Musings

 “In the end, we are not defined by the particular product or service we create, but rather by the manner in which we affect those we serve. If you are engaging in meaningful work, those for whom you provide service will decide your value.”   “From the last chapter of Wounded Workers. For availability go …

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The president, the first lady and Hope Hicks have all tested positive for COVID-19. There is no surprise here. Optional masks, no social distancing and attending indoor mass gatherings have consequences. These public health strategies work, even if they are sometimes controversial. They are not alone. What do seat belts, vaccinations of schoolchildren and motorcycle …

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Whether working in person or from home these days, we are all part of a team. This holds for solo practitioner attorneys as well as claims examiners working for large insurers with offices throughout the state and perhaps the nation. Your team encompasses many more individuals than your manager, your supervisees and you. Your team …

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Testing, pleaseWe need testing.We need more testing.We need more readily available testing. (Do I have to be symptomatic to be tested?)We need more reliable testing. (Am I positive/negative when the test says so?)We need more informative testing. (My test is positive. Am I contagious or immune?)Then we can move forward. This commentary from Dr. Bob …

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When recently going through a number of cases seen in our office, I found myself thinking about all those individuals who have had tragic experiences while at work. Doctors sometimes identify with our patients. However, that is not unique to the medical profession. Attorneys, claims administrators, case managers, union representatives, vocational consultants, judges and all …

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There is no cheerful way of having a discussion about gun violence. Unfortunately, the subject does not take a break for the holidays. During the past two decades, gun deaths have increased by 20 percent in our country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 40,000 Americans will die of gunshot …

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This is a two-pronged message which is both personal and universal. First: We are all more human than otherwise and thus vulnerable. Second: We should all count our blessings, give thanks. Last month I had the good fortune, in retrospect, to have the same cardiothoracic surgeon who saved my life more than a decade ago …

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Public safety officers represent a population of workers who often come to the attention of mental health practitioners. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other first responders routinely are exposed to critical incidents on a singular or cumulative basis.  As an early career physician I spent five years working emergency services at Highland Hospital in Oakland …

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps data on fatal occupational injuries on an annual basis. Information on non-fatal yet serious injuries is also maintained. Loggers, construction workers, taxi drivers, police officers and iron workers are at high risk for serious if not fatal injury when compared to the average American worker.  Not uncommonly such injury …

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“The Five Keys to Happiness” I chose psychiatry as my career path more than four decades ago. While in medical school I was asked at an interview for a residency training program why I was interested in psychiatry. My answer was I wanted to help people be “happy.” Perhaps a bit naïve at the time …

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