Spending on primary care was under 5% in 2022 and continued its decline across all payers, with primary care spending in Medicare and Medicaid decreasing the most since the last Scorecard, down to 3.4% and 4.3% in 2022, respectively.

Evaluation and treatment of hypertension is arguably the most impactful thing a primary care doctor does. Hypertension has vast and broad reaching effects and afflicts nearly half of US adults and almost 1 in 3 adults worldwide.

The “upper respiratory infection” is a common reason for a doctor’s visit this time of year. When should you come in and when should you stick it out? For use these are simple visits, so we never mind seeing you, but most of us don’t want to run to the doctor for every sniffle

Last night I spent a little time with the 2nd year WWAMI students as they practiced doing medical interviews through an interpreter. I was just observing this simulation, so I did not share the story it reminded me of, but I’d like to share it here

One of the more common nutrient deficiencies is iron. Risks for iron deficiency include menstruation, veganism or vegetarianism, malabsorptoin (celiac, gastric bypass for example or bleeding from a GI source

The subject of cow’s milk consumption is confusing due to some conflicting data. Is dairy good for your heart or bad?

Running is a great way to get a quick and efficient workout. It can be a great adjunct to any fitness program. Let's talk about how to get started!

Can magnesium supplementation help bring you calm? Should you take it for cramps or migraine prevention? If you do choose to take a supplement, how can you choose the right one?

Covid updates and influenza vaccine info...

Sports Physicals, Clinic closure dates, and the value of time...

When I diagnose a basal-cell skin cancer in a patient, the first thing I say is congratulations, because you’re walking out of my office with a longer life expectancy than when you walked in. -Dr. Richard Weller

Hanging over all of this was, of course, the temptation to say, “I give up, I can’t do it, I’m sorry.” The person had told me that the other clinics they had tried weren’t able to get the device for them. Would there really have been any shame in saying, “same with us.“?

Indulge me while I vent about a major frustration of mine - a frustration born out of inefficiencies and bureaucracy...

This crazy, jump off a cliff, risk taking adventure of starting my own clinic is working...

I look earnestly at the person across from me. Anger, frustration, desperation. I am intensely aware of all these tensions directed at me, at the clinic, at the medical system in general. I am also aware of the time. We have 15 minutes scheduled for this encounter. This patient is new to me, but the tension is all too familiar...

Pre-Covid I thought a lot about balance. “Life balance” - an oft quoted ideal was, and is, something I believe we should all strive for. Life balance means getting enough of all the things that you need to live your best possible life. It means getting enough exercise, it means getting enough rest, it means having time and resources to eat well, it means making time for personal relationships, and it means having a fulfilling Why to work towards. Work is an essential part of life balance. We cannot feel like whole people leading meaningful lives if we do not have a Why.

Friday, June 26th marked my last day of employment at PRHCN. Although the day was routine as far as clinic goes, there were some variances. I only saw patients for a "half day". This half day started at 8am and ended at 6:30. This half day included a rare lunch break in order to enjoy a going away potluck with beloved staff...

Six months ago I came home and told my husband I was planning to quit my stable, well paying job and open up my own direct primary care clinic. "That sounds great, honey. I've got some ideas", he said. And he did. We did. We had lots of ideas. Ideas that have been spinning non-stop in my brain since the inception...

I am hardly a wonder woman, but occasionally I have had a patient or a friend ask me “how do you do it?”. I got this question most often when my twins were babies and toddlers. I was a small town doc who continued to "do it all" while raising twin babies...

50 years ago it was common place to have a primary care physician. Today, it is far less common.

It's easy to feel alone in the healthcare system. Sometimes you just need to be reminded that you aren't.

Like all US medical students, I recited a Hippocratic oath at my medical school graduation. At the time, I considered only bodily or emotional harm that could be done to a patient. Today I know that doing harm can also include financial harm.