Palliative Care: Something We All Want
Oct 08, 2017
As a hospice physician – in addition to my role as a doctor who treats cancer – much of my focus is on comfort care. Part of my motivation to ... continue
The Crockett Hospital’s Painful Demise
Jul 09, 2017
June 30, 2017 was a sad day for Crockett, Texas, our neighbor just 47 miles to the west. Little River Healthcare ended its management affiliation with the Houston County Hospital ... continue
A Truly Community-Wide Cancer Program
Jun 11, 2017
Every three months or so, I chair a meeting at CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial in Lufkin of the Cancer Committee. As an accredited cancer program through the American College ... continue
What I Would Like to See in Healthcare Reform (Part 2)
Mar 12, 2017
Last month, I wrote about the bloated, incredibly inefficient federal bureaucracy that eats up hundreds of billions of dollars annually in administrative costs. I mentioned that Obamacare was not ... continue
History and Medicine in Angelina County
Nov 01, 2016
I recently came into possession of Angelina County Medical Society meeting minutes dating back 80 years, from 1936 to 1954. These archives were kept by Dr. W. D. Thames ... continue
Empowered – and Inundated – by Pink
Oct 04, 2016
There is a minor malady that comes around every season. It is characterized by a drop in energy, glazed eyes, and a strong desire just to sit and do ... continue
Colorectal Cancer Screening: 80% by 2018
Aug 02, 2016
Katie Couric has raised awareness of colorectal cancer ever since her husband died of the disease in 1998. Yet colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death ... continue
Lung Cancer Screening Saves Lives
May 03, 2016
For more than 50 years now, we have known the dangers of smoking. That smoking causes heart disease, emphysema, and lung and other cancers is not in dispute. For ... continue
Doctors Must Reinstill Sense of Duty
Feb 02, 2016
This article was originally published at Houston Chronicle http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Doctors-must-reinstill-sense-of-duty-6733668.php?t=d4a64f80cb&cmpid=email-premium and is reprinted here with permission from the author (me). I am a physician. Being a doctor defines me. Whether I ... continue
PineCrest has Far-reaching Economic Impact
Nov 03, 2015
Mayor Bob Brown, City Manager Keith Wright, Chamber CEO Jim Johnson and other local government and business leaders recently launched a series titled Business is Everyone’s Business. The purpose ... continue
New Cancer Fighting Technology in Lufkin
Apr 07, 2015
Last week, the Temple Cancer Center treated the first patients on our new Elekta Synergy linear accelerator, the first major investment of Memorial since the CHI acquisition. To say, "We ... continue
Prostate Cancer: How Should We Treat It?
Jul 01, 2014
Prostate cancer screening and treatment may be the most divisive issue in oncology today. Oh, we argue about breast cancer, and whether or not women in their 40s should get ... continue
Memorial and Catholic Health Initiatives
Jun 03, 2014
In my January column, I wrote that we have an ongoing obligation to provide non-profit care locally so that Memorial’s mission of compassion, established in 1949 by our community forefathers ... continue