October 7th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Medblogger Shout Outs
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Thanks to the Happy Hospitalist who hosted me during my time of blog homelessness. Check out this post:
My pediatrician is 90 years old. He worked hard and invested his money until age 65, and then retired. He told me that he is about to outlive his savings, and he worries that he will lose his home shortly. It disturbs me to think that such a hard working, responsible person who devoted his life to caring for sick children could end his days homeless and penniless. This is the reality of our current economy – even the most conservative investors are seeing their monthly income dwindle. And if a retired physician is having a hard time surviving, what will happen to the average American?…
For the rest of the post, please click here.
October 7th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Medblogger Shout Outs
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While I was “between blogs” I posted this amusing interview excerpt at Medpolitics.com:
Kalb: Where did you come up with the title for your new book, “A Bold, Fresh Piece of Humanity?”
O’Reilly: My third grade teacher, sister Mary Lurana, of Saint Bridget’s School on Long Island called me that and it traumatized me for my whole life.
Kalb: Why did she call you that?
O’Reilly: I was a little thug. I was bothering her one day and she blurted out, “William, you bold fresh piece of humanity!” and then whacked me with a ruler. That was the end of me – I ended up turning into the monster that you see now…
To read the rest of the interview, please click here.
October 7th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Medblogger Shout Outs
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Many thanks to KevinMD and Emergiblog for allowing me to host Grand Rounds at their websites. Here’s a copy of the post that was featured at both sites:
I’m honored to co-guest-host this week’s Grand Rounds. Without further ado, here’s Dr. Val Jones.
Welcome to the historic, 5th year anniversary of Grand Rounds, the weekly summary of the best of the medical blogosphere. As the proud new co-leader of Grand Rounds, I am committed to expanding its reach, promoting the Grand Rounds “brand,” and making sure contributors’ voices are heard by healthcare’s movers and shakers.
This day happens to be historic for me as well, since I have just taken the leap into blogging independence. I’m excited that “Dr. Val and the Voice of Reason” lives on at the Getting Better Blog. I am committed to integrity, transparency, and medical accuracy – presented in a warm, and down-to-earth manner. Unfortunately, my new site is not live yet, so KevinMD and Kim from Emergiblog have graciously allowed me to crash guest blog at their sites for this edition of Grand Rounds. Read more »
October 7th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Medblogger Shout Outs
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While I was “homeless” my blogging friends kindly invited me to guest post at their websites. Ramona Bates at Suture For A Living posted this for me:
I have a great plastic surgeon friend who offered to fill a facial scar for me. I was bitten in the face by a dog when I was very young, and the small (1/2 inch) divot of flesh from my cheek still bothers me slightly. I’ve generally ignored it but thought it might be fun to see if it could be corrected in any way – so I happily agreed to try a Restylane (hyaluronic acid) injection.
My surgeon and I decided not to use any numbing medication because it distorts the contours of the face, making correction more challenging. So I tried my best not to squirm as he inserted a fairly long needle parallel to my nose…
To read the rest of the post, please click here.
October 7th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Medblogger Shout Outs
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While I was “homeless” my blogging friends kindly invited me to guest post at their websites. Henry Stern at InsureBlog posted this for me:
Are Health Insurance Dollars Being Wasted Due To Medication Non-Compliance?
In case the answer to that question isn’t obvious, it is a resounding “yes.” Non-compliance costs the health insurance industry a staggering 177 billion dollars a year. It is estimated that fifty percent of patients forget to take their meds and over 30 percent don’t refill their prescriptions. Twenty percent say they don’t take the full course of treatment and fifty percent of patients don’t take drugs as directed. So much for preventing that heart attack, stroke, or limb amputation.
The health insurance industry (as well as pharmaceutical companies) have invested heavily in patient compliance initiatives, most of which have failed to produce substantially improved outcomes. The reason?…
To read the rest of the post, please click here.
