Don’t read this. That is, if you have a limited amount of time for reading today, I’d rather you read Atul Gawande’s essay on end-of-life care in this month’s New Yorker than this blog. But if you can spare a little time, I’ll be focusing on some of the techniques Gawande uses to make his writing so lyrical and memorable. Whether you write ...

A couple of months ago, a Baltimore reporter called to get my take on a scandal at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Towson, an upscale suburb. A rainmaker cardiologist there, Dr. Mark Midei, had been accused of placing more than 500 stents in patients who didn’t need them, justifying the procedures by purposely misreading cath films. In several of the ...

I just finished reading Atul Gawande’s June 1st New Yorker piece – it's the Talk of the Health Policy Town – on healthcare’s “Cost Conundrum.” Like most of Atul’s work, the article is lyrical, powerful, insightful, and correct. As you’ve probably heard, Gawande profiles the town of McAllen, Texas, whose healthcare costs are nearly double the ...

I hope you had a chance to read David Leonhardt’s interview with President Obama in last Sunday’s NY Times Magazine. The feel was that of hanging out with two really smart friends discussing the issues of the day over beers. What a treat! In addition to Obama’s intelligence and forthrightness (with the exception of one dollop of purposeful ...