Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The Quiet

With the advent of social media and seconds-long news cycles, the internet noise grows louder.  Everyone is listening these days: new organizations, stock holders, businesses, special interest groups, and yes, the government.    There are even websites devoted to "secure" areas where the noise can permeate.

The Internet, you see, is it.

Yet what about The Quiet? 

The Quiet is the silent majority.  The Quiet smiles and seems happy.  The Quiet appears unaffected by policy changes and mandates.  The Quiet doesn't mind typing.  The Quiet follows rules. 

At least for a while.  The great cameleon.

So it comes as no surprise to The Quiet that the largest medical device company in the United States recently "purchased" another to avoid some taxes and improve its clout. 

A Quiet move.

And what about the National Quality Forum (here) or the Institute of Medicine's (here)  little conflicts of interest lapses?  And those electronic medical record  or insurance problems?

Shhhh.  Say nothing.  Smile.  No big deal, remember?

Dinner conversations with sons and daughters.  It's different now.  Consulting, enginnering, finance, or maybe nursing. Why be trapped by debt and a dwindling supply of paid residency positions?  There are other ways to help people.  Explore them.  See what you think.  You're young, remember?

The Quiet is marking time, working hard, advising.

Quietly. 

-Wes




4 comments:

Anonymous said...

CMS new NCDs are quietly being implemented. Atrial fibrillation is no longer a covered diagnosis for a PPM. How do you fit that square impulse in that round lead? I guess CMS will create criminals of EPs--better to control them.

Art Fougner MD said...

Be quiet. Nothing to see here. Move along.

StopMOC said...

Hello Dr Wes,
Love your style of writing. Have you thought about writing a book?
I am one of those not so quiet doctors and I get into trouble all the time : ) for speaking up.

BTW: sent you a link via twitter about a very funny article "Board Exam Nightmare: by Dr Michael Tanner.


Thanks

Anonymous said...

Hello, My name is Denise Mustain. You performed two ablations on me while you were in Cincinnati. I had a left ventricular tachocardia arthymeia and was going in to v-tach all the time. You successfully fixed my heart but I still can't spell. I was in my 40's when you worked on me, I'm now 61 and have a job where I walk 5 to 10 miles a day. Besides the fact that I'm diabetic and 20 lbs. over weight, I'm pretty healthy. So thank you for giving me an active life.