Category Archives: Medicine

Germs

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Jim Wheeler

Germs. They’re everywhere.  When you think about it, they are probably densest and most problematic on surfaces like toilet doors and handles, shopping cart handles/toddler seats, and, think about this one:  salt shakers and condiment containers in restaurants.  Anyone want … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Checklists

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Jim Wheeler

According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, medical errors in what is supposedly the best healthcare system in the world kill about 250,000 people a year, making them the sixth leading cause of death in … Continue reading →

Posted in Medical errors, Safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

A Naval Approach to Healthcare

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Jim Wheeler

Most Americans find the notion of “socialized medicine” to be abhorrent. In most citizens the concept evokes visions of a moribund, inefficient bureaucracy more concerned with paperwork than in attending to the complexities of health problems. However, I would like … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare, Medical errors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Healthcare Enlightenment

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Jim Wheeler

Here is another update on the high cost of American healthcare, for those of you who subscribed or commented on “A Simple Picture”. You see, I have had it pointed out to me twice now on other blogs by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

A Dental Memoir

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Jim Wheeler

Here in the year 2011 it is easy to forget just how different life is than just a few generations ago. I was reminded of this when Indiana Jen posted on the 1887 anniversary of the death of a famous … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ice Bergs and Ice Cubes

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Jim Wheeler

The financial crisis in healthcare dwarfs all other federal budget problems.  It is an iceberg, and the ship of state is headed right for it.  The ACA does not do enough to rein in medical costs that continue to outpace … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiscal Policy, Medicare, Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Grace Under Pressure

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Jim Wheeler

The recent failure of a seam in the aluminum skin of a Southwest Boeing 737 jet is cause for reflection on how modern engineering affects our lives.  It has only been about a century that we have had airplanes, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Engineering, Medical errors, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Red Tsunami

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Jim Wheeler

A tsunami doesn’t behave like I used to think.  I used to think of it as an approaching wall of water, but now that I have seen the clips from Japan I realize it is more like an oozing tide … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Health, Medicare, Medicine, Obamacare | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Boiling It Down

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Jim Wheeler

With confirmation bias rampant, sometimes it makes sense to me to try to boil problems down to basics, so I have tried to do that here.  A writer in the Globe thinks he is the only one who can see … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Medicine, Obamacare | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Message From Your Dutch Uncle

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Jim Wheeler

Two things motivate me to expand on the idea that fixing medical care is the key to our financial woes.  One is that despite all my words, even some of my blog correspondents do not understand the central concept of what … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Medicare, Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments