Physician shortages hurting rural areas

October 14, 2023

Think the federal government’s plan to add extra residency slots for health professional shortage areas will alleviate the growing rural physician shortage? Think again. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published research showing that of the 400 newly federally funded residency slots, a mere 20 residents spend more than half their time in rural shortage areas. Physician shortages are expanding around the country and are even more severe in certain urban areas and most rural areas. Nationally, the United States will be short 124,000 physicians by 2035. Some 80% ...

Petition may help avoid shutdown

October 14, 2023

Last week the House of Representative voted Speaker Kevin McCarthy out of office with no clear path for a divided Republican caucus to quickly select a replacement. This begs the question of how the U.S. government will avert a government shutdown by the next budget deadline rapidly approaching in mid-November. The immediate cause of McCarthy’s ouster was the stop gap legislation he steered through the House to avert a government shutdown. Matt Gaetz, unhappy with the deal, requested a vote to remove McCarthy, and so an unusual coalition of the most conservative Republicans and ...

Hello! This is Ann calling!

October 13, 2023

When I wrote a couple weeks ago about being tethered to the phone it got me thinking about my history with the telephone. My great-grandfather had a candlestick phone. If you are not sure what that is look it up. It was a pretty little phone that you held in your hand while talking. I am not sure what happened to that phone, but I would have loved to have it. The phone at my grandparents’ house was a lightweight model – all black. It set on a table in the living room. It was the only phone we had. When you spoke through it you had to sit close by. While we had that phone, we ...

If we are what we eat, today is a treat

October 12, 2023

Yesterday after running a few errands, I opened my front door and just stood. Breathing. Smiling. Ahhhhh … garlic! To me, the house smelled wonderful — like walking into an aromatic little trattoria. I realize this may not be the way everybody likes their house to smell, but for me it smells like good food – comin’ up! Before I ran out for the parsley and beefsteak tomatoes, I had partially prepared clam sauce for our linguine. The sauce requires two large garlic cloves; the sauteed panko bread crumbs for the topping only required one. Reliable old garlic had done its magic. ...

U.S. loses sight of its priorities

October 7, 2023

On Sept. 13, convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante was captured after escaping from a Chester County prison. He murdered his girlfriend in front of her children. He is wanted in his native Brazil for another murder. Daniel Hernandez Martinez was arrested six times in New York for 14 crimes committed in his first two months in America. These men are just two examples of illegal migrants causing misery. Immigration advocates say, “Most are merely seeking a better life.” Yes, but the numbers must be controlled. We can’t absorb everyone desiring entry. And,the bad actors must be ...

The beauty of the fall

October 6, 2023

We are about to embark on the prettiest season of the year in my opinion. When I renovated Hickory Heights, I had that in mind. I added a window on the back side of the house so I can see what goes on behind my house and I added a bay window on the east side. It depends where I am sitting what I watch. Yesterday I watched several deer play out back. There were some young ones as well as older ones. They were just enjoying the cooler weather, I think. They chased each other around running back and forth for me to see. This morning I saw a deer run right up the road. It was running ...