Dr. Alejandro Badia has been in the trenches with our broken healthcare system since 1989.

Excellent Book

This book is so important to all medical practitioners. In New Zealand our public healthcare system is deteriorating rapidly and private insurance, private hospitals and clinics are growing rapidly. We have a small window to stop the US model from destroying healthcare here. This book should be compulsary reading for all medical students and practising doctors. I thoroughly recommend it.

David Benson-Cooper

Founder

Intra Healthcare

Mercy Radiology Group

Auckland, New Zealand.

An accurate diagnosis: US Healthcare illness

Florida author Alejandro Badia, MD earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, his MD degree from NYU, his specialty training in orthopedics from NYU, and additional training in AO trauma in Germany. He founded Badia Hand to Shoulder Center and co-founded the Miami Anatomical Research Center in Florida, and created the OrthoNOW – an orthopedic urgent care center engaging healthcare entrepreneurs and surgeons. An honored surgeon, teacher and international lecturer, his mission is focused on improving healthcare delivery in orthopedics and sports medicine. An expert at dealing with broken bones, Dr. Badia is equally concerned with attending to and healing our broken healthcare system.

Written with an obvious informed stance, one of the reasons this important book surfaces as a vital clarion call for change is the genuinely caring beside manner in which Dr. Badia communicates his concerns and need for change. ‘In terms of US healthcare, we face some serious problems – not only with skyrocketing costs but also patient access and efficient delivery. Yes, our healthcare system is fraught with challenges…and as a foolhardy, obstinate physician with an entrepreneurial soul, I believed I could somehow make an impact in my own specialty of orthopedics and musculoskeletal medicine. Despite the barriers and frustrations, I still enjoy caring for my patients. Wait, let me rephrase that: I LOVE being a surgeon, relying upon my core knowledge in physiology and anatomy, and healing my fellow man.’

In that accessible tone of writing, Dr. Badia goes beyond the current controversy of the failing of our healthcare exacerbated by the focus on the pandemic management, and instead sharpens his diagnostic acumen by exploring the actual factors involved in the differential diagnosis – Big Pharma, health insurance costs, hospital organizations, expensive new medical devices (robotics, MRI, etc), and even information technology modes. The costs of medical care delivery have exploded to the point that many patients cannot afford healthcare.

Instead of simply squatting under the dark cloud of our current healthcare system, Dr. Badia stands tall and offers the opinions and perspectives of healthcare providers and patients, discussing the path all physicians take to become providers, now only to be frustrated with the loss of the sacred doctor/patient relationship that cannot be replaced by the interference of the government’s uninformed impediments, the crippling costs of health insurance, the ‘big business’ mindset of hospitals, the costs and threats of medical malpractice insurance, the manner in which doctors are ‘rated’ in the internet, telemedicine, etc.

How do we restore, aka ‘heal’, the broken system? When was the last time you made eye contact with the doctor more focused on the EMR that is there to assure every possible charge to the insurance provider than on gentle face-to-face compassionate concern for you and your problem? Our current status: physician burnout due to lack of full control of the art of providing medical care. Dr. Badia generously reports the views of other physicians that enhance our knowledge of the problems, examines the need for transparency, and ‘from the trenches’ offers his wise thoughts on how the current money-driven system can and must be excised and replaced by such concepts as converting health insurance companies to non-profit status through meaningful legislation. ‘Efficient quality care requires accountability and a collaborative effort’ (Dr. Scott Sigman), “We need more education and prevention’ (Kristin Forno, OT) – examples of comments from those in the trenches.

Dr. Badia concludes, ‘The goal is to provide the patient with the care they need, at the time they need it, and minimizing any interference to that process…further complexities only serve to drive up cost and increase delays…we can roll up our sleeves and provide better care for less cost.’ Hats off to Dr Alejandro Badia: this book should be read by everyone – patients and healthcare providers – and change can happen! Grady Harp MD, June 20

An inspiring and eye-opening book for anyone pursuing a career in medicine

As a Cuban-trained physician currently continuing my medical journey in the United States, Healthcare from the Trenches by Dr. Alejandro Badia was a truly meaningful and inspiring read for me.

This book goes beyond medicine itself. Dr. Badia shares an honest perspective from “the trenches” — the real-life challenges, sacrifices, dedication, and resilience required to become and remain a physician. Through his experiences, he provides a unique look into the complexities of the U.S. healthcare system from the perspective of someone who has lived it every day as a doctor.

What I appreciated the most was how the book highlights that being a physician is not only about medical knowledge. It is also about perseverance, compassion, leadership, and constantly advocating for better patient care.

As an international medical graduate working toward my goals in the U.S., I found his story extremely motivating. It reminded me that although the path can be long and challenging, passion and commitment to medicine make the journey worthwhile.

I highly recommend this book to medical students, international physicians, healthcare professionals, and anyone interested in understanding the reality behind modern healthcare.

Fantastic book to bring physicians’ perspective to light

Dr. Badia and his medical colleagues bring the physicians’ perspective to light in a clear and compelling way. From the years of training to become leaders in their field (a decade plus in many cases) to the complex patients who can only be effectively treated by the right expert, doctors are truly incredible. Dr. Badia’s stories of saving limbs and functionality (the ability of his patients to continue to use their hands or arms after a trauma) are amazing. It gave me a new appreciation for just how amazing the doctors are who dedicate their careers and lives (that’s what it takes) to helping patients.

Yet, as Dr. Badia and his colleagues outline in Healthcare from the Trenches, physicians are working in an increasingly difficult environment, where large insurance companies often influence how physicians treat their patients and then withhold payment or make the doctor's office fight tooth and nail just to get paid. And what doctors, especially independent physician groups (not part of a large hospital), get paid for the life and health saving work they perform is shockingly low. And how various parties take advantage of the altruism of physicians for their own gain. Or the aggressive malpractice lawsuit environment that have forced many physicians away from treating patients in certain settings.

Why have we allowed the most talented, dedicated group of people (IMO), the physicians at the center of patient care who have trained for decades to be able to work the miracles they perform to save lives and health, to be treated so poorly. Meanwhile, insurance companies and executives at large health systems take home the lions share of profits?

Fortunately, there are some very specific things you can do to demand change: 1) vote with you feet - go to Dr. Badia’s orthopedic walk-in clinic and others like it. There are many brilliant physician entrepreneurs around the country that have developed new patient care models. The result - you get faster care, you get the right care, and you get to avoid the hours of waiting in a hospital ER only to be stuck with massive bills. 2) talk to your employers who set up your health benefits. There are options for health insurance that don’t start with BUCAH. Demand that we start paying physicians more and paying less in the form of profits to the big insurance companies who add little value, extract massive profits, and interfere with patient care often in direct conflict with your physicians care plan. 3) Get care from independent physicians and avoid large health systems and hospitals when possible. More and more procedures can be performed safely in physician office settings. And it will save you money too, as procedures performed in physician office settings don't carry the huge facility fees that hospitals charge for the same procedure - this often makes procedures done in a hospital (or a free standing site that is part of a hospital) cost 3x, 4x or 5x+ what the same procedure would cost in a physician's office or independent surgery center. With the average insurance plan, you're paying a huge share of this cost and for what? 4) Appreciate the years of training and dedication your doctor has endured to be able to treat you. Honor their massive contributions to you and society. Don’t fight the doctor’s office and pay your copays on time; don’t get too upset when you have a longer wait to see the doctor (who may have been pulled into an emergency surgery to save a patient, for example); and don’t partake in frivolous lawsuits against doctors.

Dr. Badia’s book is a must read to start to understand and appreciate a doctor’s perspective, and in my opinion, a must read for anyone who is going to be a patient in their lifetime (everyone!). Thank you Dr. Badia for taking the time to write this book!

Interesting, informative, and incredibly alarming.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first began reading this book. I didn’t expect to enjoy the personal anecdotes of the doctor. It became clear even before finishing the Introduction, that this was written by an intelligent, witty and even business-savvy gentleman.

Have to admit that the chapters intermixed the challenges with enough storytelling that it reads like someone remembering an episode of a medical show from years back. It also helps that the author may use medical terminology but also uses layman’s terms to easily explain procedures, protocols, and such.

The content does illustrate for non-medical workers, what challenges are encountered. This is important, as anyone who reads any sort of news, will find some article relating to healthcare. Without understanding what challenges need overcoming, how can one appreciate the enormity of the challenge to overhaul the medical dilemma our country is facing. Prevent vs. cure, cost vs. benefit, morbidity rate vs actuarial data, these are topics that challenge medical care workers.

It is one thing if someone chooses to have a DNR in the medical will, but quite another for a health insurance company to claim the cost to heal someone is too high. Or to have someone who has worked for 40 years in the community to be refused care because of insurance plan changes of what will and will not be covered.

This book outlines some important topics that should be addressed. It’s good that someone in the field had the courage to write the book.