The Classic Sleep Deprivation Experiments

7 days ago
Dr. Hesham A. Hassaballa

In the classic sleep deprivation experiments, two rats were placed on a disk that can rotate over water. They had…

Death Is Not A Failure

2 weeks ago

In my conversation with Dr. Elaine Chen of Rush University Medical Center, who is both an Intensive Care and Palliative…

The Battle Against An Ignoble Death

10 months ago

The battle against critical illness in the ICU is self-evident. The battle against an ignoble death is paramount for me.

It’s About Time: CDC Changes COVID Isolation Guidelines

1 year ago

At Long last. The CDC has updated its guidelines with respect to Covid isolation. This has been a long time coming,…

Violence in Healthcare Should Never Be “Just Part of the Job”

1 year ago

The NY Times published an article about violence against healthcare workers. It was heart-wrenching to read: Last year one of my patients…

Just Like the Airline Industry, Safety Has to be Non-negotiable in Healthcare

2 years ago

I travel quite a bit for work. For the most part, it runs smoothly. There are times, however, where it…

The Unsustainable Math of Medicare Physician Reimbursement Cuts

2 years ago

Let me get this out of the way: Yes, physicians earn a very good living. Many, if not most, physicians…

Why I Stopped Drinking Diet Coke

2 years ago

For more than a year, I have stopped consuming diet soda. My go to drink was Diet Coke, and it…

Dr. Hassaballa’s Latest Book is Now Available: “How Not To Kill Someone in the ICU”

2 years ago

The intensive care unit can be a very intimidating place, not only for patients, but for their doctors and nurses…

New Research Clarifies Cause of Myocarditis After mRNA Vaccine

2 years ago

Vaccination against SARS CoV-2 has made a tremendous difference and impact on the course of the SARS CoV-2 pandemic. This…

Reflecting on the End of the COVID Public Health Emergency

2 years ago

On April 10, 2023, President Biden signed H.J. Res. 7, which ended the national emergency order for COVID-19. The Public…

From The Appeals Desk: Brevity Beware

2 years ago

Clinician documentation is everything. It tells the story of the patient's current condition and what is being done to fix…

This Sleep Doctor Disagrees With AASM: Keep Daylight Savings Permanent

2 years ago

On March 13, most of the country "sprung forward" its clocks and entered into daylight savings time. The American Academy…

Are Early Morning Laboratory Studies Really Necessary in Hospitalized Patients?

2 years ago

Whenever we get sick with an infection, a very important component of our treatment and recovery plan is sufficient sleep.…

In Defense Of The Noncompete Clause In Healthcare

2 years ago

In early January 2023, the Federal Trade Commission proposed a new rule banning noncompete clauses in employment contracts. According to the FTC,…

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Taught Us Talk Is Cheap

2 years ago

To me, the most profound part of the famous "I Have a Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. came at…

The Scientific Case For a Scarf (Or A Mask)

2 years ago

It is common knowledge that respiratory viral infections - such as common colds, influenza, RSV, and now COVID-19 - are…

A Screen Is No Substitute

2 years ago

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person work and fundamentally altered the dynamic of in-person meetings, many of my administrative…

Your Best Defense Against Denials: DOCUMENTATION

3 years ago

We have been traveling on a journey through the very frustrating, annoying, and obnoxious world of health insurance company denials.…

We Get No Credit For Being Good Clinicians

3 years ago

I was honored to be on a panel of experts for a webinar on sepsis denials by payers, especially commercial insurance companies.…

When A Healer Cannot Be Healed

3 years ago

I sat with him for hours. We spoke and spoke and spoke at length over why he could no longer…

The Ruthless Monster That Is Sepsis

3 years ago

The fever and diarrhea were relentless. For almost one week straight, it just would not stop. That was despite good…

From The Appeals Desk: The “30 Day Readmission” Denial

3 years ago

Insurance company denials are terribly frustrating. They delay prompt processing of claims. They require annoying extra steps to get paid.…

ICU Rule #8: Treat The Patient

3 years ago

I can make abnormal numbers go away...that doesn't mean I have done the patient any good.

Every Single One Of Us Will “Lose The Battle” One Day

3 years ago

All of us, one day, will "lose the battle" of illness, accident, or condition. The question is: will we have…

ICU Rules #6 and #7: Your Ego Can Be Dangerous

3 years ago

I had known the patient well. She was just in my ICU a few weeks previous with a perforated bowel…

From The Appeals Desk: Know Your Sepsis

3 years ago

Among the many types of denials from insurance companies that come across my desk, one I have been seeing more…

The Top Five Rules of the ICU

3 years ago

I could be panicking on the inside. But if I panic on the outside, it could mean the difference between…

The Grief Is Right Under The Surface

3 years ago

It can be a random sound, or picture, or song, and that is all it takes to bring it all…

Sigh of Relief As Nurse Sentenced to Probation

3 years ago

RaDonda Vaught, the former Tennessee nurse convicted of two felonies related to a drug error, was sentenced to three years…

Of Sisyphus and COVID

3 years ago

There is character from Greek mythology named Sisyphus. This man was condemned to push a large boulder up a hill,…

Shining a Light on Early Cancer Detection

3 days ago

Cancer that is diagnosed at an early stage, before it has grown and spread through the body, is more likely…

Overwork Is Rewiring Your Brain. Here’s What Neuroscience Wants You to Know

5 days ago

Most days, I aim radiation at tumors. But the most profound insights sometimes come in the quiet moments between treatments.…

How Unconscious Beliefs Distort Our Perception of Disability

5 days ago

With around 25% of the adult population being disabled, the US is home to one of the biggest minority groups. Physical,…

Back to the Future of Medicine: The Physician Reimagined

5 days ago

Healthcare is in constant motion—bending to social pressures, economic realities, and technological breakthroughs. But if we step back and observe…

Retreating from the Opportunity of a Century

5 days ago

Why the American healthcare sector should oppose plans for U.S. diplomatic withdrawal from Africa. Imagine it’s the mid-1990s and the…

Beyond Data: Why Human Decisions Are Shaped by Facts, Feelings—and the Fire Within

7 days ago

“Branding is a matter of building trust and committing to a level of quality and service. It is an emotional…

Executive action may actually drive up medicines prices

2 weeks ago

*This story will be updated as more details become available* President Trump’s executive order could result in higher US medicines…

Trump’s Drug Price Gambit: Cheaper for America, But Who Pays the Price?

2 weeks ago

Donald Trump is back at it, making big waves in the world of pharmaceuticals. On May 12, 2025, Donald Trump signed…

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