The Stethoscope Issue

After a very long absence, we're back! It won't take you long to note that this was actually recorded back in the spring and it's not so much that we have been MIA as it is that it's just taken forever to get it edited and uploaded. .In this episode we talk Big Pharma, prescription discount programs, insulin & inhalers, our own experience with costly medications during pregnancy, and what is behind the crazy prices for some of our most widely used and necessary medications. 

We're a whole TWO MONTHS late in uploading this episode, but it's an important update that we need to give before moving forward. As the title suggests, Andrew's exemption was rescinded and he was fired from the hospital that he's worked at for almost 8 years because he refused to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing (which only the unvaccinated were subject to, btw). We also talk about scotch, giving thanks, fighting dragons, singing Psalms, and Knight's Fest!

We're back! After a nearly two month hiatus, we're back with an update on the verdict from the hospital on Andrew's vaccine status. We also talk a bit about the various viruses that are circulating at the moment, including Omicron, Influenza A, and RSV. 

In this episode we bring our 4 kids into the 'studio'! If you want to hear a lot of giggling and kid-versions of what Andrew does, as well as everyone telling all their favorite wound stories, give this one a listen! 

In this episode, we talk about what the recently announced vaccine mandate at the hospital means for Andrew. We talk religious exemptions, science behind the mandates, medical ethics, patient autonomy, and what we're doing in the face of another job loss. 

What *is* a concussion? Do you have to hit your head to get a concussion? Is it the same thing as a TBI? How do you treat it? What are laws surrounding possible concussion for student athletes? Why do we have our kids (specifically sons) play sports that have high concussion risks? How do you treat a concussion? Listen in as Andrew answers all these questions!

Leech therapy, maggots for debridement, silver as an antimicrobial, and hyperbaric medicine! This week we talk wound care - one of Andrew's specialties. 

We're coming up quickly on the end of fall sports season and winter sports are just around the corner - what should athletes be doing in the off-season to prepare for the next sport? Should they be doing cardio, lifting, or actually resting? Well, it depends! Listen in as Andrew talks myofibrils, overtraining, stretching, and the like. 

We’re never really sure who does and who doesn’t know what a PA is - we’ll say that Andrew is a PA and they’ll nod understandingly, but we’re always wondering if they’re thinking Public Accountant? Production assistant? Power amplifier? Power of Attorney? Press Agent? Purchasing Agent? So in this episode we talk about what kind of PA *Andrew* is. We also hit on emergency mental health services and “being there” for those we love.

We're a couple of days late with this week's episode, but we squeezed it in! In this episode, Andrew fills Betsy in on how the clinic open house went and some of the questions people had for him and the other providers. Of course Covid came up, so we talk some of the recent developments and try to be encouraging on that front.

In this episode we go deeper into what DPC  (Direct Primary Care) is, and we talk about it both from the perspective of provider (Andrew) and patient (Betsy). We talk about  how it's different from both concierge medicine AND the standard insurance based model, how the Spruce app works, the benefits to not working with insurance companies, what's included in your monthly membership fee (and what isn't), the benefits of on-site pharmacy, and the access available to both patient and provider and how that makes for a more personal, direct, streamlined level of care that benefits everyone involved.

In this episode we discuss the meaning behind our podcast title - what it means, why we chose it, and how it applies to many aspects of both of our lives. Andrew also tells some stories, from working as a CNA to his first days as an EMT and even many years later as a PA working urgent care. 

You knew it was bound to come up at some point, right? While we don't plan on making this a frequent topic on the podcast, we thought it might be helpful to give our take on the happenings of the last 18 months. In this episode we talk about the last year and a half from Andrew's perspective - from initial precautions and protections to setting up a testing center to reaching the point of having to make a pretty major job decision. We also talk fear, Philippians 4:7, providence, and grace. 

Bonus episode! We recorded an extra issue this week, mostly because we know that fall sports are quickly approaching and people are buying gear! In this episode we talk about buying athletic shoes - how to evaluate someone's foot for pronation, neutrality, or supination, as well as how to evaluate shoes for suitability. Definitely give this one a listen if you're in the market for some new athletic shoes!

In this episode we talk a bit more about Andrew's work as an Athletic Trainer, both right out of undergrad and today. We get into the new athletic training elective that he teaches as well as the valuable lessons learned by both Andrew and Betsy from their time as high school athletes. 

In this episode we dive into Andrew's least favorite thing to talk about - himself! We talk about what got him into medicine and his training in the 4 main medical arenas where he works - athletic training, EMS, PA, and wound care. 

In this episode we discuss medical ethics, iRobot, trusting your provider, and Body Integrity Dysphoria (which we referred to as No Left Hand Syndrome)

In this episode we talk about the Direct Primary Care Model  - how it differs from insurance based medicine and the ins and outs of DPC from both the provider's perspective and the patient's..As a bit of background, Andrew spent 10 years as a provider in a standard insurance based practice before transitioning to a direct primary care (DPC) practice. As a family, we've been members of a DPC clinic for almost three years and have loved the quality of care and the accessibility that it affords. 

With the wildfire smoke making an early appearance this year, Andrew talks about things to look out for in at-risk populations and steps you can take to stay safe when the air quality goes south. 

Andrew fills us in on his recent training in emergency cricothyrotomies (a pocket knife and deconstructed pen or straw are not generally suggested).