Healthcare Musings For December 15, 2023

Healthcare Musings For December 15, 2023

by | Dec 15, 2023 | A personal history, ACA, Atrius Health, Carol Emmott, Charlie Baker, Clay Christensen, Continuous Improvement, Creative Destruction, Crossing the Quality Chasm, Disruptive Innovation, Dr. Robert Ebert, Featured Post, Fee for service payment, Harvard Community Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Joseph  Schumpeter, Ken Paulus, Moral Injury, Social Determinants of Health, the difficulties of change, The Triple Aim, utopias

December 15, 2023  Dear Interested Readers,   Utopian Ideas Versus The Status Quo In Healthcare   Less than twenty miles north up Interstate 89 from my home is the Enfield Shaker Museum. I have visited the enclave by Lake Mascoma with its magnificent main...
Healthcare Musings For December 8, 2023

Healthcare Musings For December 8, 2023

by | Dec 8, 2023 | A story from my life, ACA, Carol Emmott, Charlie Baker, Dying Broke, Dylan Scott, Featured Post, Future of Heathcare, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Health in America, Ken Paulus, Life Expectancy in America, Saving Democracy, Social Determinants of Health, The conflict between Israel and Hamas, Trump's campaign statements, war in Ukraine

December 8, 2023 Dear Interested Readers,   Random Thoughts In Response To Our Collective Angst   Things could get much worse, but the question in my mind is whether or not they will get better. Before launching into my complaints and concerns, I should own...
Healtcare Musings For December 1, 2023

Healtcare Musings For December 1, 2023

by | Dec 1, 2023 | A personal history, Carol Emmott, Charlie Baker, Dr. Robin Atlas, Fee for service payment, Glenn Hackbarth, Harvard Community Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Pilgrim Health Care, Roanne Weisman

December 1, 2023 Dear Interested Readers,   Something New For You To Check Out   If you are reading this letter on a computer, look to the right side of the page and click on “References.” If you are reading the letter on a cell phone, scroll down to the end...
Healtcare Musings For December 1, 2023

by | Dec 1, 2023 | A personal history, Carol Emmott, Charlie Baker, Dr. Robin Atlas, Featured Post, Fee for service payment, Glenn Hackbarth, Harvard Community Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Pilgrim Health Care, Roanne Weisman

December 1, 2023 Dear Interested Readers,   Something New For You To Check Out   If you are reading this letter on a computer, look to the right side of the page and click on “References.” If you are reading the letter on a cell phone, scroll down to the end...
Healthcare Musings For November 24, 2023

Healthcare Musings For November 24, 2023

by | Nov 24, 2023 | A personal history, Cass Sunstein, Dr. Marc Bard, Featured Post, Fee for service payment, Harvard Community Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Healthcare Mergers, Illiberalism, Liberal Values, Liberalism, Medical Professionalism, Moral Injury, Physician Council of HCHP, RVUs, Social Determinants of Health, The Triple Aim

November 24, 2023 Dear Interested Readers,   Some Thoughts Before Continuing My Story   I began the slow crawl through the memories from my professional life in the letter that I wrote to you on July 21. Eighteen weeks later I am only up to 1995, and I am...
Healthcare Musings For November 17, 2023

Healthcare Musings For November 17, 2023

by | Nov 17, 2023 | A story from my life, David Brooks, Dr. Harris Berman, Dr. Jennifer Leaning, Dr. Walter Murphy, Featured Post, Frederick Buechner, Glenn Hackbarth, Hamas, Harvard Community Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Vanguard Medical, Healthcare Mergers, Listening to Your Life, Pilgrim Health Care, Pluralism, Point 32 Health, Social Determinants of Health, The conflict between Israel and Hamas, The Triple Aim, Tufts Health Plan

November 17, 2023 Dear Interested Readers,   Mergers Change Everything   The header today is a photo of a piece of commemorative glassware that was presented to each of the participants in the long discussions and negotiations that resulted in the merger of...
Healthcare Musings For November 10, 2023

Healthcare Musings For November 10, 2023

by | Nov 10, 2023 | Featured Post

November 10, 2023 Dear Interested Readers,   Going Strong After 10 Years    Ten years ago this month I resumed writing these letters. I wrote my last weekly letter to my colleagues at Harvard Vanguard on October 25, 2013, after I announced that I would be...
Healthcare Musings For November 3, 2023

Healthcare Musings For November 3, 2023

by | Nov 3, 2023 | A personal history, Christian Nationalism, Conflict in Gaza, Crossing the Quality Chasm, Don Berwick, Dr. Paul Solomon, Dr. Robert Ebert, Featured Post, Gun Violence, Harvard Community Health Plan, Harvard Vanguard Medical, Illiberalism, MAGA, Mass shooting in Lewiston, Mike Dukakis, Physician Council of HCHP, Putin's war in Ukraine, Speaker Mike Johnson, The sixth extinction

November 3, 2023 Dear Interested Readers,   After Comments on Recent Events, My Story Continues    I have been amazed by how long it has taken me to tell my story. The truth is, I am grateful that I have had something to write about other than the...
Healthcare Musings For October 27, 2023

Healthcare Musings For October 27, 2023

by | Oct 27, 2023 | A dysfunctional House, Dr. Paul Solomon, Featured Post, Gun Violence as a Public Health Problem, Harvard Community Health Plan, Lewiston, medical group politics, Moral Injury, Nicholas Kristof, Physician Council of HCHP, Social Determinants of Health, Speaker Mike Johnson, The conflict between Israel and Hamas, The Tax Law of 1986

October 27, 2023 Dear Interested Readers,   A Very Bad Week   Late Wednesday night I turned off my computer after having written most of the first draft of this letter to you. Most evenings my wife and I watch the local 11 PM news for a summary of the...