Employment History:

Published Works:
San Francisco Chronicle; The Oakland Tribune; the San Jose Mercury News; The Sacramento Bee; the Los Angeles Times; The Wall Street Journal

Public Speaking Experience:

Why M is an Expert:
I’m an expert on the healthcare industry, which includes private insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid.

Best Advice:
Regardless of the difficulties we encounter in battling for our patients’ appropriate care, this is a very rewarding profession to be in and it’s worth the hassle.

Passionate about:
Giving appropriate care to people who need it, which entails decision-making that is in-line with what the doctor thinks is appropriate – not what the third party bureaucrat or insurance company feels is appropriate. I’ve been very lucky. The factor that has separated me from a lot of the problems other doctors face is that I have written multiple articles in multiple newspapers. Sometimes, when I encounter irrational behavior from the insurance companies, I can stipulate: I’m going to write an article about what’s happening. Usually, the insurance companies have second thoughts and say, “Well, ok, maybe you can do that.” I’m also passionate about consulting my younger peers.

Biography Excerpt:
Sidney M. Marchasin is an accomplished internal medicine specialist and medical columnist with more than 40 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He is proud to work for Sequoia Hospital, which is ranked among the top five percent of hospitals nationwide and is a recipient of the 2008 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence, based on a study issued by HealthGrades – the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings company. Sequoia Hospital also ranks in the top percentile of hospitals nationwide for patient satisfaction.

     

Cambridge Who's Who: What would you like to promote most about yourself or your business?  
DR. SIDNEY M. MARCHASIN MD:  I am in this business because I love what I do; it’s not a monetary thing. There are general principals we adhere to in doing a good job for patients. We don’t want to see government setting guidelines that are inappropriate and not in the best interest of patient care.

What is the most difficult obstacle or challenge you have faced in pursuit of your goals?
The challenges in dealing with insurance companies and government: we oftentimes fight to obtain the appropriate approvals for tests, procedures and medications that we want for the patients. Some of these insurance companies want us to change because there are less expensive items that they consider more reasonable. I’m after what’s best for the patient, not after what’s best for the insurance company. We don’t want to create a problem for insurance companies, we want to make sure that patients are not short-changed in their access to appropriate medical care.

How do you remain current in your profession?
We have continuing medical education programs at the hospital where I work. There are outside programs we go to in order to keep abreast of the latest advances. This is all mandatory. In California, you have to have so many hours of continuing medical education in order to renew your MD license.