Good morning Emergistan! I haven't posted in a long, long time. But I'm going to try harder to post here, in addition to my www.edwinleap.com/blog site. The reasons? Well, there's a lot to say about Emergistan these days. As the ACA collapses all around us, refugees are streaming across the border to Emergistan. It's because they still can't get insurance, or because they have it but can't get doctors, or because their doctors always press the default 'we're too busy so just go to the ER' button.
Furthermore, there's always plenty of silliness to report here in Emergistan. For instance, Electronic Medical Records increasingly causes misery. I know of a hospital that changed to a new system, and the nurses were on the verge of tears and one of them was having violent dreams...all consequent to the shiny new system. Charts done on EMR are beginning to resemble hieroglyphics but less decipherable.
In addition, I'm doing full-time locums work now, taking sabbatical from my job of 20 years. I consider myself a reporter, roaming the land to look for wonderul stories, for shared goals and difficulties among healthcare providers, for clues on how to make it better and for problems and toxic policies that need to see the light of day. I'm the 'Kwai Chang Caine' of Emergency Medicine now. (If you're old enough to remember the show Kung Fu with David Carridine.)
'When you can snatch the Lortab from my hand, grasshopper...'
And there's one more. If all goes well I'll have a new book this year, a compilation with Emergistan in the title. Something that will continue, I hope, to show the world what we do, why we do it, and give hope, laughter and insights to my fellow travelers.
So welcome to 2014 Emergistanis! Let's travel the new year together.
Semper a Decem!
Edwin
