JAMA Good News Department

JAMA Health Statistics 1969 vs. 2013 (death rates per 100,000) On the positive side…. Death Rate Overall ⬇ 42.9% Death from Stroke ⬇ 77.0% Death from Heart Disease […]

“Wet-Bulb Temperature” – The Limits of Human Endurance and Chaos Ahead

Springfield Republican, Sept. 23, 1988 Mike Magee On September 23, 1988, I had my first experience with the pressures of a full blown press conference. I was the chief administrative physician at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Our governor, Michael Dukakis, was running for President of the United States, at the same time (as […]

Sustainable Prevention: At The Intersection of America’s Two Most Powerful Social Networks

Mike Magee Last week, I made a quick trip to Washington – one day, back and forth, from Hartford, CT. I was there to seek advice from an old friend as we complete planning for the second decade of the Rocking Chair Project. This early childhood intervention program targets young, economically disadvantaged, expectant mothers, supporting […]

Between A Rock and A Hard Place: The Planetary Patient

Mike Magee Thirty six years ago, our then President, Jimmy Carter, spoke directly to the American people about governance and energy independence in a speech titled, “Crisis of Confidence” – a speech derisively labeled “The Malaise Speech” by his then Republican Presidential opponent, Ronald Reagan. Putting aside the fact that Carter never used the word […]

In Support of Patrick Kennedy – and Family Health.

Mike Magee This week, on October 6th, I hung on to “Morning Joe” a bit longer than I normally do to hear the interview of Patrick Kennedy by Joe Scarborough. My interest was personal, knowing some of the players, but also as a member of a large Catholic family (12 kids) with our own credo […]

The 2015 VA Assessment Report – Whose Interests Would It Serve?

Mike Magee To say the VA is a huge enterprise is a bit of an understatement. Over 9 million patients in a system with nearly 300,000 employees (including 20,000 doctors) and an annual budget just under $60 billion. If the system is big, it is also controversial, and has been for a long, long time. […]