“The Magnitude of this Failure is Astonishing.” – The NEJM Cluster.

Mike Magee “Here in the United States, our leaders have failed that test. They have taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy.” …and that’s just the first paragraph. From the last paragraph: “Anyone else who recklessly squandered lives and money in this way would be suffering legal consequences. Our leaders have largely claimed […]

NEJM Weighs in on Preventing Gun Violence

In an article this week on prevention of gun violence , Garen Wintemute offers this list of solutions: ACTIONS TO PREVENT FIREARM VIOLENCE Improve background-check policies Require background checks for private-party transfers Require state and local agencies to report prohibiting events Fully implement the existing federal background-check requirement Clarify definitions of prohibiting events Strengthen enforcement […]

Career Ladder Bias: “How To Succeed” Inside The Medical-Industrial Complex.

Mike Magee In 2004, when I read Dr. Marcia Angell’s book, “The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us And What To Do About It”, I agreed with everything she wrote. How couldn’t I? At the time, I had a front row seat inside the largest pharmaceutical company in the world and managed […]

Single Payer Health Reform – A Solution For U.S. Income Inequality?

Mike Magee Veteran Health Policy expert, James A. Morone, Ph.D., makes an interesting argument for single payer health care in this week’s NEJM. In proposing a sweeping change that would directly address “the American patchwork”, assert “the norms of communal decency”, promote planning and efficiency, and empower “a righteous band of reformers, deeply committed to […]

Soul Searching and Deep Thinking – A Socratic Moment

Mike Magee You can say what you want about America’s current trajectory, but one thing’s for sure – there’s a lot of soul searching and deep thinking going on. Just this morning, I came across three different pieces – in The New Yorker, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the The New York Times – […]

Tonight’s Reading Material For Republican Legislators.

Mike Magee Since the Republicans have stalled today in their eight year pursuit to repeal Obamacare, perhaps they should take the night off, and relax by reading UNC professor Jonathan Oberlander’s NEJM advice on next steps. Here are a few selections to whet your appetite: Romney Care Origins: “The ACA is a conservative reform model […]

Contrasting the AAMC Endorsement of Tom Price with Jordan Cohen’s Support of Humanism and Professionalism.

Mike Magee The decision by the AAMC to aggressively endorse Tom Price’s candidacy for HHS Secretary has confused and concerned more than a few of my academic colleagues. In light of the organization’s work on reinforcing social consciousness and empathy in medical students, it struck a remarkably discordant note. In 2002, I approached the AAMC […]

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