Want to Sue Your City? Good luck.

Municipal Immunity in Kentucky There has been much talk since 2020 about qualified immunity for police officers. There has not been as much talk of municipal immunity. This legal doctrine, roughly, is for cities what qualified immunity is for cops. Municipal immunity in Kentucky has undergone a significant transformation over the years, influenced by a blend of common law and legislation. The evolving case law … Continue reading Want to Sue Your City? Good luck.

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The Ethics of Kentucky’s Certificate of Need Laws

For several years now there has been a movement in Kentucky and other states to repeal certificate of need (CON) laws. However, there is a gap in the discussion as it relates to the ethics surrounding the laws. Not only are CON laws associated with lower quality healthcare across several parameters, but they also operate under a narrow concept of health that fails to account for the full range of patient needs. Continue reading The Ethics of Kentucky’s Certificate of Need Laws

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The History of America’s Certificate of Need Laws

The history of certificate of need laws tells a story of community and business leaders attempts to solve healthcare problems with government policies. When that failed, the federal government and several states eliminated their CON laws. However, some states continue using these policies despite data indicating they deter access and hurt margins. Continue reading The History of America’s Certificate of Need Laws

Profile of Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first African American woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. She graduated from the New England Female Medical College in 1864, during a time when the medical field was segregated and opportunities for Black people, particularly Black women, were extremely limited. Crumpler’s journey to becoming a physician was not easy. Born in 1831 in Delaware, she … Continue reading Profile of Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Atrazine: Hermaphrodite Frogs, Water Contamination, and Maybe Cancer

Unless you’re a corn farmer or environmental activist, chances are you’ve never heard of atrazine. But you may have drank it, and maybe you’ve even heard Alex Jones talk about it – that it “turns frogs gay.” Atrazine is the second most commonly used herbicide in the United States. First registered in 1958, atrazine is used on the majority of corn croplands in the United … Continue reading Atrazine: Hermaphrodite Frogs, Water Contamination, and Maybe Cancer

Regulatory Challenges to AI in Medicine

         Imagine you’re a cancer patient in 2050 sitting in a white leather recliner alongside a few other patients in a window-lit chemo room in a hospital somewhere. The scene seems familiar. You may have seen it in a movie or been there yourself. The sterile smell, awkward small-talk, and somehow bleak but simultaneously hopeful outlooks will remain. The medical landscape and the design of your … Continue reading Regulatory Challenges to AI in Medicine

The State of Local Businesses in America: An Underdog Story

If you’ve been in a shopping district in any city in America recently, you’ve probably seen signs displaying some form of the “Shop Local” message. The message is certainly not new, but it’s taken on new importance. After seeing local favorites face closures and struggle to compete with e-commerce giants like Amazon, people are rooting for the businesses next door.  Consumers want to and do … Continue reading The State of Local Businesses in America: An Underdog Story

Red Cross Hospital: Perseverance in the Bleak Face of Segregation

Few things mar the history of American cities as severely as the Jim Crow era of racial segregation and discrimination–and Louisville is no exception. Among many other injustices, Black people living in Jim Crow Louisville were overtly discriminated against even in health care.  In 1899, only two hospitals in Louisville would treat Black patients: Louisville General Hospital and Waverly Sanatorium, but Waverly Sanatorium only treated … Continue reading Red Cross Hospital: Perseverance in the Bleak Face of Segregation

The Direct Primary Care Model: Where You Can Get More for Less

Could patients ever pay less and get more? The question seems almost ridiculous in America now, where an ER visit can cost thousands of dollars, but a growing group of primary care physicians think the answer is yes. These primary care physicians use a business model called direct primary care. Think of it as a Netflix subscription: patients pay a flat monthly fee for nearly … Continue reading The Direct Primary Care Model: Where You Can Get More for Less