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Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) is an experienced physician, scientific researcher, and administrator. She has provided program leadership for national and international academic medical centers and biomedical research institutions. During her tenure as a Department of Health and Human Services Brookings Institution Legislative Fellow in the Senate and the House of Representatives, she advised congressional staff and managed legislative issues in health care and biomedical research.

Views expressed on this blog are those of the author and those of commenters who respond to articles posted on the blog. The blog offers neither medical nor legal advice.

• In Like a Lion: As Sequestration Roars, Funding Cuts Loom Large at the National Institutes of Health

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on March 10, 2013 • ( 3 )

  

  Ah, the month of March: In like a lion, out like a….well, we don’t yet know how it is going to turn out. President Obama signed sequestration funding cuts into law on March 1, 2013.  What does this mean for… Read More ›

• Colorectal Cancer: Deadly. Silent. Preventable.

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on March 8, 2013 • ( 0 )

  A popular colorectal cancer awareness campaign from the 1980s touted the slogan: “Don’t die from embarrassment.” This is for the most part true, as colorectal cancer can largely be prevented through early screening. Learn more about colorectal cancer risk factors,… Read More ›

• March into Health

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on March 8, 2013 • ( 0 )

  Health Awareness in the Month of March: (Excerpt from Stay Healthy in 2013! Health Awareness in the New Year) Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month National Kidney Month Trisomy Awareness Month National Nutrition Month Image: Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control… Read More ›

• Physician, Scientist, Social Reformer, Trailblazer, Black Man: Dr. James McCune Smith

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on February 28, 2013 • ( 2 )

  

  Last month, I wrote an article about triskaidekaphobia, a syndrome suffered  by individuals who have a fear of the number 13.  The article discussed all sorts of superstitions and unfortunate occurrences  associated with the number 13, specifically because the year 2013 is… Read More ›

• The Buck Stops Here: Fighting Medicare/Medicaid Fraud and Abuse

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on February 23, 2013 • ( 0 )

  

  $4.2 Billion in Fraudulent Activities in 2012 According to a recent joint press statement from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), $4.2 billion was recovered from fraudulent health care activities in FY2012. (1)… Read More ›

• …And They Said 67 Could Be the New 65 – “Not So,” Says the White House

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on February 23, 2013 • ( 0 )

  A recent article in The Hill HealthWatch Blog discusses the Obama administration’s refusal to support raising the Medicare eligibility age to 67. Well, this is a relief, but I mean really, what are the expectations here? What is the end… Read More ›

• Medication Errors Often Go Unnoticed

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on February 20, 2013 • ( 2 )

  

  According to a recent Reuters report, “Patients Rarely Told About Medication Errors: Study,” frequent medication errors occur in hospital settings, and patients are often unaware of these errors. Image Credit: Olivier Le Queinec via Dreamstime Key points from the article: Medication errors… Read More ›

• Spotlight on Brain and Mental Health: T.B.I. and PTSD

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on February 17, 2013 • ( 6 )

  

  The Problem: Traumatic Brain Injury (T.B.I.) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) pose significant annual health risks in the United States and have become increasingly high-profile in recent years.(1, 2) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1.7… Read More ›

• 14 Valentine’s Day Health Hazards (…And How to Avoid Them)

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on February 14, 2013 • ( 5 )

  

  Image Credit:  Dorkina Myrick, M.D., Ph.D. So, the single ladies are sad that no one has offered to “put a ring on it.” Even worse, there are no viable prospects in sight. The guys (and girls) are “searching for love… Read More ›

• Dirty Hospital Rooms

  By Dorkina Myrick, MD, PhD, JD, LLM, MPP (Oxon) on February 8, 2013 • ( 2 )

  

  Image: (No, they’re not grapes.) Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria – Vancomycin (Antibiotic) Resistant Strain Found in Many Hospitals.   (Image Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Matthew Arduino) I encountered this story by Beth Swarecki late one evening: “………Some very scary microbes live in… Read More ›