During my nearly 30 years as a cardiothoracic surgeon, it became clear that many of my 22,000 surgeries could have been avoided, or at least delayed, if my patients had simply made better choices. Smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise were the leading factors that placed patients under my scalpel. That’s why we established … Read More
Opinion
Dr. Brian Bolwell in U.S. News: Addressing the Waiting Game in Cancer Treatment
The average time it takes a newly diagnosed cancer patient to begin treatment (known as Time to Treat, or TTT) in our most respected academic cancer centers is 44 days. And, unfortunately, TTT is getting worse by the year, Brian Bolwell, M.D., chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, writes in a U.S. News op-ed. … Read More
Mikkael A. Sekeres,M.D., in The Hill: The disgrace of cancer clinical trials
In an op-ed for The Hill, Mikkael A. Sekeres, M.D., director of Cleveland Clinic’s leikemia program, explains that fewer than five percent of adult cancer patients with limited available treatment options areselected for clinical trials. And that, he says, is a national disgrace and one of the main barriers to progress in the war … Read More
Chief Pharmacy Officer Scott Knoer in TIME: How to Stop Immoral Drug Price Increases
It’s become a familiar dance: A drug company buys a well-established medication developed by another company. It raises the price by an obscene amount. The public reacts with outrage. Congress proclaims the need for inquiries . . . And nothing changes. In a few months, we’re likely to go through all of this again, with another company … Read More
Dr. Andre Machado in TIME: We’re All Responsible For Our Opioid Reliance — Even Patients
Opiods are remarkable, Andre Machado, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute, writes in a TIME magazine op-ed. But for some people, they are a little too remarkable. The well-being sensation from a pill prescribed after a surgical procedure can be life-changing. The problem, he says, is that too often, opioids are prescribed to treat … Read More
FDA Right to Regulate E-Cigarettes: Toby Cosgrove, M.D.
Use of electronic cigarettes by teens has increased 966 percent since 2011, threatening to undo decades of success in turning adolescents away from smoking. Read the LinkedIn blog of Cleveland Clinic President and CEO Toby Cosgrove, M.D., to see why he believes the FDA made the right decision to step in and regulate e-cigarettes like all other … Read More
Toby Cosgrove, M.D.: For Earth Day, Small Changes Can Lead to Big Impact
Earlier this week, just in time for Earth Day, the American College of Physicians published a new position paper that calls on the healthcare sector to take climate change seriously, pointing out that climate change could lead to an additional 250,000 deaths per year between 2030 and 2050. While such dire predictions can feel overwhelming, significant … Read More
Dr. Brian Bolwell in U.S. News: Care Paths Ensure Most-Effective Treatments Are Standard Operating Procedure
Care Paths – systematic approaches to collecting and analyzing the world’s knowledge on the treatment of disease – have enormous potential for care of cancer and other diseases, Brian Bolwell, M.D., chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, writes in a U.S. News op-ed. A Care Path is also a tool for expanding our knowledge … Read More
Toby Cosgrove, M.D., in U.S. News: How the Group Practice Model Can Save U.S. Health Care
Of the approximately 800,000 doctors today in the United States, some are self-employed, some work for hospitals, and many work in practices of fewer than 20 colleagues. Though these various approaches can still deliver finely crafted service, the quality often varies and the costs are high, Toby Cosgrove, M.D., CEO and president of Cleveland Clinic, … Read More