Category: the business of health care

From the O.R. to the Oval Office- 3 Docs Who Ran

Three medical doctors ran for President of the United States in 2016. Read about one of them in this article from a two part series.

updated June 27, 2026

The 2016 United States Presidential campaign was one of the most unexpected, unpredictable, and contentious races in history, starting with the individual parties.

The qualifications for President are fairly simple

U.S. Constitution Requirements for a Presidential Candidate:
  • Be at least 35 years old
  • Be a natural-born citizen of the United States
  • Been a resident of the United States for 14 years

How to become President inforgraphic
The Presidential pathway from USA.gov

The election process is anything but simple as illustrated by the above graphic. The candidates must first campaign for votes in the states’ primaries or caucuses to become their party’s choice at the convention.

In the general election, voters are technically voting for electors to the Electoral College, which casts its states votes for President.So it is possible with the candidate with the fewest popular votes gets the most electoral votes and becomes president.

Holding the office of the President is our country’s highest honor but the job of president has become so thankless I wonder why anyone wants to do it. But I am grateful that people volunteer for and seek the position, and in 2016 three of the candidates were physicians.

This post was originally a non-partisan look at those candidates, and still is.

In medical jargon, progress notes are Records kept by health care workers to indicate the course of the patient’s care

I have written some “progress notes” about each candidate that will give you a glimpse into their professional, personal, and political lives.

statue of George Washington in Manhattan
statue of General George Washington, first President of the United States of America – New York City

Jill Stein, M.D.- Green Party  

  1. Dr. Stein graduated from Harvard Medical School.
  2. Her hobbies include writing and performing music.
  3. She ran for President in 2012, also on the Green Party ticket.
  4. She is a physician’s wife, mother, internal medicine physician/teacher and “environmental-health advocate.”
  5. She developed the “Healthy People, Healthy Planet” teaching program.
  6. She has been interviewed on the Today Show, 20/20 and Fox News network.
  7. In Massachusetts she ran for Governor, State Representative and Secretary of State.
  8. She co-founded the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities, a non-profit organization.
  9. She likes to walk with her Great Dane Bandita.
  10. She has advocated for several environmental issues in her home state-
  • Mercury contamination of fish
  • The “Filthy Five” coal plants clean up
  • Mercury and dioxin contamination from burning trash
The Presidential Oval Office at the Reagan Library
a replica of the White House Oval Office at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Part 2 of this article continues here.

I appreciate your time reading this post and invite you to follow this blog and me on social media.

I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha

Happening in March-Match Day, Madness, Medicine, and More

updated March 1, 2023

Daylight Saving Time

Depending on where you live, you may need to remember to spring forward into Daylight Saving Time

Most of the United States will change to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday March 12, 2023 by setting your clock one hour ahead-unless your device changes automatically. If you have to awaken at a specified time, you will “lose” an hour of sleep.

Your body will tell the difference until your sleep cycle adjusts; I know mine always does.  WebMD offers these tips to make the change easier.

St. Patrick’s Day

Of course you know that March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day.

In Chicago, Illinois, they dye the river green to celebrate (photo by my son Ryan).

Welcome Spring

We will welcome the  first day of Spring, March 20,  in the northern hemisphere, with the occurrence of the vernal equinox.

Health Tips for Spring You Must Know

Daylight Saving Time and the arrival of spring with the vernal equinox,brings increased daylight until summer solstice. It’s wise to be proactive in avoiding dangerous spring and summer weather conditions that can turn deadly.

Keep reading

 

Residents’ Match Day

In 2023, St. Patrick’s Day is also Residency Match Day. No, not the kind of match you light fires with.

It’s the day graduating medical students find out what residency program they will join through the National Resident Matching Program , which “matches” them with available positions in residencies all over the United States.

Why should you care? This matching process determines who will care for our medical needs in the next 30-40 years; our family physicians, internists, pediatricians, general surgeons, obstetricians, dermatologists, psychiatrists, and the multitude of other medical specialties. Most doctors will continue in the same specialty their entire career, although some  switch after a few or many years.

The surprising new doctors caring for you

Who will be your next doctor? What will your future doctor look like?

Your doctor within the next 10-20 years is likely in medical school or a residency program in a United States medical center right now. Within 1-10 years, they will join the ranks of practicing physicians, while some currently in practice will change…

Keep reading

National Doctor’s Day

March 30 has been designated National Doctor’s Day in the United States. You may not have heard of  a day to honor doctors.

March 30 is Doctors' Day

The first Doctors’ Day observance was March 30, 1933, in Winder, Georgia. The idea came from a doctor’s wife, Eudora Brown Almond,  and the date was the anniversary of the first use of general anesthetic in surgery(although several other dates also claim that distinction.)

The Barrow County (Georgia) Medical Society Auxiliary proclaimed the day “Doctors’ Day,” which was celebrated by mailing cards to physicians and their wives and by placing flowers on the graves of deceased doctors.

In 1990, the U.S. Congress established a National Doctors’ Day first celebrated on March 30, 1991.

 

Vietnam War Veterans Day

In my home we observe not only Doctor’s Day, but also Vietnam War Veterans Day, because my husband is one.

 Vietnam War Veterans Day commemorates the sacrifices of Vietnam veterans and their families ,part of a national effort to recognize the men and women who didn’t receive a proper welcome upon returning home more than 40 years ago.

The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, signed into law in 2017, designates March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

On that day in 1973, the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam and the last prisoners of war held in North Vietnam arrived on American soil. It is also the date President Nixon chose for the first Vietnam Veterans Day in 1974.

 Read about an actual event in the Vietnam War, written by my husband Raymond-he knows, because he was there.

Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath Kindle Edition


And Madness at the Hoops

And yes sports fans, the NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Basketball tournaments, aka March Madness,occurs in March. 68 teams of each will play to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college basketball national champions for the 2022–23 season.

Like many of you, I will be following my favorite teams. Good luck everyone.

 

basketfall goal
I wonder how many college basketball players started at one of these?

 

exploring the HEART of health in the spring

I appreciate your time reading this post and invite you to follow this blog and me on social media.

I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha