The De-valuation Of Pediatricians And The Death Of Pediatrics
Let's open with an oldie but goodie: "Pediatricians are a dime a dozen" - thus sayeth Steven Eblin, V.P. of Corporate Planning & Development at Randolph Hospital. In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, Mr. Eblin pulled down $222,350 in salary & benefits and had a $4,464 expense account.Prompted by the opening of Randolph's Cancer Center (where "Healthcare Heroes" and grossly overpaid unconvicted felons abound) . . . as well as this post at Kevin's . . . not to mention a comment left by Jeff Sykes over at Joe's, I felt compelled to share my thoughts on primary care - especially Pediatrics - and especially as ...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - October 9, 2008 Category: Pediatricians Source Type: blogs
Interview With Locums LIfe Magazine: " Gender Roles " (Women Locum Tenens Physicians Carve Out Their Own Niche)
Photocopies of an Interview with " Locums Life " Magazine in February 2008. (Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls)
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - February 17, 2008 Category: American Health Tags: Asheboro Locum Tenens Mary Johnson MD Pediatric Hospitalist Pediatrics Randolph Hospital Women in Medicine Source Type: blogs
A Day At Arlington: It Is Well With Auntie's Soul
It was a bit surreal being back in D.C. ( < a href= " http://drjshousecalls.blogspot.com/2008/01/memorable-years-end.html " > for my Great Aunt Helen ' s funeral < /a > ) after so long an absence. Hers was the last of seventeen funeral services scheduled at Arlington National Cemetery on December 31. She was buried with her first husband, my Great Uncle Louis, an Army chaplain. It was a simple service held in the Fort Myers chapel at the cemetery. In her later years, Aunt Helen re-married (I think Art was a Navy man). But a waiver was obtained in order for her to be buried with Louis . . . for his were the children and gra...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - January 6, 2008 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
A Day At Arlington: It Is Well With Auntie's Soul
It was a bit surreal being back in D.C. (for my Great Aunt Helen's funeral) after so long an absence. Hers was the last of seventeen funeral services scheduled at Arlington National Cemetery on December 31. She was buried with her first husband, my Great Uncle Louis, an Army chaplain. It was a simple service held in the Fort Myers chapel at the cemetery. In her later years, Aunt Helen re-married (I think Art was a Navy man). But a waiver was obtained in order for her to be buried with Louis . . . for his were the children and grandchildren that she raised and doted on as her own.Louis's first wife is buried beside him. In ...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - January 6, 2008 Category: Pediatricians Source Type: blogs
No, I'm Not Little Mary Sunshine: But He's Alive
Anyone with an ounce of Southern blood in them will remember the TV Series, < a href= " http://designingwomenonline.com/index2.html " > Designing Women < /a > . As you might imagine, my favorite character on the show was < a href= " http://www.designingwomenonline.com/Profiles/Julia.html " > Julia Sugarbaker < /a > as played by < a href= " http://www.designingwomenonline.com/Bios/Dixie.html " > Dixie Carter < /a > . My friends used to joke that I was Julia ' s bastard North Carolina step-sister. Julia had < a href= " http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV86kehwkc0 " > the God-given gift of verbal vivisection < /a > . . . the ...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - April 8, 2007 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
Why Pediatrics
About a month ago, a cousin ' s son, now in college, called me. He wants to go to medical school. The family, like mine years ago, is middle class . . . certainly not wealthy . . . and he is worried about how to pay for it. My long-retired debt is nothing compared to what he will likely face. He does not in any way want to burden his family. He wanted to know about " loan-repayment " for public service arrangements, and my cousin said, " Call Mary " .He ' s an incredibly bright kid . . . and he asked questions I did not even dream of asking when I was his age. I was brutally honest, telling him that I would not encourage a...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - January 20, 2007 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
Why Pediatrics
About a month ago, a cousin's son, now in college, called me. He wants to go to medical school. The family, like mine years ago, is middle class . . . certainly not wealthy . . . and he is worried about how to pay for it. My long-retired debt is nothing compared to what he will likely face. He does not in any way want to burden his family. He wanted to know about "loan-repayment" for public service arrangements, and my cousin said, "Call Mary".He's an incredibly bright kid . . . and he asked questions I did not even dream of asking when I was his age. I was brutally honest, telling him that I would not encourage anyone who...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - January 20, 2007 Category: Pediatricians Source Type: blogs
Cousins Sharing Thoughts On Martin Luther King Day
I have referred to my cousin Russell (Rusty) before. He is very smart, and a talented writer. Politically, he is about as "left" as my Daddy was "right" . . . and when they sparred at family gatherings, it was a joy to watch . . . freedom of speech at its fun-loving best. Watching those two really go at it, you just wanted to jump up and down and shout, God Bless this America of ours! I treasure a remembrance of Daddy that Russell shared after Pops died . . . "You told me once that your father enjoyed our political discussions. The thing is, I never started any of them. He did. He knew perfectly well we didn't agree on ...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - January 15, 2007 Category: Pediatricians Source Type: blogs
Hearing Longfellow's Christmas Bells
On Christmas Day 1863, as the American Civil War raged, < a href= " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Wadsworth_Longfellow " > Henry Wadsworth Longfellow < /a > penned a poem destined to morph into one of our most beloved Christmas carols. The poem was originally entitled, " Christmas Bells " . It was re-arranged (most modern hymnals exclude two of the seven verses that specifically pertain to the war), and set to < a href= " http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/h/iheardtb.htm " > music < /a > by John Baptiste Calkin in 1872. < br / > < br / > The following is a brief recounting of the < a href= " http://www.whatsaiththescr...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - December 25, 2006 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
Hearing Longfellow's Christmas Bells
On Christmas Day 1863, as the American Civil War raged, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned a poem destined to morph into one of our most beloved Christmas carols. The poem was originally entitled, "Christmas Bells". It was re-arranged (most modern hymnals exclude two of the seven verses that specifically pertain to the war), and set to music by John Baptiste Calkin in 1872.The following is a brief recounting of the story and tragedy behind "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day".In the summer of 1861 (the same year "the war of Northern Aggression" began) Longfellow's second wife, Fanny died in a freakish fire. It had been a ve...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - December 25, 2006 Category: Pediatricians Source Type: blogs
All Hallows Eve . . . One (Dearly Missed) Soul's Night
I had a grand total of three trick-or-treaters tonight. For the last few years, I have not had anyone. It ' s the neighborhood. Asheboro ' s " Mountain " is not what I would call a neighborhood . . . at least in the sense that the neighbors are involved in each other ' s day-to-day lives . . . or really care about one another. The way some of my " neighbors " treated me is proof enough of that. It ' s just a bunch of big houses. < br / > < br / > The three goblins that did show up at my front door were rewarded with an entire bucket of (real good) candy. I don ' t give out cheap stuff. < br / > < br / > I always carve a ...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - November 1, 2006 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
All Hallows Eve . . . One (Dearly Missed) Soul's Night
I had a grand total of three trick-or-treaters tonight. For the last few years, I have not had anyone. It's the neighborhood. Asheboro's "Mountain" is not what I would call a neighborhood . . . at least in the sense that the neighbors are involved in each other's day-to-day lives . . . or really care about one another. The way some of my "neighbors" treated me is proof enough of that. It's just a bunch of big houses.The three goblins that did show up at my front door were rewarded with an entire bucket of (real good) candy. I don't give out cheap stuff.I always carve a pumpkin. This year, my boyfriend brought a really big ...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - November 1, 2006 Category: Pediatricians Source Type: blogs
Just Quiet
A few months back, while contemplating seeing "United 93", I shared what was going on in my life on 9/11/2001. No need for a repeat today.After a great first post-op day on Saturday, Saturday night was fitful, and Sunday was a wash-out. Absolutely exhausted, I spent the day in bed . . . either curled up drowsing with the cat . . . or aimlessly channel-surfing. I checked my e-mail, but computer work & blogging were out. My eyeballs (surrounded by wounded & raw sinuses) simply did not want to play. As for the TV fare, between the 9/11 “anniversary” programs and the Crocodile Hunter marathon, an oppressive heavine...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - September 11, 2006 Category: Pediatricians Source Type: blogs
Three Fathers
My Uncle Bruce, Daddy's younger brother, is dying today. Cancer. Everywhere. Nothing can be done. It's been a long, heroic fight, and it's almost over. He is comatose. As per his wishes, no extraordinary measures are being taken. Mama and Daddy's youngest brother, Reid, went to South Carolina this weekend to say their goodbyes. I could not go. I am on-call.Bruce is a refined and thinner, more acerbic, more Republican version of my Father (if such a thing is possible). He lost his wife not too long ago - after a long illness. He has two sons . . . big strapping boys . . . one of whom is an independent-contractor (a fireman)...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - June 18, 2006 Category: Pediatricians Source Type: blogs
United 93
In September 2001, I was just out (I thought) of a three-year battle with my hometown hospital. As soon as I got a settlement check, there were a number of debts and over-due bills to pay, and then the little matter of trying to figure out where to go from there. I had actually thought about driving up to New York City (like many Americans, I suffer from the irrational fear of flying), schlepping around town and even playing & dining on “The Top of the World” (never mind my equally-irrational fear of heights). I reasoned it would be a great way to celebrate my legal “victory” and my freedom. I had not been to ...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - April 28, 2006 Category: Pediatricians Source Type: blogs
