Most people don’t know I was born in Harlem. We left New York in 1954 because my parents told us the weather in California would be better for my brother’s asthma. In reality, we were political exiles escaping the civil rights battles of the big city. Racism. I never knew of it, as we were protected...

Your loved one is ill. They have COVID-19, but they are hospitalized with minimal communication. Yet you want to ask questions, know their condition, and be at their bedside. Six months into this pandemic, we have utilized cell phones, FaceTime, Skype and other modalities successfully. But when a patient...

In life, most of us have a brush with death. Had I not survived, I would not have provided medical care to thousands of patients, nor been a father to my daughter. Reggie Brass saved my life. He ran a support group for African-American men in south Los Angeles called “My Child Says Daddy” that provided...

Once your doctor makes a diagnosis, a treatment plan is made. Will it be surgery, medication, or another evidence-based guideline promoting longevity or diminishing suffering? For example, over the past 50 years, control of hypertension has increased life expectancy while diminishing heart attacks, strokes...

As a mom of three, I often wonder if my children listen to the stories and life lessons I try to convey. Raising decent, kind human beings is hard enough, let alone raise them in a world that can seem so cruel and unfair – to some more so than others. By now, we have all seen the video of a white...

She was a concert pianist. He, an aerospace engineer who helped put a man on the moon. They were married 60 years. He always joked, “We make out-of-this-world sweet music together!” Relegated to a wheelchair, he pushed her into the office for monthly checkups. Sometimes they had to wait, but when...

Benjamin Disraeli said, “There is no education like adversity.” If that’s true, then the Class of 2020 at College of the Canyons should graduate with Ph.Ds. As the college adjusted to the new reality brought on by COVID-19, the circumstances we found ourselves in brought a steep learning curve...

When the pandemic was announced, it was common sense to wear a mask, wash hands, create social distancing and isolate vulnerable citizens, especially older adults. There has been “hoax” backlash from politically skewed factions, yet with “re-opening” taking place, attempts to flatten the curve...

Medical professionals are on a learning curve as the coronavirus is highly contagious and has no treatment. Six months into this battle, money is being poured into treatment, offering hope for those who are seriously ill. Unfortunately, as in the past, physicians are seeing their decision-making usurped...

As a teenager, my father took me to Metropolitan State Mental Hospital several times, not for admission, but to learn how mental health affected his clients. He was a Los Angeles County social worker for decades, and knowing my interest in medicine, he felt it was an opportunity to put my feet in someone...