Tears and Anger at St. Vincent’s Hospital
Yesterday, in a clumsily administered coup de grace to St. Vincent’s Hospital, 3,500 pink slips were handed out to all employees. It sounds unbelievable but that is what I wrote – all employees. This applies to maintenance people, lab techs, nurses, nursing assistants, chaplains, secretaries, research assistants, doctors, administrators, and anyone else who works for the hospital. At a news conference today on 7th Avenue, …Read More
The Sinking of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan
When the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in April, 1912, survivors were brought to New York City by the rescue ship Carpathia. They were unloaded on the West Side docks and brought directly to St. Vincent’s Hospital where 106 of them were treated. Now, In one of the saddest events I have witnessed in my decades of medical practice, St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan has announced …Read More
How Will Health Care Reform Affect Geriatrics?
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) purports to contain provisions that will provide for better care for America’s seniors and add stimulus to growth of the field of Geriatrics. One wonders, however, whether this historic bill will have true impact in stemming the flow of medical doctors away from caring for the elderly. In fact, some basic flaws in our healthcare system …Read More
Shakespeare, the Diversity of Aging, and the Need for Geriatrics
The plays of William Shakespeare written in the sixteenth century reflected the culture and opinions of his time. In Shakespeare’s day, life expectancy was in the 30’s, and Shakespeare himself lived to the old age of 52. In contrast to today’s population, very few people lived into the 80s and 90s. Throughout Shakespeare’s works there are quotations which echo the universal human dimensions of growing …Read More
Retooling for an Aging America: The Thud that Should Have Been a Bang
In April 2008 a report entitled Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce was released. This study was commissioned by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and put together by the Committee on the Future Health Care Workforce for Older Americans chaired by John W. Rowe. The document presents an analysis of America’s health care workforce regarding care of the elderly and presents …Read More
Ageism, the New York Times, and Geriatric Medicine
After reading an article entitled “The Geezers’ Crusade” by columnist David Brooks in the Op-Ed pages of the New York Times last week I felt compelled to comment on it. The article begins on an encouraging note, pointing out how society’s views of human aging are evolving from negative to optimistic. Once viewed as a period of withdrawal and deterioration, Mr. Brooks notes that human …Read More
Recertification in Geriatric Medicine Completed
This past spring I completed requirements for recertification in Geriatric Medicine. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) requires recertification every ten years, and this is my second recertification – marking twenty years since first passing the test after completion of geriatric fellowship in 1986. This makes me one of a very small number of physicians in the United States certified in this medical subspecialty. …Read More
