Weekly Insights Blog Archive | Dr Matthew M. Tomaino, MD. Exceptional care for your shoulder, hand and elbow.

What's in Your Tool Chest?

August 20th, 2016

I recently contributed a blog to www.JHSFocus.com--- a website sponsored by the American Society for...[more]

Forgive and Remember

June 22nd, 2016

Failure in life---no matter how great or small, can provide a transformational opportunity for growt...[more]

Making connections is our most compelling currency

May 30th, 2016

Vinod Khosla is an Indian/American businessman who made his early fortune as one of the co-founders ...[more]

Stuffing the Channel: Make sure you are not an unknowing victim

February 22nd, 2016

Channel Stuffing by a company refers to the practice of artificially inflating current sales ...[more]

I Was Blind, But Now I Can See

March 21st, 2015

Last Sunday at church the Gospel was about a miracle Jesus performed, whereby a blind man could see....[more]

After Action Reviews

February 1st, 2015

To maintain the highest levels of patient satisfaction, I need to deliberately and continually focus...[more]

Patient Satisfaction as a Metric for Quality

January 18th, 2015

As orthopedic surgeons, we typically equate a quality outcome with the patient’s end result—reso...[more]

Self-Efficacy: The Power of Believing You Can

December 5th, 2014

The very little engine looked up and saw the tears in the dolls’ eyes. And she thought of the ...[more]
The Value of Care: What's its Proxy?
October 31st, 2014
This morning I walked into Dunkin’ Donuts for a large coffee and took my place at the end of a len...[more]
The Learning Horizon and the Limits of Experience
September 4th, 2014
The learning horizon is a term that I was introduced to in the book “The Fifth Discipline” by Pe...[more]
Tennis Inspired Reflections
August 12th, 2014
My blog entitled “Recipe for Success” (March 2013) was inspired by a baseball story about Earl W...[more]
Our Core Values
August 6th, 2014
The fundamental backbone of an organization is their core values. Indeed, operationalizing these val...[more]
What's Our Mission?
June 20th, 2014
I frequently see patients who ask me to refer them or a family member to another physician for care ...[more]
Empathy
May 11th, 2014
According to Webster’s dictionary, the definition of Empathy is the feeling that you understand...[more]
Improving the Management of Rotator cuff disease
November 30th, 2013
Rotator cuff disease ranks among the most prevalent of musculoskeletal disorders-- the prevalence of...[more]
A Recipe for Success
March 25th, 2013
I participated in an Educational forum this past weekend that addressed throwing-related injuries in...[more]
Phrases that have meaning
January 21st, 2013
I have come to respect, over the past 20 years of practice, the value of certain phrases and/or refe...[more]
Orthopaedic Surgeon or Orthopaedist: One or the other or Both---it’s worth knowing!
January 13th, 2013
When it comes to ailments of your Musckuloskeletal system---bones, joints, ligaments and tendons----...[more]
It's about the Climb
September 9th, 2012
I just returned from Chicago after attending the yearly Meeting of the American Society for Surgery ...[more]
Sir William Osler's legacy
August 18th, 2012
Beyond the historical record of legendary contributions to the field of medicine, Sir William Osler ...[more]
Understanding Expectations and Perceptions
May 6th, 2012
At the beginning of April, I began asking all my patients to complete a brief "Satisfaction survey"...[more]
The Power of Positive Thinking
March 25th, 2012
I have always noted that if I feel “down”, it tends to be accompanied by an increase in my som...[more]
Attentive Listening
March 18th, 2012
Effective communication relies on attentive listening. Though I am arguably imperfect in my goal to ...[more]
Distal Radius Fracture Treatment Update: If you are 65 years and older, is surgery or a cast better?
March 10th, 2012
In the December 2011 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, this exact question was address...[more]
Ask a question. Read the Forum.
January 20th, 2012
When I started www.rearmyourself.com nearly 2 years ago, I wanted to provide informative videos an...[more]
Shoulder Update: “Injuries Associated with Traumatic Anterior Glenohumeral Dislocations”
January 15th, 2012
The above article, in the January 2012 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, evalu...[more]
Art and Science
December 8th, 2011
Practicing medicine is both Art and Science. While SCIENCE relies on reproducible experimentation, o...[more]
Happy Thanksgiving and Thank You
November 23rd, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving.
This time of year ordinarily inspires us to reflect on our blessings, and fo...[more]
Timelessness
November 21st, 2011
Try saying "timelessness" 3 times fast--it's a bit of a tongue twister.

Sin...[more]
Failing Forward
October 23rd, 2011
There are books and countless articles on this subject—the essence of the phrase is that Failure i...[more]
Knowledge is power
October 16th, 2011
The September issue of “The Bulletin”--the Journal of the Monroe County Medical Society—addres...[more]
Treat your arm like its your roof
October 2nd, 2011
Was listening to the WHAM radio Home repair clinic this morning, when a caller was advised to get...[more]
It's Your Arm. You are Entitled to Know.
July 24th, 2011
I saw a patient friday for a second opinion about her clavicle fracture, which she sustained 1 month...[more]
Intangibles are Immeasurable
April 24th, 2011
On a plane ride home yesterday from a “spring break” vacation with my family, I read, on B7 of t...[more]
Sharing Information Leads to Better Decisions
January 22nd, 2011
It goes without saying that being better informed probably improves one's ability to make decisions....[more]
Grace
November 28th, 2010
It’s fitting this time of year to reflect on how blessed we are, despite the crosses we may bear. ...[more]
"I've Seen You Before"
October 23rd, 2010
I was in Toronto this past week to take my son to “Wicked” during a brief mid-term hiatus from 7...[more]
Inspiration from yesterday's Ironman competition
August 9th, 2010
While I was struggling to get my 45 minutes in on the Elliptical yesterday (since I turned 50.....ye...[more]
Tomaino Care: What does this mean?
May 2nd, 2010
This week I was reminded of what might be in jeopardy in the future as new health care policy is imp...[more]
The "Ritz" brand of "customer service" ought to be a model for Health Care Providers
March 14th, 2010
I was invited to give a lecture on the treatment of thumb pain after unsuccessful "basal joint" surg...[more]
The Power of Community
January 30th, 2010
Serendipity blesses us with insight at times, if we are open to it. This past Thursday afternoon, I ...[more]
Happy Holidays--Wishing you Abundance in 2010
December 24th, 2009
I have been blessed in 2009 personally and professionally, and wish all of you a wonderful holiday, ...[more]
Irreparable Rotator Cuff? There may be a minimally invasive solution
December 19th, 2009
This week alone, I saw 3 patients older than 70, who were told that repair was not possible and that...[more]
Authenticity Trumps Competence
October 4th, 2009
Would you agree with this statement?

I enjoyed seeing an extremely forthright patien...[more]
Clinical Update: Common Questions Regarding Shoulder Replacement
September 13th, 2009
I recently received several very good questions regarding shoulder replacement surgery from a patien...[more]
Clinical Updates: Helping you to keep informed.
August 30th, 2009
Over the past year, most of my blogs have not addressed clinical topics. Many of the responses to m...[more]
Health Care Reform: Market Forces Must be Involved
August 21st, 2009
Many of my patients have asked me to weigh in on this topic in general, and President Obama's vision...[more]
Modern Day Timelessness
July 20th, 2009
At times when I am uninspired regarding a Blog entry, I simply hold off. But this weekend two events...[more]
The Hand and the Heart
July 5th, 2009
I hope everyone enjoyed a festive Independence Day yesterday! While flipping through radio station c...[more]
Exchange is Most Valuable When it is in both Directions
June 5th, 2009
I have had the privilege these past 2 days of attending the largest Mexican Orthopaedic Meeting for ...[more]
The "Art" of Medicine
May 31st, 2009
Science and technology are undeniably critical ingredients to improving the quality of healthcare an...[more]
The Wizard of Oz--NO
May 23rd, 2009
I have a beloved patient from Pittsburgh who recently visited me to have thumb basal joint surgery. ...[more]
Thinking Outside of the Box: Free Customers Welcome
May 10th, 2009
Auction houses, real estate brokers, dating services --to name a few-- are among those businesses wh...[more]
Look Beyond the Window
May 2nd, 2009
Window dressing may provide a compelling snapshot of the offering available before you open the door...[more]
Experience is actually priceless
April 17th, 2009
Ever notice how "Life" does not follow the script you had in mind? That having been said, you play t...[more]
Live Life Abundantly
April 5th, 2009
Abundance:
1. an ample quantity; 2. affluence,wealth, 3.relative degree of plentifulness.[more]
The "Compassion" of Time
March 23rd, 2009
We've all heard the saying, "This too may pass."

It not only refers to the "bad time...[more]
When it comes to Physical Therapy, make sure the Right hand knows what the Left hand is doing
March 14th, 2009
After Shoulder, Hand and Elbow Surgery, physical therapy is usually a critcal ingredient to one's fu...[more]
In Pursuit of a Total that Exceeds the Sum of the Parts
March 7th, 2009
When we hear this phrase, "the total is greater than the sum of the parts" we expect extra value----...[more]
The Impact of the Individual
February 5th, 2009
Sure---most of us work in jobs where "individual" achievement may be masked by "corporate" or "group...[more]
What do you buy when you purchase an 1/8th inch drill?
January 24th, 2009
During my stint at Pitt's Katz School of Business, in 2001, while working full time as an Associate ...[more]
The Experience Trap
January 18th, 2009
Don Moyer, in a Harvard Business Review article entitled, "Is Experience Enough" (HBR Jan 2009 p120)...[more]
Iteration: What an opportunity
January 10th, 2009
I have the privilege of sitting on the Scientific Advisory Boards of 3 Orthopaedic device companies,...[more]
Preapproval for MRI studies
January 2nd, 2009
Happy New Year to all. Here's looking to a wonderful,healthy, and prosperous New year. Although our ...[more]
Close the loop: make a 2nd (or 3rd ) opinion valuable
December 24th, 2008
Getting another opinion is valuable--no question. It may confirm the 1st, offer a different perspect...[more]
The lost art of "Listening"
December 20th, 2008
It's been said that "what the mind does not know, the eye does not see."

In a similar...[more]
Thank You!
November 29th, 2008
It's only fitting on this Thanksgiving Holiday 2008 that I extend a heartfelt "thanks" to all of you...[more]
Just because we weild a "Hammer" does not mean that you should be the "Nail"
November 23rd, 2008
You're probably familiar with the saying, "If you have a hammer, everything's a nail". In my profes...[more]
The Power of a Smile
November 16th, 2008
Is'nt it true-----an unexpected and genuine smile from a stranger who may randomly pass you during y...[more]
Choose a Provider who is Accountable for Your Care
November 9th, 2008
In the Rochester and Upstate NY region many families who are not eligible for medicaid because of in...[more]
Mind, Body AND Soul
November 2nd, 2008
I was privileged this past thursday to perform a complex revision surgery on a woman from some 100 m...[more]
Trust, But Verify
November 2nd, 2008
An ongoing "real time" assessment of "how are we doing" is a critical, though too frequently ignored...[more]
The "Country" is Flat
October 25th, 2008
Many of you may have read, or at least heard of "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. He offers m...[more]
Will you be doing my surgery?
October 11th, 2008
This is a common question in the office when I schedule surgery. And my answer is, as you might expe...[more]
It's Fundamental, isn't it?
September 17th, 2008
The Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand is in Chicago this week, and its ...[more]
Making Sense of Ambiguous Evidence
September 13th, 2008
In the September 2008 Harvard Business Review, beginning on page 53, is an interesting article detai...[more]
Accessible 24/7? Yes I am.
September 7th, 2008
Wendys is open later than midnight. Wegmans is open all night long. After the drug store closes, you...[more]
The Satus quo: when to defend, and when to challenge?
August 30th, 2008
When I say during surgery, "This is the way I do it" I mean that my insistence on quality and aversi...[more]
August 24th, 2008
It may be assumed that a fracture of the "ball" portion of the shoulder's "ball & socket" joint is a...[more]
Who is your Surgeon, AND where is it performed?
August 21st, 2008
No one would quarrel with the importance of their surgeon's competence, experience, technical skill ...[more]
Exceeding the sum of the parts
August 10th, 2008
We've all heard the phrase, "The total exceeds the sum of the parts." In our case I would say, "Our ...[more]
Innovation is Valuable....but
August 8th, 2008
There is no question that Innovative surgical devices and procedures have a critical role in medicin...[more]
Innovation
August 3rd, 2008
In April I had the opportunity to deliver a lecture in my community at the Chatterbox Club. I select...[more]
What the Mind does not know, the Eye does not see
August 2nd, 2008
Perhaps you have heard the above phrase. It can also be stated that "what the mind does not know, t...[more]
Choice--Exercise this opportunity wisely
August 2nd, 2008
What a powerful opportunity exists when we not only "have" choice(s), but also "exercise" choice. In...[more]
Clinical Update: Improving Outcome after Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
July 26th, 2008
A number of advances in surgical technique over the past 5 years have improved the outcomes followin...[more]
Clinical Update: Rotator Cuff Arthropathy
July 21st, 2008
When one has impaired shoulder function and pain due to either an irreparable rotator cuff tear, rot...[more]
Chie--The Wisdom of Experience
July 20th, 2008
In the June issue of the Harvard Business Review, Hirotaka Takeuchi and coauthors explore the factor...[more]
Be an "Informed" Consumer
July 14th, 2008
Higher deductibles and health savings accounts are but a couple of examples of how accountability fo...[more]
"Urgent": calling for immediate attention
July 6th, 2008
An increasing number of "Urgent Care" Centers have emerged in various communities to address injurie...[more]
Small is the New Big...
June 29th, 2008
Welcome to the 1st posting of my Weekly Insights Blog - a contribution meant to provoke a res...[more]

Latest Blog Posts

What's in Your Tool Chest?
Forgive and Remember
Making connections is our most compelling currency
Stuffing the Channel: Make sure you are not an unknowing victim
I Was Blind, But Now I Can See
After Action Reviews
Patient Satisfaction as a Metric for Quality
Self-Efficacy: The Power of Believing You Can
The Value of Care: What's its Proxy?
The Learning Horizon and the Limits of Experience

- view all blog posts -