Happy Memorial Day! As we enjoy cookouts and time with family and friends, let us never to forget those that are proudly serving overseas to protect us and those that have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in service to our country. We are in the midst of two wars and have countless numbers of military men and women that are currently serving our country. They are leaving behind families and friends that care deeply for them. Their service should not be forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the holiday.
I would like to say thank you to those currently serving and those that have served our country proudly. I owe my sincere appreciation to you for what you have done so that I may enjoy the freedoms that I currently enjoy.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Tired Physicians
Working 40 hours a week can be stressful at times. How would you like to work 80 hours per week? Easy right? Okay, how about 100 hours per week? I bet many people are not aware that the physicians that treat you in the emergency room may be in the middle of a 80 hour work week or longer. This is cause for concern. It is a proven fact that when someone is overly tired, they are not able to function at full mental capacity. The medical community is currently debating whether medical students should be required to work fewer hours and take naps to avoid potentially causing harm to the patients they are treating.
This may seem like a no brainer to most of you. However, doctors are overworked in hospitals in our country. Doctors may be called into the hospital in the middle of the night and end of being there for several hours. They are then required to maintain a normal office schedule during the day while seeing their patients in the hospital as well. The 80 hour week maximum was instituted because of patient injuries and even death as a result of overworked physicians that were treating them. One medical journal argues that patient harm would not be reduced by instituting a policy that medical residents be required to work fewer hours. This just doesn't make much sense to me at all. Everyone knows that when someone is lacking sufficient sleep they are not able to function at the same capacity as someone that is well rested.
To me this issue just seems like a no brainer. Physicians and students in their residency should not be forced to work 80 hours per week. This is unhealthy for both the practictioner and the patient. When someone goes to the hospital or the doctor for medical treatment, they expect to receive a certain level of quality of care. I think many times the patient doesn't realize that their doctor may be in the midst of a 12 hour work day or longer. This increases the potential for patient harm or misdiagnosis. This issue should be taken seriously by medical professionals, and steps should be put in place to ensure adequate medical staffing so that residents and Physicians are able to work fewer hours each week. I am interested in your opinions on this topic.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124287226881642045.html
-Lee
This may seem like a no brainer to most of you. However, doctors are overworked in hospitals in our country. Doctors may be called into the hospital in the middle of the night and end of being there for several hours. They are then required to maintain a normal office schedule during the day while seeing their patients in the hospital as well. The 80 hour week maximum was instituted because of patient injuries and even death as a result of overworked physicians that were treating them. One medical journal argues that patient harm would not be reduced by instituting a policy that medical residents be required to work fewer hours. This just doesn't make much sense to me at all. Everyone knows that when someone is lacking sufficient sleep they are not able to function at the same capacity as someone that is well rested.
To me this issue just seems like a no brainer. Physicians and students in their residency should not be forced to work 80 hours per week. This is unhealthy for both the practictioner and the patient. When someone goes to the hospital or the doctor for medical treatment, they expect to receive a certain level of quality of care. I think many times the patient doesn't realize that their doctor may be in the midst of a 12 hour work day or longer. This increases the potential for patient harm or misdiagnosis. This issue should be taken seriously by medical professionals, and steps should be put in place to ensure adequate medical staffing so that residents and Physicians are able to work fewer hours each week. I am interested in your opinions on this topic.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124287226881642045.html
-Lee
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Vacant Poll
As I casted my ballot today in the local primaries one thing was missing, the voters. I read earlier in the day that one local jurisdiction had approximately 31 voters cast ballots by 11 a.m. This was in a jurisdiction where borough council had a heated race ongoing for vacant spots. There were 20 candidates vying for 7 open spots on the council. You would think the interesting race would be enough to bring voters out. The 2000 Census reported that 9,242 residents were living in the municipality. This is a frightening. As citizens, I feel that voting is one of the most important thing we can do. I encourage everyone I talk to to get out and vote. Make your voice heard and cast your ballot.
Maybe the media is to blame for the low turnout. I heard very little coverage on the candidates and what platform they were running on. To be honest, I have heard more about low turnout thus far at the polls than I heard pre-election day about the candidates. The only real exception to this rule was in Harrisburg city where the race for mayor was pretty heated. The candidates recently held a debate which included some fairly relevant questions. The problem with the campaigns is that they were run in such a negative light. The mudslinging became overbearing and clouded what the real issues were and how each candidate would respond to them. Maybe politics in general has given voters a sour taste in their mouths. It can take just a few to ruin it for the rest.
Whether it's a Presidential Election or the local town council, elections are very important. This is where voters decide who is put into office and who directly influences policies that affect everyone. For this reason alone, I feel it is very important to be active and vote. Make your voice heard and exercise your right. One of the joys of being American is that we are able to go to the polls and cast a ballot in support of a particular candidate. After all, it only takes a few minutes and can mean the difference in an election.
Maybe the media is to blame for the low turnout. I heard very little coverage on the candidates and what platform they were running on. To be honest, I have heard more about low turnout thus far at the polls than I heard pre-election day about the candidates. The only real exception to this rule was in Harrisburg city where the race for mayor was pretty heated. The candidates recently held a debate which included some fairly relevant questions. The problem with the campaigns is that they were run in such a negative light. The mudslinging became overbearing and clouded what the real issues were and how each candidate would respond to them. Maybe politics in general has given voters a sour taste in their mouths. It can take just a few to ruin it for the rest.
Whether it's a Presidential Election or the local town council, elections are very important. This is where voters decide who is put into office and who directly influences policies that affect everyone. For this reason alone, I feel it is very important to be active and vote. Make your voice heard and exercise your right. One of the joys of being American is that we are able to go to the polls and cast a ballot in support of a particular candidate. After all, it only takes a few minutes and can mean the difference in an election.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
The War For Marriage
I recently read a book review in Time magazine on "The Marriage-Go-Round" by Andrew J. Cherlin which deeply troubled me. The book talks about why we, as Americans, have so many romantic partners. According to the review America experiences more turbulence in their family lives, and more changes in partners and parents than any other nation. This got me to thinking. What does this say about the sanctity of marriage in this country? Marriage is under attack. We read about it in the news. We see it in the media. It is everywhere. It seems that Godly values where marriage and familes are concerned has lost its place. Having said that, how do we as Christians respond? Do we sit back and allow marriages to continue to crumble and infidelity to continue to run rampant in this country? As Christians we need to first and foremost pray for marriage to win out. It is so sad to see children growing up in single parent homes in alarming numbers. This is another area where the war for families is fought. In the homes parents have an opportunity to show their children what true love is all about. By being positive role models for children and showing them the importance of a family that is together as one can play a major role in what the children value as important later in life. Parents need to be careful what image they portray as their children pick up on that and view that as important attributes later in life. So I feel that only God can truly save marriage in this culture, but there are steps that parents can take to mold and shape their children into Godly people that value marriage as God intended it to be. I strongly encourage everyone to watch "Fireproof" which stars Kirk Cameron. A very good movie about marriage. Thanks for reading.
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