Healthcare is constantly changing and transforming as we learn more about ourselves and how the body works. As we understand more about the role nutrition plays in health, such as controlling chronic diseases like diabetes or Celiac disease, nutritionists are playing a vital role in keeping patients healthy and happy.

Updated Jan. 10, 2022

Clinical research changes the future of medicine and healthcare, helping doctors and scientists discover ways to identify and treat health conditions. Clinical research also provides the important bridge from basic science research that’s performed in a lab to applying results to help people. In a world that has seen the rise of a new global pandemic, this medical skill is more necessary than ever to stay on top of the latest treatments and get them to the public faster and with more precision.

For a vast majority of professions, managing interpersonal relationships is crucial to success. From doctors to lawyers to law enforcement, interpersonal communication is important and necessary. And that’s where Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) comes in.

Patient access specialists are key members of the care team at hospitals, doctors’ offices, and outpatient centers. They provide outstanding patient service while helping to manage the important financial aspects of patient care.

We talked to Lisa Morrison, Director of Patient Access at Kaiser Permanente and instructor at PCC Institute for Health Professionals, about what characteristics make for a successful career as a patient access specialist. Lisa is passionate about helping students interested in the career achieve their goal of becoming a patient access specialist.

As America’s population rapidly ages, elder abuse is becoming a growing issue facing our country. The National Incidence Abuse Study found that for every reported incident of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect, approximately five go unreported.

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), 30% — $750 billion — of the annual U.S. healthcare budget is wasted on unnecessary services, excessive administrative costs, inefficient delivery of services, and prevention failures. To say that healthcare professionals and patients are frustrated would be an understatement. Fragmented care, barriers to patient access, ineffective management of chronic diseases, unnecessary use of Emergency Department visits and a lack of proper aftercare have all contributed to the fraying of the current healthcare system, leaving patients to fall through the cracks.

Updated Nov. 9, 2021

In recent years, the medical community has discovered more about the previously poorly understood connection between the digestive system and mental health. This concept is broadly known as the gut-brain axis, and as a healthcare professional, understanding it is key for helping your patients recover and thrive.

Here, we go in-depth on what the gut-brain axis is, its effects on mental health, and how you can use your knowledge of that connection to help your patients in almost any healthcare position.