20
May
2021
|
11:30 AM
America/New_York

Dr. S. Louis Bridges Jr: 5 Things We Must Do To Improve the US Healthcare System

Authority Magazine interviews S. Louis Bridges Jr., MD, PhD, physician-in-chief, chair of the Department of Medicine and chief of the Division of Rheumatology at HSS, about life lessons, industry trends and new projects. He also provided his perspective on the U.S. healthcare system, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

When asked what makes an excellent healthcare provider, Dr. Bridges said, “I would define it as a provider who not only has current knowledge and skills, but who wants to get the “person” to get better, not just the “disease” to get better.”

With regard to the pressure that COVID-19 put on the healthcare system, Dr. Bridges noted, “The main way we can put this behind us is to encourage every American to be vaccinated against COVID. There remains a lot of misinformation about the vaccines, which is amplified by fear and mistrust.”

As a way to address changes in health care delivery due to COVID-19, Dr. Bridges stressed the importance of looking for alternative ways to care for patients, such as utilizing telehealth.

Further, Dr. Bridges highlighted new funding awarded to the Rheumatology Research Foundation to explore the relationships between rheumatic diseases and SARS-CoV-2, as well as the pandemic’s effect on health care delivery in the U.S.

Read the full interview in Authority Magazine.