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Hector Baillie

Author Profile

Dr. Hector Baillie is a community general internist working in British Columbia. He writes about interesting cases and concepts that might stimulate discussion and change.

ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR

  • 4/21/2022

    Scottish patter

    Dr. Hector Baillie reminisces about amusing times when his Scottish vocabulary and accent bemused Canadians.
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera
  • 1/22/2022

    Trust me, I'm a doctor

    You don't have to look too far to see the erosion of trust. The most frightening example is the COVID anti-vaxxer. I have spoken to a few: I try not to argue, just engage in respectful conversation. . . and find myself biting my tongue.
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera
  • 12/30/2021

    All in the family

    My daughter had spent some time in Central America. The day she came home, she wasn’t her usual buoyant self. “I’m not hungry," she said, "and I have a sore tummy.” I learned that no parent should be in the position of being father and doctor to his adolescent child.
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera
  • 12/19/2021

    It's a dog's life

    At the end of my career, I gravitated towards heart failure work and spent 11 years running a heart-function clinic. And jings crivens, would you believe it? My dog, Cassie, gets a check-up and the chest X-ray shows a huge cardiac silhouette.
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera
  • 11/24/2021

    My experiences of dying

    The death of one of our patients is often considered a failure to maintain longevity. It’s not a topic for discussion at the dinner table, or in the office. But, sometimes we need to go to difficult places.
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera
  • 11/4/2021

    Thoughts on the Triple Aim

    We think we are doing a great job, but quite honestly, we should be investing in the root causes of ill-health and focusing on population as well as individual health.
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera
  • 10/18/2021

    I’ve got pneumonia—pass the Gravol!

    Do the pharmacy colleges see the importance of packaging and information transfer, in times when we are dealing with an aging population? What can be done to address this?
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera
  • 10/6/2021

    Isolation and the elderly

    It is not surprising that almost half of all seniors living in long-term care have been diagnosed with depression. How should we, as physician caregivers, respond?
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera
  • 9/24/2021

    Alternative medicine

    I tell my patient, “I can’t vouch for the efficacy or safety of your supplement, but if it doesn’t harm you. . . the worst it can do is lighten your wallet.” There is a pause at the end of the line.
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera
  • 9/8/2021

    Unusual cases

    Someone once told me, “If you don’t put a rare disease on your differential diagnosis, you will never see one,” and he was right.
    Hector Baillie
    a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera