jjablkowski's blog

In February 1997 the members of the Canadian rock trio Rush were invested as officers of the Order of Canada. The trio’s extraordinary drummer and lyricist Neil Peart was renowned for his technical proficiency, energy, and stamina. Neil retired from his musical career in 2016 because of health problems, and died at age 67, on 7 January 2020 after a 3½-year battle with a brain tumor (glioblastoma). His chosen instrument and talent put him in a unique group; drummers have the remarkable ability to perform complex tasks with their four limbs independently. 

The top 10 medical innovations that may make a significant difference in medical care in 2020 were recently announced at the Cleveland Clinic’s 2019 Medical Innovation Summit. The yearly meeting, now in its 17th year, was organized by the Clinic’s development and commercialization arm.

When I was a teenager an elderly uncle filled my ear with examples of how easy my life was compared to his. He recalled walking to school in the middle of winter, in knee-deep snow, uphill for a couple of miles, and in poor shoes. I might now sound like my uncle, bemoaning the lost virtues of the past as I write about the currently fashionable absence of family physicians from the hospital.

Twenty years ago I had an indirect inguinal hernia repaired under general anesthesia in a surgical outpatient setting. Two hours after I woke up in the recovery room the surgeon came to my bedside and explained that I could go home, but that I should be prepared for some discomfort moving around and should expect 10% improvement as each day went by. The surgeon’s prediction proved to be true—I got better and better—but a couple of weeks later I still had quite an indurated inguinal area, which worried me a bit.

There is a common thread that brings together doctors, nurses, dietitians, health informatics experts, and other health care team members in our health care system. At the heart of the great work that health care professionals do is the need to have an interconnected, high quality health care system to serve the needs of patients, families, and caregivers.