Posts by Donald McGee

The way it should be.... Everybody talks prevention. No one really knows how to do as it involves behavior. It is not pills or MRI's; it is about how we choose and live. If 80% of what causes disease and economic distress is silent inflammation, then our clinics should be anti inflammatory....and behavioral. How can we do this? I will suggest a model consist with our modern age; not the age of horse...
1/6/2010 8:00:00 AM
The sad aspect of our expensive health care system is the institutionalized ignorance about the role of non-pharmaceutical prevention of 80% of what costs all of us in this debate: heart disease, strokes, hypertension, many cancers, diabetes, alzheimer's, peripheral vascular disease, and so on. The real disease is a silent or painless inflammation of small arteries embedded in our heart, brain, kidneys,...
12/14/2009 8:00:00 AM
As a young physician fed up with the disease based health care system, I was ready to quit medicine when I finished my internship, some decades ago now after Medical School in New York City and Internship in San Francisco. Somehow then, I felt that wellness and prevention had to be more important, and they had to be tied into the personal development and maturity of the person and the play groups (family,...
12/1/2009 8:00:00 AM
Just FYI: As an ER physician, I am seeing Influenza A, H1N1 variety, every day. This virus has a very common and rapid onset constellation of symptoms: slight sore throat, a rapidly developing cough with bronchial "burning," fever, headache, and muscle aches. There are effective antiviral medications you can take early on, IF you can get to your physician ASAP. After 48 hours from the starting of symptoms,...
10/30/2009 7:00:00 AM
Thanks Greta, TMorros, Walknred, B Your Best, Beth: Nice responses. I would hope that Congress does address the private insurance market and make it more competitive as, at the moment, local insurance companies capture vast amounts of revenue and are more interested in their investments than patient care it would seem. They outsource any preventive measures to far distant companies that offer nurses...
10/2/2009 7:00:00 AM
I had a nice meeting today with which I hope forms a part of the start up core of the Personal Care Community. I met "Steve" and "Teresa" and others who are more interested in a website that gives people choices and supports consumer directed health care. It's a huge hurtle to think of ways for people to change their ways, but often it takes small tools, education, and support to head in the direction...
9/29/2009 7:00:00 AM
I am about to head off to another ER shift. I was witnessed to a poignant event last night as a woman went through the transition of death right in front of me as her loved ones stood in witness and support. It is so common in emergency medicine to have the last moments of life in the ER-- right in the middle of many other, much more mundane events going on. I count myself privileged to live and work...
9/15/2009 7:00:00 AM
In Answer to Greta's comment from the previous section: I have no idea what congress is going to do. All I know is that unless these monies are taken to a PERSONAL LEVEL, they will not result in prevention and wellness. For example, Farmers' Markets (which are in the bill) are fine, but the person and his or her "play group" (as I call it) need to make it "their" market. It needs to be a cultural event....
8/29/2009 7:00:00 AM
The Triad of Wellness and the INTEGRAL acronym I really want to stay out of the national debate on health just because I think they are all wrong. The only way to reduce costs is by embracing sophisticated wellness and prevention, and learning all the skills to take personal care of oneself even in the face of disease. Health is PERSONAL and the only ones who can impact real change and behaviors are...
8/16/2009 7:00:00 AM
Personal Care Leadership (I am using a copyright term)Interesting: I ran across an old friend and collaborator of shared wellness visions and found that she has been able to launch her theme and business of what she terms Personal Care Leadership©. Based on the works of Peter Koestenbaum and Peter Block, inspirational business leaders and writers, and the pioneering work of John Travis in Wellness,...
8/8/2009 7:00:00 AM