From Lost to Found: Transforming Hearts
My story starts out pretty normal, and you’ve probably heard stories just like this from others. As a child, I was raised in a good Christian home. I went to church on Sundays, was active in youth group and loved the Lord. I was saved when I was 11 or 12 years old, and I stayed involved in church until I graduated high school.
My Transformation Story featuring Bill Sasser, DMD
We could give you a list a mile long with statistics about the work we do around the world. But those numbers don’t really show the amazing things God is doing through us as we seek to be “Transformed Doctors, Transforming the World.”
Professionalism in Healthcare: Medical Ethics and Jurisprudence
Sexual conduct between a doctor and a patient…is strictly forbidden. In ethical terms, it’s a never event. In a legal sense, it can be a crime. Physicians know it’s a line that can’t be crossed—it’s a prohibition as old as the Hippocratic Oath.”
Chechen Government Reportedly Abusing Men Having Sex with Men
An April 10 story in The Daily Mail was headlined, “Chechnya opens world’s first concentration camp for homosexuals since Hitler’s in the 1930s where campaigners say gay men are being tortured with electric shocks and beaten to death.”
Today’s Christian Doctor – Spring 2017
In the spring 2017 edition of Today’s Christian Doctor, we examine the foundations of professionalism in healthcare. Other topics include a new program for neurologists, vaccines, fully surrendering to God and more.
Explaining at the Supreme Court Why Kids at Churches Need Public Safety Protection, Too
I spoke yesterday outside the U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments in a court case over whether the Government can exclude kids who play on church-owned playgrounds from safety programs. The case could have broad implications across the nation for how governments treat faith-based institutions and individuals.
I really appreciated working together with colleagues from groups like Concerned Women for America (CWA) and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to highlight the message that Government should not set up a religious test for which kids get safety protections.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – April 2017
We present 3 valuable interviews to help you engage the culture. Valerie Huber joins us to discuss what is happening in our country as the “progressive” curriculum of Sex Ed is expanding. Then Os Guinness shares from his book Impossible People on how to be courageous with our worldviews. And Jeanne Mancini gives us an update on the battle for life in this country.
The Effect of Legalizing Assisted Suicide on Palliative Care and Suicide Rates
Rebuttal article published by the Charlotte Lozier Institute in response to Compassion & Choices claim that Medical Aid In Dying laws have improved palliative care.
Facing the Rise of Suicides in Healthcare
As a second year medical student, a member of my medical school class committed suicide. I didn’t know him well, but his death impacted me. Made me ask a lot of questions. Why didn’t I know him better? Had I gotten to know him, could I have made a difference?
Christianity and Science: Are They Opposed?
Christianity versus science is a popular false dichotomy promoted to the aggravation of believers as well as non-believers with an eye on history. Add to that the assertion that the church provided the Dark Ages? There were no Dark Ages. It’s a myth.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – February 2017
The relation between faith & health is examined with Dr. Tyler VanderWeele about his research findings of church attendance & better health outcomes. Then Bert Jones shares from a message he gave on Psalm 91 about abiding in the secret place. And Ellie Lafario comes to the microphone with wit & insight to discuss her book Leap of Faith.
10 Reasons DC Assisted Suicide Should Be Overturned
Eleven members of the District of Columbia Council decided in November 2016 to legalize assisted suicide, paving the way to providing DC citizens with lethal pills to kill themselves. Because assisted suicide represents a deadly danger to vulnerable patients, to the medical profession and to society, Congress is moving to overturn the DC law through a disapproval measure-a seldom-exercised authority but an imperative action with lives at risk.
CMA Letter to Congress on DC Assisted Suicide
Christian Medical Association letter on behalf of our members opposing “The Death with Dignity Act of 2015.” Supporting document is pending publication.
My Doctorate in Secret-Keeping
Preparing to meet my next patient, I pick the next chart up off the counter. “Bob Smith,” married middle-aged patient, chief complaint: STD check. “Weird,” I think, “Mary Smith’s husband’s name is Bob, too. What a coincidence.” I open the exam room door, and Mary Smith’s husband, Bob Smith, is sitting inside.
Engage Your Government
By the time you read these words, America will have finally chosen a new president after seemingly endless years of primary races, campaigning, debates and grudge matches pitting candidate against candidate. Chances are, whether you voted for the eventual winner or not, you shoulder at least some measure of concern for the future of our country.
Engage Your Church: Outside the Walls
A few months ago, a student came up after our CMDA weekly campus luncheon and exclaimed, “I am so glad for CMDA! This is my church.” That statement is great affirmation of the work God is doing in our local groups and in the lives of students. However, it also raises an important question about the role of CMDA within the broader body of Christ—the church.
Engage Your Campus
Around 6 p.m. on any given Tuesday night from August to May, cars begin to line the street in front of our house and medical students from Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine parade into our home. Together, we share a home-cooked meal, praise God with worship songs, participate in a Bible study and hang out afterward for a time of fellowship.
Engaging with Your Family
You’re on call, you’ve got a sick patient looming on the horizon, a ton of dictations wait for you and your spouse wants you home for dinner with the family. Which one of these causes you the most frustration? I thought so. Maybe it’s better not to answer that question out loud.
Engage Your Community through Healthcare
Every year, thousands of physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and other volunteers give up their precious time and money to serve the underserved in healthcare. Why would they become involved when they know there will be no monetary benefit and, frankly, many of those served are “unhygienic” and unappreciative of their efforts?
Today’s Christian Doctor – Winter 2016
In the winter 2016 edition of Today’s Christian Doctor, Dr. Scott Keller shares how one local chapter is actively serving the local community. Other topics include engaging with your family, your campus and more.
CMDA Wins Temporary Injunction in Texas Transgender Mandate Lawsuit
Moments ago, a Texas court protected the rights of families and their doctors to make medical decisions for their child free from government bureaucrats’ interference.
Federal Policy Top Priorities in 2017
The Washington Office of CMDA focuses on the fundamental issues of the right to life and freedom of faith, conscience and speech, which serve as the foundation for all other rights and freedoms. Here are some of the top priorities for the new year.
When Pro-Gay Science is Anti-Gay
A study in last month’s Social Science & Medicine reported not being able to replicate the results of Columbia University study showing a shorter life expectancy for LGBT individuals who face prejudice. In this week’s blog, Dr. Andrè Van Mol says it’s another case of non-reproducible results broadcast globally to ideological ends.
Engage Your Government
By the time you read these words, America will have finally chosen a new president after seemingly endless years of primary races, campaigning, debates and grudge matches pitting candidate against candidate. Chances are, whether you voted for the eventual winner or not, you shoulder at least some measure of concern for the future of our country.
Transgender Identification
CMDA affirms the historic and enduring Christian understanding of humankind as having been created male and female. CMDA has concerns about recent usage of the term “gender” to emphasize an identity other than one’s biological sex, that is, a sense of self based on subjective feelings or desires of identifying more strongly with the opposite sex or with some combination of male and female.
Praying With Our Patients
We had completed a full workup for chronic pain for Susan, a patient of mine, and I could not find a physical or emotional etiology. Though she initially resisted discussing her social and spiritual health, she eventually became willing to talk after I questioned her again.
Ripple Effects: The Steury Scholarship
In our first million years in heaven, I think we are going to find out all of the things we said or the things we did that impacted people’s lives here on earth—off-handed comments we spoke in passing, events we had no idea happened, actions we never considered to be important that God used for His glory.
Physician Substance Abuse
According to a 2009 article in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, “Approximately 10% to 12% of physicians will develop a substance use disorder during their careers, a rate similar to or exceeding that of the general population.” But while our addiction rate may be similar to the rest of the country, the characteristics and consequences of our addictions are not.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – November 2016
Ben Mast shares from his book Second Forgetting, the Power of the Gospel During Alzheimer’s about helping caregivers find hope during this most difficult time. Chuck Thompson expounds on his book Presence & Truth about Christian counseling concepts to help us deal with others. Albert Mohler concludes the discussion of his book The Conviction to Lead on leadership principles.
Techno-Babies: Some Assembly Required?
Science fiction is no longer fiction—the first three-parent baby was born a few months ago. Last month in The Point, Dr. Robert E. Cranston raised a series of important questions about the safety and ethics of the technique; now more information—and more questions—have arisen. As a reminder, the concept of creating a baby with three parents came as a proposal to “treat” individuals with mitochondrial genetic diseases, i.e., mutations in the mitochondrial DNA that lead to sometimes lethal physiological problems.
Post-Christian Paganism and Christian Opportunity
A 50-foot reproduction of the entry arch to the Temple of Baal went up in London this year and is soon to be in New York City. Yes, that Baal, the Canaanite “Lord” of fertility, rain and agriculture, thus wealth. Baal worship involved ritual sexual activity, sacred prostitutes of both sexes and infant sacrifice (see Jeremiah 19:5; Deuteronomy 12:31; Deuteronomy 18:9-10; and 2 Kings 23:7).
Christian Doctor’s Digest – October 2016
Preparing us as wise Christians to fight some of the evils in our world. Charles Fay discusses how to guide our children in making good digital decisions as they interact with the web and electronic devices. Allan Josephson, MD explores the issues surrounding the Transgender movement and how it affects every healthcare professional. Albert Mohler delves into the issue of Right of Conscience, how to approach it and how to applies to ourselves and our patients.
The Three-Parent Child
Imagine the heartache of learning that your new baby will die slowly and painfully before the age of seven, or much sooner, with the same disabling, degenerative disease that killed your last two children. Now, imagine all of this could be prevented by a newly developed technique that a world-renowned physician is willing to perform on your eggs to ensure your child’s good health. Does this sound too good to be true? Dr. Robert Cranston explains the ethical issues surrounding this new procedure.
What you need to know and do about the new HHS transgender mandate
The transgender mandate, promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the assumed authority of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), went into effect July 18, 2016.
Placebos: Can we use them? Should we use them?
The word “placebo” actually comes from a mis-translation of the Bible. Psalm 116:9 in the Latin Vulgate roughly states, “I shall please the dead in the land of the living.” Later translations better reflected the original Hebrew with, “I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living,” (KJV) but in the Middle Ages, the Latin Vulgate was the only Bible most people knew.
Today’s Christian Doctor – Fall 2016
In the fall 2016 edition of Today’s Christian Doctor, Dr. David Stevens showcases the ripples of the Steury Scholarship. Other topics include putting spirituality in your practice, CMDA’s transgender identification statement and how to combat burnout.
Health Professionals Ask Court to Stop Vermont from Forcing Them to Help Kill Patients
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys asked a federal court Monday to stop Vermont officials in two state agencies from forcing conscientious health care professionals to help kill their patients while the lawsuit of those professionals proceeds.
Slip Sliding Away: Death By Organ Donation
Proponents of physician-assisted suicide/euthanasia adamantly maintain the slippery slope does not exist. The U.S. is not like the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and now Canada, they claim. They point out how well assisted suicide is working in states here.
Healthy Healthcare Marriages
Doctors have had a bad rap on the marriage front for a number of years. We’ve long been accused of having a much higher divorce rate than the general public. For many years, there was not a lot of data on healthcare marriages, but strongly held popular opinion characterized a high percentage of us as overworked divorcees whose devotion to our patients cost us our marriages.
Doctors, States challenge new “Transgender regulation”
“No doctor should be forced to perform a procedure that he or she believes will harm a child,” said Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. “Decisions on a child’s medical treatment should be between families and their doctors, not dictated by politicians and government bureaucrats.”
The Robot Will See You Now: Can Medical Technology Be Professional?
Article published in Vol. 32.3 Fall 2016 Ethics and Medicine by William Cheshire, JR, MD about the problems with the term “provider” instead of “professionals.”
As innovative technology replaces more and more of what physicians do, the question arises whether there is any limit to the potential medical capabilities of technology at the bedside. Drug-dispensing kiosks, robotic surgery, computerized sedation devices, and other novel medical technologies bring practical advantages while also raising philosophical questions about the nature of the relationship between the patient and technology that serves as a proxy for the healthcare professional.
Making Disciples in Africa for Africa
Five hundred million heathens have not yet been evangelized, so it is computed! Yet our great Missionary Societies have reached high water-mark, and if they have not already begun to retrench they are seriously thinking of doing so. Meanwhile, the heart of Asia, the heart of Africa, and well nigh the whole continent of South America, are untouched with the Gospel of Christ.
A Return to Cuba: Opening Doors for Christ
Twenty years ago, God called me to return to Cuba, the country where I was raised by my parents before it was overtaken by a communist regime that vehemently opposed my belief in Christ and severely discriminated against people of faith. And yet, it was the country that desperately needed to hear about the love of Christ.
Preparing to Thrive Among Dust and Thorns
That was something we heard repeatedly from overseas workers as we prepared to move to North Africa. It’s easier to see the truth in that now, as I sit writing this on a bed covered by a mosquito net and listening to the loudspeaker from my neighborhood mosque, all from within my house surrounded by sand and Muslims.
A Glimmer of Hope: Reaching the Unreached
The patient had been paralyzed four months earlier by a gunshot, leaving him unable to move or even talk. The young man’s wife had lovingly been providing complete care, hoping her husband would recover, but Dr. Judy knew there was no chance of improvement.
The Bad Science Battering Ram
The spiritual and moral turn our nation has taken over the last several years has made this a time of grinding disappointment and discouragement for Christians and others of like convictions. The news media, entertainment industry, educational institutions, courts and government have generally dropped even the appearance of neutrality.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – August 2016
Changes are occurring in our world today. Karl Benzio, MD discusses the Transgender issue and the changes that result from it. Robert Lerer, MD shares about the changes in Cuba as the US Government opens the door for travel and the opportunities that presents. Peter Anderson, MD opens his book Lost & Found that was written to assist our patients with all the changes to the practice of medicine, including Electronic Medical Records.
Political Parties Contrasted on Life Issues
Both major political parties recently issued new platforms that communicate contrasting core values to the American people. Following is a breakdown of where each party stands on the life issues of particular concern to readers of this blog: abortion, sex education, embryos and stem cell research and assisted suicide.
The Court of Last Resort
Though I have two in my extended family, I never wanted to be a lawyer. But I admit, I have desired more legal knowledge over the last few months as CMDA has taken legal action as a last resort to deal with threats to our members and our patients.
Women in Healthcare Still Earn Less than Men
And so begins a New York Times article about the recent JAMA Internal Medicine analysis of physician pay disparities. The central message of the analysis is that women in healthcare, on average, earn $20,000 less per year than their specialty-matched male colleagues.
Alliance Defending Freedom Files Suit on Behalf of CMDA
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed suit in federal court against officials in the Vermont Board of Medical Practice and the Office of Professional Regulation on behalf of health care professionals who wish to abide by their oath to “do no harm.”
Alliance Defending Freedom Files Suit on Behalf of CMDA
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed suit in federal court against officials in the Vermont Board of Medical Practice and the Office of Professional Regulation on behalf of health care professionals who wish to abide by their oath to “do no harm.”
Study Overshadows AMA Recommitment Opposing Physician-Assisted Suicide
At the recent American Medical Association (AMA) Convention, the organization reaffirmed their stance opposing physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia which appears in their Code of Medical Ethics. The Code of Medical Ethics offers guidance to help physicians meet the ethical challenges of medical practice.
Conscience Protection Act letter to Congress
Letter supporting legislation to protect healthcare right of conscience.
Encouragement: A Future and a Hope
The spiritual and moral turn our nation has taken over the last several years has made this a time of grinding disappointment and discouragement for Christians and others of like convictions. The news media, entertainment industry, educational institutions, courts and government have generally dropped even the appearance of neutrality.
Today’s Christian Doctor – Summer 2016
In the summer 2016 edition of Today’s Christian Doctor, Dr. Don Thompson shares how healthcare missions overcomes barriers. Other topics include how to plan to serve in cross-cultural ministry, changing the healthcare of an entire continent and more.
Letter to Governor Bruce Rauner
SB1564 is on Governor Bruce Rauner’s desk, ask him to veto this bill which threatens healthcare access, drives compassionate healthcare professionals out of Illinois, will burden the already challenged state budget with civil rights litigation costs, cause damage to the doctor-patient relationship and threatens a protection guaranteed by the Constitution.
IVF and Aging Parents
On April 19, 2016, Mohinder Singh Gill, age 79, and his wife Dajinder Kaur, 72, gave birth to their first child. Kaur, long past menopause, and Gill conceived their child with the help of Dr. Anurag Bishnoi’s IVF Clinic, reportedly employing their own egg and sperm.
Navigating transgender issues requires mutual respect and civility-not government mandates
The 17,000-member Christian Medical Association (CMA, www.cmda.org) today issued a membership-approved statement calling for “Christian healthcare professionals to care for patients struggling with gender identity with sensitivity and compassion” while being “permitted to question transgender dogma-free from exclusion, oppression, or unjust discrimination.”
Physician Burnout
It was a relatively slow evening at work when I got the text. My phone vibrated on the clinic countertop as I was looking over a chart. “Are you busy? Can you talk?” I figured those words couldn’t be good, coming as they did from a young intern I mentored when she was a medical student. I found myself wondering if she had lost a patient.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – May 2016
The May 2016 issue of Christian Doctor’s Digest tackles the issue of Human Dignity, how to each others & influence our world, and then a practical application of human dignity through medical missions. John Kilner shares from his book Dignity & Destiny: Humanity in the Image of God. Tom West, MD helps prepare us to share our knowledge and faith as physicians to non-medical audiences. A dentist from the Middle East shares about helping Syrian refugees and the plight of those in refugee camps.
Growing Human Embryos Outside the Womb: New Record, Old Questions
There needs to be a pause for a deeper discussion about just why such research is being done, and if there are any ethical lines that should not be crossed. How many lives are worth sacrificing? One? One thousand? One million?
Christian Doctor’s Digest – April 2016
Public Policy comes to the forefront as we discuss ways to impact the world around us. Phil Lees brings the issues to the local level with an EXPLICIT discussion of Comprehensive Sexual Education being taught in our schools today. Richard Swenson, MD talks about the State of Medicine and examines how we can be a beacon of hope to our colleagues. Jonathan Imbody shares from his book Faith Steps about how you can get involved with public policy.
Coalition Letter: Values Provisions To Consider For The FY2017 Appropriations Bills
We, the undersigned representing millions of Americans, strongly support the inclusion of new provisions, which promote values issues in the upcoming Appropriations bills for FY2017. While it is essential to protect provisions in current law that positively affect policy on matters of life, family, religious liberty, and other values issues, merely keeping the status quo is not sufficient in a culture, and under an Administration, that regularly attacks the values of the people we represent.
Today’s Christian Doctor – Spring 2016
The spring 2016 edition of Today’s Christian Doctor helps you journey through CMDA’s Dental Residency program through the eyes of one of its first dental residents, offers steps to evaluate career options beyond clinical practice and more.
Assisted Suicide Trend Portends Thousands of Deaths
“In the past two years the number of deaths as a result of physician-assisted suicide in Oregon has nearly doubled,” said Ryan T. Anderson, who researches and writes on physician-assisted suicide at The Heritage Foundation.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – February 2016
Christian Doctor’s Digest brings you a few of your favorites! Richard Swenson, MD shares about the state of our world today and the coming End Times. John Patrick, MD discusses the necessity of belief and how that shapes our worldview. Plus we introduce Jeff Anderson as the CMDA Director of Gift Planning!
Doctors Impacted by New Obamacare Gender Rules
Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act cites decades-old federal laws that prohibit any individual from being denied benefits or discriminated against in any health program or federally funded activity on the basis of race, color, nationality, sex, disability and age. However, the Office of Civil Rights is now interpreting “sex” to include “gender identity” and “sex stereotypes.”
Facing Burnout in Healthcare
Excerpted from “Study: Doctor burnout may increase effect of biases on care,” UPI. January 13, 2016 — A national survey of doctors shows job burnout and personal bias have continued to increase in recent years, and researchers suggest the growth of both could affect the quality of care patients receive.
British Scientists to Genetically Modify Human Embryos
It remains illegal for these genetically altered embryos to be implanted in a woman. It is hoped the experiments will improve our understanding of the earliest stages of embryo development. The research, which was approved by the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, will use excess embryos donated by couples who have had in vitro fertilization treatment.
The Use of Psychotropic Drugs in Survivors of Human Trafficking
As psychiatrists who are also Christians, we evaluate and treat patients who have experienced many types of trauma, including trauma in childhood, adolescence, and trauma extended into adulthood. Prolonged, chronic trauma can be particularly damaging, affecting the minds, brain, spirits and bodies of victims, sometimes causing persistent physical and mental health problems, even when people are living under the Grace and Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Stormans v Wiesman Amicus Brief
QUESTION PRESENTED: Whether the Petitioner-Pharmacists’ belief that it is immoral to participate in the taking of human life is informed by the objective medical science establishing (1) that a new, distinct, human being comes into existence at the moment of sperm-egg fusion, and (2) that the objectionable drugs, Plan B and ella, have the capacity to end the life of a new human being at the embryonic stage of development.
Obama Advancing Gender Ideology Through Regulations
This proposed rule, if implemented, would endanger religious liberty and create concerns for the privacy and safety of our most vulnerable citizens: the homeless and other people seeking emergency shelter for the night.
Trafficking Victims: No Health Professional Helped Me
Recent research indicates that more than 80 percent of trafficking victims in the United States have contact with the healthcare system in the course of being trafficked. Some are even brought to the clinic by their trafficker.
Gender: M or F or Other—Transgender Insights
Transgenderism is a hot topic in today’s culture. We feel it is important to respond appropriately in a Christian manner when faced with this topic of discussion, as well as when dealing with it in the healthcare profession.
Joint Letter on Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities
On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Association of Evangelicals, Christian Medical Association, Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance, Christian Legal Society, World Vision (US), Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, Liberty Institute, Family Research Council, and the National Catholic Bioethics Center, we respectfully submit the following comments on the proposed OCR regulations on nondiscrimination in health programs and activities.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – November 2015
Explore ways to bolster the foundational blocks of religious liberty and family. Ken Carpenter discusses his movie, One Generation Away, and the fight to preserve our religious liberty in this country. Then Mark True, MD & Kim Hawthorne join us to tell us about a new CMDA retreat in Colorado to strengthen the bonds between fathers and their teenage children.
Same-Sex Marriage
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that redefined marriage in our nation. Since then, many of you have had questions and concerns about how the legalization of same-sex marriage affects you, the nature of marriage and our religious liberty as a whole.
Coalition Letter on FADA Vote
We, the undersigned, representing hundreds of thousands of Americans, want to thank you for your commitment to securing religious freedom protections in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision redefining marriage across the country.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – October 2015
Dr. John West explores the misuse of science for political purposes and the impact it has on our culture. David Player, MD explains the practice model of Executive Medicine. Ron Blue expounds on knowing how much is enough in relation to our income, savings, giving and what we leave behind once we are gone.
Importance of Religion in Healthcare
Researchers used audio recordings to analyze 249 meetings between health care professionals and an ICU patient’s surrogate decision maker at six medical centers between 2009 and 2012. Three-quarters of the decision makers rated religion or spirituality as fairly or very important in their lives.
Opening the Conversation About Death
Excerpted from “How doctors want to die is different than most people,” CNN. August 11, 2015 — Dr. Kendra Fleagle Gorlitsky recalls the anguish she used to feel performing CPR on elderly, terminally ill patients. “I felt like I was beating up people at the end of their life,” she says. It looks nothing like what people see on TV.
A Fragile Gift
Two years into their marriage, CMDA member Dr. Adam Lewis and his wife, Kim, decided it was time to have children. Their high hopes soon descended into desperation, an experience shared by over two million couples in America who face the challenges of infertility.
We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby(ies)!
Today’s Christian Doctor – Fall 2015
After lots of prayer and planning, the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) opened its doors in 2003 with a vision to become a leader in embryo donation and embryo adoption. Now, just 12 years later, they are celebrating the momentous arrival of their 500th baby and the NEDC is the leading comprehensive non-profit embryo donation program in the U.S., with more pregnancies through embryo adoption than any other like-minded program.
Spiritual Assessment in Clinical Care [Part 2] – The LORD’s LAP
I’ve used this assessment with hundreds and hundreds of new patients over the last 25 years; however, this spiritual assessment tool, like most described in the medical literature, fails to inquire about a critical item involving spiritual health: religious struggle.
Human Trafficking: What Can I Do About It?
Do you want to get involved in the fight against human trafficking, but simply don’t know where to start? In this article published in the fall 2015 edition of Today’s Christian Doctor, Drs. Allen Pelletier, Clydette Powell and Gloria Halverson outline easy steps for you take to help spread awareness and join the battle to end human trafficking.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – August 2015
Focusing on the foundational principles that are the bedrock of Christian medicine. Warren Kinghorn, MD discusses Medical Professionalism & the covenant relationship we have with our patients. Steve Furr, MD explores the issue of Family Practice in a small rural setting & the challenges that come with it. Robert Orr, MD delves into the topic of Same Sex Marriage & CMDA’s public policy statements on it. In this episode…
Human Trafficking Report Inflated by U.S. State Department
n the weeks leading up to a critical annual U.S. report on human trafficking that publicly shames the world’s worst offenders, human rights experts at the State Department concluded that trafficking conditions hadn’t improved in Malaysia and Cuba. And in China, they found, things had grown worse. The State Department’s senior political staff saw it differently — and they prevailed.
Tennessee Amici Curiae Against Assisted Suicide
John Jay Hooker vs. the State – Brief to uphold the fundamental values of the State of Tennessee, the history and tradition of this State and Nation, and universal, enduring notions of human dignity and to reaffirm Tennessee citizens’ intereste in life, safety, sound public policy and medical integrity.
Care, Not Killing: The Most Excellent Way
Calling me over to her bed in the ICU, she fumbled to grasp the lapels of my white coat. With surprising strength she drew me close to her face and said vehemently, “I don’t care what my doctor says, or what my family says, I just want to be kept comfortable until such time as I am no longer alive.”
Research Shows Use of Medical Marijuana not Always Beneficial
The evidence wasn’t as strong to support marijuana’s use for nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, sleep disorders, HIV-related weight loss and Tourette syndrome. Also, any benefits of marijuana or cannabis use must be weighed against the risk of side effects, which include dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, sleepiness and euphoria, according to the study’s lead author.
Questions Arise in Brittany Maynard’s Suicide
The fact that she ultimately took her own life the next day, just 24 hours after saying she wasn’t really ready, is still one of the most perplexing twists in the saga surrounding her life and death. Now, a psychologist who is affiliated with a group working to stop a bill in the legislature in California, Maynard’s home state, from legalizing assisted suicide, is asking some serious question about whether Maynard may have been pressured by her family to commit suicide before she was truly prepared to do so.
Premature Termination of Life Is Not Palliative Care
Letter to the Editor of CHEST (American College of Chest Physicians) opposing physician-assisted suicide in response to article by Attorney Kathryn Tucker’s article pushing physicians to help patients die.
Spiritual Skills Are Too Important To Be Left to Pastoral Specialists
Family physicians should use their “practical tool for spiritual assessment.” Is such a tool either wise or ethical? Recent commentaries would suggest not.
Christian Doctor’s Digest – June 2015
Seeking to equip you better to deal with the issues we face each day. John Patrick, MD helps prepare us to take our witness into the public square as we speak out on bio-ethical issues. Peter Anderson, MD shows us a new way to deal with the Electronic Medical Records in our practices. John Dunlop shares from his book Wellness for the Glory of God about how we can glorify God through our bodies.
Dr. David Stevens Testimony Against Physician-assisted Suicide
It is dangerous for physicians. It wrongly assumes physicians are always ideal moral agents. They are not. I know doctors I would refer my loved ones to, but I also know doctors I wouldn’t let treat my dog.
Health Care Conscience Rights Act
Letter to Congress regarding HR 940, urgent need for the “Abortion Non-Discrimination” provisions of HR 940 insuring that government agencies receiving federal health funds cannot force those involved in the provision of heath care to be complicit in the taking of human life, or discriminate against them because of their convictions.
Senate Passes Human Trafficking Bill
It took a month of back-and-forth between Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the bill’s author, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to find a compromise. They settled on creating two funding streams in the bill. One collects fines from traffickers and uses them for survivor services, excluding health care.
The Point Washington Update – April 2015
Commentary and update on the state of legislative activities in Washington involving CMDA member interests.
Ethical Issues Regarding Post-Fertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives
I have prescribed “the Pill” since 1978. My wife and I used the Pill for years, having no moral concerns about it. Then, in 1995 my friend and practice partner John Hartman, MD, showed me a patient information brochure–given to him by a friend–that claimed the Pill had a postfertilization effect causing “…the unrecognized loss of preborn children.”