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Culture & Society, Current Events, Featured, Health Policy, Medicine, What's New

America Out Loud PULSE: The Highs and Lows of Medical Cannabis with Dr. Dustin Sulak

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From my America Out Loud Pulse podcast with Dr. Dustin Sulak – https://www.americaoutloud.news/the-highs-and-lows-of-medical-cannabis/

Pot, Mary Jane, weed, grass, and reefer are among the many names for marijuana. Marijuana is one strain of cannabis, the plant species that includes hemp. Hemp contains low levels of the psychoactive compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and marijuana has high levels. Another active compound in cannabis is cannabidiol (CBD) and it is non-psychoactive. Any Baby Boomers who indulged can confirm that the amount of THC in marijuana has increased over the last 25 years. In the mid-1990s, the average THC content of confiscated weed was roughly 4 percent. By 2014, it was about 12 percent, with a few strains of pot containing THC levels as high as 37 percent.

Cannabis was a key crop of the early American colonists. Indeed, one of our first president, George Washington’s main crops was hemp. In fact, the Virginia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut colonies were required to grow it. Hemp was used for fabric and rope. It wasn’t until the mid 1800s that cannabis was sold in doctors’ offices and pharmacies for medicinal purposes in the United States, mainly for stomach problems.

Cannabis had been used medicinally and recreationally for thousands of years, with artifacts from China suggesting it was used for malaria, poor memory, gout, and rheumatism. Immigrants from Mexico during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900 were primarily responsible for the start of recreational use in the U.S. Unfortunately, during the Depression and the Prohibition era, the focus shifted to outlawing cannabis as an evil brought here by Mexican immigrants. By 1931, 29 states had outlawed cannabis. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 made selling, possessing or transferring hemp products for anything but industrial use a crime. The first person to violate the Act was sentenced to 4 years of hard labor.

Although the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 repealed the Marijuana Tax Act, the law made marijuana a Schedule I drug, meaning it had no medical use and the potential for addiction. This is the category that includes heroin, ecstasy, and LSD! But things began to change when California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996 legalized marijuana for medical use by chronically ill persons. Today medical marijuana is legal in all but 11 states, although it remains illegal under federal law.

Recreational marijuana has been gradually moving from the culprit in “Reefer Madness” to a mainstream indulgence. However, many fear complete legalization as cannabis – thanks to its narcotic Schedule I status – has not had the research it deserves. (Fortunately, the Department of Health and Human Services has recommended to the Drug Enforcement Administration that the cannabis be downgraded to the class of drugs with more safety and lower potential for abuse.)

Many doctors are not familiar with the types of cannabis and the various uses. It can sometimes help patients when other more mainstream medications and treatments have failed.

My guest today is an integrative medicine physician and a highly regarded national expert in the use cannabis.

Dr. Sulak’s website: Healer.com; HealerCBD.com

Bio

Dustin Sulak, D.O. is a renowned integrative medicine physician based in Maine, whose practice balances the principles of osteopathy, mind-body medicine, spirituality in healthcare, and medical cannabis. Dr. Sulak educates medical providers and patients on its clinical use. Dr. Sulak excels in the treatment of patients with conditions that have not responded well to conventional treatment. Dr. Sulak received undergraduate degrees in nutrition science and biology from Indiana University, a doctorate of osteopathy from the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, and completed an internship at Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency.

Culture & Society, Current Events, Featured, Health Policy, Medicine, Politics, What's New

America Out Loud PULSE: Opioid Addiction and Settlement Funds with Dr. Molly Rutherford

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From my America Out Loud Pulse podcast with Dr. Molly Rutherford – https://www.americaoutloud.news/its-2024-what-is-happening-with-opioid-addiction-and-the-settlement-funds/

In 2020, 54 million U.S. adults were living with chronic pain. Management of non-cancer pain went through a slow evolution starting in 1980 to include opioids. While opioids are indicated in many types of pain, they carry potential risk of addiction and overdose. The National Institute on Drugs Abuse data in 2019 revealed that 21 to 29 percent of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them; between 8 and 12 percent of people using an opioid for chronic pain develop an opioid use disorder.

In 1995, the pharmaceutical companies insisted that their new opioid pain relievers, particularly OxyContin, were safe and effective and not addictive. Not true. Worse yet, an April 13, 2022 congressional oversight committee report revealed that at least 22 McKinsey consultants were simultaneously working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on opioid safety and advising Purdue Pharma on how to influence the regulatory decisions of the U.S. FDA, as well as how to maximize sales. The bad behavior travelled down the food chain. For example, an email in the records of distributor AmerisourceBergen revealed during a state trial last year in West Virginia described their addicted consumers as “pillbillies” and referred to OxyContin as “hillbilly heroin.” Distributors also sent massive quantities of OxyContin to small rural communities clearly disproportionate to the population.

Now many of the major players in the prescription opioid debacle are paying the piper. Several physicians have been prosecuted – some unjustifiably – for overprescribing, others were a frank embarrassment to the profession by operating pill mills.

The national opioid settlement resolved thousands of civil lawsuits by state, local, and Native American governments. The lawsuits alleged that the sometimes sketchy business practices of many firms in the chain of commerce contributed to the opioid crisis. The national opioid settlements are the second-largest public health settlement of all time, following the $246 billion tobacco master settlement of the 1990s.

The largest pharmaceutical opioid distributors, (McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health) will pony up $21 billion and one manufacturer (Johnson & Johnson) will contribute $5 billion as well as cease manufacturing prescription opioids. Teva, Walgreens, and Walmart and several other smaller companies add to the financial mix.

The creator of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma (not to be confused with Perdue, the chicken supplier) entered into a separate settlement for $6 billion as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. While 60,000 vocal victims approved of, and were awaiting the funds, the federal government decided the terms immunizing Purdue’s owners, the Sacklers, from personal liability was not consistent bankruptcy law since the Sacklers did not declare personal bankruptcy. The case is currently in front of the Supreme Court and no ruling is expected until June 2024.

Who will control the funds? Currently several states have created councils that vary in their make-up but generally include health professionals, law enforcement, and victims of addiction. Importantly, where will the money go?

These councils are deciding on where to allocate the funds and are now the objects of multiple companies pitching their products. Most agree that the biggest portion should go to treatment by building treatment facilities and increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder, including for the uninsured, and providing naloxone to reverse overdoses. Some local governments want to use the funds to purchase law enforcement tools. Despite usefulness in curbing drug trafficking, as you can imagine, many groups are unhappy with this option. Additionally, many worry that as with the tobacco settlement, monies would go to unrelated projects.

My guest will share her expertise in addiction medicine and public policy.

*Dr. Rutherford’s website: Blue Grass Family Wellness: https://bluegrassfamilywellness.com

*To find how the settlement funds will be used in your area go to:

https://www.naccho.org/uploads/downloadable-resources/OpioidSettlementsPDFFinal.pdf

Bio

Molly Rutherford, MD, MPH is the founder, medical director, and physician at Bluegrass Family Wellness—a direct primary care clinic in Kentucky. She is board certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine, and employs a holistic approach to her patients’ physical health. She has more than a decade of experience treating opioid addiction.

Culture & Society, Featured, Health Policy, Law, Medical Ethics, Medicine, Politics, What's New

America Out Loud PULSE: Defining Death with Dr. Heidi Klessig

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From my America Out Loud Pulse podcast with Dr. Heidi Klessig – https://www.americaoutloud.news/defining-death-with-heidi-klessig-md/

Historically, people advocated for at least 24 hours between the diagnosis of death and burial in case a mistake was made in the diagnosis. For years physicians searched for a sure sign of death. Some thought putrefaction of tissues was the only sure sign. Ultimately it seemed reasonable to define death as when all spontaneous vital functions ceased permanently. Then came organ transplantation and the whole concept of the moment of death has changed— irreversibly, like death itself.

The advances in medical science have made adherence to medical ethics more essential than ever. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), mechanical ventilation and artificial nutrition were only the beginning. We now are experimenting with pig to human transplants and freshly obtained aborted fetal tissue is being used to create “humanized mice”. We can’t get carried away with the technology and forget the humanity. First and foremost, a patient has the right to self-determination and the physician’s duty is to respect the patient’s decisions and to do no harm to the patient. Incidents where patients were labelled DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) without their (or their family’s) consent are unacceptable.

Unfortunately, along with the innovations that can prolong life and sometimes cure, we have drifted into a utilitarian mindset when considering patient treatment alternatives. Often times, the suggested treatment—or non-treatment—pathway is at odds with the concept of the innate dignity of being a living human being. All involved persons must remember that we are far more than clumps of cells or a collection of body parts for future use.

Also disturbing is the popularity of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide, euphemistically called “medical aid in dying” (MAID). In Canada, assisted suicide has been in effect since 2016. In 2022 medically assisted deaths constituted 4.1 per cent of all deaths in Canada. This was a 30 percent increase from 2021. The patient who partakes need not be terminally ill. According to a BBC news report, social problems like poverty, lack of housing, or extreme loneliness may contribute to the patient’s willingness to request MAID, and this “prompted fears it could be used as a solution for societal challenges.” As of March 17, 2024. Now persons suffering solely from a mental illness will be eligible for MAID.

As there is more and more discussion of scarce medical resources, we have to be vigilant that as physicians we maintain our commitment to respect human life. Marilyn believes death is a separation of body and spirit, but Dr. Singleton must deal with ethics, legal definitions and guidelines.

Today my guest will discuss the past, present, and future of the concept of “brain death.”

Dr. Klessig’s website: https://www.respectforhumanlife.com

Dr. Klessig’s latest book: https://www.respectforhumanlife.com/books

Bio

Dr. Heidi Klessig attended medical school at University of Wisconsin, where she also completed her residency in anesthesiology. She received the American Board of Anesthesiology’s certificate of added qualification in pain management. She was a founding partner of the Pain Clinic of Northwestern Wisconsin and was an instructor for the International Spinal Injection Society. She recently authored The Brain Death Fallacy. Dr. Klessig and Christopher W. Bogosh, RN-BC also maintain a website called Respect for Human Life that deals with issues surrounding organ transplantation

Culture & Society, Featured, Health Policy, Healthcare Reform, Medicare, Politics, What's New

America Out Loud PULSE: Long Term Care Solutions

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From my America Out Loud Pulse podcast with Stephen Moses – https://www.americaoutloud.news/living-longer-is-great-but-we-need-reforms-to-reduce-dependency-long-term-care-solutions/

People are living longer and by 2030 about one in five Americans will be aged 65 years and older. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey, about 8 million people 65 and older (20 percent) reported that they had dementia or difficulty with basic daily tasks like bathing and feeding themselves. Worse yet, about 3 million of them had no assistance at all. Family or friends were their only option. But these days, family members are scattered across the country and your friends may be in as poor physical health as you are.

Kaiser Family Foundation also found that 83 percent of adults surveyed said it would be impossible or very difficult to pay $60,000 a year for an assisted living facility. The inability to afford professional help can tear families apart. As parents age, their personality may change for the worse. A professional is trained to deal with the negative psychological and physical aspects of growing old. Families may find that the only way to get help is to put their parents in a nursing home. What will they do if the parents do not want to go? Sometimes the children find that the nursing home is not too pleasant but it is the only one in the area that takes public insurance (Medicaid).

The cost of long term care can be upwards of $100,00 per year. While there can be a huge financial toll and the loss of all your savings, the emotional toll is worse. Comments in a blog from folks who are caregiving for their loved-one can be heartbreaking: “Feeling like there is no honorable way out”; “crying out of pure exhaustion and grief”; “not being able to ‘fix’ what is wrong”; “having to be close by at all times and never getting a break.” “I lost my husband [recently] and I don’t think I could handle losing her. I am here at home with her 24/7 with, as you say, no end in sight.” There has to be a better way for the elder and their family.

Many people think that Medicare will pay for long term care of your choice indefinitely. Not true. Too many people end up on Medicaid with its limited options. Planning can make it so your future is what you want it to be.

My guest will discuss the reforms to reduce dependence on Medicaid and free up private financing to fix the LTC challenge.

Bio

Steve Moses is president of the Center for Long-Term Care Reform. The center promotes universal access to top quality long-term care by encouraging private financing as an alternative to Medicaid dependency for most Americans. Previously, Mr. Moses was president of the Center for Long-Term Care Financing (1998-2005), Director of Research for LTC, Inc. (1989-98), a senior analyst for the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1987-89), a Medicaid state representative for the Health Care Financing Administration (1978-87), an HHS departmental management intern (1975-78), and a Peace Corps volunteer in Venezuela (1968-1970). He is widely recognized as an experienced expert and innovator in the field of long term care. His recent monograph on the issue is Long-Term Care: The Problem and Long Term Care: The Solution.

Culture & Society, Current Events, Doctors, Featured, Health Policy, Medicine, What's New

America Out Loud PULSE: Do We Really Need to Take So Many Pharmaceuticals?

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From my America Out Loud Pulse podcast with Richard Amerling, MD – https://www.americaoutloud.news/do-we-really-need-to-take-so-many-pharmaceuticals-richard-amerling-md/#

The second opinion is—or should be—a staple of medicine. Second opinions can help you make better decisions about your health. In one large national survey, one-fifth of patients who saw a doctor in the past year sought a second opinion. According to one study, a second opinion affected treatment plans for 37 percent of patients and changed diagnoses for almost 15 percent.

And why should you get as second opinion? Sometimes your insurer requires one, especially for surgery or expensive treatments. I doubt they are looking out for you. They are likely making sure they can save a few bucks. If you have an unclear diagnosis or want an expert on your condition, you should definitely talk to another physician. It may turn out that the recommendations are the same. If you are still uncomfortable, get a third opinion.

One very important reason for getting a second opinion is that your current treatment is not working, is risky, and/or you have major side effects. You may wonder if such drastic treatment is actually necessary. On the flip side, always get a second opinion if your doctor tells you that you have no options. And remember to ask if waiting is an option.

I have a few personal rules about treatment. The doctor is not always right. In a trusting relationship, your doctor will welcome your questions and offer that you get another opinion. He or she will not be insulted if you ask whether the treatment is really necessary. Never feel rushed unless a real emergency. It’s your body; the final choice is up to you.

One of the things I can thank Covid for is that it exposed the flaws in the “follow the science” mantra. It got many doctors asking, whose science? Does anybody really have the last word in how to treat patients? Remember statins, low fat diets and countless other differing and changing opinions in medicine?

Unfortunately, during Covid, many doctors were whipped into submission by fear and intimidation. But standing your ground works. Physicians filed lawsuits against California’s AB 2098 (Sec. 2270 of Business and Professions Code). This was the “misinformation” law that threatened physicians with the loss of their licenses if they disagreed with the official “scientific consensus” on Covid-19. Then magically, this Covid misinformation law was quietly repealed by a late amendment provision (sec. 19) to Senate Bill 815.

In today’s episode, my guest and I will talk about medical opinions, medical consensus, and your overall health.

Bio

Dr. Richard Amerling is a board-certified internist/nephrologist with over 35 years of clinical experience, mostly in New York City.  In 2016, he took a position at St. George’s University and taught there until July 2021, when he refused the Covid vaccine. Dr. Amerling is Past-President of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. 

Culture & Society, Featured, Health Policy, Medicine, Politics, What's New

America Out Loud PULSE: Teeth, Drugs, and the Business of Medicine

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From my America Out Loud Pulse podcast with Joel Strom, DDS and Kenneth Schell, D.Pharm. – https://www.americaoutloud.news/the-down-and-dirty-business-of-medical-care-joel-strom-dds-and-kenneth-schell-d-pharm/

The world of medicine encompasses so many ins and outs that patients never see. As costs go up, patients need to be aware of the reasons, and hopefully do something to keep those costs down for themselves—even if the politicians won’t do it.

Almost everyone in U.S. (92 percent) has health insurance whether private or government-financed, yet half have trouble with costs and 41 percent report have medical debt. Thirty-five percent of adults have delayed dental care due to costs. Our teeth are more important than many think they are, but dental care is the most common service to go. Prescription medicines are another culprit. Twenty-five percent of adults either skipped a dose or cut pills in half to save money.

The down and dirty business of medical care is starting to make the news as much as the end result: high costs. Five insurance companies control half the market. Now there is a proposed merger between two of them: Cigna and Humana. Cigna has Express Scripts, the second largest pharmacy benefit manager. Humana has Humana Pharmacy Solutions, the fourth largest PBM. This would significant consolidate the PBM market. Humana is big in the Medicare Advantage market. Medicare Advantage is the HMO with fixed rates for medical care Medicare beneficiaries.

We also have private equity firms buying up medical practices and consolidating them into one large group. The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down because these purchases have led to higher prices. For example, prices charged by anesthesiology groups increased 26 percent after they were acquired by private equity firms. (The most commonly represented medical groups included anesthesiology (19.4%), multispecialty (19.4%), emergency medicine (12.1%), family practice (11.0%), and dermatology (9.9%) From 2015 to 2016, there was also an increase in the number of acquired cardiology, ophthalmology, radiology, and obstetrics/gynecology practices.)

Do buy-outs and mergers help or hurt patients? My guests deal with patients and health policy. We are going to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of what is under the surface of medical care.

Bio

Dr. Joel Strom has practiced general dentistry for more than 40 years and is a former President of the California State Dental Board. He has extensive leadership experience in all aspects of the dental profession including education, regulation, professional leadership, clinical practice and as an expert witness.  He is an Adjunct Professor at the Forsyth Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, former Chairman of Ethics in the Practice of Dentistry at USC, And Dr. Strom had a 12-year tenure on the California Science Center Board of Directors. Dr. Strom founded the Dr. Joseph Warren Institute, a 501c4 non-profit designed to educate and motivate health care professionals to become leaders in the political and public policy debate on health care reform.

Bio

Kenneth H Schell, Pharm.D earned his Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of California, San Francisco. He has almost 40 years’ experience in clinical pharmacology and pharmaceutical science, including overseeing pharmacy operations in managed care, pediatric and adult hospitals, medical groups, home infusion, hospice and mail order organizations. Dr. Schell served as president of the California State Board of Pharmacy and on the Board of Directors and as Presidential Officer of the California Society of Health System Pharmacists. He is also lectures at the Skaggs UCSD School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences where he teaches Pharmacy Law and Ethics. He currently serves on the Sharp Healthcare Institutional Review Board for research projects. He also served in compliance and privacy as Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer at a major Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM).

Dr. Schell also serves on several other Boards including Disability Rights Now, which champions disabled individuals seeking to become attorneys and ACTG Biopharma, an organization seeking to support novel therapies for individuals with brain injuries.

Culture & Society, Doctors, Featured, Guest Column, Medicine, What's New

Navigating the Medical Maze: Strategies for Avoiding Burnout

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Guest column by Virginia Cooper.

In the relentless and demanding field of healthcare, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of burnout. As a medical professional, you are familiar with the high-stress environment and the toll it takes. Yet, there’s hope. By adopting specific strategies, you can preserve your well-being and continue to provide the best care to your patients.

Embrace Wellness Rituals

Your health is as critical as that of your patients. Integrating wellness rituals into your daily routine is not a luxury but a necessity. Think about activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Maybe it’s a morning jog, an evening of painting, or simply reading a book. Exercise not only keeps you physically fit but also serves as a mental escape from the pressures of work. Regularly engaging in hobbies can rejuvenate your spirit, making you more resilient in your professional role.

Be Conscious About Alcohol Intake

In the high-pressure world of medicine, turning to alcohol might seem like a quick fix for stress. However, moderation is key. Excessive drinking can lead to health issues and impact your ability to perform at work. If you find yourself struggling, consider seeking help. There are various treatment options in the area, with many rehab centers accepting major health insurance providers. Research facilities focusing on factors like treatment methods, location, and patient reviews to find the best fit for your needs.

Improve Decision-Making Under Stress

High-stress situations are part and parcel of medical work. Developing a strategy for making sound decisions under pressure is crucial. Before reacting, take a moment to assess the situation mindfully. This pause allows you to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively. Envision the broader implications of your decisions and trust your well-honed instincts, using the information at hand.

Building a Support Network

The path of a healthcare professional need not be a solitary journey. Building connections with peers can offer a much-needed sense of understanding and support. These relationships provide a safe space to share experiences, challenges, and advice. Engaging in conversations with colleagues who understand the unique pressures of the medical field can be both comforting and enlightening.

Consider Taking a Sabbatical

Sometimes, the best way to recharge is to step away temporarily. A sabbatical, or an extended break from work, can be a transformative experience. It offers an opportunity to rest, pursue personal interests, or engage in professional development activities without the daily pressures of patient care. This time away can provide a fresh perspective and renewed energy, ultimately benefiting both you and your patients.

Reflecting on Your Career Path

In the dynamic world of healthcare, it’s important to periodically reassess your career goals. Are you where you want to be? Is your current role fulfilling? Sometimes, a change within the medical field can reignite your passion for healthcare. Whether it’s specializing in a new area, shifting to a different facility, or even transitioning to a teaching role, these changes can provide new challenges and renewed motivation.

Mastering the Art of Saying “No”

One of the hardest but most essential skills to learn in any demanding career is the ability to say “no.” Setting boundaries is crucial for maintaining your mental and physical health. It’s okay to decline extra shifts or additional responsibilities when you’re already stretched thin. Remember, taking on too much can compromise the quality of care you provide to your patients.

Prioritizing Your Mental Health

The psychological toll of working in medicine can be significant. Regularly check in with yourself. Are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed? Seeking professional help through counseling or therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Mental health professionals can provide coping strategies and support, helping you navigate the complexities of your role with resilience and clarity.

In the fast-paced, high-stakes field of healthcare, taking care of yourself is not just a personal priority—it is a professional necessity. From managing stress to seeking treatment for an alcohol issue and evaluating your career path, each step is crucial in avoiding burnout. Remember, making good decisions under stress is a skill that can be honed with practice and mindfulness. By prioritizing your well-being, you ensure that you can continue to provide the best care for your patients, day in and day out.

Virginia Cooper is a retired community college instructor. She always encouraged her students to see the real-world value in their education, and now, she wants to spread that message as wide as possible. Her hope is that Learn a Living (learnaliving.co) will be a go-to resource for adult learners embarking on starting, continuing, or finishing their education.

Image: Freepick

Culture & Society, Current Events, Featured, Politics, What's New

America Out Loud PULSE: Indoctrination, Antisemitism, and Empowering Humanity

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From my America Out Loud Pulse podcast with Diana Blum, MD and Jason Littlefield – https://www.americaoutloud.news/indoctrination-antisemitism-and-empowering-humanity/

“If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.”  Harriet Tubman

One of the most important things we can do is keep trying. Sometimes it seems humanity and common sense has left the building.  Schools have allowed politics to infiltrate education. I’m not talking about a seminar or class in political science or a balanced discussion about history or current events. Now we see teachers openly announcing their political persuasion in class. Some go so far as to tell students for whom to vote. That’s not the civics class I remember. Even the Mayor gave no hint of his political party when he came to our class to encourage us to be involved in our city and to vote when we were old enough.

Ethnic Studies in high school. Now that’s a good educational idea gone bad. This was meant to teach students about history, cultures, struggles, and contributions of minority groups in our country that were sorely lacking in textbooks for years. But now, in the name of equity some schools have stopped academic honors programs. This is perverse. Clearly, the way to push lagging students forward is not by holding others back. Now some of the curricula are preaching a particular point of view. With the current Palestinian conflict, the perpetrators of barbarism and savagery upon babies are presented as resistance fighters, rather than terrorists in a conflict with an extremely complicated history.

I’ve lived through unfair housing, segregated school dances, and participated in sit-ins at Woolworths. There was a time when mean-spirited ethnic jokes were socially acceptable. But such racist behavior organically faded over the last 50 years and racial equality was on the rise. Diversity meant we interacted with all sorts of folks as fellow human beings. Now racism is being re-introduced.  The schools teach that the most important attribute of a person is their ethnicity, not their character. It is no wonder that we have a new wave of antisemitism running rampant in our schools and spinning out of control across the country.

We have to work to stop this dangerous trajectory. We all—especially children—need ways to strengthen our most positive traits and deal with our negative emotions. We need to learn how do we learn to live in a space grounded in human dignity rather than fear.

My guests will discuss what is happening in schools and how we can work to raise our children with a mindset of common humanity, not divisiveness.

Resources regarding antisemitism:

Bio

Dr. Diana Blum is a board-certified neurologist who completed her medical school training at the University of Chicago, Pritzker school of Medicine and her Neurology Residency training at Stanford University Medical Center. She is currently in private practice in Silicon Valley, California where she focuses on the chronic management of patients with Parkinson’s Disease. When not practicing clinical medicine, Dr. Blum is a fierce patient and physician advocate, defending Hippocratic oath medicine and the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship through education and activism.

Bio

Jason Littlefield has been an educator for over 20 years. From 2014 to 2021 he was a Social and Emotional Learning Specialist for the Austin Independent School District. In 2017 he established EmpowerED Pathways and co-designed the Empowered Humanity Theory, a framework for life, leadership, and learning. He recently has written a book, Empowered Humanity Theory, A Framework or an Empowering and Dignified Life. Jason has also served students and families from around the world, including Taiwan, China, and Benin, Africa.

Culture & Society, Featured, Medicine, What's New

America Out Loud PULSE: The Epidemic of Diabetes and Obesity

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From my America Out Loud Pulse podcast with Dr. Dan Weiss – https://www.americaoutloud.news/the-epidemic-of-diabetes-and-obesity-daniel-weiss-md/

At its last count, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 40 percent of U.S. adults age 20 and over, 21 percent of teens, and 14 percent of preschoolers are obese. A December 2019 study that analyzed 26 years of body mass index (BMI [the relation of weight to height]) data concluded that half of U.S. adults will be obese (BMI>25) by 2030. Some 25 percent will be severely obese (BMI>35). Moreover, less than 5 percent of adults get the recommended 30 minutes a day of physical activity. And even when people living in “food deserts” were presented with healthy options, only 10 percent changed their evil eating ways.

According to the CDC’s last comprehensive analysis, the annual medical cost of obesity in the United States to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers was $147 billion in 2008. And the medical costs for obese people were $1,429 higher than those of healthier weights.

Rising rates of obesity have led to significant increases in the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes worldwide. In 2021, an estimated 536.6 million (10.5%) people aged 20-79 years were living with diabetes, a number that is projected to rise by 2045 to 783.2 million (12.2%).

The saddest development is the cultural normalization of obesity with lingerie models, singers, and television shows celebrating fatness. Do we high-five people with other lifestyle related conditions such as alcoholism, emphysema, or coronary artery disease? Of course not.

U.S. pharmaceutical companies spent $6.1 billion on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising in 2017. Many ads feature chunky type 2 diabetics happily frolicking about, thanks to the drug company’s magic pill. The ads might as well say, “pass the chocolate cupcakes with statin sprinkles drizzled with insulin.”

Today we’ll talk about the causes of the obesity epidemic – and most importantly what we – doctors and patients — can do about it.

Bio

Daniel Weiss, MD, CDCES, is an endocrinologist and physician nutrition specialist in St. George, Utah, with Intermountain Health. Dr. Weiss earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He completed an internal medicine residency followed by a fellowship in endocrinology-metabolism at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

Dr. Weiss has served as a manuscript reviewer for Annals of Internal Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, and the American Journal of Physiology. He has been the principal investigator for 90 clinical research projects, mostly for persons with diabetes and his work has been published in various medical journals.

His opinions on this podcast are his own and do not reflect the views of Intermountain Health, his employer.

Culture & Society, Featured, Health Policy, Medical Ethics, Medicine, Politics, What's New

America Out Loud PULSE: One Surgeon’s Fight Against Race-Baiting Radicalism

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From my America Out Loud Pulse podcast – https://www.americaoutloud.news/one-surgeons-fight-against-race-baiting-radicalism-2/

Medicine as profession has advanced to include all races and males and females. My father went to an all-black college and medical school. I went to a “white” college and medical school. When I was in medical school, the OB-Gyn department accepted its first female resident. Now over half of OB-Gyns are female. Times change – thank goodness.

Medicine as a science has advanced over the years to treat and cure more and more complex conditions. Unfortunately, there are certain groups of patients who don’t have access to good medical care. Sometimes this is because of lack of insurance or they have Medicaid that many doctors do not accept. Some have no transportation or babysitting or a myriad of other socio-economic issues standing in their way. We must do our best to sit down as a health care team and work on getting proper medical care to all Americans.

It seems that instead of doing the hard work of getting down to the root of the problems, academia has taken the easy way out by deciding that the cause of health care disparities is racism. Now all solutions start with racism and end with indoctrination into reverse racism. The academicians and mainstream medical associations write articles that erroneously conclude that minority patients are better off by having a doctor with the same skin color. Of course, this only works for patients of color. A white patient would be a racist if he asked for a white doctor. This obsession with race is clouding deeper societal issues. It is also violating Hippocrates’ oath to treat all patients with the same respect and skill.

My guest today has taken his fight against indoctrination to the streets, so to speak. First direct to the top of the American College of Surgeons and then in the National Review.  https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/10/the-american-college-of-surgeons-doubles-down-on-anti-racism/

Link to Dr. Bosshardt’s petition for reinstatement: https://www.change.org/ACS-petition-reinstate-Bosshardt

Do No Harm website – https://donoharmmedicine.org

Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism in Medicine website – https://fairforall.org/fair-in-medicine/

Bio

Dr. Rick Bosshardt is a board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice in Lake County, Florida for over 33 years. He graduated from University of Miami Medical School and completed his general surgery training in the U.S. Naval Hospital, Oakland, California. After serving as a surgeon at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Okinawa, Dr. Bosshardt returned to Miami in 1987 to train in plastic surgery. He wrote a weekly medical column, entitled House Calls, for the Orlando Sentinel for over 25 years and was a contributing writer to Lake Healthy Living Magazine for over 10 years. He is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons.

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