The Surgeon Who Refused the Simple Prescription

Dr. Elena Vargas had spent twenty-three years as one of Houston's most respected cardiac surgeons. When persistent chest tightness sent her to a colleague's office at Methodist Hospital, she expected the full workup — stress echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization, maybe even a referral to the Cleveland Clinic. Instead, her colleague listened carefully, reviewed her labs, and handed her a prescription for a generic acid reflux medication.…