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In December 2015, a Boston Globe investigation of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) sparked investigations into concurrent and overlapping surgery. Overlapping surgery refers to operations performed by the same primary surgeon such that the start of one surgery overlaps with the end of another. A qualified practitioner finishes noncritical aspects of the first operation while the primary surgeon moves to the next operation. This is distinct from concurrent surgery, in which “critical parts” of operations for which the primary surgeon is responsible occur during the same time. There is general agreement that concurrent surgery is ethically unacceptable and is prohibited for teaching hospitals under the Medicare Conditions of Participation. Overlapping surgery is common, ranging from having trainees open and close incisions to delegating all aspects of the operation except the critical parts. (Michelle M. Mello and Edward H. Livingston, 7/18)

Imagine a world without antibiotics. A simple cut or scrape could become life-threatening. Childbirth would be much more dangerous, for both mother and child. We could return to tuberculosis the old-fashioned way: with just a dose of fresh air. If we don’t get antibiotic resistance under control, this world could become our reality again. (Tanya Parish, 7/20)

Drawing comparisons to a “moonshot” in health care is usually reserved for breakthroughs like curing cancer. Perhaps less hyperbolic, though no less impactful, is the idea of transforming care for high-need patients—people with multiple, and often interconnected, medical, social, and behavioral health needs. Better care for these patients is also a promising approach to reining in health care costs, a bipartisan health policy priority. ( Dave A. Chokshi, 7/19)

Vaccines are frequently cited as one of the greatest successes in the history of public health. The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and measles save between 2 million and 3 million lives annually. However, in recent years, parental resistance toward childhood vaccinations has increased.1 Many parents have become concerned and distrusting of scientific evidence about vaccinations. As a result, cases of vaccine-preventable diseases have reemerged in the United States and other countries. Unvaccinated and undervaccinated individuals are susceptible to disease and increase the risk of transmitting diseases even to those who are fully vaccinated. (Mary C. Politi, Katherine M. Jones and Sydney E. Philpott, 7/18)

Earlier this month, my wife Tracy and I explored on horseback for three days the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area — a gem of the national park system in east Tennessee. As we rode the trails, experiencing the gently flowing creeks, the quiet wooded paths, the inspiring sounds of birds and kids playing along the way, we delightfully soaked up the present, reflected fondly on the past and what it took to make our experience possible, but also worried about the future. (Bill Frist, 7/18)