By Elizabeth Holtsclaw Even though the calendar says it’s the middle of summer, parents of school-aged children know it’s already back-to-school season. For clinicians, that means parents are scheduling kids for annual check-ups and sports physicals. Which is the perfect opportunity for cancer prevention. That’s why the American Cancer Society, working with healthcare and community…
Congress must protect Kentucky patients from surprise bills
By Neal Moser, MD Protecting patients is a critical component of my work as a physician. But sometimes, we can’t protect them when it comes to the financial fallout of the medical care they require. Far too often, my patients are hit with large medical bills that they don’t expect, especially if they receive…
A physician’s guide to employment contracts
By Christopher Shaughnessy As hospitals and health systems continue moves toward clinical integration, more physicians are being employed by hospitals and health systems rather than practicing medicine in their own private practices. The trend toward direct hospital employment of physicians accelerated after 2012 and it appears that the trend will continue as both hospitals and physicians navigate…
An innovative approach to delivering consistent, customizable instructions
By Aaron Tomes Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death for both men and women in the United States, therefore, early detection is key. According to recent studies, there are more than 550,000 annual deaths worldwide of colon cancer. That is too many deaths, especially when tools are becoming available…
Home-based palliative care as an innovation in aging
By Lori Earnshaw, MD Fully conscious while on a fentanyl drip and with an endotracheal tube down his throat, the 70-something emaciated man raised his index finger to wipe tears from his tired eyes. “I just hope to make it home,” he wrote on the dry-erase board. As sick as he was, he would not…
Statewide tobacco-free schools bill
By Rep. Kim Moser and Sen. Ralph Alvarado Students, educators, health advocates and business leaders are urging the legislature in 2019 to make all Kentucky school districts tobacco-free. As health professionals and lawmakers, we believe this is the sensible approach to protecting our kids from tobacco exposure. Now is also the right time to enact…