Dennis Wichern

Mar 14, 2024 | kevinmd.com | L. Joseph Parker |Dennis Wichern |Gary Call |Mary Grace Braun

As I wait for the next patient to be brought in, I start reviewing their chart. Past medical records have been received and scanned in per protocol, I see. This won’t be the first time I’ve seen his chart as he had to submit medical records and be approved before he could get an appointment to see me. A forty-something African American male has been complaining of chronic back pain for several years off and on. It has been hurting now for several months this time, an old sports injury.

Jan 13, 2024 | kevinmd.com | L. Joseph Parker |Kevin Tolliver |Julie Craig |Dennis Wichern

Reports sent back to Washington during the Vietnam War made it clear to everyone. The U.S. was winning. There could be no debate or doubt. It was right there in the numbers. When searching for a metric to measure “success,” U.S. politicians and the military had come to rely on body count comparisons. Defining “winning” as having a higher body count. And by that measure, the U.S. was indeed winning. We were killing over seven North Vietnamese soldiers for every one of ours.

Oct 8, 2023 | kevinmd.com | L. Joseph Parker |Dennis Wichern |Gary Call |Brandon Jacobi

I sit in my clinic office, looking at today’s schedule. It’s a nice office with lots of white and pastels, modern furniture, an up-to-date computer, and a desk. I always wanted my clinic to look like something from the future, and now, after twelve years, it finally does. Besides the screen on my desk, there is a large screen on the wall to my left, the patient’s right.

Jul 4, 2023 | kevinmd.com | Larry K. Kociolek |Dennis Wichern |Yumiko Nakamura |Vishnu Muppala

Carol Raye’s devastating Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) experience started with what she thought was a stomach bug after a dental visit. She took the antibiotics prescribed by her dentist and thought a weekend of rest would make her feel better. Soon, she was debilitated by the severe diarrhea from a C. difficile infection that left her weak, confused and barely able to get out of bed.

Jul 2, 2023 | kevinmd.com | Deepak Gupta |Neal Biron |Dennis Wichern |Inna Husain

Both privileged and marginalized payers should reflect on the completeness, difficulty, and straightforwardness of procedures, processes, and payments. When it comes to procedures that are reimbursed at reduced rates due to their incomplete nature, it is important to consider the reasons behind the failure to complete them. Were the factors patient-related, provider-related, or related to the location? Were there issues with the preparation for the procedures themselves?