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An open letter to Epic Systems
Dear Epic, I am not writing to you today as a customer, but rather on behalf of your users. More specifically, I am representative of the 870 American Medical Association (AMA) physicians who gave their electronic health record (EHR) an…
When there are none: Why manels are out
On June 12, 2019, the director of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins, MD, made a public commitment to decline to take part in panels that “do not fairly evaluate scientists of all backgrounds for speaking opportunities.”1 Collins referred…
Ramped-up productivity incentives and a deadly down slope
The healthcare system always conducts a “root cause” analysis when a medical error occurs. It looks for a systemic problem to address in order to prevent a recurrence. Although multidimensional, we have failed to address one of the root causes of…
How to succeed in vascular surgery: A guide for the aspiring outlier
Disclaimer: The views expressed here do not reflect those of Mayo Clinic, the Society for Vascular Surgery, Vascular Specialist, or even the author, for that matter. It’s satirical—everybody relax. Our recent paper, “Practice patterns of vascular surgery’s ‘1%’” created a…
Leadership and culture: Nurturing our immune system
Defining culture is amorphous, and mostly subjective. Being hard to define, it falls behind other measures of leadership—and team success or failure—like strategy or communication skills. Michael Watkins, PhD, professor of leadership and organizational change at the International Institute for…
A healing touch
Since March 2020, my life has literally spiraled out of control both personally and professionally. The COVID-19 pandemic shattered my life, and I am still left picking up the pieces, wondering if it will ever be put back together again.…
Present imperfect
On the morning of Nov. 9, I received a phone call from my sister. My father had been found unresponsive in his Manhattan apartment and was being taken to the hospital. Ok, I told her, call me when you know…
Give people a fair chance and watch the results
Ten years ago when we wrote a paper on diversity that was published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS), it barely caused a ripple. Entitled “Diversity in membership and leadership positions in a regional vascular society,” it was co-authored…
Science at twilight: Reasserting our democratic responsibility
Thomas Jefferson sat alone in a Philadelphia boarding house. He was nervous; much was riding on the words he would now write. The sovereignty of a nation, the coming war, and, perhaps most important to Jefferson, his own life. Ostensibly,…
Look within yourself during turbulent times
There are many strategies people have for surviving turbulent times. At times like these, I am often asked for advice by younger vascular surgeons, trainees or colleagues. Typically, I respond with a question: Are you following your personal mission statement?…