SCVNews.com | Opinion/Commentary: Going Out of Business: Doctors | Doctor’s Diary with Dr. Gene Dorio

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside

Weather

Calendar

Today in
S.C.V. History

January 22

1839 - Gov. Juan B. Alvarado gives most of SCV to Mexican Army Lt. Antonio del Valle. [story]

Going Out of Business: Doctors | Doctor’s Diary with Dr. Gene Dorio

Dr. Gene Dorio | Tuesday, Jun 23, 2020

Click Here to Get Our 'SCV This Morning' Newsletter

Tweet This

Facebook

Digg This

Bookmark

Stumble

RSS

Early this month, a Washington, D.C., newspaper claimed 60,000 primary care physicians (PCPs) could be forced to close their practices by the end of June. That’s almost 29 percent of the 209,000 PCPs in the United States. PCPs are your family practitioners, general internists and pediatricians.

Healthcare has changed over the past two decades, but the present pandemic will send shockwaves through the medical field. The ramifications are unknown but certainly will be detrimental to all patients.

Why would this happen? Doctors in private practice must pay rent, staff salaries, malpractice and utilities to run an efficient office. With the pandemic, many offices have seen few patients for fear of contamination. Even with telemedicine, income has markedly decreased, threatening permanent office closure.

Is anyone worried about this potential loss? No. Why? Because independent private practice is not the direction where scheming, profit-seeking hospitals and insurance companies want our nation to go. They certainly will not allow anyone to throw these physicians a lifeline even though patients will suffer.

These hospitals and insurance companies (including HMOs) will absorb these physicians to control their medical decision making, augmenting profits.

Please put this problem on your radar, STAT.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D., is a geriatric house-call physician who serves as president of the Los Angeles County Commission for Older Adults and Assemblyman to the California Senior Legislature. He has practiced in the Santa Clarita Valley for 32 years.

Comment On This Story

COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Click here to cancel reply.

Opinion Section Policy

All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not. Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter, the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.

Jason Gibbs | Parenting for Prevention In-Person Meeting

Thursday, Jan 16, 2025

As a father of two young children, I understand how crucial it is to be an active and informed parent in today’s world. The challenges our kids face are more complex than ever and I believe it’s our responsibility to equip them with the tools they need to make healthy choices.

Ken Striplin | Dive Into a Summer of Fun as a City of Santa Clarita Lifeguard

Monday, Jan 13, 2025

Nothing says summer like the smell of sunscreen, the sound of splashing in the pool and cooling off in the water with friends and family.

Kathryn Barger | Wildfire Help, Information

Friday, Jan 10, 2025

It's been a heavy, heartbreaking and overwhelming week for residents displaced by the wildfires that have swept through many parts of our county. The question I'm hearing most from residents is, "What do I do now?" Whether you're looking for immediate help, long-term help, or want to lend a helping hand, Los Angeles County has resources available.

Marsha McLean | Back to School, Back to Safety

Thursday, Jan 9, 2025

With so many impressive city milestones, like groundbreakings for the Pioneer Oil Refinery and The Rink Sports Pavilion and the grand openings of the Valencia Community Center and Skyline Ranch Park, it’s no wonder that last year felt like a blur.

Ken Striplin | New Year, New Community Center!

Monday, Jan 6, 2025

Located at Valencia Summit Park in the former YMCA building, the 12,000-square-foot Valencia Community Center is officially open for residents to visit.

Bill Miranda | Happy New Year, Santa Clarita!

Thursday, Jan 2, 2025

As we jump into the new year, the city of Santa Clarita has so much to be thankful for. The city’s 37 years of growth has brought the community top-notch events, a high quality of life and many amazing amenities.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com


Today in SCV History (Jan. 22) 1839 - Gov. Juan B. Alvarado gives most of SCV to Mexican Army Lt. Antonio del Valle. [story]	Officials Form Task Force to Combat Crimes Related to Los Angeles-Area Wildfires The leaders of federal and local law enforcement agencies have joined together to create the Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force to investigate and prosecute fire-related crimes as Los Angeles County recovers from devastating wildfires.	Spectrum Presents $2,500 Grant to Finally Family Homes Spectrum has announced a donation of $2,500 to Finally Family Homes through the company’s employee-driven grants program that recognizes the value of community service, Spectrum Employee Community Grants.	Santa Clarita Hosts MLK Day Unity Walk The city of Santa Clarita hosted the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Unity Walk on Monday, Jan. 20 at 8 a.m. in Central Park in Saugus. The event attracted a crowd of several hundred from throughout the Santa Clarita Valley to listen to speeches and entertainment before walking through Central Park.	Feb. 5: D Line Extension Project Lunch ‘n Learn Webinar Metro has a plan to make it easier to get around by expanding the Metro rail system to the Westside with the D (Purple) Line Subway Extension Project. This critical, highly anticipated new addition to Metro’s network will add seven new stations and a reliable, high-speed connection between downtown Los Angeles and the Westside.	COC Celebrates Successful First Year of Veterans Upward Bound Grant College of the Canyons has successfully completed the first year of its five-year Veterans Upward Bound grant program. This transformative initiative aims to provide comprehensive support services to eligible student veterans in the Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley and parts of the San Fernando Valley.
TMU Swim Teams Take to the Pool at Fresno Pacific The Master's University men's and women's swim teams met in the pool against Fresno Pacific University at Sunnyside Aquatic Center in Fresno Saturday afternoon, Jan. 18.	TMU Bucks Buccaneers in Arizona Caden Starr tied a career high with eight three-pointers to lead The Master's University men's basketball team to a 90-54 win over the Park-Gilbert Buccaneers Saturday, Jan. 18 in Chandler, Ariz.	Palisades, Eaton Fire Updates, 27 Dead, 15,798 Buildings Destroyed The Los Angeles County Joint Coordination Information Center has released the following information as of 11 a.m. on the Palisades and Eaton Fires. A total of 37,734 acres has been consumed in the two fires. More than 17,000 structures have been confirmed as destroyed or damaged.	Jan. 20-26: Four Productions Filming in Santa Clarita The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office has released the list of four productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, Jan. 20 to Sunday, Jan. 26.	Boys & Girls Club of SCV Collecting Gift Card Donations for Fire Relief The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley is collecting gift cards to assist club families impacted by the recent Los Angeles area fires.	Lady Mustangs Buckled by Buccaneers Too many turnovers turned costly for The Master's University women's basketball team in an 85-79 loss to the Park-Gilbert Buccaneers Saturday, Jan. 18 in Chandler, Ariz.
Schiavo Appointed to Five Assembly Committees Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) been reappointed by Speaker Robert Rivas to the Utilities & Energy Committee, Health Committee and continues as Chair of Military & Veteran Affairs Committee. She has also been newly appointed to the Banking and Finance Committee and the Budget Committee, including the budget subcommittee focused on health.	Today in SCV History (Jan. 21) 1914 - Signal newspaper owner-editor Scott Newhall born in San Francisco [story]	DA Hires Special Prosecutor for Police Misconduct Cases District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman has announced the appointment of Michael Gennaco as Special Prosecutor who is among the nation’s foremost experts in civil rights and police misconduct cases.	DACC Facilitates Adoption, Rescue Efforts in Response to Wildfires In response to the ongoing challenges posed by the Palisades and Eaton Fires, the county of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control has mobilized its resources and partnerships to ensure the safety and well-being of the animals affected.	Feb. 12: WiSH Webinar on ‘College Admissions for Visual, Performing Arts Majors’ The WiSH Education Foundation Wednesday Webinar series continues 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 with "College Admissions for Visual and Performing Arts Majors."	Jan. 21: SUSD Governing Board Regular Meeting The regular meeting of the Saugus Union School District Governing Board will take place Tuesday, Jan. 21 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 16: Cupid Dash 5k, 10k, 15k, Half Marathon A Better World Running will host the Cupid Dash 5k, 10k, 15k, Half Marathon 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 16 at West Creek Park 24247 Village Circle Drive, Valencia, CA 91354.	Jan. 21: Normal Operations Resume at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall The Los Angeles County Department of Military & Veterans Affairs will resume normal operations at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall (1816 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, California, 90015) on Tuesday, Jan. 21.	L.A. Public Health Windblown Dust, Ash Advisory The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is issuing a windblown dust and ash advisory following strong Santa Ana winds expected to affect the region through Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 10 p.m.	Defense Stepped Up in Mustangs Win over BenU The Master's University men's basketball defense stepped up in the final moments of the game to get an 80-72 conference road win over Benedictine Mesa Thursday night, Jan. 16.	TMU Women’s Hoops Gets Road Win over Redhawks Three different players each scored 17 points and the team shot nearly 50 percent from the field as The Master's University women's basketball team defeated Benedictine Mesa 83-71 Thursday night, Jan. 16 in Mesa, Ariz.	Canyons Can’t Get Past No. 5 Citrus College College of the Canyons men's basketball had four players reach double-digits but it wasn't enough to keep pace with No. 5 state-ranked Citrus College in a 111-77 road affair Wednesday night, Jan. 15.