A colleague sent us this fabulous opinion piece written by a cardiologist named Lee Biblo that appeared recently in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. It was called "Many paths to a healthier society" and it begins:
I am a physician—a cardiologist, raised in a fee-for-service environment. The more procedures I do, the more I get paid. The more time I spend talking to and counseling patients, the less I get paid. Don't blame me. I didn't set up this screwy system.
Bilbo devotes a lot of the article to the need for more preventive medicine—practiced not just by health care professionals but by all of us. School boards need to make sure there's healthy food in the cafeteria. Businesses should provide workout areas instead of smoking sections. Governments should structure tax and spending decisions to promote wellness and health. All of us should eat well, stop smoking, exercise regularly, wear seat belts, and understand the importance of screening as well as things like flu shots.
He concludes:
Sorry—fortunately, I am not an employer, a school board member or the government—I have to go now, grab a candy bar and a cola for lunch and then do a few procedures.
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