tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13661801853020050932024-03-21T13:57:53.927-07:00Ruminations of a Family DoctordrKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366180185302005093.post-68074750216697060922012-06-09T15:05:00.000-07:002012-09-27T18:38:40.603-07:00Family Medicine: Coming Out of the ClosetWhen Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians Executive Director Gerry Stover sent out the call for delegates to the National Conference of Special Constituencies (NCSC) that I wrote about in my last post, I figured I would be the only one to apply as the Kentucky delegate for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT, or LGBT) caucus. After all, there are only ten physicians and nurse drKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366180185302005093.post-36311636369902612632012-06-05T20:21:00.000-07:002012-06-09T15:40:52.944-07:00Commissioning the PeripheryI’m going to try this blogging thing again. It’s mostly for me, for processing of ideas, and admittedly, sometimes for stress management. But currently I’m revisiting my ruminations for a number of reasons sparked by the opportunity to go to the American Academy of Family Physicians’ National Conference of Special Constituencies (NCSC).
The NCSC brings together AAFP members belonging to one drKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366180185302005093.post-31503084401219009852010-05-10T18:38:00.000-07:002010-05-10T19:06:35.921-07:00Opening for what comes nextThe health reform battle was already ugly when I wrote my last post, and it sure didn't get any better over the subsequent months. I have to admit that I got so tired of the incessant emails begging me to write my Congressmen (yes, they're all men in this case), I started deleting them. And then it passed. "Health Reform" didn't pass in the form anyone wanted, but who thought it would? What willdrKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366180185302005093.post-21902263821979432502009-10-11T18:32:00.000-07:002010-05-02T18:54:03.792-07:00One Thing I Can Do for Health ReformOn Saturday, I tried to contribute to my local chapter by hosting a letter-writing party. No one else showed up, but I still thought I could pass on what I've written to use as inspiration or as one of many example letters out there. We may disagree on details of legislation, but we cannot abide the status quo any longer. Please get active in your advocacy, folks! Dear Congressperson: drKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366180185302005093.post-75495678068171039402009-01-29T18:29:00.000-08:002010-05-02T18:56:25.215-07:00Superlative is Sometimes LessThere are three seemingly random thoughts here, but hang on. Bear with me. I think they come together at the end. ONE I have had numerous people ask me what it was like to be at last week's inauguration of Barack Obama, and had a very hard time knowing how to answer. It was definitely the most historic inauguration of my lifetime, and perhaps the most important I'm ever likely to see. drKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366180185302005093.post-76538973078258387592008-11-29T18:25:00.000-08:002010-05-02T18:58:17.579-07:00Still thankful...I trust you've all seen it by now: Physicians' Foundation Survey via CNN Horror of horrors, Half of all primary care doctors (in survey) would leave medicine! For a specialty trying to prove our mettle in the world of evidence-based medicine (and being leaders in the field in many respects), I've heard very little from the rank-and-file disputing the media coverage of this completely drKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366180185302005093.post-45629576199571298452008-11-03T18:28:00.000-08:002010-05-02T19:00:09.819-07:00Don't Give UpEver since the FMEC Conference, I've felt a heavy weight on my head. I can't think about health care without feeling overwhelmed with the hugeness of trying to hold all the social determinants of health piled in our arms, wondering how to begin building a clinical and community health foundation with our hands already full and while balancing on the tiny point of band-aid high-tech medicine drKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366180185302005093.post-82965999437485019142008-10-20T18:23:00.000-07:002010-05-02T19:01:11.985-07:00Leadership and Servitude 2/20/09I was planning to write next about my first week as an Attending in the hospital, but I will have to procrastinate on that issue a bit. Today I participated in a workshop on health for the underserved and homeless as part of the STFM-NE/FMEC Conference. I listened as many health professionals and students presented and discussed their commitment to the most marginalized people in our drKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366180185302005093.post-88998681519683045282008-09-18T18:10:00.000-07:002010-05-02T19:02:13.565-07:00Clinical ReflectionsYesterday, I injected steroids into a woman’s shoulder with no help. I diagnosed her, offered her the injection, verbally consented her, re-read about how to do the procedure, and mixed the steroid and anesthetic myself. She was so hysterical at the sight of the needle I had to have the PA I work with hold her hand and head and we tried to lie her down. But in that position, I couldn’t drKruminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03971258305564065628noreply@blogger.com0