"Let's put the seniors in jail and the criminals in a nursing home. This way the seniors would have access to showers, hobbies and walks. They'd receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheelchairs, etc...They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly if they fell or needed assistance. Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them. A guard would check on them every 20 minutes...Private, secure rooms for all, with an outdoor exercise yard and gardens. The criminals would get cold food, be left all alone and unsupervised, lights off at 8 p.m. and showers once a week. They would live in a tiny room, pay $5,000 per month, and have no hope of ever getting out."
Nancy Sunderman, in a letter to the editor of the suburban Chicago Daily Herald. (Her suggestion is intended to be satirical.)

“Life is a marathon, not a sprint. A great deal of mischief occurs when people are in a rush.”
Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier, physician-researcher. See " Think the Answer’s Clear? Look Again " (NYT, 8/30/10).

"The head is an overstated organ. The heart is where all the action is. And I can remember things that occur in my heart much better than things that occur in my head: having fun with the kids; laughing; our new grandchild."
Bob Patterson, diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2008. See " As Memories Slip Away, A Grandfather Reflects " (NPR, 8/27/10)

“This is not how any of us doctors wanted care to be set up, but the system, as it is now, is broken. Patients are asking for more, doctors are under huge pressures, and there is not enough money in primary care.”
Dr. David G. Fairchild, chief medical officer at Tufts Medical Center. See " Can Concierge Medicine for the Few Benefit the Many? " (NYT, 8/26/10).