In This Episode
In the spirit of Halloween, today Neal is joined by Dr. Randy Rissman, founder of Maverick Family Health here in Woodstock.
Randy is recently retired but he treated darn near everyone in this town for 36 years and he is here to talk horror stories in medicine.
He and Neal discuss the causes of cancer, as well as patient and doctor errors.
They also talk about terrible bedside manners, patients who cannot quite get to the point, Big Pharma’s influence on doctors, and the scariest topic in medicine- insurance!!!
Topics Discussed
- Gov’t healthcare
- Ethics of rising copays
- Patient errors
- Building relationships with patients in a small town
- Doctor errors
- Big pharma paying doctors
- Patients rambling about symptoms
- How to come prepared for a doctor’s visit
All About Randall Rissman
Randall Rissman, a native of Iowa, received his B.S. degree in Psychology at the University of Iowa. He graduated from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1977 and completed his Family Medicine Residency at the Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington N.J. in 1980.
Dr. Rissman was among the first full-time faculty members as Director of Satellite Services at the Family Practice Training Program in Kingston, N.Y. In 1983, he founded the Maverick Family Health Center in Woodstock N.Y.
Dr. Rissman served as Chairman of The Department of Family Medicine at Kingston Hospital and later Benedictine Hospital for 9 years. He was an active member of the Medical Executive Committees of both Medical Centers.
Dr. Rissman has always worked closely with mental health professionals and community resources to address the inseparable convergence of mind/body/social connectivity. He continues to be a strong advocate for the expansion of high-quality affordable healthcare to all because, as a small-town family doctor, he has never met anyone who does not deserve adequate and timely health services.
The Health and Care Project was co-founded by Dr. Rissman with Ruthe Nelson in order to establish a vehicle to teach the importance of professionalism and empathy in the Doctor/Patient relationship and the importance of communication in every medical interaction.
These underlying principles and concepts towards improving communication can be taught in all manners of health settings. Improved patient satisfaction with improved medical outcomes remains an essential and attainable goal.
