JOHN SHUFELDT, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP I will begin this short essay by admitting that I am not always the best or most appropriate in terms of my style or manner of communication, which is no news to my two relatives who make up half the readership of these articles. I have also learned over the years to take most things with a grain of salt (particularly if it is followed by a shot of …
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January 2011
December 2010
Preventing the “Delta Uniform,” or, Malpractice Reduction in the Urgent Care Center
John Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP A few years ago, I flew over to San Diego to watch the Red Bull Air Races. A friend of mine who is pilot occupied the right seat and another friend (also a pilot) was in the back of the plane seated with another friend. As we got closer to San Diego, I noticed that a thick inversion layer (dense fog) blanketed the coast. The lack of visibility required …
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November 2010
The Checklist – Part 3
John Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP (Dr. Shufeldt began a three-part discussion of the importance of procedural checklists in the September issue of JUCM. The first two installments are available at www.jucm.com). Billy was a cocky, disingenuous, trying-to-be aviator who had a hangar next to mine until he left in the middle of the night to avoid paying his overdue invoices. I like pretty much everybody, at least initially. Despite trying, I did not like …
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October 2010
The Checklist – Part 2
John Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP (Dr. Shufeldt began a three-part discussion of the importance of procedural checklists in the September issue of JUCM. That column is available at www.jucm.com.) I went to Mardi Gras two years ago. One of the events I attended was called the MOMs Ball. MOMs is an acronym for Mystic Orphans and Misfits; it’s a party by invite only, and only those with costumes and ticket are admitted. I was …
Read MoreCleared for Takeoff
JOHN SHUFELDT, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP I like checklists. I use them while treating patients, flying, cooking, and training. Despite the fact that I have a few thousand hours behind the controls of a variety of aircraft, I still use them every time I fly. Why then, if I believe I am a fairly competent pilot, do I need to rely on something as pedestrian as a checklist for things that I have done countless …
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