastic doctor. And when I look at what she gave me — the freedom to pursue my medical education, the privilege to care for patients, the right to live my life how I choose — I hope I've made her proud."

Shira Fishbach is a medical student.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "I will be a doctor because I was once a patient."

The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the guest and are not necessarily those of the host or the host's employer. Please review KevinMD's terms of agreement under "Information disclaimer."

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