Special series

Ongoing explorations » Book Excerpt - Business Pitch - Meeting Coverage - Earlier series - News topics

Book Excerpt

A peek inside what's new on the shelves on topics pertinent to physicians. Every installment brings an excerpt from the new title, as well as a brief American Medical News exclusive interview with the author. ... To suggest books that should be featured here, contact Damon Adams (312) 464-5411.

Smallpox -- The Death of a Disease (book excerpt) - Aug. 17, 2009
A miscarriage of medicine (book excerpt: Three Generations, No Imbeciles) - March 30, 2009
Early Innovators (book excerpt: Frontier Medicine) - Feb. 16, 2009
Illness interrupts (book excerpt: Life in the Balance) - Dec. 22, 2008
The reflective essayist (book excerpt: The Uncertain Art) - Oct. 27, 2008
Unexpected connections (book excerpt: The Light Within) - Aug. 25, 2008
Therapeutic thought (book excerpt: The Cure Within) - June 23/30, 2008
Foiling a fake (book excerpt: Charlatan) - April 28, 2008
Finding one's place (book excerpt: Intern: A Doctor's Initiation) - Feb. 25, 2008
Measuring out medicine (book excerpt: The Surgeons: Life and Death in a Top Heart Center) - Dec. 10, 2007
Fine-tuning the thought process (book excerpt: How Doctors Think) - Oct. 8, 2007
Searching for more (book excerpt: Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance) - June 25, 2007
Departing lessons (book excerpt: Final Exam) - April 9, 2007
Rewiring lives (book excerpt: Shattered Nerves) - Feb. 12, 2007
An amazing race (book excerpt: Every Second Counts) - Dec. 11, 2006
Cancer, families and physicians (book excerpt: A Lion in the House) - Oct. 9, 2006
Dr. POW (book excerpt: Conduct Under Fire) - Aug. 14, 2006
What your patients are reading about you (book excerpt: You: The Smart Patient) - June 12, 2006
Legacy of an ill-fated vaccine (book excerpt: The Cutter Incident) - April 10, 2006
Age of angst (book excerpt: False Alarm) - Feb. 27, 2006

Business Pitch

Makings sidelines pay. Some physicians are turning their interests outside medicine into profitable enterprises. In this series, doctors who branched out beyond running their practice to make sideline business ventures pay off share their experiences -- why they did it, how they did it, and what you should know before you do it. ... If you know of a physician whose story should be featured here, contact our business editor, Bob Cook (312) 464-4434.

N.Y. emergency physician finds happiness with goat dairy farm - May 7
Pennsylvania anesthesiologist carves wood into art business - April 16
Delaware doctor designs car seat cover that’s actually easy to clean - March 26
Doctor's studio promotes dancing for all ages - March 12
Emergency physicians create inflatable tourniquet for military - Feb. 27
Cardiologist revives North Carolina diving shop - Feb. 20
Arizona internist puts on a show that welcomes hisses - Feb. 6
California physician writes his own ticket with ergonomic pen - Jan. 16
California emergency physician brings pedal-less bicycle to U.S. - Dec. 19, 2011
California doctor's invention prevents falls from changing tables - Dec. 12, 2011
Disaster inspires New York ophthalmologist to create sturdier buildings - Nov. 21, 2011
Maryland internist finds inspiration in her grocer's freezer - Nov. 7, 2011
Tennessee neurosurgeon tunes up by designing and selling guitars - Oct. 24, 2011
Tennessee oncologist's consignment sales are media sensations - Oct. 17, 2011
Physician/bow hunter launches wildlife food company - Sept. 26, 2011
Patient death leads Illinois cardiologist to create germ-resistant garb - Sept. 19, 2011
N.C. doctor's portable medical centers not just for disaster response - Aug. 29, 2011
Lactation frustration the mother of invention - July 4, 2011
Family physician bases rehydration drink on intravenous saline - June 13, 2011
Brightly colored bee takes sting out of injections - May 30, 2011
Bottled water helps clean-water efforts overseas - May 16, 2011
"Germaphobe" creates disposable covers for remote controls - Apr 25, 2011
Pacifier/stuffed toy becomes the perfect fit for Atlanta doctor - April 4, 2011
Video services, online toy sales fund mission work in Africa - March 21, 2011
Headphones to drift off to sleep in, or run a mile in - March 7, 2011
Physician delivers maternity lab coats - Feb. 7, 2011
From family medicine to family reading - Jan. 24, 2011
Doctor/runner uses bare foot as shoe model - Nov. 8
Doctor sells coffee to help Rwanda's poor - Sept. 20
Making movies and TV shows a family affair - Sept. 6
Doctor creates software to help kids "think like a king" - Aug. 16
Orthopedic surgeon keeps homes environmentally sound - Aug. 2
Ohio pulmonologist establishes artists' retreat - July 19
Doctor's honey makes money for Tenn. hospital - May 31
Tough toenails? Doctor's "piggy paste" goes to market - April 19
N.Y. pediatrician takes child's play to the mat - March 1
Okla. ob-gyn grows grapes of wine, not wrath - Aug. 10, 2009
Surgical markers aim to reduce margin of error - March 2, 2009
Invention keeps patients positioned for surgery - Feb. 23, 2009
MBA project helps get business off on the right foot - Jan. 19, 2009
Helping students, residents find or sell a home - Dec. 29, 2008
Tourniquet designed for fingers and toes - Nov. 24, 2008
Doctors' punch line: biopsies made easier - Nov. 3, 2008
Doctor's magnetic invention raises cane - Sept. 22/29, 2008
Surgical plates make a fashion statement - Sept. 8, 2008
Web site helps doctors find office mates - March 3, 2008
Neurosurgeon automates answering service - Jan. 14, 2008
Surgical safety device is his invention, but ENT is what he does - Dec. 3, 2007
Doctor builds career in urban redevelopment - Sept. 3, 2007
Spanning the globe to advise sports media - Feb. 19, 2007
Keeping patients' heads up and more - Jan. 15, 2007
Doctor shows how to make "reel" money - Oct. 2, 2006
Gathering moss in the land of sky blue waters - Aug. 28, 2006
Pistachio ranching: A family tradition - July 17, 2006
Neurologist dreams up patient-friendly pillow - June 19, 2006
Surgeon fired up about glass art - June 12, 2006
Doctor swaps medicine for robotics - April 3, 2006
Rheumatologist's retirement plans: No screams, just ice scream smiles - Nov. 14, 2005
Radiation shield concept inspires a new company - Oct. 17, 2005
Doctor wanted fresh curry, so she made it - Sept. 12, 2005
Motorcycles get his motor running - Aug. 8, 2005
Online company is perking along - July 25, 2005
A fresh coat of white - June 13, 2005
Retired physician has flowering enterprise - May 9, 2005
The coding experts - April 11, 2005
Psychiatrist creates "Web" of training tools - Feb. 21, 2005
Urologist finds success with forming a business on paper - Nov. 15, 2004
Oregon physician makes wood work - Oct. 11, 2004
Chicago physician creates company out of informed consent - Aug. 23/30, 2004
Kansas City doctor opens a meaty enterprise - Aug. 9, 2004
A New Jersey ob-gyn hopes cart is ticket to riches - July 19, 2004
Doctor makes dough teaching bread baking - June 14, 2004
A Willy Wonka turn leads family physician to sweet spot - April 19, 2004
Wisconsin ENT's nose for business nothing to sneeze at - Feb. 16, 2004
Helping patients become more informed consumers of health care - Dec. 8, 2003
Doctor turns passion for bike touring into business - Nov. 17, 2003
Band of brothers branches out in business - Nov. 10, 2003
Doctor's new venture goes by land and by sea - Oct. 13, 2003
Physician's calculator - July 14, 2003
Doctor's firm closes the distance between rural practice and CME - May 26, 2003
Texas physician launches firm securing the airwaves - May 5, 2003
Riding herd: A physician runs a Montana cattle ranch - March 3, 2003
Bringing medical transcription into the modern age - Dec. 9, 2002
To get it right, do it yourself - Nov. 4, 2002
From grapes to computer systems, these physicians are branching out - Aug. 26, 2002

Medical Meetings

Reports from conferences important to physicians. Physicians can get the inside scoop on what's being talked about at the nation's most important clinical and health business conferences.

Everything in medicine is going mobile (HIMSS meeting) - Nov. 21
Managing the uncertainty of health system reform (MGMA annual meeting) - Nov. 21, 2011
Practical approaches to mental health (AAFP Scientific Assembly) - Oct. 17, 2011
Post-reform positioning (America's Health Insurance Plans annual meeting) - July 11, 2011
5 ways meaningful use will change your practice (HIMSS meeting) - March 21, 2011
Thinking bigger (MGMA annual meeting) - Nov. 22, 2010
Has participatory medicine's time arrived? (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 8, 2011
Cancer screening updates leave doctors unclear about frequency (ACP annual meeting) - May 17
"Meaningful use" takes time (HIMSS 2010 conference) - April 19
Independent but not alone (MGMA annual meeting) - Dec. 7, 2009
"Gently" managed care (America's Health Insurance Plans annual meeting) - Aug. 10, 2009
Can protecting patients be made recession-proof? (Patient Safety Congress annual meeting) - July 20
Vendor as lender (HIMSS meeting) - May 18, 2009
Has tech's time arrived? (Towards the Electronic Patient Record conference) - March 2, 2009
Speaking the language of vaccines (ICAAC and IDSA joint meeting) - Dec. 15, 2008
Bottom line blues (MGMA annual meeting) - Nov. 17, 2008
Familiar faces speak as patients (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 3, 2008
Insurers are the new worried well (America's Health Insurance Plans annual meeting) - July 28, 2008
Genetic precision (ASCO annual meeting) - July 21, 2008
Know your EMR needs (Towards the Electronic Patient Record conference) - July 14, 2008
Consolidating care (American College of Physicians annual meeting) - June 16, 2008
Seeking the best path (American College of Cardiology scientific session) - May 19, 2008
Selling the bitter EMR pill (HIMSS meeting) - April 7, 2008
Infection control in your practice (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 19, 2007
Clarity on control (American Diabetes Assn. Scientific Sessions) - Aug. 6, 2007
Cancer's age wave (ASCO annual meeting) - July 16, 2007
Slowing a diabetic's decline (American College of Physicians annual meeting) - June 4, 2007
Understanding the gender divide (AHA Scientific Sessions 2006) - Jan. 1/8, 2006
Chronic care toolkit (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 20, 2006
Meeting the demands of diabetes (American Diabetes Assn. Scientific Sessions) - Aug. 7, 2006
Easing the transition for cancer patients (ASCO annual meeting) - July 17, 2006
Overcoming resistance (Towards the Electronic Patient Record conference) - July 10, 2006
Managed care's health kick (National Managed Health Care Congress) - June 19, 2006
Zeroing in on respiratory infections (American College of Physicians annual session) - May 15, 2006
Is IT ready to pay for itself? (HIMSS meeting) - March 13, 2006
The positive side of negative news (AHA Scientific Sessions 2005) - Dec. 19, 2005
Avian flu threat intensifies need for preparedness (IDSA annual meeting) - Nov. 21, 2005
The years of living dangerously (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 7, 2005
Gearing up for a graying America (AGS annual scientific meeting) - July 4, 2005
Cancer survival doesn't end health challenges (ASCO annual meeting) - June 20, 2005
Working hard for the data (Towards the Electronic Patient Record conference) - June 13, 2005
Team diabetes (American College of Physicians annual session) - May 16, 2005
Are HMOs dead? (National Managed Health Care Congress) - April 18, 2005
Infotech tipping point? (HIMSS meeting) - March 14, 2005

Earlier series

Community Spirit - The Doctor is Out - HIPAA Minute - Life Anatomy - Mapping Disease - Managed Care: What's Next - Phyicians in Government - Public Health: Renewed Attention - Team Players - News topics

HIPAA Minute

It goes into effect April 14, but physicians are still not sure what they must do to meet requirements. This series of brief explanations is intended to help you prepare for the medical privacy rule.

Some patient information will remain public - April 7, 2003
Doctors can get a privacy exemption for data used for research purposes - March 24/31, 2003
Getting contracts ready for patient privacy - March 17, 2003
Marketing do's and don'ts under the privacy law - March 10, 2003
Parents trump kids' privacy - March 3, 2003
Physicians must make their privacy policies public - Feb. 24, 2003
Keeping patient data quiet - Feb. 17, 2003
How to share patient information under the new rules - Feb. 10, 2003

Life Anatomy

American Medical News spent a year in close contact with a select group of physicians, tracking the pivotal passages of their lives. One gave birth, one went to prison, another was brutally attacked in her office. Still another, in rebuilding his practice, helped a town recover from a natural disaster. Life Anatomy, a special presentation in words and images, offers a unique and intimate look at physicians as people.

Exploring the personal dramas shaping physician lives - Oct. 28, 2002

The Nation is their Patient

Physicians serve America at all levels of government -- from presidential advisers to state judges and town coroners. This occasional series explores what they do and how their medical background influences their work.

A just-the-facts approach to quality - Feb. 24, 2003
"Average guy" leads extraordinary life - Jan. 27, 2003
Bringing in the private perspective: From a children's clinic to state government - Nov. 18, 2002
Dr. Ganske takes Iowa work ethic to D.C. - Sept. 23/30, 2002
At the heart of regulatory reform: A doctor tempers public policy with diplomacy - Aug. 26, 2002
Balancing budgets and health care: Possible experience for the presidency - July 22, 2002
On call at the White House: One physician's dual role - June 3, 2002

Community Spirit

In a profession dedicated to helping others, many doctors take extra steps to ensure the well-being of those in need. They may work at a free clinic or volunteer their expertise here or abroad. This is an occasional series exploring how physicians serve for the greater good.

Interfaith House offers after-hospital care, refuge for homeless - Aug. 4, 2003
Doctor practices where she's preached at - Dec. 16, 2002
Colorado doctor guarantees health care for needy youths - Oct. 21, 2002
This doctor is always in the house - Sept. 16, 2002
Capital mission: Opening heart and soul to the homeless - July 22, 2002
Doctor spreads good deeds by getting others involved - June 17, 2002
Physicians bring peace with care - May 20, 2002
Putting some sparkle in children's lives - April 15, 2002
Dream for the Caribbean: Providing basic health care - March 18, 2002
Tragedy spurs physician to railroad safety crusade - Feb. 18, 2002
Project Access: Opening the door to health care - Jan. 21, 2002
Caring for the world: Giving medical treatment in foreign lands - Jan. 14, 2002
A little help from their friends: San Francisco Free Clinic cares for the uninsured - Dec. 17, 2001

Public Health: Renewed Attention

Since the terror of Sept. 11 and the bioterrorism scares, the public health system has taken center stage. This six-part series will examine its role on the front lines of protecting Americans from both new and old threats and will detail the system's level of preparedness, how gaps have emerged over time, and the changes that may be necessary to strengthen it for the future.

Public health's role key to homeland security - Feb. 4, 2002
Old pleas, new promises: Could aid finally be coming for public health? - Jan. 21, 2002
Risk-benefit ratio steers public health action - Jan. 14, 2002
Greater expectations: What the nation seeks from public health - Jan. 7, 2002
Public health: A victim of its own success? - Dec. 24/31, 2001
Dispatch from the front lines: From Pakistani refugee to APHA chief - Dec. 17, 2001

The Doctor is Out

In the office, time is a precious commodity for today's busy physicians. Away from work, many doctors find unique activities and hobbies to help them unwind and to enrich their lives. This is an occasional series that looks at physicians' lives outside the exam room.

A spoonful of humor helps the medicine go down - Feb. 3, 2003
Portraits of a profession: Works of art by John Saito, MD - Dec. 2, 2002
Doctors find a poetic pause is therapeutic - Oct. 7, 2002
Putting his best foot forward -- and the other on the water - Sept. 2, 2002
Physicians find precision in the sky: Doctor-pilots throw conventional aviation to the wind - Aug. 5, 2002
In heart of beef country, doctor touts low fat - July 1, 2002
Doctor on deck: Unwinding on the water - June 3, 2002
Physicians finding new challenge behind the wheel - May 6, 2002
Cold companions: Sailing on the ice - April 1, 2002
A California doctor rocks with the stars - March 4, 2002
Is there a mayor in the house? - Feb. 4, 2002
Doctor divides his days between bones and bison - Jan. 7, 2002
The joy of (illegal) skating: She fought the law and the law won - Dec. 3, 2001

Team Players

Physicians and allied health professionals have forged a variety of collaborative models in practices and hospitals across the country. As the debate over just how much independence should be granted nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists and other allieds proceeds in several state legislatures and among professional organizations, this series looks at some of the collaborative models that have become everyday examples of the way medicine is practiced.

Multiplying efforts: Expanding the health care team - July 30, 2001
Where's the nurse? Staffs stretched too thin - June 18, 2001
Growing ranks: Benefits of collaboration with nurse practitioners - March 12, 2001

Mapping Disease

The Human Genome Project offers clues to why certain people have certain diseases and disorders. It also offers great potential to unlock diagnostic tools, preventive measures and cures once only dreamed of. This 2001-02 series detailed the state of this emerging body of scientific knowledge and the advances it brings to the clinic setting. It touches on both the most realistic and immediate applications as well as the avenues that require more research and development.

Taming time: The science of getting older - July 1, 2002
Haplotypes: Genetics' newest chapter - May 20, 2002
Factoring in: Potential treatment for hemophilia - May 6, 2002
Genetics and trauma: Coded for injury - March 4, 2002
Applying the science: Identifying victims after Sept. 11 - Dec. 3, 2001
Doctors and patients learning about CF test - Dec. 3, 2001
Autoimmune diseases could share common genetic etiology - Oct. 8, 2001
Cardiovascular disease: The heart of the family - Oct. 1, 2001
Study advances insight into autism's genetic hot spots - Sept. 17, 2001
Promising melanoma predictor studied - Sept. 10, 2001
A weighty matter: Obesity, leptin and beyond - Aug. 6, 2001
Proteomics: The next frontier in personalized medicine - June 25, 2001
Cystic fibrosis: Clearing pathways - June 4, 2001
Great minds: Mapping genomes - May 21, 2001
Doctors play key role in new genetic age - April 23/30, 2001
Alzheimer's disease: Mind mysteries - April 2, 2001
Human genome draft sequence offers clues to health - March 5, 2001
Addictive cocktail: Alcoholism and genetics - Feb. 5, 2001

Managed Care: What's Next

With the managed care system drawing complaints from everywhere, doctors, patients, payers and even insurers themselves are looking for alternatives to a concept that hasn't met its promise of improving care while reducing costs. These stories focus on what physicians and others are doing to come up with a way to improve the system -- or replace it.