Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
@tnicholsmd.com
I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others
Humanist | Emergency+Addiction Medicine | Health policy and advocacy | Health technology and innovation | Views my own (he/him)
Humanist | Emergency+Addiction Medicine | Health policy and advocacy | Health technology and innovation | Views my own (he/him)
Pinned
Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
@tnicholsmd.com
· Oct 17
Hi new friends, welcome!
I’m an emergency medicine and addiction medicine physician interested in health policy and advocacy. I post about harm reduction and the intersection between politics and health and healthcare, and my otherwise meandering thoughts of political despair.
I’m an emergency medicine and addiction medicine physician interested in health policy and advocacy. I post about harm reduction and the intersection between politics and health and healthcare, and my otherwise meandering thoughts of political despair.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
“… our ID fellows alone receive an average of 4.1 chat messages per patient, every day. With 15–20 patients, that’s easily 60–80 interruptions daily … a recent study showed that… 99% were non-urgent and 66% were non-actionable.”
Check out our article and guidance on Epic chat messages in CID. Anyone doing frontline clinical work understands the substantial downsides of constant, on-demand, text communication in the EHR. So great to write this with ID fellows. doi.org/10.1093/cid/...
More than a message: Death by a 1,000 “Chats”
Abstract. Secure electronic messaging within the electronic health record (EHR), such as Epic Chat, has transformed communication in hospitals by enabling
doi.org
February 14, 2026 at 4:15 PM
“… our ID fellows alone receive an average of 4.1 chat messages per patient, every day. With 15–20 patients, that’s easily 60–80 interruptions daily … a recent study showed that… 99% were non-urgent and 66% were non-actionable.”
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
In 1854, after watching the federal government deploy 2000 federal troops and spend $40,000 sending Anthony Burns back into slavery, Boston's Amos Adams Lawrence said “we went to bed one night old-fashioned, conservative, Compromise Union Whigs and waked up stark mad Abolitionists.”
Yesterday morning kids were sent running from their bus stop in panic because ICE showed up. This guy at today’s ICE Out of Lindenwold protest is a must watch 😭. @maddow.bsky.social
February 14, 2026 at 5:07 PM
In 1854, after watching the federal government deploy 2000 federal troops and spend $40,000 sending Anthony Burns back into slavery, Boston's Amos Adams Lawrence said “we went to bed one night old-fashioned, conservative, Compromise Union Whigs and waked up stark mad Abolitionists.”
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
We are a nation in which thousands of Black people were "legally" kidnapped with the assistance of the federal government & sent back into slavery.
We are also a nation in which thousands of white & Black people organized in their local communities to try to stop those kidnappings.
"We" are both.
We are also a nation in which thousands of white & Black people organized in their local communities to try to stop those kidnappings.
"We" are both.
February 14, 2026 at 5:36 PM
We are a nation in which thousands of Black people were "legally" kidnapped with the assistance of the federal government & sent back into slavery.
We are also a nation in which thousands of white & Black people organized in their local communities to try to stop those kidnappings.
"We" are both.
We are also a nation in which thousands of white & Black people organized in their local communities to try to stop those kidnappings.
"We" are both.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
'Getting quick emergency care after a heart attack reduces your risk of dying by 30%!'
'Don't bother - emergency care is useless. The rate of heart attacks is so low. The absolute reduction in mortality is only 0.006%!'
'Don't bother - emergency care is useless. The rate of heart attacks is so low. The absolute reduction in mortality is only 0.006%!'
February 14, 2026 at 10:29 PM
'Getting quick emergency care after a heart attack reduces your risk of dying by 30%!'
'Don't bother - emergency care is useless. The rate of heart attacks is so low. The absolute reduction in mortality is only 0.006%!'
'Don't bother - emergency care is useless. The rate of heart attacks is so low. The absolute reduction in mortality is only 0.006%!'
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
This is such terrible advice that I should use it to update my example of when stretching your y-axis is misleading, and truncating your y-axis is fine.
Hint: Only a fraction of people in a trial will get infected regardless.
Hint: Only a fraction of people in a trial will get infected regardless.
February 14, 2026 at 10:04 PM
This is such terrible advice that I should use it to update my example of when stretching your y-axis is misleading, and truncating your y-axis is fine.
Hint: Only a fraction of people in a trial will get infected regardless.
Hint: Only a fraction of people in a trial will get infected regardless.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
I am gonna go out on a limb and say that a Jersey dude so horrified that he went to his first protest and is trying not to cry on camera has a pretty good chance of staying radicalized. And that while Bluesky loves to pick apart things like this, this kinda video moves the needle for OTHER dudes.
Yesterday morning kids were sent running from their bus stop in panic because ICE showed up. This guy at today’s ICE Out of Lindenwold protest is a must watch 😭. @maddow.bsky.social
February 14, 2026 at 9:10 PM
I am gonna go out on a limb and say that a Jersey dude so horrified that he went to his first protest and is trying not to cry on camera has a pretty good chance of staying radicalized. And that while Bluesky loves to pick apart things like this, this kinda video moves the needle for OTHER dudes.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
The attached is illuminating. Doctors, as you know, influence care delivery and clinical standards, but they don't control policy, financing, or regulatory architecture. They operate inside dense layers of incentives, reporting regs, utilization controls, prior auths, and legal risk.
US Healthcare System Overview - Decision Makers and Influencers
www.ispor.org
February 14, 2026 at 7:17 PM
The attached is illuminating. Doctors, as you know, influence care delivery and clinical standards, but they don't control policy, financing, or regulatory architecture. They operate inside dense layers of incentives, reporting regs, utilization controls, prior auths, and legal risk.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
If we insist on naming a villain, it is prohibition enforced through carceral policy and fear based control. Think of the failed war on drugs and the empty moralism of “just say no.” Have you seen this bit of theater from the '80s? 🫤
Nancy Reagan War On Drugs, RAID 1989
YouTube video by WKAJ TV
youtu.be
February 14, 2026 at 7:17 PM
If we insist on naming a villain, it is prohibition enforced through carceral policy and fear based control. Think of the failed war on drugs and the empty moralism of “just say no.” Have you seen this bit of theater from the '80s? 🫤
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
🆕 I had the honor of working at WHO during the COVID-19 & mpox PHEICs.
In my comment for Lancet ID, I explain why global coordination is critical & offer an inside view of what the US is walking away from.
Pathogens have no borders. In public health time is vital
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
In my comment for Lancet ID, I explain why global coordination is critical & offer an inside view of what the US is walking away from.
Pathogens have no borders. In public health time is vital
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
I worked at WHO: the USA leaving will not make America healthier
On Jan 30, 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International
Concern (PHEIC), the highest alarm it can sound, which is used for moments when the
world must act together or risk ca...
www.thelancet.com
February 14, 2026 at 6:59 PM
🆕 I had the honor of working at WHO during the COVID-19 & mpox PHEICs.
In my comment for Lancet ID, I explain why global coordination is critical & offer an inside view of what the US is walking away from.
Pathogens have no borders. In public health time is vital
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
In my comment for Lancet ID, I explain why global coordination is critical & offer an inside view of what the US is walking away from.
Pathogens have no borders. In public health time is vital
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
The lack of national coverage of Border Patrol and Operation Midway Blitz in Chicagoland is perhaps the most profound failure of the media in 2025.
February 12, 2026 at 4:58 PM
The lack of national coverage of Border Patrol and Operation Midway Blitz in Chicagoland is perhaps the most profound failure of the media in 2025.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
“While rivals like Target and Walmart have moved to scale back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in response to political and legal pressure from Washington, Costco has largely held its course—and its business is thriving.” Via @fortune.com
fortune.com/2026/02/13/c...
fortune.com/2026/02/13/c...
February 14, 2026 at 5:19 AM
“While rivals like Target and Walmart have moved to scale back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in response to political and legal pressure from Washington, Costco has largely held its course—and its business is thriving.” Via @fortune.com
fortune.com/2026/02/13/c...
fortune.com/2026/02/13/c...
Regular reminder that this fundamental belief by conservatives is the reason that the United States is the only United Nations member state that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
www.ohchr.org/en/instrumen...
www.ohchr.org/en/instrumen...
February 13, 2026 at 4:25 AM
Regular reminder that this fundamental belief by conservatives is the reason that the United States is the only United Nations member state that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
www.ohchr.org/en/instrumen...
www.ohchr.org/en/instrumen...
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
Every single time a story like this is reported, we must assume that there are many many more that do not.
CBP didn’t give her or anyone any water; she asked 3 times accg to other reports. CBP killed a 7yr old.
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
7-Year-Old Migrant Girl Dies Of Dehydration And Shock In U.S. Border Patrol Custody
The girl's death underscores the crisis precipitated by large groups of families seeking asylum where there are inadequate facilities to detain them.
shorturl.at
February 13, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Every single time a story like this is reported, we must assume that there are many many more that do not.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
CBP didn’t give her or anyone any water; she asked 3 times accg to other reports. CBP killed a 7yr old.
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
7-Year-Old Migrant Girl Dies Of Dehydration And Shock In U.S. Border Patrol Custody
The girl's death underscores the crisis precipitated by large groups of families seeking asylum where there are inadequate facilities to detain them.
shorturl.at
February 13, 2026 at 1:33 AM
CBP didn’t give her or anyone any water; she asked 3 times accg to other reports. CBP killed a 7yr old.
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
I read the Trump-backed voter suppression bill, the so-called “Save America Act,” so you don’t have to. Here’s my summary. Please tell your Senators to vote NO on this abomination: 202-224-3121. TY. 1/
February 12, 2026 at 11:02 PM
I read the Trump-backed voter suppression bill, the so-called “Save America Act,” so you don’t have to. Here’s my summary. Please tell your Senators to vote NO on this abomination: 202-224-3121. TY. 1/
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
The EPA's tailpipe emissions standard is one of the most successful regulatory programs in US history.
Tailpipe emissions cause asthma and cancer, especially in kids.
This is the NYC skyline in 1973.
Tailpipe emissions cause asthma and cancer, especially in kids.
This is the NYC skyline in 1973.
January 14, 2026 at 12:05 AM
The EPA's tailpipe emissions standard is one of the most successful regulatory programs in US history.
Tailpipe emissions cause asthma and cancer, especially in kids.
This is the NYC skyline in 1973.
Tailpipe emissions cause asthma and cancer, especially in kids.
This is the NYC skyline in 1973.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
I hope to see you there!!
February 12, 2026 at 10:56 PM
I hope to see you there!!
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
FDA's decision not to accept Moderna's flu vaccine filing has sent shock waves through pharma. "When there’s uncertainty about the path to approval & the reliability of the process, that really has pretty serious consequences,” one player told @jasonmast.bsky.social. www.statnews.com/2026/02/12/f...
FDA’s rejection of Moderna threatens to stifle broader vaccine industry
Experts say the FDA "moved the goalposts" on Moderna, creating "a destructive precedent that will undermine the future of vaccine development" in the U.S.
www.statnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:04 PM
FDA's decision not to accept Moderna's flu vaccine filing has sent shock waves through pharma. "When there’s uncertainty about the path to approval & the reliability of the process, that really has pretty serious consequences,” one player told @jasonmast.bsky.social. www.statnews.com/2026/02/12/f...
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
This is the key point - it's not about Moderna's flu vaccine, it's about sending a signal to the rest of the industry that vaccine development isn't viable in the US. It's all part of the larger anti-vaccine agenda.
FDA's decision not to accept Moderna's flu vaccine filing has sent shock waves through pharma. "When there’s uncertainty about the path to approval & the reliability of the process, that really has pretty serious consequences,” one player told @jasonmast.bsky.social. www.statnews.com/2026/02/12/f...
FDA’s rejection of Moderna threatens to stifle broader vaccine industry
Experts say the FDA "moved the goalposts" on Moderna, creating "a destructive precedent that will undermine the future of vaccine development" in the U.S.
www.statnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 PM
This is the key point - it's not about Moderna's flu vaccine, it's about sending a signal to the rest of the industry that vaccine development isn't viable in the US. It's all part of the larger anti-vaccine agenda.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
We should ask how higher education embraced using their limited resources to launch centers for the purpose of attacking their own colleagues and students.
February 12, 2026 at 10:54 PM
We should ask how higher education embraced using their limited resources to launch centers for the purpose of attacking their own colleagues and students.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.
Breaking News: The Trump administration repealed the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human life and well being, meaning that the EPA can no longer regulate them. nyti.ms/4rSszQu
February 12, 2026 at 8:38 PM
You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
ICYMI: This week, we caught Robert Kennedy Jr.’s HHS using terminology developed by a Christian Right group to stigmatize gender-affirming care.
www.importantcontext.news/p/hhs-is-usi...
www.importantcontext.news/p/hhs-is-usi...
HHS Has Been Using Anti-Trans Language From a Christian Right Think Tank
The department refers to gender-affirming care as “sex-rejecting procedures,” a term coined by the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
www.importantcontext.news
February 12, 2026 at 5:22 PM
ICYMI: This week, we caught Robert Kennedy Jr.’s HHS using terminology developed by a Christian Right group to stigmatize gender-affirming care.
www.importantcontext.news/p/hhs-is-usi...
www.importantcontext.news/p/hhs-is-usi...
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
Trump is ordering history to be rewritten at the Little Bighorn Battlefield www.ktvq.com/news/local-n...
February 12, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Trump is ordering history to be rewritten at the Little Bighorn Battlefield www.ktvq.com/news/local-n...
Reposted by Taylor Nichols, MD FACEP
Ending this operation is not enough.
We need justice and accountability. That starts with independent investigations into the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, economic restitution for businesses impacted, abolishing ICE, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem.
We need justice and accountability. That starts with independent investigations into the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, economic restitution for businesses impacted, abolishing ICE, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem.
February 12, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Ending this operation is not enough.
We need justice and accountability. That starts with independent investigations into the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, economic restitution for businesses impacted, abolishing ICE, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem.
We need justice and accountability. That starts with independent investigations into the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, economic restitution for businesses impacted, abolishing ICE, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem.