What does “At Capacity” mean in healthcare
In the ongoing debate of “how stressed out is healthcare” I am seeing a lot of questions about what hospital capacity really means. The best way to think about hospital capacity is to compare it to Thanksgiving dinner. Let’s say that I’m planning on Thanksgiving dinner for 8. That’s what my table …
Physicians and other healthcare professionals experiencing new levels of stress due to COVID
There are no questions that the current COVID surge is pushing physicians and other healthcare professionals to greater and greater levels of stress and fatigue. ‘”I feel exhausted and there’s no question that my colleagues and I have sacrificed a lot to deal with the pandemic.” Add to that the second front of the COVID-19 …
COVID: All Hospital Beds are Not Created Equal
While it’s an often cited number, total beds or total icu beds in a particular state isn’t the most helpful number when it comes to trying to figure out if the healthcare system is stressed. Why? 1) Beds don’t take care of people. You need staff for them. This includes obvious staff such as nursing …
Physician Suicide in 2020: A Changing Tide?
National Physician Suicide Awareness day is September 17th. Honestly, I hate that this day needs to exist. Prior to COVID, physicians had the highest suicide rate of any profession and we clearly needed to be having conversations about how we improve care for physicians. Since COVID, the stress placed on physicians has increased exponentially. In …
COVID-19 in South Dakota: What’s My Risk?
No matter what your political leanings may be, I think everyone can agree COVID-19 is often very confusing. In the course of the pandemic so far, governments, private businesses, and individuals are being forced to make decisions about how to balance COVID risks vs non-COVID risks. Most recently, everyone is struggling to make decisions about …
Changing the Rules to Reduce Barriers to Mental Health Treatment for Physicians
Dr. Elsie Koh interviewed me recently to discuss physician mental health and suicide and how we can reduce barriers to seeking treatment. In South Dakota, we recently changed the rules so that physicians no longer have to divulge past mental health struggles or current diagnoses that are well-treated. Check it out here.
COVID-19 is a War on Two Fronts
“I can’t fight you anymore.It’s you I’m fighting for.”-Ordinary Love by U2 Photo by CDC on Unsplash I’m exhausted. As the pandemic rages on, the mental toll of dealing with COVID-19 has started to wear on me. As a practicing hospitalist in the Midwest impacted by one of the many hotspots caused by the …
Run Towards What You Love
Can you find your calling in medicine without quitting your job? I spend a lot of time in social media groups where physicians and other healthcare workers gather. Inevitably people post questions about what to do with regards to their jobs. Questions include: I have Job A and Job B as options. Which should I …
In Times of Crisis, Physicians Will Always Come Together to Take Care of You
“Because in times of crisis, physicians will always come together in our shared calling. We will always take care of you.” Full article originally published on KevinMD.com https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/03/in-times-of-crisis-physicians-will-always-come-together-to-take-care-of-you.htm
Bio
Dr. Clarissa Barnes’ career as a physician and administrator has been defined by her philosophy of leading from the front. Adept at identifying pain points she has made it her mission to ease physicians’ burdens by finding innovative solutions to practice inefficiencies. She is a fierce advocate for driving positive change in the medical profession …
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Dr. Clarissa Explains Healthcare 