One of the most surprising conversations I had while working in industry came when a colleague of mine in the regulatory department called to get my input on the value of patient engagement to the company.  He was drafting a response to FDA’s proposed ombudsmen-type “patient office” and new requirements to include patient experiences in […]

During a meeting with the American College of Not-to-be-Named-Doctors, their staff shared with me that the Incoming President’s plan was for it to be “the year of the patient.” Immediately, I wondered why it wasn’t every year. Clearly the mission of any professional medical society is to be a voice for its members, but their […]

I’m often asked what it’s like to live with heart disease. For me, the physical limitations have been much less difficult to manage than the emotional and psychological ones. Heart patients are cautioned about becoming “cardiac cripples”—overly anxious and worried about their future to the point that it affects their health. Yep, I’ve done that. […]

Bundled up to break the wind off the water, I stared down at the small, timeworn gravestones marked not by years of birth and death, but by days and weeks. Mary – stillborn, Stephen – 1 week, Sarah – 5 months and 12 days, Albert Henry – 6 years, 9 months, and 11 days, Louisa […]