I was clueless with regard to the politics of health care until I was named in a frivolous lawsuit. I actually settled the suit even though I knew I had done nothing wrong. The experience was traumatic and left me with a great deal of anger. This motivated me to become politically active for the first time in my life. Rheum for Improvement describes my journey into health-care advocacy. Over the years, I became very aware of the numerous issues that compromise the ability of physicians to provide proper care. Rheum for improvement addresses many of these issues. It also describes how physicians are being devalued by corporate entities who seek to control the health-care dollar. Overall, Rheum for Improvement emphasizes the importance of humanity in health care, the sacred nature of the patient-physician relationship and the joy of “being with’ the patient.
Mark Lopatin MD, FACP, FACR, FCPP
“Health care should be a human interaction between a patient and a physician, rather than a business transaction between a consumer and a provider”
