May 8, 2020
By Chuck Buck High-School Filmmaking with a Mystery Ending
Art mirrors life, or life mirrors art? One of the most moving accounts I’ve seen of life on the frontlines of the nation’s healthcare system during the pandemic came from Michael Salvatore, MD, who recently wrote of his experience of being a “from an administrative afterlife” who “found myself at…
May 8, 2020
By H. Steven Moffic, MD Billie Holiday and the Coronavirus Pandemic
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. H. Steven Moffic first reported this story during the most recent episode of Talk Ten Tuesdays. April 20 was the 81st anniversary of the day when the famous African-American jazz singer Billie Holiday, recorded a searing version of the song “Strange Fruit.” What was the titular strange…
May 8, 2020
By Michael A. Salvatore, MD, FACP Freeze-Dried Physician Chills During Lunch
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Salvatore recently shared a personal experience about caring for a COVID-19 patient on FrontLine Friday, when he described being called back as an intensive care unit (ICU) physician at a hospital in Lewes, Del. This is his second column in our series. When you sit down to…
May 7, 2020
By Clark Anthony Homeward Bound
As an aging disc jockey with no show, I often think of headlines as song titles. This post should actually be called Homebound. Perhaps Paul Simon will compose a new song for the COVID-19 era. (Have you heard Neil Diamond’s rework of Sweet Caroline? “Hands, washing hands, reaching out, don’t…
By Edward Roche, PhD, JD
The viral pandemic has stimulated a burst of innovation not seen since the Second World War. During World War II, Great Britain was starving. Food was in short supply. The British had suffered a humiliating defeat at Dunkirk, forcing a hasty retreat from continental Europe, with many casualties. Germany was…
May 7, 2020
By Matthew Albright Congress Reflects Divided Re-opening Strategies
The Senate returned to Washington on Monday; the House did not. Half of Congress came to order this week, and it serves almost as a reflection of what is going on across the country, in terms of state approaches to reopening America. The Republican-led Senate, headed by Sen. Mitch McConnell,…
May 7, 2020
By Ellen Fink-Samnick MSW, ACSW, LCSW, CCM, CRP SDoH and COVID-19
Patients dealing with factors related to the SDoH are rapidly growing in number amid the viral pandemic. It has been several years since the social determinants of health (SDoH) went viral and became a top priority for healthcare organizations. Initially, those non-clinical factors impacting health outcomes were attributed to issues…
May 7, 2020
By Knicole C. Emanuel Esq. COVID-19: Contract Law Versus Executive Orders: Which Wins, in the Wake of a Worldwide Pandemic?
How much power does an executive order signed by your state’s governor actually wield? Governors, all of whom are elected, serve as the CEOs of the 50 states, five commonwealths, and territories of the U.S. As CEO of their particular state, governors are responsible for ensuring that each state is…
May 7, 2020
By Mark Spivey NEWS ALERT: CMS Issues New Guidance on COVID-19 Notification Requirements for Nursing Homes
Long-term care facilities nationwide have been particularly hard-hit by the viral pandemic. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a memo and FAQ sheet in advance of an interim final rule, expected to be released on Friday, that will update notification requirements for confirmed and suspected…
By Mark Spivey
The ousting of Christi A. Grimm comes amid a series of OIG removals, developments that are concerning lawmakers and editorial boards alike. “The first messenger that gave notice of Lucullus’s coming was so far from pleasing Tigranes, that he had his head cut off for his pains; and no…