I was working on a theme for my weekly Blog Post when a post on the Healthcare Writers Network Facebook page caught my eye. It was an invitation to write an article on the challenge of finding information on clinical trials. A link in the post took me to Clara Health...
May 6-12th was Peripheral Neuropathy (PN) Awareness week. As a nurse, I am aware of PN but always associated with a complication of diabetes. It was not until I received harsh chemotherapy for the treatment of a brain tumor that I learned PN could be one of the side...
National Nurses Week is a time for nurses to celebrate the profession of nursing and the vital work they do each day. As I prepared for Nurses Week, I took time to review my 40-year career as a registered nurse. As I looked back on my career I am proud of my...
As a digital journalist and nurse blogger, I look for events that explore the challenges we face in today’s complex work of healthcare and offer innovative solutions by leading organizations. This March, I had the opportunity to attend the 18th Annual Population...
Recently, a close friend died after a complex hospital stay after a fall where she broke her hip. The story is complicated and I don’t have all of the details, but the experience raises several questions that point to challenges people face when thrust into the...
On November 24, 2014, I was diagnosed with a central nervous system lymphoma brain tumor. Having no symptoms leading up to this diagnosis, I was shocked to learn my fate. After a year of strong chemo and close contract with my hematologist/oncologist, I was told that...
Case management is an integral part of the healthcare delivery system. Today, case managers are in every sector of the healthcare system. Their work ensures people have access to appropriate care, contain healthcare costs and work to make sure those they are called to...
I was reading my Facebook page when I saw a post from a friend that said: “I won’t be able to get my MRI until the end of next week. I’m pissed.” This message alerted me to call a friend who needed a Patient Advocate. Some Background My friend was diagnosed with...
You can’t pick up a paper or listen to a news show without hearing a piece on the challenges taking place in our healthcare system today. This attention is warranted, as according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid healthcare spending in the U.S. is at $3.3 trillion...
Transitions of Care occur when a patient moves from one setting to the next. Transitions are the riskiest times when patients can fall through the cracks of the healthcare system and cause setbacks It is important to take the time to identify barriers before the...
It is said that if you have your health, you have everything. Yet, according to a study of 501 men ages 45 to 65 conducted by Men’s Health Network in 2014, men care more about their cars than their bodies. Almost 70% of men surveyed considered it easier to keep their...
As a brain tumor survivor, I know I have a high chance of reoccurrence. When I completed active treatment, I asked Dr. Lossos, my hematologist/oncologist, how long I would have to see him going forward. He said, “we are going to have a long relationship’. Well, that...
2017 was a year of growth, learning and experimenting with new tools and resources to helped me to be productive and realize the topics that resonate most with readers. In 2017 I wrote 28 Blog posts on a variety of topics. I remained focused on my twofold...
2017 has been a year of adjustments and learning. As a result of complications I sustained from the chemotherapy that saved my life after being diagnosed with a central nervous system brain tumor, I had to make significant changes to how I live my life and do the work...
In the early 80s, I took a German culture course as one of the electives for my Bachelor’s degree. It was a life-changing experience for me. Each week the professor would share information on German history and the culture of the various areas. She brought the...
Today marks three years of being a cancer survivor. Yes, it was November 24, 2014, when I had a ‘little’ car accident’ that sent me to the emergency department where a CAT scan revealed a brain tumor. Following the diagnosis, I found my way to Sylvester...
The healthcare industry has made substantial gains over the past ten years with the implementation of technology and the realization that consumers are the most important members of the healthcare team. Today, most hospital systems and physician practices have...
Sy Simms coined the phrase, An Educated Consumer is Our Best Customer. Today this is true not only in the retail industry but also in healthcare. Because quality, safety, and value are tied to hospital and physician reimbursement rates, patients have a great deal of...
