About The AuthorMy name is Tim Coyle. I'm a regular-foot surfer from a small beach town in southern New Jersey. Somehow, I ended up living in two wave-starved places since leaving home after high school: Miami for college and New York City, where I currently reside. My education produced a B.S. in Health Sciences/ Pre-Physical Therapy (changed from pre-med, biology) and an M.S. in Education, majoring in Kinesiology and Sport Science, both from the University of Miami. I met my wonderful girlfriend in college, and my life has been forever changed. I moved to New York in September of 2011 because she was starting physical therapy school up here, and there were no jobs in the field of Exercise Physiology. I thought personal training could lead to good income to start the loan repayment process. One of my clients at the gym was a pharmaceutical rep, who invited me to a social gathering where I met my now-colleague. My current occupation as an exercise physiologist in a precision, preventive medical practice is my dream job. My nickname should be Action Potential, because I'm an all-or-nothing kind of guy. I carry a folded up piece of paper in my wallet, what I call my "currency of life" that holds my values. I try to change the world a little each day. My vision is to replace the role of responsibility upon the individual, and emphasize the preventive side of healthcare while making one's own health journey something that is enjoyed, not just tolerated.
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Introduction to the (REAL) future of healthcare
When was the last time a doctor treated you like an individual? You are a complex organism made up of trillions of cells. Instead of focusing on change at the cellular level, you look to your exterior for how healthy you believe you are. A doctor will often operate under the notion that, if you're not sick, you're healthy. General guidelines for many disease states are lax. Feel great about the new healthcare law yet? Neither do I.
On my beach patrol (see picture to left) where I was a lifeguard for nine summers, I learned that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In spite of this philosophy, we still have over 1,000 rescues and medical emergencies each summer. Imagine what would happen if we didn't care to prevent? (what is the conversion factor for ounces to pounds again?) Sound familiar? Even if we prevent things from happening through lifestyle intervention, we still have our genetics working in our favor, or against it. We will all die eventually, but the notion that we have to get slower, weaker and less functional as we age has been rejected. Doctors who are well trained have the knowledge and understanding of what the individual truly needs to live vigorously well into old-age. Imagine your doctor knew everything there was to know about you, as this all affects your health outcome, and on top of that has become your new email pal. Welcome to the future.
Working in a preventive medical practice with top-of-the-line clinical exercise testing equipment, I now understand what is necessary for a clinical team to be able to direct their patients towards success. However, be cautioned that our viewpoint evolves constantly. I hope the following information in subsequent posts allows for "Gaining Perspective" on the REAL future of our healthcare system, if you believe in positive outcomes. I'll also touch on the spectrums of related issues as well.