“At the meeting of the American Medical Association, Barack Obama … reminded doctors: ‘You didn’t enter this profession to become bean counters and paper pushers. You entered this profession to be healers.’ … Listening to him, I thought of one small tale from the annals of medicine. A few days earlier, a friend had an appointment to consider a rather serious heart procedure. After 15 minutes, the cardiologist stood up to leave. My friend was startled. ‘I have more questions,’ she said. He answered, ‘I have another patient,’ and walked away. … Somewhere along the way, with the help of insurers and incentives, by paying for procedures rather than patient care, we have created a culture of medicine that pushes doctors away from the ‘calling.’” [editor’s note: Of course, the larger question would be how ObamaCare is going to REDUCE this paperwork and rationed consultation, instead of expanding both until there is NO time for seeing patients in person! - SAT] (06/19/09)