Well… Anywhere in the US, that is. In this first of a series of articles, I want to discuss communication. As we all know, communication is foundational to any good relationship. We also know that communication is not something we will ever perfect. We must continuously learn and evolve in how we relate to others,…
Category: Health information
Spinal Protection in the Wilderness: What We’ve Been Doing Wrong for Decades
The latest Wilderness Medical Society Guidelines for spinal cord protection have been released (SCP Guidelines). The results are nothing short of dramatic. If you have been a victim of a traumatic injury over the past 50 years, you have been quickly placed in a cervical collar and strapped to a backboard to “protect your spine”….
What’s in a Name: Docwilderness
Why use the name Docwilderness for your blog? You don’t just write about the woods or camping, after all. In general, I answer that there is so much wilderness around us; why should I restrict what I write or talk about to just one area of the proverbial forest? More specifically, Webster’s dictionary defines wilderness…
Yellow Fever: Is Once a Lifetime Enough?
A recent article in the Journal Lancet, Long-term immunity against yellow fever in children vaccinated during infancy: a longitudinal cohort study, calls into question the 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) decision that a single dose of Yellow Fever vaccine is required for life-long immunity. Until 2013, the requirement was for a dose every 10 years…
The Traveller’s Scurge: Traveller’s Diarrhea
As an adjunct to my upcoming podcast this Saturday, I am reposting this article from a few months ago. In this post I want to expand on what I wrote in prior blog concerning being prepared for an upcoming adventure. While Traveller’s Diarrhea was mentioned there briefly, there is so much more that the truly…
Wilderness Trivia
I must admit that I am a huge fan of trivia. Don’t ask me how many Kardashians there are or who won the Oscar for Best picture last year. I am more interested in knowing that a US river ending in the suffix “-amack” means that it has been a river known for good fishing….
Hospital Profits
In writing this post, I do so knowing full well that there are significant difficulties in the healthcare industry in America. Too many in the United States incur bankruptcy due to medical bills each year. Too many forego recommended treatments whether procedural or via medication each day. With that background, it should also be noted…
The Role of the CMO: Chief Medical Officer
One of the questions I am frequently asked is, “What do you do exactly?” And, my response is usually, “Well, that depends.” I have this response because the role of the Chief Medical Officer is one that is ever changing. I frequently refer people to the line in my job description that sums it up…
Hydration and Rehydration
Hydration aka water…essential for life. We take for granted this vital substance which we cannot live without. In much of the world, however, clean drinking water is a luxury. In a previous post, I have discussed how to make this water safe to drink. In this post, I want to examine what you might be…
The Cost of Healthcare
As of January 2019, all hospitals and healthcare systems were required to post their pricing on their websites or in some public, machine readable format. The goal of this mandate was to give patients the information needed to make informed decisions about their healthcare, from a financial standpoint. Unfortunately, what patients are being able to…