Ilana Yurkiewicz, MD
ilanayurkiewicz.bsky.social
Ilana Yurkiewicz, MD
@ilanayurkiewicz.bsky.social
Stanford physician, professor, and author.
In our fragmented medical system, you are the only guaranteed source of continuity in your care. My field guide has 3 strategies anyone can use: on medical elevator pitches, finding primary care, and getting your team to talk. ilanayurkiewiczmd.substack.com/p/the-fragmented-field-guide
The Fragmented Field Guide
Three strategies to navigate America's healthcare maze when it matters most.
ilanayurkiewiczmd.substack.com
December 21, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Full-time primary care doctors work ~62 hours per week, and even 90+ hours cover <70% of the job's demands. These numbers back what every primary care doctor knows: Going part-time is the only way to do the job.

Read "The Fake Math of Primary Care" ilanayurkiewiczmd.substack.com/p/the-fake-m...
The Fake Math of Primary Care
It's a design failure built on outdated numbers.
ilanayurkiewiczmd.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Medical education teaches that conveying prognosis is hard because of communication. But the larger challenge is that curveballs are expected. How can doctors convey what isn't known?

New Hard Medicine piece here: open.substack.com/pub/ilanayur...
"How long do I have?"
The challenge isn't communication. It's radical uncertainty.
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Writing about medicine is one thing. Getting published is another.

My latest Hard Medicine piece breaks down how to get your work out there — from pitch to publication.

open.substack.com/pub/ilanayur...
How to Pitch and Publish Medical Journalism
Nuts and bolts to get your work out there.
open.substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Not everything needs more research. I wrote this speech weeks *before* the Tylenol-autism non-story.

“We could study whether tides cause autism. We wouldn’t — because it doesn’t make sense to invest limited dollars & research into what isn't biologically plausible.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRO0...
Who Can We Trust? | Stanford Big Ideas in Medicine 2025 Opening Talk | Dr. Ilana Yurkiewicz
YouTube video by Stanford Medicine & the Muse
www.youtube.com
October 1, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Medicine is deeply fragmented. The question I'm asked most now is: Will AI fix it?

In my latest Hard Medicine piece, I examine whether generative AI can transform the current data mess into a meaningful narrative that helps both patients and doctors.

ilanayurkiewiczmd.substack.com/p/can-ai-fix...
Can AI fix a fragmented medical system?
Or fracture it further?
ilanayurkiewiczmd.substack.com
September 25, 2025 at 6:37 AM
At the same time doctors are least available, bad information is most available.

Unpacking the push and pull behind the nadir in medical trust for Big Ideas in Medicine opening talk (13 min):

youtu.be/kWEQm_10pNs?...
Who Can We Trust? | Stanford Big Ideas in Medicine 2025 Opening Talk | Dr. Ilana Yurkiewicz
YouTube video by Ilana Yurkiewicz, M.D.
youtu.be
September 16, 2025 at 2:22 PM
I spoke to @cancertherapyadv.bsky.social about why cancer survivors can fall through the cracks - and how to prevent it.
With commentary from @ilanayurkiewicz.bsky.social of @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social, @sfuldnasso.bsky.social
of Cancer Nation, Dr Kevin Oeffinger of @dukecancer.bsky.social, Dr Tatjana Kolevska of @kaiser-permanente.bsky.social, and more.
Experts say better communication and coordination between oncologists and PCPs are needed to improve care for cancer survivors, but some health care facilities are making progress in that regard. Read or listen here: shorturl.at/8aQYD
September 15, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Who Can We Trust? My new essay.

"I spoke about managing symptoms with palliative care and hospice. He spoke of blue scorpion venom and mistletoe. I pointed to prescription medications. He pointed to expensive supplements. I cited PubMed. He cited TikTok."

open.substack.com/pub/ilanayur...
Who Can We Trust?
Welcome to Big Ideas in Medicine.
open.substack.com
August 26, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Most cancer survivors don’t stay with their oncologist—they land in primary care. Meanwhile, most primary care doctors aren't trained for what comes next.

New from my Substack, Hard Medicine: What every internist should know.

ilanayurkiewiczmd.substack.com/p/cancer-is-...
Cancer is over. Now what?
What every doctor should know about caring for cancer survivors.
ilanayurkiewiczmd.substack.com
July 20, 2025 at 6:18 PM
I was honored to be a part of Stanford Alumni Association's 50th Annual Books on Review with brilliant authors Kathryn Ma, Charmaine Wilkerson, and Allegra Goodman, in conversation with the inimitable Linda Landau. Watch here: youtu.be/tbUPEVVkguU?...
50th Annual Books on Review
YouTube video by Stanford Alumni
youtu.be
February 25, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Today, I joined Ann Nyberg to discuss my book Fragmented and how we can piece together U.S. health care. And yes - we still use fax machines in 2025.
www.wtnh.com/on-air/nyber...
Nyberg: A Stanford doctor’s quest to ‘piece together American health care’
CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — It can be frustrating to try and keep track of a loved one’s medical documents, even for doctors. Dr. Ilana Yurkiewicz, a staff member at Stanford Medicine, set out to so…
www.wtnh.com
February 21, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Nominations for speakers are now open for the 2025 Stanford Big Ideas in Medicine conference. Nominate someone (or yourself!) today. Categories are Magic Medicine, Climate & Health, Neuroscience, and End of Life.

I look forward to reading your submission.

www.stanfordbigideas.org/2025-speaker...
2025 Speaker Nomination — Stanford Big Ideas in Medicine
www.stanfordbigideas.org
January 26, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Join me for the 50th Annual Books on Review! Jan 30 via Zoom. I will discuss FRAGMENTED - origin story, writing process, etc. Register here: groups.stanford.edu/events/106988. (If no Stanford connection, email [email protected].) Thanks to Stanford Women's Club of the East Bay for hosting.
50th Annual Books on Review - Four Stanford Authors
50th Annual Books on Review   We have a fabulous group of Stanford authors coming in January!  Join us to hear these wonderful writers talk about their inspiration, writing process, and their books.  ...
groups.stanford.edu
January 15, 2025 at 6:34 AM