Editor’s Letter

The Whole Compendium Of Change

Where are the inspiring changes coming from in medicine? Well, they’re being developed all over, and we found a peek into them in a recent special section of the Sunday New York Times. Herewith, a summary of their coverage. Rebecca Onie, founder of Health Leads, offers the idea that has already gained traction in the profession: treating the whole patient. She tells the story of a boy who was examined to determine the source of his weight loss. After many tests, it turned out he just wasn’t eating enough. Specialization had interfered with what might be a normal inquiry: Are NEIL GREENBERG you hungry? Ms. Onie says the place to start with a patient is to look at the person’s entire world – not just at what we assume to be a “medical” problem. Antoni Ribas, UCLA professor of medicine and a lead researcher in developing Keytruda, expands on that viewpoint by noting that empathy should also be a component of an exam. He has been spectacularly effective in the cancer immunotherapy area, with results not dreamed of by other physicians. Sergiu Pasca, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, has advanced the science of brain chemistry by transforming skin cells into stem cells and then into the type of brain cells in the cerebral cortex. Rather than arranging them in layers in a petri dish, he allowed them to grow into ball shapes. These balls then “communicated” with each other. Luhan Yank, co-founder of eGenesis, a start-up research company, has improved on a process that has been developing for years: the use of pig organs that can be transplanted into humans. Fear of transmitting pig viruses to humans had halted this practice in the 1990s, but now genome science has allowed Dr. Yang’s team to edit out the viruses and create safer transplants. These are amazing discoveries, and here’s one of the most eye-opening aspects: Ms. Onie is 40, Dr. Pasca is 36, and Dr. Yang is only 32. The oldest is Dr. Ribas…at 52. What does this mean? Perhaps many things. That we can stop worrying about Gen X and the millennials, because they’re just fine. That whatever needs to be accomplished is in good hands. That our universities and medical centers are not stymied by worries about what comes next, because they’re doing it. The only thing that bothers me is that these kids are making me aware of how much I haven’t accomplished! But they’re reason to be proud of healthcare and its future.

We try to keep up with all this, and bring you the people who have a grasp on change. We hope that it will be informative, and assist you in furthering the work you do every day. Let us know what topics will be most useful to you!

Neil Greenberg, Editor

To become an HS&M contributing author or provide feedback, please email me at ngreenberg@hsandm.com.

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