Healthcare Musings

2026 Sepsis Guidelines: What Changed & What Has Not — Dr. Hassabolus Vindicated Again

The new Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines were released late last month in Chicago. 
This week’s episode highlights the most important changes to Dr. Hassaballa. Hint: Dr. Hassabolus is vindicated again. 
Read the entire guidelines here: https://www.sccm.org/survivingsepsiscampaign 

The Why of CDI: Why Doctors Need to Care

Physicians’ jobs today are very hard. There are so many demands on their time, and there is not enough time in the day to do everything they need to do. So it is understandable that a busy clinician would ask “Who Cares?” When it comes to Clinical Documentation Improvement, or CDI.
In reality, Doctors need to care about this stuff. In this episode, Dr. Hassaballa explains why.
Article on physician subsidies: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/the-rising-cost-of-physician-subsidies-in-10-numbers/ 
 

Obesity or Malnutrition: Document It Every Time It’s There

Both obesity and protein calorie malnutrition are major comorbid conditions (MCC), and they are frequent targets of post-discharge denials by payers. In this episode of Healthcare Musings, Dr. Hassaballa explains why it is so important that these diagnoses are not only documented, but why our plan to address these conditions must always be documented. 
GLIM Criteria: https://www.espen.org/education/glim 

Fear and the COVID Response: A Conversation with Dr. Joseph Marine

It has been six years, almost to the day, since I saw my first Covid patient in the ICU. So much has changed since then. In this insightful interview, Dr. Joseph Marine, a Johns Hopkins Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine, reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing what was learned, what could have been done differently, and the future of public health responses. Gain expert perspectives on fear, masking, vaccines, and trust in health authorities.
Dr. Marine on X: https://x.com/DrJMarine 

Returning Goals of Care Conversations to Where They Belong

The hospital ED or ICU is the absolute worst place to have a goals of care conversation. 

Do We Need A PCP For Everything?: My Conversation with Dr. Bobby Scott

Primary Care is in trouble. The job is very hard, doesn’t pay as much as it should, and the numbers of PCPs is dwindling. 
How can we save the field? Dr. Bobby Scott has another novel idea to help reduce the burden on Primary Care Physicians.  Our conversation is the subject of this week's episode on Healthcare Musings. 
Dr. Bobby Scott: https://substack.com/@bobbyscottmd 
Sensible Medicine article: https://www.sensible-med.com/p/on-the-conservation-of-primary-care 

Saving Primary Care: Dr. Colleen Smith’s Novel Idea

There is a dire shortage of Primary Care Physicians, and it is projected to get even worse. 
We need Primary Care Physicians, and creating more Residency slots takes years to come to fruition. 
This week’s guest on the Healthcare Musings Podcast, Emergency Medicine physician Dr. Colleen Smith, has a novel idea to help relieve the shortage. 
Dr. Smith’s Substack: https://substack.com/@drcolleensmith 

What’s It Really Like To Run A Hospital?: My Conversation with Ken Kaufman

There is a common perception that hospitals are nonstop, money making machine machines. Reality, however, it’s quite different. 
In this episode, I sit down with Mr. Ken Kaufman, a Managing Director at Kaufman Hall. He gives an eye-opening assessment of what It’s really like to run a hospital. 
About Ken Kaufman: https://x.com/kenkaufman12 

What's the Deal With the New Dietary Guidelines? I Asked America's Cardiologist.

There has been an uproar on the part of some over the new dietary guidelines published by the government (www.realfood.gov). 
Is the uproad justified? I asked the perfect person: America's Cardiologist, Dr. Mohammed Alo (https://www.dralo.net/). We had a great conversation. 

A Day in the Life of a TeleIntensivist Leader: Dr. Mirko Villanueva

Telecritical care is part of the future of Critical Care Medicine in the United States and world. There are various models of implementing TeleICU programs, and one of them is a “hybrid” between on site and tele ICU. How can this work in the most effective manner? I asked the perfect person: Dr. Mirko Villanueva of Sound Physicians. He is both a TeleIntensivist and Program Director. His insights are truly invaluable.
To know more about what it’s like to be a teleIntensivist, see my conversation with Dr. Eugene Yeh: https://www.healthcaremusings.com/a-day-in-the-life-telecritical-care-with-dr-eugene-yeh/