Dear friends,
When my UCSF cardiologist told me "the system is broken and getting worse," I knew I had to share Dr. Ira Byock's story with you.
Dr. Byock helped build America's hospice and palliative care system from nothing. Now he's watching private equity firms destroy it for profit. Nurses managing 24 dying patients simultaneously. Doctors responsible for 300+ of the sickest people in our system. His warning to families:
"Let the dire beware."
The executives making these decisions? They're so removed from patient care they view hospice programs like plumbing companies - just portfolio holdings that need returns. When private equity demands 20% profit margins instead of sustainable 5-8%, staffing gets cut and patients suffer.
But here's what gives me hope: Dr. Byock's four-pillar solution proves we can fix this without destroying capitalism in healthcare. His white paper has been downloaded over 5,000 times by medical professionals hungry for change. We just need the courage to make quality, not profit, the basis of competition.
Whether you're healthy today or facing serious illness, this conversation will change how you approach American healthcare. More importantly, it shows exactly what questions to ask when you need care most.
Golden light,
Dr. Richard L. Miller
Links & Resources:
White Paper: "A Strategic Path Forward for Hospice and Palliative Care"
Full episode and 20 years of archived conversations: mindbodyhealthpolitics.org
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