‘This Is Why People Hate Congress’: What We Heard This Week

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/59126

“You make it too complicated, you’re going to lose physicians.” — Thomas Eppes, Jr, MD, of Central Virginia Family Physicians, in Lynchburg, Va., on implementation of MACRA.

“This is just one of the most unfair things I’ve ever seen.” — Clarey Dowling, MD, a primary care physician in rural Tennessee, on the state Medicaid program’s insistence that he pay back $200,000 because he isn’t board certified.

“We have clearly heard from arthritis patients in both on-reserve and in urban settings that negative healthcare experiences in specialty care leads to a decision to disengage from further contact with rheumatologists.” — Cheryl Barnabe, MD, of the University of Calgary in Canada, on the prevalence of inflammatory arthritis and healthcare use among First Nations people in Canada.

“If you understand the mechanisms for a particular molecular target, you can develop devices that use electrons to replace drugs.” – Kevin J. Tracey, MD, of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y., on vagus nerve stimulation for rheumatoid arthritis.

“Although cigarettes are still the most commonly used tobacco product, we are seeing the use of other forms of tobacco increasing, which is why it is important to address all forms of tobacco use among adults, not just cigarettes.” – Brian A. King, PhD, of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, on survey results showing that one in four adults still use tobacco products.

“This is why people hate Congress. This is why people hate Washington.” — Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on the Senate’s inability to pass a Zika funding bill.

“There’s that space opera I always wanted to write.” — Lydia Kang, MD, a novelist and internal medicine physician in Omaha, Neb., joking about her future plans as a writer.

Filed under: General Problems