Blood donations are down — so why restrict blood donors by sexual orientation?

The blood supply in the US is critically low. Donations dropped off so dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic that the American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis. And since donated red blood cells only last about six weeks, supplies cannot be stockpiled in advance. A severe shortage could require difficult decisions about who […]

Power your paddle sports with three great exercises

For my birthday last year, I received paddleboard lessons. I was always curious about the popular water sport and watched in fascination as people stood on almost-invisible boards, paddling along as if walking on water. Paddleboarding was everything I expected and then some. Still, I quickly realized that it is a serious workout, like all […]

Repeating the story: What to expect in the emergency department

Hospitals across the country are still scrambling to recover from the toll of an ever-shifting pandemic. What does that mean if you wind up in an emergency department (ED) due to an illness or accident? What should you know and what can you expect? As an emergency medicine doctor at a large teaching hospital, here […]

Recognizing and treating disorders of gut-brain interaction

Dr. Freeman: “Mr. Vargas, great news on the biopsy results: all negative. It means the workup we have done, including imaging, blood work, and endoscopies, is all normal. You’re all set.” Mr. Vargas: “How can that be? I feel miserable!” What are disorders of gut-brain interaction? The clinical scenario above (names altered for privacy) is […]