Tomorrow my daughter turns five years old. And having endured the San Francisco Unified School District “lottery” she will begin kindergarten in the fall. So I have been thinking a lot about how to prepare her for the classroom environment and, in a way, life. The tragedy last week at Oikos University, though, brought to mind another five-year anniversary, the massacre at Virginia Tech.
Lessons for my 5 year old, the tragedies at Oikos and Virginia Tech
Filed under Korean, Korean American, Parenting
Health Reform Year Two: Tens of Millions Served
As we mark the second anniversary of the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) now is a good time to have what in medical parlance is called a “time out” and reflect on how far we have come and where we need to go.
Some states are challenging the legality of vital provisions such as Medicaid expansion and the mandate for all Americans to carry health insurance. Candidates vying for President Obama’s job vow a complete repeal of the ACA. Not surprisingly, polls show a confused public wondering what the health law means for them and the health plan they have now. Despite this, the obfuscations cannot hide the reality that tens of millions of people have already been served by the initial phases of ACA.
Filed under Affordable Care Act, Health, Health Policy
Startups: The Other Health Technology Revolution
These days my physician colleagues and I are up to our necks in a health technology revolution. To be honest, its not as captivating asPinterest or socially-engaging as a Google Huddle but to be sure your life will depend on it. The revolution ushered in by electronic health record (EHR) is less about the technology than the widespread impact it will have on patient care. Rather than digging through stacks of paper charts, your doctor will have ready access to all of your health history on a digital device. And not just your health history, soon I will be able to combine it with the history of other patients in my practice: the digitized data will allow me to track the childhood obesity rate in my clinic and trend it over time with just a click (or tap). But look out, there are glimmers of another emerging health tech revolution.
Filed under Health, Health Technology
Under Addressing the Factors That Cause 70% of Disease
While in residency, I took care of a toddler who was hospitalized following an anaphylactic reaction. During a diaper change at home the child suddenly developed lip swelling and severe difficulty breathing for no apparent reason. The child was urgently brought to the hospital by ambulance and initially treated in the emergency room. By the time I met her on the inpatient floor her breathing and swelling had significantly improved. The first thing I noticed, however, was the child’s bumpy and irritated red skin which was covered with a thick layer of ointment. While I examined her she would claw and scratch at her skin with little relief. She looked miserable. Her mother had been suspecting food allergies and described a frustrating process of selective food avoidance and various skin treatments with little to no improvement.
Filed under Health, Social Determinants of Health
Finding the Truth in North Korea
In 2006, I traveled to North Korea.
The “other half” of my ethnic heritage had been a long held fascination. The American media had presented images of laughable authoritarian figures, strange rituals, and helpless suffering. My parents had instilled a fear of “the other” that they were taught as children in South Korea. So I went to find the truth.
Filed under Health, North Korea
Ricky Y. Choi, MD, MPH 