On January 5th, the 107th Nebraska Legislature convened for its second regular session. The Legislature’s second session is a bit different in that all bills from the first session carry over to the second. Instead of considering around 700 bills, we will likely be considering over 1,200.
Imagine a condition with symptoms that present differently in each person who has it and no currently approved lab test can definitively confirm the diagnosis. Imagine that the symptoms can flare up and then mysteriously disappear, including fatigue, low grade fevers, joint pain, and mouth sores. All these symptoms overlap with multiple other conditions further complicating a diagnosis. Imagine that the best available method for diagnosing this ailment is a manual checklist of eleven criteria and if the patient suffers from at least four, they receive a diagnosis on a scale of definite, probable, or possible.
What does it mean to practice humanity in medicine? The phrase is used as a tagline and in book titles. Humanity and compassion in medicine is touted as something to aspire to, a noble accomplishment. But in reality, the biomedical model of health, the business model for healthcare, is not set up to support it. Algorithms and best practices set forth by insurance companies and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid do not account for the time required to establish meaningful human interaction between patient and caregiver.
Over the past three years, the Nebraska National Guard has helped Nebraskans through floods, fires, and a global pandemic. Through it all, the Guard has proved time and again how vital they are to the citizens of our state in times of need. As Commander-in-Chief of the Nebraska National Guard, I could not be more proud of these men and women.
Dear Amy: I have two children: a daughter (41, who is divorced) and a son (42), who is married but has no children. My complaint is not with them, but with so many grandmas around who quiz me about my lack of grandchildren.
Dear Amy: My boyfriend of almost three years is very childish. If I do something he does not like, he will try to “get me” back — or even the score in some way.
2021 is coming to an end. Just a few more days before we turn the final page on this turbulently eventful year.
Joshua 18:3 “So Joshua said to the Israelites: ‘How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the lan that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?’ ” I battled jealousy when I heard that the first fifty people to show up at a rebuilt restaurant opening, received a card for a free sandwich, every single day, for an entire year. I thought to myself, “Why didn’t I know this information? Did they tell people ahead of time? I deserve workman’s comp for all the damage my kids have done to my brain in their play land.
If you’ve read my weekly columns, tuned into a press conference, or heard me speak before, you are no stranger to my guiding vision for the state: growing Nebraska. It’s been the mission of my Administration, and each year we have achieved success towards that goal.