The "Million Med March"

Today I attended the Million Med March held in cities across the US and here in Chicago.  It was sponsored by Docs 4 Patient Care, a grassroots organization of physicians, healthcare professionals, and concerned citizens who want to reform health care while preserving the integrity of the patient-physician relationships we enjoy in this country.  I [...]

Natural sleep aids in pregnancy

uesday morning on WMBI a caller asked if there was something safe that her daughter could take in her 7th month of pregnancy to help her sleep. In the midst of a busy morning of calls, I gave her a kneejerk response by recommending the antihistamine diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl. This approach is safe, as diphenhydramine is a pregnancy category B medication (meaning that studies in humans have proven it to be generally safe for the unborn child). However, I did not take the opportunity to discuss other natural remedies, as well as behavioral strategies for sleep in the later stages of pregnancy.

Feature on Albert Schweitzer Fellowship website

The fine people at the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship recently invited me to participate in their “Five Questions for a Fellow” feature on their blog Beyond Boulders.
Read the article here.
Read more about Albert Schweitzer here.

The 411 on H1N1

Here it is: the breakdown you’ve been looking for on the flu vaccines.
Who should receive them?
First- the regular seasonal flu vaccine, available now.
You should get the flu vaccine this year.
The only people who should not are infants less than 6 months, people with an egg allergy, and people with a previous reaction to the flu vaccine.
Next- [...]

Chicago Tribune article on "End-of-Life Conversations"

Today’s article by Barbara Brotman in the Chicago Tribune gives an excellent representation of what advance care planning conversations might look like at the end-of-life. Of course, advance care planning can occur at any stage of illness, and does not always have to address things like Do-Not-Resuscitate orders or refusing other invasive measures. It could simply cover what you value when it comes to your health care, and who you want for your Power of Attorney.

The document that is more important than a living will

Have you heard the radio advertisements for legal firms that will send you a FREE living will? Have you heard them promise that if you call now, you can save even more money because they will include a FREE Health Care Power of Attorney? Sounds great, doesn’t it? What they don’t mention is that these documents are already available for free, and you don’t even need a lawyer in order to complete them.

My "conversation" with Rush Limbaugh

Today while driving between nursing homes, I heard Rush Limbaugh talking about the health care reform bill’s Advance Care Planning Consultation section. He, like some other conservative talkers, was complaining that the government was mandating these consultations as a way to usher patients towards an early death in order to save money. In my previous [...]

Reimbursing doctors for discussing goals of care with their patients- finally, a good health care reform idea!

Part of the proposed health care reform bill that I like is the idea to reimburse physicians for having an “advance care planning” discussion with their patients once every 5 years. This is something I do with my patients often, and I have wished many times that Medicare would recognize the value of this skill, and the time it takes to perform it, by offering specific reimbursement for the discussion. Unfortunately, some Republicans are saying that supporting a patient-physician conversation about goals of care and end-of-life options will “start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia”. I disagree.

Health benefits from Chia seeds

A caller to my Tuesday morning appearance on WMBI asked a question about chia seeds, and I had to admit that I did not know much about what they had to offer. If you’re like me, the word “chia” conjures up images of pet-shaped terra cotta pottery with green sprouts. It turns out that eating chia seeds can have some positive health benefits.

This Week’s Health Headlines

Active children go to sleep fasterCDC: All children should get the regular flu vaccine this fallUp to one in four Americans could get swine fluSix lifestyle changes that reduce men’s risk of heart failureObesity rate for preschoolers holds steady at one in seven

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