The Power of Love

On a Spring Morning in April

Hushhhh ... north winds speak ...
gently blowing through naked trees,
sweet cool air
wraps me ... face first,
mingling birdsong, brilliant eternal blue skies ...
hot sun penetrates my back.
Flowers ... few ... yellow ... forsythia ... popped open ...
rare bright spots ... mostly gray, brown and evergreen ...
many more soon to be.
Silent ... thinking ... last night ... the skies ...
bright with stars ... close ... reaching out in darkness.
Countless ... infinite, but so close ... and, how is it?
How can it be ... how can people ...
divided by countelss barriers,
feel so close?
Is it, like reaching for the stars?
No ... that is the power of love.
You are not alone.
Have a great day!
Life is Good and Life is Short, so make it as sweet as it can be, and don't hurt anybody.
Life is Love™© & StepWisely®™©
Dr. Mike
Michael F. Mascia, MD, MPH

The Business of Medicine: Runaway Greed is Outrageous and Fatal

Runaway Greed: Beyond Bad Behavior, greedy criminals are now entering the Business of Medicine, with impunity?

There is a spectrum of greedy behaviors, all of which are destructive.  All should be considered outrageous, targeted and eliminated by forced transparency, boycots, non profit cooperatives and legislation.  Because, people are people and crooks are crooks ... the nature of the beast will allways be with us around the globe.  Obviously, cutting corners for the sake of Profit over People is bad and unacceptable, even if it is "legal".  While this practice is common, destructive, and bad enough, greedy psychopaths don't stop with legal crookery.  Some push the matter to the edge and fall out of "bad practice" zone and  into the clearly defined "illegal" zone.  Some of these crooks don't get caught, or if they do, most proclaim "I have done nothing wrong", and the some slip through court scrutiny.  But the ultimate of GREEDY is the group of psychopaths who, without conscience, demostrate behavior that is destructive and fatal.  This obscenity is now being seen in many arenas, but the latest scam is counterfeit chemotherapeutic drugs.  Must be easy pickings out there.

I have seen production pressure, generic drug substitutes, drug shortages, cuts to patient services, outrageous third party profits and other stupidity as a result of greed inside the Business of Medicine.  But this latest scam is way over the line and, if fatalities occur, as a consequence of this behavior, execution of the perpetrators would not be out of line.  What is it?  Criminals are now entering the Business of Medicine and killing people with counterfeit drugs ... click on the link to see what the FDA has discovered.

http://blogs.fda.gov/fdavoice/index.php/2012/04/improving-the-integrity-of-the-drug-supply-in-a-global-marketplace/?source=govdelivery

Join me to BOYCOTT GREED, and encourage transparency inside the Business of Medicine.  An easy start is the global food and drug industry.  Require labeling that shows location of manufacture ... including the exact manufacturer on all drugs ... prescription, and over the counter.

Avoid ... AKA ... DO NOT USE any drugs, manufactured foods and supplements, unless properly labeled with all the details as to sources of all ingredients and manufacturers.

Sorry, guys ... but the good guys will have no problem with this.  This will protect them and their businesses from garbage "low cost" substitutes.

Please comment, and thanks for your help.

Have a great day!

Dr. Mike

The Art of Medicine

April 7, 2012

PGY 39, Day 282

Some Preliminary and Recurrent Thoughts on The Art of Medicine

To MASTER the Art of Medicine, the Physician must learn to combine the best available science with love of People, Humanity, Life and each Patient in such a way as to do what is best for each and every patient at all times.  To protect these most vulnerable of our population in time of need is to “do no harm” and to “do the right thing” at all times, as a matter of professional obligation.  These fundamental operating principles are based upon long standing Medical traditions, embodied in the ancient “Oath of Hippocrates” and cemented in our minds upon graduation from medical school, at which time most, if not all of us had “taken” that Oath, in one form or another.  These fundamental rules have been passed down from generation to generation, because they work for our Profession, the Doctor and the Patient.  I take that Oath seriously.

 It is said that it takes 10,000 hours to become a MASTER craftsman, and it certainly takes years of experience beyond medical school and post graduate training, to gain Mastery in Medicine.  After this, the MASTER PHYSICIAN should be well prepared to put his or her talents to work for the OPTIMAL benefit of EACH PATIENT BEING SERVED.  Easily said, but not so easily done … and as time goes on, it is harder and harder to SERVE PATIENTS as we are trained and obliged to do.  Why?  Third party interference and the Business of Medicine make it increasingly difficult and sometimes impossible for Physicians to meet Professional Obligations.  In other words, to put it bluntly, The Profession of Medicine, The Art of Medicine, The Practice of Medicine and The Doctor Patient Relationship have all been hijacked by the Business of Medicine to increase profits and/or “cut costs”.  Thus, each Physician’s professional obligation to carry out the Oath is often in conflict with the third party driving forces in the American Medicine Marketplace we know today. 
To be continued ...

Have a great day!
Dr. Mike