by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 17, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
I have been paying close attention to the news about glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist medications because they may provide a ray of hope for many patients with chronic wounds – over 60% of whom are obese and nearly half of whom have diabetes. However, I also...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 15, 2025 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has just released a report on Medicare claims for “Skin Substitutes”. OIG analyzed Medicare Part B claims data, Medicare Advantage claims data, and manufacturer-reported sales data for skin substitutes in 2023 and 2024....
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 12, 2025 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
Dr. Fife, I wanted to provide some follow up on the “Tale of Two Wounds”. Eventually, Wound #1 cost Medicare (and the taxpayer) almost half a million dollars whereas Wound #2 cost less than 1% of that. And since the patient is responsible for 20% of those Medicare...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 10, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
Thank you to my friend Irene Waldridge for sending me this article about sleep apnea and wound healing which I had missed! “A total of 11 cohort studies and 1 case–control study with a total of 58,198,463 subjects were included. Most studies suggest that...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 8, 2025 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes
Dr. Fife, Your articles on skin subs are so helpful. An old coworker of mine called to ask me about the wound care Nurse Practitioner jobs she had seen advertised about applying skin subs. The company did a video interview with her, telling her how much money she...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 5, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
In the wake of two hyperbaric chamber fires, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an important Letter to Health Care Providers reminding clinicians and facilities of the critical importance of following manufacturer instructions...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 3, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
Guest Blog by Davis Melin and Mark Melin Gravity humbles the human body. The acute effects of gravity include falls and fractures while the chronic effects include sagging skin that not even Botox can overcome. Because of gravity, fluid in the body naturally falls to...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Aug 27, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and serves as the internal watchdog for HHS programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The OIG’s job is to monitor compliance with Medicare/Medicaid billing rules. The...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Aug 26, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
Hi Dr. Fife, Thank you for your interesting and timely blog posts. My husband and I read the one about the Do-It-Yourself Hearing Test with interest. Unfortunately, our iPhones and AirPods are a little too old to use the Hearing Aid option. However, in case there are...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Aug 21, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
I can’t believe that it’s been 20 years since I had idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL). I had been lecturing nearly all day to a group of physicians and naturally, it was Friday afternoon when I finished my last talk. When people came up to chat with...
