Can You Thrive in a Failing Health System?

The LOUNGE - A Newsletter for Savvy Physicians

We scour the net, selecting the most pertinent articles for the busy doc so you don’t have to! Here’s what kept our focus this week…

• Many physicians still operate under outdated beliefs that glorify self-sacrifice and over-responsibility—models rooted in a bygone era of medicine.

• Still waiting for the “perfect” information before deciding? You might be holding back your biggest growth.

• Success unlocked a new challenge: how to lead differently when the game changes.

• NIH funding was slashed by $1.8B, with a 30% cut targeting the Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

• In 2022 alone, extreme weather cost U.S. businesses over $165B, disrupting operations and infrastructure.

• Visualizing year-by-year performance across asset classes shows how unpredictable markets really are.

Monetize your Medical Expertise: Brand Influencer

Unlock the potential for doctors to make money online by becoming social media influencers and healthcare brand ambassadors. This guide reveals how physicians can build a powerful online presence on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, transforming their medical expertise into a new income stream.

LOUNGE TALK

In a revealing episode of The Podcast by KevinMD, pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney shares how outdated physician training models are clashing with today’s corporate-driven health care system. She argues that the traditional values of martyrdom, self-sacrifice, and “toxic independence” no longer serve doctors in a modern world of electronic health records, administrative overload, and misaligned incentives. The result? High burnout, physician dissatisfaction, and rising suicide rates. Mahoney encourages physicians to shift their mindsets by recognizing harmful conditioning, setting healthy boundaries, and focusing on what’s truly within their control. She promotes mindset coaching as a powerful, evidence-based tool to rewire these ingrained beliefs. Crucially, she urges doctors to step out of the “victim” role and become advocates—not only for themselves but for a sustainable future in medicine. The message is clear: physicians can reclaim purpose without breaking under the weight of a broken system.

In times of rapid change, indecision can be more harmful than a wrong move. Jamie Munoz, founder of Catalyst Integrators, argues that effective leadership isn’t about waiting for perfect clarity—it’s about learning how to make confident decisions with limited information. From adopting the “right for now” mindset to leveraging frameworks like the 70% rule, leaders can maintain momentum even when the path is murky. Anchoring decisions in core values, involving others for input, and treating decision-making as a trainable skill are all essential to staying agile and aligned. Munoz emphasizes that clarity comes from movement—not stalling. Ultimately, uncertainty is not something to eliminate but something to lead through. The leaders who thrive are the ones who stay calm, stay curious, and keep making decisions that move them forward.

In this episode of Coaching Real Leaders, host Muriel Wilkins works with a successful entrepreneur navigating a pivotal inflection point in her business journey. After experiencing solid growth, the founder hit a plateau and brought on new talent to reinvigorate the company’s trajectory. Now, the challenge isn’t just scaling the business—it’s evolving her leadership style to match its new demands. Muriel helps her explore how to shift from hands-on execution to strategic empowerment, especially when leading a more experienced team. The conversation highlights the growing pains of entrepreneurship: letting go, delegating smarter, and embracing a new identity as a growth-stage leader. The coaching session becomes a playbook for any founder realizing that past success strategies might no longer serve the future. Leadership, it turns out, isn’t static—it must scale, too.

In just over 100 days, President Trump’s return to office has triggered a seismic shift in U.S. healthcare policy. Anchored by the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, the administration’s sweeping executive actions have cut ties with the World Health Organization, rolled back provisions of the Affordable Care Act, reinstated the Hyde Amendment, and introduced budget freezes that disrupted public health funding across the country. While efforts to lower drug prices and promote AI in medicine suggest an interest in innovation, the sharp reductions in research grants and reproductive healthcare access point to a realignment of priorities that favor cost-cutting and conservative values. Clinics have already begun to feel the squeeze, with layoffs and limited access for vulnerable populations. The funding freeze also jeopardizes progress on chronic conditions and minority health. As the administration trims what it calls “excess,” critics warn that the cost may be long-term damage to health equity and innovation.

Sustainability has moved from buzzword to boardroom strategy—and for good reason. Climate-related disruptions like extreme weather, pollution, and water scarcity are no longer distant threats; they’re billion-dollar liabilities today. The idea that environmental care and business growth are at odds is outdated—thriving ecosystems actually fuel productivity, stability, and profitability. Case studies like the Great Green Wall in Africa and India's river rejuvenation projects show how investing in nature creates jobs, boosts agriculture, and drives local economies. Meanwhile, organizations like the Art of Living Foundation are proving that large-scale environmental restoration isn’t just ethical—it’s economical. Forward-looking leaders are now baking climate resilience into core operations, using sustainability as a driver of innovation and long-term returns. For investors, employees, and customers alike, aligning with green initiatives is becoming table stakes. Bottom line: Businesses that prioritize the planet are better positioned to weather disruption—and win.

Picking investments based on past performance is a rookie mistake that can cost investors dearly. Known as "performance chasing," this habit leads many to buy high and sell low—precisely the opposite of sound strategy. Dr. Jim Dahle points out that many 401(k) participants fall into this trap because the only data shown are historical returns, which are misleading at best and irrelevant at worst. Worse, news sources often misreport returns by ignoring dividends, further distorting the real performance picture. Even if you had accurate data, you can’t invest in the past—and past returns rarely predict future results. The right way to evaluate investments is by examining holdings, fees, and strategy, not just performance charts. Understanding the fundamentals is key, not chasing last year’s winners. Remember: the future is where your money’s headed—not where it’s been.

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QUICK BITES

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