By Evan Falchuk

The shuttles from Boston to DC and New York are fascinating crossroads in the worlds of government, finance and even healthcare. Today I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Alvin Poussaint on the flight from Boston to DC. Dr. Poussaint is a renowned psychiatrist and Professor at Harvard Medical School, perhaps best known for his many collaborations with Bill Cosby, including as a consultant to the Cosby Show. They most recently worked together on their  acclaimed book Come on, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors, which is about helping Americans in the hardest suffering communities improve their lives. As it turned out, Dr. Poussaint was on his way to Washington to appear on Chris Mathews’ Hardball.

“Let not your conception of manifestations of disease come from work heard in the lecture room or read from the book: see and then research, compare and control. But see first.”

Sir William Osler, MD
The Father of Modern Medicine

Too often in healthcare, Dr. Osler’s warning is unheeded.  Patients are sped into treatment before it’s known what’s really wrong with them.  This failure to truly see may be the greatest driver of poor healthcare quality, but it is among the least talked about.

The purpose of this blog is to share our real-world experiences in helping patients see their way through the healthcare system.  We want to share the insights we have gained through their journeys, and what they mean for patients, doctors, and everyone else who cares about helping people get well and stay well.