As a family physician who has been in medical practice in America for nearly twenty two years, I can’t help but wonder about how medicine has drastically changed in the last two decades since I finished residency and started my medical practice. The best way I can describe how medicine used to be like when I first started private medical practice in the late nineties, and how it is now is with the word coup d’état. Medical practice in general has undergone multiple revolutionary changes that remind me of the many sudden and unsettling coup d’états that I’ve experienced as a child growing up in Northeast Africa.

I still recall during my early childhood days in Africa how each coup d’état brought drastic changes in the fabric of our society and led to many unwelcome consequences. And depending on which group initiated the coup, properties were confiscated, harsher and stricter religious laws were legislated, and new limitations on rights and freedoms were instituted. First, changes were made here and there by a new regime, then new limitations and restrictions by the leaders of the coups that followed were placed and enforced.

I can’t help but see some resemblance between those coup d’états that I’ve experienced during my childhood and the new revolutionary changes that occurred to the practice of medicine in America today. There are multiple new changes, limitations, restrictions and roles that physicians are now expected to follow. There’s definitely a new non-physician sheriff in town, and physicians who once used their power and talents for the most part to do good are no longer in charge. And that’s the new reality of medical practice in America.

There is no doubt that the scientific and technological advances in medicine, fueled by research and brilliant scientific minds have made America the world’s leader in medical advancement. And this is truly a blessing not only for Americans but for the whole world that benefits greatly from America’s medical technology and know-how.

It seems that the coup d’états that have befallen the practice of medicine in America and pauses a  great threat to the amazing wealth of medical knowledge in the U.S. is the gradual transformation of medicine from Patient-Care centered model into a hugely profitable business enterprise. I saw in my many years of medical practice the gradual infusion of business managers and business savvy, intelligent administrators who have skillfully transformed medical care into an extremely profitable business.

For many generations in America, medical care has always been demanding and consuming but yet prestigious, independent, honorable, and rewarding to physicians. I recall the trend of how aggressively large non-profit hospitals and newly formed health systems gradually began to buy independent physicians practices.  I’ve seen how dramatically that has changed the landscape of medical care as the strongly independent physicians whose main concern was their patients became contracted employees of big businesses with a main goal of maximizing profits and minimizing expenses.

Enterprising business minds whose primary interest is to make money from patient care (including a supermarket manager that I knew about who was hired by a business company that owns a chain of independent medical clinics to manage all the physicians and clinic operations) were now deciding on how physicians ought to deliver medical care. Revolutionary profit generating changes, akin to a coup d’état, such as increasing the number of patients per hour physicians must see, reducing and replacing higher paid physicians and registered nurses with less costly medical providers, and instituting complex  and costly Electronic Medical Records (EMR) became the new norm.

According to The Guardian in an article dated March 13, 2018

“The United States spends twice as much on healthcare as 10 other high-income nations, driven by the high price of everything from prescription drugs to doctors’ salaries, a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds.”

“The US also spends more on administrative costs. Other nations spend between 1%-3% to administer their health plans. Administrative costs are 8% of total health spending in the US.
This results in US health costs that, as a percentage of gross domestic product, are nearly double that of other nations. In 2016, the US spent 17.8% of GDP, compared to 9.6%-12.4% in other countries.
At the same time, America often had the worst population health outcomes, and worst overall health coverage. The US ranked last in life expectancy; had the worst maternal mortality rates (nearly triple that of the United Kingdom); more infant deaths than any other country, and a high rate of low birth weight babies.”

There is no doubt that few are profiting a lot from healthcare in America, but primary care physicians with their mounting medical school loans (a medical student graduates with an average debt of $170 to 180,000 according to the US News), work hours that can be up to 80 hrs a week for some, and a mountain of administrative burdens are definitely not one of them.

All the seismic changes in medicine has not been without serious and deadly consequences. According to a 2018 Medscape survey the rate of physicians burnout (variation is found between specialties) is at 42%, and up to 14 % are reporting both depression and burnout.

 Medscape Family Medicine also reports in an article dated May 07, 2018:

“With one completed suicide every day, US physicians have the highest suicide rate of any profession… more than twice that of the general population” and adds “ A systematic literature review of physician suicide shows that the suicide rate among physicians is 28 to 40 per 100,000, more than double that in the general population.”

So indeed, the state of medical knowledge in America is excellent but the current state of the practice of medicine after a series of coup d’états is not as good. Sadly, often times it’s becoming mentally unhealthy, dangerous, and at times deadly to many great physicians.

Please reach out to friends and loved ones and seek the advise of a mental health professional if you experience distress or suicidal thoughts.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ( 1-800-273-8255 https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ can be reached 24/7 and offers “… free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.”

Adel G. Hanna, M.D.

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Diversity:  Beauty, Splendor, and Challenges

As I take my regular walks on a college campus, I can’t help but reflect on the splendor of diversity that surrounds me: varieties of plant species and trees; honey locusts, oaks, and maples, birds of all sorts, chipmunks, rabbits, brown and black squirrels, and one groundhog with a voracious appetite. And in the midst of it all, I see the wonder and beauty of creation in the rich diversity of colors, shapes, looks, languages, backgrounds, thoughts, ideas, and cultures of people like you and me.

For years, America has welcomed immigrants from various cultures, colors and ethnicities. And with the steady influx of immigrants, the nation is increasingly becoming diverse paving the way for new and exciting challenges.

Friend, as a naturalized, proud to be an American citizen with diverse multi ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual background here’s what my parents, and my own personal life journey taught me about diversity:

There is amazing beauty, uniqueness, and wonder found in the miraculous diversity of the universe, and in our planet earth’s created things; plants, sea creatures, animals, and wonderfully made mortals like us. We’re all special, valuable and uniquely created with different fingerprints, looks, colors, shapes, talents, and personalities.

 Never lose the wonder.

There is wisdom when diversity, including those of thoughts and opinions, are respected and not squashed. It is unhealthy pride and lack of caring that drive someone to belittle and disrespect others’ opinions, or to consider his or her own race, culture, heritage, ethnicity as superior to theirs.

Pride despises diversity.

In a diverse America, our various backgrounds, cultures, views, ideas, and experiences must work for ours and society’s common good.  Diversity, when encountered by love in your heart and mine, will enrich and bless our personal lives and unite our country.

Love accepts diversity.

Adel G. Hanna, M.D.

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Many of us were shocked and saddened by the recent death of two well-known stars, Kate Spade and Antony Bourdain, who ended their very successful and young lives with suicide. Many across the world and specially those whose lives were touched by the vastly popular and widely known stars ask why?

Why would Kate Spade; a beautiful, popular, talented, rich, well-respected and highly admired fashion designer end her life?

Why would Anthony Bourdain; a handsome, world-renowned chef, best-selling author and award-winning producer and beloved TV personality give up all of the above, and end his own life three days after Kate Spade ended hers?

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention):

In America,

Nearly 45,000 lives were lost to suicide in 2016

Suicide rates went up more than 30% in half of the states since 1999

More than half of the people who died by suicide did not have a known mental health condition

The CDC  reports that “Mental health conditions are often seen as the cause of suicide, but suicide is rarely caused by any single factor. In fact, many people who die by suicide are not known to have a diagnosed mental health condition at the time of death. Other problems often contribute to suicide, such as those related to relationships, substance abuse, physical health, and job, money, legal, or housing stress.”

In light of that, it’s not just a good antidepressant or anxiolytic medicine that’s needed.

You and I need a steady and unwavering dose of true love.

Often times, finances, relationships, homes, and work environments become dreaded and hurtful battlefields of abuse, tension, worries, intimidation, and injustice. Human relations going sour can lend themselves to fears, anger, sadness, low-self esteem, and varying manifestations of evil. It’s no surprise or wonder that true love expressed in caring words, and with deeds of kindness and forgiveness, compassion and companionship can help us weather such dark, lonely, and turbulent days of our lives.

Love is truly a good medicine.

^“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13, 6-7

If you need help or know of someone who needs help please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for more information

Views expressed here are only of the author, and do not represent the views of any other organization or entity. Information in this blog are not meant to be medical advice. Please see your medical provider or psychologist for any of your medical or psychological concerns.

Adel G. Hanna, M.D.

Author: Soldier To Soldier Heart to Heart

A Doctor’s Stories from a Military Camp

Amazon Author Page

 Visit my other blog: Surviving College Life & Beyond

http://surviving collegeblog.com

The post True Love Saves appeared first on Alpha & Omega Healing Arts Dr. Hanna.

Friend, in our pursuit of real and genuine love we all run into all kinds of experiences, relationships, and people whose words sound loving, and actions feel like true love. Yet, sooner or later what seemed to be true, real and genuine love ends up being untrue, unreal, and false. And eventually, what promised to help and to heal us, like a good medicine, ends up hurting and plunging many of us into chaos.

So, what’s true, real and genuine love?

and

What’s imitation, fake and false love?

Here’re few guidelines and thoughts to ponder about when considering these two crucially important questions. Not that any one of us is perfect and able to offer flawlessly such perfect love, or that we’re to expect others in our lives to display such perfection in love. But, the closer we get in our personal life journeys to such genuine and real love, and the wiser we become in recognizing what’s real love and what’s fake, the better our lives will be.

True love is genuinely compassionate, kind and caring. False love is self centered, selfish and lacks genuine kindness and compassion.

Real love is real, assured to us and is certain. Fake love is unreal, and there is no assurance or certainty in it.

Genuine love forgives. False love can’t and won’t forgive.

True love accepts and approves our humanity and diginity even when it dissaproves our bad behaviors, wrong words and deeds. False love fakes acceptance and approval but is incapable of fully accepting, affirming, and approving of others.

True, real, and genuine love in us and in others renders us safe. Such love saves, secures, and protects. False, fake, and imitation love is unsafe. It endangers, and makes you, me and others vulrenable, and unsecure.

So friend, let’s pause and ask if the type of love that we’ve pursued in the past, or that we’re pursuing now, is true, real and genuine. How genuine, real, and true is my love and yours to those who cross our path?

Let’s learn, grow, and wonder.

Join me next time as we reflect on some more essential features of true and real love vs false love.

Views expressed here are only of the author, and do not represent the views of any other organization or entity. Information in this blog are not meant to be medical advice. Please see your medical provider or psychologist for any of your medical or psychological concerns.

Adel G. Hanna. M.D.

Author: Soldier To Soldier Heart to Heart

A Doctor’s Stories from a Military Camp

Amazon Author Page

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Survival and Joy in the Journey

It doesn’t take much to hear, see or experience bad news in the course of our day. I’m not just talking about what the media outlets splash on the internet and TV broadcasts announcing new alarming information about terrorism, mayhem, and an epidemic of mental health crisis, addiction,  sexually transmitted diseases, violence, and murder.  But to me as a physician, “bad news” is the sobering and real personal stories that I, and a multitude of medical providers and first responders, hear daily from real people whose life’s journey has been tainted, wronged by others, derailed, messed up, threatened, and turned upside down.

Long after the sensational headline news have generated high ratings, and the attention span of a temporarily captured audience has weaned and dissipated, there remains the  brokenness of many a soul, body, mind, and spirit that yearn to heal and to survive the remainder of his/her life’s journey. Many among us are hurt by life’s experiences , confused, feeling unloved and immersed in worthlessness. Many are hopeless, and in a constant quest for love, peace, and hope.

Friend, each one of us must not only know the skills needed to survive the journey of life with its daily avalanche of  adversities and bad news, but we must find contentment, peace, rest, hope and joy in the journey.  

Join me in other blog postings for few thoughts, ideas, and reflections on what I believe is needed to stay strong in the course of life, and to find abundance of rest, peace, and joy in life’s daily challenges and struggles.

Adel G. Hanna. M.D.

Author: Soldier To Soldier Heart to Heart

A Doctor’s Stories from a Military Camp

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Views expressed here are only of the author, and do not represent the views of any other organization or entity. Information in this blog are not meant to be medical advice. Please see your medical provider or psychologist for any of your medical or psychological concerns

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