ABC News – Pro Tips about staying safe during the California wildfires. Also, I’m feeling my tie pattern here. SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — As fires continue to burn throughout California, Bay Area air quality is poor. UCSF Dr. Alok Patel speaks with ABC7’s Kumasi Aaron and Krsiten Sze about ways to keep... Read More0

Even if you don’t feel like reading this, print this out and share it with everyone and anyone: https://stchealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/11×8.5_Vaccine_SH-1.pdf One noteworthy line is in the small print: Millions of children get shots every year – for good reason – but not enough children understand why. Children get over their needle phobia... Read More1

I was chatting with a parent and her 7-year-old son about the seasonal flu. In addition to getting the flu shot, I stressed the importance of hand-washing prior. The boy then asked an insightful question: “Do you think Santa washes his hands before eating cookies?” The more I thought about... Read More2

The National Rifle Association’s (NRA) defense of gun suppressors as a health tool is adorable. To hear gun lobbyists speak of firearm induced hearing loss as a serious health topic is akin to me patting the back of a 6-year-old trying to dunk a basketball and saying “aww you’re so... Read More1

“Putting Patients First” is an obvious slogan of many healthcare institutions. But there seems to be a slight disconnect between some patients and healthcare providers on what that phrase means. Simply put, doctors and nurses should “put patients first” by ensuring care is safe, equitable, evidence-based, timely, efficient, and patient centered.... Read More0

People commonly ask me why I chose to go into pediatrics. My terse, usual response, is rooted in the fact that children are born into this world knowing how to poop, eat, sleep, and cry. They depend on us for preventive health, education, and resources. Every health policy decision we... Read More1

  The latest public anti-health move by our fearful “leader”, the removal of the Surgeon General, is a quintessential example about how money and lobbying can negatively influence public health. From Zika-funding, to healthcare reform, to e-cigarette legislation, to vaccine mandates, and now gun violence, I think every American, regardless of your party,... Read More1

Anyway Sean Spicer spins it, health insurance premiums have steadily been climbing over the past decade, even before the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. I know, that’s an inconvenient reality. Rising healthcare premiums are likely a blended mess of rising healthcare industry costs, poor marketplace design, insufficient young, healthy enrollees,... Read More0

Said no one ever. Donald Trump and his thimerosal-hitman, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., outwardly state they’re pro-vaccine but their skepticism is going to empower an internet-trolling giant of anti-vaxxers. Even if RFK Jr. acknowledges that vaccines save millions of lives, which he does, this question about vaccine safety is going... Read More1

Oh, the famous Trump rally war cry. I have no idea where “terrific” comes from because Team Trump never really put up clear health policies. Even the campaign site is all promises with no plan. Healthcare is not a New Jersey casino or some Trump tie sitting in the Macy’s 60%-off... Read More1

The topic near and dear to me in this looney election is health policy. Mr. “I’m a great businessman” Trump may be “great with the tax-code” or experienced with bankrupt casinos but flat-out, the man’s health policies are flawed and skimpy compared to Hillary Clinton’s. I must ask: How would our children be affected... Read More3

When it comes to video games, I’m the cranky, old man that starts phrases with “when I was your age…” My audience is kids in the children’s hospital I work at, and in my defense, I’m right. In my day, we were captivated by the intensity of Excite Bike, every sleepover... Read More2

Abortion beliefs and decisions involve personal, medical, socioeconomic, and religious variables. How can we stamp reproductive rights with a “one-size fits all” rule? With that (looking at you Marco Rubio), I give you five reasons why we need an open chat about abortion restrictions and Zika-related microcephaly. Our Policymakers Have No... Read More1

Most of my guy friends have childhood memories that involve fireworks or backyard explosives. I’m being blunt but we’ve all been there. So now, teenage hat off, pediatrician hat on, I am aware of two things: fireworks are insanely dangerous, can cause severe burns, disfigurement, or even death AND children... Read More1

I decided to get a puppy’s opinion about vaccines. Time for a fresh view. Vaccination regulation is shaping up to be our generation’s great public health debate. Vaccines save lives, billions of healthcare dollars, and are overall safe. But many still oppose vaccine requirements because of diseases they’ve never encountered.... Read More2

Arianna Huffington’s new book, “The Sleep Revolution,” should inspire everyone to get some serious shut-eye, especially doctors. We’re awful at sleeping. Sleep insufficiency is rampant in medicine and a complex solution is needed. I prefer a simple solution so I turned to my pediatric population and learned their secret –... Read More0

April fools is here and everyone has a get-out-of-jail-free card for the most inventive lie. Aside from the holiday of hoax, most people lie on occasion to avoid consequences or spare another person’s feelings. But your doctor will tell you that fibbing may be harmful to your health. While many... Read More1

I recently had a riveting debate with a software engineer in Silicon Valley about whether or not, the IBM Watson supercomputer could, one day, diagnose medical diseases better than doctors. While many algorithm-gurus are believers, most physicians, including myself, are not. “Why do you think that Dr. Patel? Computers can analyze mountains of data faster... Read More1

2 days ago, Mark Zuckerberg uploaded a picture that will hopefully spark an epic social movement. If you haven’t already, check out the original post and read the comments… The anti-vaccine community uses digital content to spread fear, anecdotes, and mistrust of anything you can’t buy at a farmer’s market. They also like... Read More0

Watch a gun debate and you’ll see a fiery offense on the Left versus a brick wall on the Right. With every horrific mass shooting or inner city homicide, comes another plea for gun restrictions, which is met by gun lobbyists downplaying the statistics and shouting about infringements on our constitutional... Read More1

Her Individualized Approach This is an actual exchange between Dr. Jamie Zimmerman and myself: “Alok, in a dream world, what would you do for work?” “Hmmm,” l smirked and went along with the charade, “I’d be involved in massive public health campaigns and use elements of humor, satire, and anything... Read More2

Back in the year of the original Die Hard movie, 1988, nearly 350,000 were crippled by polio worldwide. Fast forward to 2014 and that number was 360. Whip out your calculator and be amazed at that 99.9% reduction. If vaccines could talk, they’d share stories about the billions of lives... Read More1

It’s July 30th, 2015 and if you hop on to your favorite news source, you’ll likely run into one of two headlines: Anyway, here’s the headline that should be Trump-ing everything today (pun intended): . 1965 was a legendary year for birthdays including Robert Downey Jr, Dr. Dre, Ben Stiller,... Read More2

From the Seattle Times, May 2015: Cassandra Rush, 33, of Issaquah, was among Washington state parents who never considered the danger of windows until her 5-year-old daughter fell 15 feet, face-first, onto a concrete slab last September. “All I know is I was sitting downstairs with my son,” recalled Rush. “And... Read More0

Getting a teenager to focus without using a smart phone or Instagram is like trying to pet an alligator – good luck. A high-schooler’s attention span is usually cornered by hormone-driven traditions or whatever hashtag is currently trending. Nonetheless, the resurgence of a throwback dance-style, with a blend of mentoring,... Read More2

I love Red Bull advertising and I actually watch clips from Red Bull BC ONE regularly. Additionally, during my days as a little Indian lad, I drank plenty of chai. I get why energy drinks are so appealing, Frappuccinos ARE delicious, and I’m not here to start a war against caffeine. We... Read More0

It’s 2015 and of all the alarming statistics that plague public health, very few rile me up like crimes against women. Seriously, women bring us into the world yet sexual assault, trafficking, and public health disparities seem to only be rising. You can wait for public officials, governments, and societal... Read More1

Which of all the following scenarios do YOU best identify with: Getting empathetic when you hear a baby crying Lying to defend your loved ones. (Like in court… Wait what?) Thinking, “Aww how can you say no to that face?” when you see your dog Seeing a foster mom love... Read More1

My fellow Arizona Wildcats (BEAR DOWN) and I were at Moda stadium, Portland, this past Saturday, March 21st, to watch the Wildcats take on the Ohio St. Buckeyes. During our epic 2nd half run against the Buckeyes, the FAN CAM centered on me and the reaction was awesome.    ... Read More3

I’m no longer going to make fun of Valentine’s Day. Well, let’s be real, I will probably still bash on it because it’s a day that sees 195 million rose purchases, full tables at overpriced restaurants, and an assortment of circus acts in the name of outdoing one another. But I... Read More3

I turned on my TV the other morning, while trying not be late for my clinic, and I saw an unfortunate link between a childhood love and a professional frustration. I couldn’t believe it. Obviously the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physicians, and champions of public health nationwide would... Read More5

  It’s 2015! Similar to many folks, I get pretty reflective on this hallmark day. 2014 was an incredible for me, in every respect. Professionally, socially, physically, romantically – all in all, I feel blessed and very amped for the upcoming year. Nonetheless, I look back to the airline disasters, the... Read More5

I could watch Taken over and over again. Although it should be called, “How to Rip Paris Apart in 36 Hours.” I actually think a fun game would be to make a spreadsheet to document how many French, Armenian, and Middle Eastern men Liam Neeson breaks as he rescues his... Read More1

One fine day at the Gates Foundation, I heard New York Times Columnist, Nicholas Kristof, discuss the harsh realities of medical journalism:  He made a valid point about scare tactics in healthcare media. There’s a reason “Ebola Fear” is more contagious than the actual virus. Medicine needs more story-tellers –... Read More3

Alright fine, Katie Couric didn’t REALLY save my life – but had I actually been choking, she could have. And it only took her five minutes to learn how. I “choked” in front of Katie Couric and her live audience.  I gestured: “I CAN’T BREATHE!” and Katie bravely stepped into... Read More12

Granted, I usually say when I try to explain the concept of residency to those outside the healthcare field. This is a terrible set up strategy.  Those TV residents seem to spend all their time tangling through love webs and miss a small aspect of residency – the patients. My... Read More5

I wrote a flowery essay to get into medical school about eight years ago.  Within a bunch of run-on sentences, I wrote about my experiences with physicians and how each one told me it was a life of learning….learning from everything. Fast forward to present times and ‘everything’ is needed... Read More5