Author Archives: ddxdx

About ddxdx

A Family physician, former county coroner and former Idaho State Senator

Retired

Posted on November 16, 2023 by ddxdx

Just as people start things in all sorts of ways, so do they quit them. Some people describe “falling into” a job or a profession. Others tell the story of seeking it, “knowing” from a young age that it was … Continue reading →

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Experiment

Posted on November 2, 2023 by ddxdx

Our new County Clerk has announced she is going to conduct an experiment in the next election. Our county uses machines to tabulate (count) the paper ballots. She has put out a call for volunteers to perform a hand count … Continue reading →

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Shucks

Posted on November 2, 2023 by ddxdx

I’ll bet you have been riveted to the goings on of the interim Idaho legislative committee looking into whether adopting a managed care contract for Idaho Medicaid would solve all our problems. What? You don’t know about this?  It’s more … Continue reading →

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Stake

Posted on November 2, 2023 by ddxdx

I’ll admit that I am not fully aware of the Idaho Code sections when I talk with patients. I believe I have a good sense of right and wrong, but legalese confuses me. And I was a State Senator for … Continue reading →

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Continuity

Posted on October 24, 2023 by ddxdx

If you do electrical stuff, you know continuity means you have a connection from one end of the wire to the other. I want to talk about continuity in healthcare. It’s related. I’m sure you’ve all experienced it. You call … Continue reading →

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Solutions

Posted on September 20, 2023 by ddxdx

I have watched the Idaho Freedom Foundation and their mouthpieces rant against Medicaid for years now. Rants can be fun, but honestly, there’s hard work to do. I invite your shoulder to our shared grindstone. I believe managing health care … Continue reading →

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Coroner Story—-Thanksgiving

Posted on September 13, 2023 by ddxdx

This call came on a Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It might have been Friday or Saturday, probably a Friday, I think. My sister and her husband were visiting. So, it was a long time ago. She died as I turned 40, … Continue reading →

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Patchwork

Posted on September 12, 2023 by ddxdx

I have migrated late in my medical career to working part-time in a Federally Qualified Health Center. (FQHC…sorry but the anagrams may start piling up.) These centers grew out of a 2001 plan from President George Bush II. He wanted … Continue reading →

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Dignity

Posted on September 7, 2023 by ddxdx

I find myself stifling a smirk when I hear a new term for a group. The homeless have become the “Unhoused”. I stifle the smirk because such a response is disrespectful. And the intent of the renaming is to offer … Continue reading →

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Persuade

Posted on September 5, 2023 by ddxdx

It’s going to be a hot drive down to our state capital tomorrow. But I’m excited to be making it. I got the AC in my old Volkswagen van charged up. It doesn’t blow cold, but it does blow cool. … Continue reading →

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