SKU: 53516033555
uppababy vista pushchair age

uppababy vista pushchair age UPPAbaby

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Description

uppababy vista pushchair age UPPAbabyby UPPAbaby Babesta Pick Best Full Size Single Stroller for NYC Families Category: Full size strollers Single strollers Travel systems Birth to toddler strollers Certifications: GREENGUARD Gold JPMA Certified REACH certified leather Warranty: 3 year transferable The UPPAbaby Cruz V3 is a 26. 5 lb full size single stroller suitable from birth (with the included infant insert) to 50 lbs. Its fully reversible, lay flat seat, 4 position one hand recline,

by UPPAbaby  |  Babesta Pick — Best Full-Size Single Stroller for NYC Families

Category: Full-size strollers  |  Single strollers  |  Travel systems  |  Birth-to-toddler strollers

Certifications: GREENGUARD® Gold  |  JPMA Certified  |  REACH-certified leather

Warranty: 3-year transferable

The UPPAbaby Cruz V3 is a 26.5 lb full-size single stroller suitable from birth (with the included infant insert) to 50 lbs. Its fully reversible, lay-flat seat, 4-position one-hand recline, integrated foot barrier for carriage mode, and magnetic harness buckle make it one of the most genuinely newborn-ready full-size strollers on the market — no separate bassinet required for the first weeks. As NYC’s expert baby boutique, Babesta considers the Cruz V3 the sweet spot for families who want full-size quality and a premium push without the bulk of a modular platform stroller.

The Cruz V3 is the ideal pick for first-time parents expecting one child who want a stroller that works from the hospital through preschool, delivers a smooth ride on NYC sidewalks, and still folds compactly enough for a car trunk or elevator lobby. If you’re planning to expand to two or more children in a single stroller, consider the UPPAbaby Vista V3 instead.

 

Specifications

Stroller weight (frame + seat)

26.5 lbs

Frame weight only

17 lbs

Seat weight only

9.5 lbs

Unfolded dimensions

37.5″ L × 22.5″ W × 41.8″ H

Folded dimensions (with seat)

17.5″ L × 22.5″ W × 33″ H

Folded dimensions (without seat)

13.5″ L × 22.5″ W × 30″ H

Fold type

One-step trigger fold; footrest and bumper bar tuck in automatically; self-standing

Suitable from birth?

Yes — with included infant insert in lay-flat reclined seat + integrated foot barrier

Suitable without accessories?

From birth with infant insert; up to 50 lbs

Max child weight

50 lbs (approx. age 4–5)

Basket weight capacity

30 lbs — extra-large, easy-access

Seat orientation

Reversible: forward-facing or parent-facing

Seat recline positions

4 positions, one-hand adjustment; full lay-flat for sleep

Leg rest

Adjustable with one hand

Handlebar

Telescoping, one-hand height adjustment; REACH-certified leather grip

Suspension

Enhanced FlexRide™ — all-wheel, frame-integrated for smooth city ride

Tires

Never-flat polyurethane; front wheel lock with visual indicator; reflective accents for low-light visibility

Canopy

UPF 50+ water-repellent; integrated sun shield; zip-out extension; mesh ventilation panels

Harness

5-point with magnetic buckle; infant-to-toddler tapered fit; no-rethread adjustment

Frame material

Durable aluminum; painted finish

Seat fabric

100% polyester; GREENGUARD® Gold certified; premium fabrics with leather details

Certifications

GREENGUARD® Gold; JPMA certified; REACH-certified leather

Warranty

3-year transferable

Included in box

Stroller, infant insert, bug shield, rain shield

 

Best For / Not For

Best For: First-time parents planning on one child, families who want a full-size premium push without a modular platform, parents building a UPPAbaby travel system with the Mesa or Aria infant car seat, elevator-building NYC residents, and anyone who needs a newborn-ready stroller without buying a separate bassinet. Also strong for parents who walk long distances daily and need a stroller that handles NYC sidewalks and park terrain comfortably.

Not For: Families planning to convert to a double stroller (choose the Vista V3 instead), parents in walkup buildings who need a carry-up stroller (the Joolz Aer2 is better for that), or parents who need an airplane-overhead-bin stroller. At 26.5 lbs it is a daily city stroller, not a travel stroller.

Available Colors & Pricing

Colors

Jake (black), Callum (blue), Greyson (charcoal), Evelyn, Julian, Owen, Savannah (white/grey), Ada — all $899.99

Frame options

Graphite or Carbon (matte) — matched per colorway

Availability

Most colors in stock at Babesta; allow 2–3 weeks for order fulfillment

 

Is it suitable for my baby's age?

Newborn (0–3 months)

Yes — seat reclines fully flat with included infant insert and integrated foot barrier for carriage mode. No separate bassinet required for newborn use (though the V3 Bassinet is available separately for maximum lie-flat comfort).

Infant (3–12 months)

Yes — seat reclined or semi-reclined, infant insert still in use, compatible with Mesa or Aria infant car seat for travel system use.

Toddler (1–4 years)

Yes — forward or parent-facing, 4-position one-hand recline, adjustable leg rest, magnetic harness, up to 50 lbs.

 

Is it good for NYC / city use?

Yes — the Cruz V3 is one of Babesta’s strongest recommendations for NYC parents who stroll daily. The Enhanced FlexRide suspension handles cracked sidewalks and dropped curbs better than most full-size strollers, and the never-flat tires mean no emergency trips to get a flat fixed mid-walk. The one-step fold is quick and intuitive; the footrest and bumper bar tuck in automatically so there are no extra steps when you’re managing a baby and a cab door at the same time.

The 22.5″ width is notably narrower than the Vista V3 (25.7″), which matters in NYC: restaurant aisles, elevator doors, and narrow hallway entries are all more manageable. The 30 lb basket is best-in-class for a single stroller and handles a full grocery bag without issue.

NYC note: The Cruz V3 folds compactly and self-stands, but it is not a subway-carry stroller. It works best for families with a car, a building elevator, or a ground-floor entrance. For subway-heavy days, many Cruz V3 families pair it with a lightweight like the Joolz Aer2.

 

Quick Comparison: Cruz V3 vs. Key Alternatives

Feature

Cruz V3

Vista V3

Joolz Aer2

Dragonfly

Weight

26.5 lbs

27.6 lbs

14.3 lbs

With seat 21.8 lbs; with bassinet 23.1lbs

Basket capacity

30 lbs

30 lbs

17.6 lbs

22 lbs; rear pocket 5lbs

Newborn-ready (no extra purchase)

Yes — incl. infant insert

No

Yes — incl. baby net

Yes when purchased with bassinet

Converts to double

No

Yes

No

No

Subway/walkup friendly

Manageable

Harder

Best in class

Good

 

Car Seat Compatibility

No adapter needed

UPPAbaby Mesa, UPPAbaby Aria

Adapter required (sold separately)

Clek, Cybex, Bugaboo x Nuna

Bassinet compatible?

Yes — UPPAbaby Cruz V3 Bassinet attaches directly; sold separately

 

What’s Included

       UPPAbaby Cruz V3 stroller frame

       Full-size reversible toddler seat with lay-flat recline

       Infant insert (for newborn use from birth)

       Bug shield

       Rain shield

       3-year transferable warranty

 

Optional Add-Ons Available at Babesta

       UPPAbaby Cruz V3 Bassinet — for full lie-flat newborn use; attaches directly without adapters (strongly recommended for 0–3 months)

       UPPAbaby Mesa Infant Car Seat — clicks in without adapters for instant travel system

       UPPAbaby Aria Infant Car Seat — clicks in without adapters

       Car seat adapters for Clek, Cybex, Bugaboo x Nuna, Chicco, Maxi-Cosi, Peg Perego (sold separately per brand)

       PiggyBack® Ride-Along Board — for an older sibling standing at the back

       Cozy Ganoosh — footmuff/sleeping bag for cold NYC winters

       Cup holder and parent organizer accessories

 

Babesta Pick — Why We Carry It

The Cruz V3 solves a problem that a lot of NYC first-time parents don’t anticipate: the other premium single strollers in this price range either require you to buy a separate bassinet for newborn use, or they’re so light that the ride quality suffers on cracked sidewalks. The Cruz V3 does neither. The included infant insert plus the lay-flat seat means you genuinely can take it home from the hospital. The FlexRide suspension means the push is smooth enough that you’ll want to keep strolling — which in NYC, where parents walk miles a day, is not a small thing.

We’ve also found that the magnetic harness buckle is one of those features that sounds like marketing until you’ve wrestled a squirming 18-month-old into a conventional buckle in the rain outside a restaurant. After that, you will never want a non-magnetic buckle again.

The one trade-off we are honest about: if there’s any chance you’ll want a double stroller, the Cruz V3 cannot convert. In that case, the Vista V3 at the same $899.99 price is the smarter long-term investment. But for the family that is confident in one child and wants the best single full-size stroller in the UPPAbaby lineup, the Cruz V3 is it.

 

Babesta Services on This Purchase

When you buy the Cruz V3 from Babesta, you get:

       Free in-store assembly and full stroller demo — we walk you through every fold, recline, and harness adjustment

       Home delivery below Canal Street NYC (assembled) and same-day courier delivery in NYC/Brooklyn (unassembled)

       Hold it until you’re ready — buy now, take delivery when baby arrives, no rush

       Price match guarantee — found it cheaper? We’ll match it

       Registry support — add the Cruz V3 and compatible accessories to your Babesta registry with expert guidance

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this stroller from birth without buying a bassinet?

Yes — the Cruz V3 is one of the only full-size strollers at this price point that is genuinely newborn-ready out of the box. The included infant insert, combined with the seat’s full lay-flat recline and integrated foot barrier, creates a carriage-mode position suitable from day one. That said, Babesta does recommend the separately sold UPPAbaby Cruz Bassinet for the first 3 months if you want true lie-flat comfort and a fully enclosed sleep environment.

What is the difference between the Cruz V3 and the Vista V3?

Both share the same FlexRide suspension, magnetic harness, canopy quality, and 30 lb basket. The key differences: the Cruz V3 is a single-only stroller (it cannot convert to a double), is 2 lbs lighter (26.5 vs. 27.6 lbs), and is 2.9″ narrower (22.8″ vs. 25.7″). The Vista V3 can expand to a double or triple stroller with accessories. If you might have a second child, choose the Vista V3. If you’re confident in one child and want a slightly lighter, narrower, more streamlined stroller, choose the Cruz V3. Babesta’s team can walk you through this decision in person.

Which infant car seats are compatible without adapters?

The UPPAbaby Mesa and UPPAbaby Aria click directly onto the Cruz V3 frame with no adapters needed, creating a seamless travel system. For Clek, Cybex, Bugaboo x Nuna, Chicco, Maxi-Cosi, and Peg Perego, brand-specific adapters are sold separately. Ask the Babesta team for the right adapter for your car seat brand.

Does the bassinet come included?

No — the UPPAbaby V3 Bassinet is sold separately. It attaches directly to the Cruz V3 frame without adapters. Babesta recommends it for the first 3 months, particularly for parents who want a dedicated sleep-safe lie-flat environment for their newborn.

Is it good for Central Park and outdoor walks?

Yes — the FlexRide suspension and never-flat tires handle grass, gravel, and mixed terrain well for everyday park use. The Cruz V3 is not a jogging stroller. For trail or beach use, stick to paved or packed surfaces.

Can I try it in person?

Yes — the Cruz V3 is on the floor at Babesta Tribeca, 56 Warren Street. Our team will walk you through the fold, the infant insert setup, the recline positions, and — if relevant — the side-by-side difference with the Vista V3 so you can decide between them confidently.

Can I put this on my baby registry?

Yes — the Cruz V3 is a top registry pick at Babesta. A Babesta registry comes with exclusive perks and services, and our team can advise on which accessories to register for from day one versus which ones to wait on based on your lifestyle.

Does it fit through a standard NYC doorway?

Yes — at 22.8″ wide, the Cruz V3 passes through standard 28″–32″ interior doorways, elevator doors, and most restaurant and retail aisles without issue. It is one of the narrower full-size strollers in its class.

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I
Verified Purchase
Insight Counseling
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
A soaring indictment of what really needs to be reformed in American health care
Format: Paperback
Dr. Brawley has achieved something rare in a non- fiction work. He has combined his clear passion for medicine with a fair but brutal portrayal of what is terribly wrong with our system as it presently stands. Dr. Brawley is highly credentialed and has over 30 years experience in his craft, yet he writes with a balance of humility and moral outrage that is rare in this type of work. I have been in healthcare for over 20 years and have watched horrified as the system has become more, not less broken and ineffectual while at the same time knowing that no American can really know the gaping problems of pharmacuetical companies offering medicines that have questionable merit and do real harm, the multi "tier" system of care where in general the wealthy recieve MORE care, but not necessarily better care and are often over treated for pure profit and the horrific truths about incopetent and dangerous physicians and systems allowed to treat patients while no one dares to ask for QA. "How We Harm" addresses the issues every consumer of medical services need to understand before they or someone they love becomes sick. Sadly some of the families I care for only discover how broken the system is at the moment of their greatest vulnerability- when a family member or themselves become very ill and they are left to fight insurers, billing departments and conflicting prognosises and treatment plans without a rational, science based resource to ensure they are making the right choices. Dr. Brawley describes how the "system" as it currently stands seems to know that sick consumers can not fight for their rights, and are often too frightened and overwhelmed to even ask the right questions when they face major medical decisions. Insurers will be held more accountable after ACA full implementaion in 2014, but this is clearly not enough to fix the systems that you and I the taxpayer supplement when big pharma and for profit medicine have taken all the meager resources that many Americans have to pay for their co-pays and expensive treatments for serious illness. The "system" knows that eventually Medicaid will take over payment for these desperate patients. The case illustrations Dr. Brawley presents are fair and deadly accurate. I see similar terrible outcomes all the time. The book also describes aspects of caring for the 'under served' that are spirtually affirming and make this book a very positive read for that reason alone.Dr. Brawley clearly loves to teach medical students as well and he he even seems to love his patients- a rare but amazing quality in a physician. Dr. Brawley is a national voice of reason and passion for making things right. I look forward to his next move as a leader in American medical reform.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2013
K
Verified Purchase
Karen Mcwilliams
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
A MUST READ BOOK ABOUT OUR HEALTH CRISES--REVIEWED BY AN EDUCATOR, PUBLISHED WRITER, AND BOOK REVIEWER
Format: Paperback
I am a former teacher, school librarian, published author, and book reviewer for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as judge and book reviewer for the IPPY and MOONBEAM BOOK Awards. Many years ago I was diagnosed with GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME. Since I was diagnosed with this terrible neurological disease, I have continued to experience symptoms which I ignored while finishing my BA and MA degrees, teaching in several school systems including Department of Defense Overseas Schools, and traveling around the world. Even though I was often ill and constantly plagued with symptoms of my disease, I ignored the problems and did not see neurologists or undergo transfusions and/or infusions, as well as be a guinea pig for the huge variety of experimental drugs. I workout daily, eat nutriciously, and try to always be positive, laugh, and have fun. Many people have died from my disease. And I wonder if I am still alive due to NOT SEEING DOCTORS and undergoing UNPROVEN or FLAWED PROCEDURES and DRUGS. Dr. Brawley's book showed me that my choices probably helped me to be active and live, not experience an early death while doctors harmed me with their techniques. I have briefly reviewed Dr. Brawley's outstanding book which helped me to conclude that I made the best choices by not seeing neurologists over the years. Also, I was afraid my neurological disease would be labled a "PRE EXISTING CONDITION" which my insurance policies would not cover. Otis Webb Brawley, author of HOW WE DO HARM; A DOCTOR BREAKS RANKS ABOUT BEING SICK IN AMERICA, is an oncology (Cancer) professor at Georgia's prestigious Emory University as well as the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of the American Cancer Society. Using personal anecdotes from past patients, Dr. Brawley illustrates many things which are wrong with our medical system as well as medical and nonmedical groups and doctors who need to totally change this system. Every page was packed with specific information about medical problems with protocol, procedures, chemotherapy, and uninformed patients who blindly follow doctors' suggestions as to the best way of treating thier cancers. Much of the medical research is flawed making it almost impossible for patients to research their diseases and make intelligent choices. It is imperative that everyone, men and their well-meaning wives, read about the patient, Ralph, whose wife urged him to get a free PROSTATE PSA TEST in a mall which led to horrendous FLAWED procedures which 'caused him misery and pain until he died an early death. Dr. Brawley thought prostate screening was not at all useful for anyone without symptoms. I also think that many tests we have are just to generate money for doctors and the groups they work for. In fact, just this week they are now saying women should not have MAMMOGRAMS every year as I did since I turned forty. Now the recommendation is for women to have mammograms every three to five years. Dr. Brawley said in his book that women more often find their own cancer, and mammograms should not be taken on a yearly basis. This book was the best nonfiction book I have read in years. But I was disappointed Dr. Brawley did not write a chapter on the FDA, though he referred to the organization many times. I was also interested in more specific information about drugs, particularly STATINS which are taken by most people over 50 even though they have many serious side effects. One chapter was titled GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROM but only mentioned the disease briefly. I am a former librarian, and like most librarians look for BIBLIOGRAPHIES, GLOSSARIES, INDEXES, and CHARTS and GRAPHS illustrating important things to better illustrate the text. In the back of the book Dr. Brawley does include specific NOTES about information in each chapter. I could only read a few pages of this information packed book per day, because there was so much information I wanted to retain. I urge every adult of both genders and any age to read this book. And if you are capable and not disabled, volunteer to help the various advocacy groups who are attempting to change our hea;th system. This book was published two years ago before Barack Obama presented his new health care plan, therefore there is nothing in the book about it. Dr. Brawley, I am looking forward to another book from you about the goings on at the FDA, since they release many drugs which are later involved in class action suits. Also, cholesterol and cholesterol drugs should be examined in detail like you did oncology. Also, Dr. B, please have your publisher publish this book in a LARGE PRINT EDITION!!! I first saw Dr. Otis Brawley on BOOKTV.ORG weeks ago. I was so impressed with Dr. Brawley's speech which was perfect as well as his honesty that I bought HOW WE DO HARM. Go to BookTV.org and look for the video of Dr. Brawley's speech. Karen Joan McWilliams, Naples, FL
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Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2014
J
Verified Purchase
jwt99
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Horror stories about health care, Breast Cancer, PSA Test
Format: Hardcover
I could not put this book down. I would say this is a must read for anyone that might get or who has cancer. Also anyone who has a chronic health problem should put this book in their library. I think Dr. Brawley gives compelling examples that illustrate how our health care systen is broken. Read this book! This is an excellent book unless you are a quack, a greed driven doctor or drug rep. Dr.Brawley points out that we should not waste valiable tax money or even insurance money on unproven cures or on drugs that cost 10-20 times as much as a proven drug. All medical care should be research based, rational and above all "do no harm". I hate to tell you this, but we as a country cannot afford to waste massive amounts of money anymore. If we don't get serious about health care it will break the country. We cannot afford to transfer wealth to quack doctors or for procedures that don't work. A spinal fusion costs about $80,000 yet 80% of the research says it does no good and it does a lot of harm. Is this any way to run a health care system? If you don't believe Dr. Brawley read the research for yourself. Use a little of your time to dig and see if he is telling the truth. A lot of the raw research is locked up tight and hard to access and not easy for a lay person to understand. We must rely on honest doctors like Dr. Brawley to tell us the truth about our healthcare system The chapters on the "PSA" test for prostate cancer were shocking to say the least. All the examples about the breast cancer problems are on point. My wife went through this several years ago and thank goodness we had a doctor whose first words were us was " I don't give any treatment that has not been through a double blind study." We feel like my wife received excellent treatment without receiving too much treatment. Too much can be as bad as too litttle as Dr. Brawley states. Dr. Brawley points out through his examples that "raw greed" on the part of hospitals, doctors and drug companies has layed waste to our health care system. The economic incentives are all on the side of more care not appropriate care. There is a vast difference between the two. Thank you Dr. Brawley.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2012
B
Verified Purchase
BostonProfessionalCouple
Houston, US
★★★★★ 4
Fabulous book but seems a little biased
Format: Hardcover
I read a lot on the healthcare system and also have a biology PhD and a healthcare-related career, so I read 'How We Do Harm' with real interest and found that I tremendously enjoyed it, largely due to its distinctive and refreshing down-to-earth, no-holds-barred, friend-of-the-people style attack on many different sacred cows of the healthcare system. He exposes ignorance, shysterism, laziness and other commonplace human failings AMONG HIS FELLOW PHYSICIANS, where these everyday human foibles have an enormous impact on the life and death and quality of life of the patients treated by them. And he is not just any physician, he is the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of the American Cancer Society. It reads like the system has turned on itself. This is a 'People's History' of the current healthcare system. The language is carefully unacademic and the cases he chooses are heart-wringing for the most part. I think there is much to learn from the diverse cases he selects, and he goes after problems originating with patients and their families as well as doctors and the system. If each of the problems that Dr. Brawley characterizes were systematically addressed, we would have a somewhat better and MUCH cheaper system - I think essentially a Canadian system, even if there were multiple payors. Once everyone followed the same rules and there was little role for physician discretion, and little role for new therapies until massive clinical studies achieved definitive conclusive results, inefficiencies in the system would be dramatically reduced, and many patients would receive better care. The problem with this objective, IMHO, is that the heterogeneity of cancer and the rate of advance in this particular field would not be well-served by a system where no new therapies were paid for until they had achieved p values of <0.05 in clinical trials IN THE PRECISE PATIENT POPULATION of the patient who needs treatment. Some cancers are so rare that this would never happen. In other cases, new research information evolves in small case series that wouldn't meet Dr. Brawley's standards but would provide vital information for selection of therapy. All-in-all, Dr. Brawley appears overly philosophically committed to the concept of clinical certainty, iron-clad treatment paradigms, and saving the system money. I'm all for saving the system money, but Dr. Brawley goes after cancer screening with the dedication of a hero confronting his nemesis. He barely acknowledges the potential for good to come from screening. For example, he is dismissive of the value provided by lung cancer screening, in spite of a roughly 50,000 patient randomized controlled study that showed a 20% reduction in cancer mortality in heavy smokers who received screening! This was without even specifying how these patients were treated - the 20% reduction in the leading cause of cancer mortality was simply from looking for a spot on the lung, and then letting the doctor and patient decide what treatment to pursue. I see that as a tremendous breakthrough. Dr. Brawley sees it as a roughly even set of risks and benefits that the system presumably should hesitate to fund. (Updated August 2013 to note that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has now issued a strong recommendation for CT screening of heavy smokers for early detection of lung cancer, based primarily on the data above. "As many as 20,000 deaths a year could be prevented by screening", according to Michael LeFevre, MD, co-vice chair of the task force). The book is well worth reading; but there are other intelligent, reasonable viewpoints on the burning thesis presented by this book, and one unfortunately comes away with the impression that Dr. Brawley would not acknowledge this. I found myself comforted by the fact that other checks and balances in the system will limit Dr. Brawley's impact on cancer treatment paradigms, even with his role at the ACS.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2012
T
Verified Purchase
Thomas M. Loarie
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Intellectual Dishonesty, Malfeasance, and Conflicts of Interest...
Format: Hardcover
In "How We Do Harm,' author Otis Webb Brawley, M.D., shares his healthcare system experience from his early days at the Pritzker School of Medicine (University of Chicago), as a resident at University Hospitals of Cleveland, as a fellow at the National Cancer Institute, and as a physician specializing in medical oncology at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. Brawley has both the experience and credentials to call our attention to the systemic failures of a system that our politicians call the "best in the world (ignorance is elegant)." He is recognized as an outstanding physician-scientist who serves today as the chief medical and scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, and as professor of hematology, oncology, medicine, and epidemiology at Emory University In this book, the author takes the reader on a "guided tour of the back rooms" of the American healthcare system. He charges that "no incident failure in American medicine should be dismissed as an aberration...failure is the system, a system in which helping patients is not the point. Economic incentives dictate that the patient be ground up as expensively as possible with the goal of maximizing the cut of every practitioner who gets involved." Brawley's view is that of skeptic and health-reform advocate. Brawley uses his personal experience and stories to show how our system "fails to provide care when care is needed and fails to stop expensive, often unnecessary, and frequently harmful interventions." He feels one antidote to sure the ills of the system would be to base the system on science. His stories include: 1. The treatment provided to a woman whose breast fell-off due to cancer. 2. Misguided collegiality among physicians. "Should I tell the patient that the previous doctor was incompetent? And get hauled into court for slander?" 3. The saving of Mr. Huzjak whose daughter, despite his condition, wants everything to be done to save his life. "We never give up" when the humane thing is to give up. 4. The Wallet Biopsy - the reason why people are turned away from private hospitals and end up at public hospitals like Grady. 5. Treating colon cancer Colon Cancer. "If you are poor, black, and uninsured, you get no care until its too late. But if you are rich, white, and insured, you face another deadly menace, doctors (some socially prominent) who are just plain bad. Expensive drugs and tests that patients don't need." 6. The implantable defibrillator, and the growing disparity between the insured and the uninsured which increases as technology improves. 7. Procrit, Nexium, Vioxx, Intensity Modulation Radiation Therapy and other approved drugs and therapies that are leading patients to serious complications, and/or a worsening of disease, or death. And how overtreatment may be beneficial to everyone but the patient - doctors, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry. 8. The perverse incentive system in which has extended the standards of care enormously from three decades ago due to the willingness of insurance companies to pay and the willingness of private physicians to make a buck. Brawley, by "breaking the ranks about being sick in America," points to his Jesuit education as a foundational experience for his life journey. A Jesuit teacher, Fr. Richard Polakowski, early in his life taught "Say what you know, what you don't know, and what you believe - and label it accordingly." Along the way, Brawley developed a set of maxims what would shape his life: 1. Be a man for others. Find work where you can make a difference. Use your God-given gifts to improve the lot of others. Always focus on improving the lot of others. Do this for the greater glory of God. 2. Be binary, know right and wrong. Be truthful. Have the courage to speak truth to power. 3. Never worry about people thinking you are different. Realize, people, both black and white, will try to discourage you. They will try to get at your self- confidence. 4. You will be tested. Always know your subject matter better than anyone else. You must be good. You must stand up to scrutiny. 5. Do not let the naysayers make you feel you cannot do something. They will call you arrogant. They will call you aloof. They will question your intelligence...spite them by succeeding. 6. Do not tolerate fools. Don't compromise on excellence. 7. Never let people put you down. 8. Feel sorry for people who see no challenges to overcome. Feel sorry for the selfish. Feel sorry for the fools. Remember you have character they cannot understand. Relish you have overcome challenges they could never overcome. As someone who has worked for over 40 years in healthcare, Brawley's book resonated with some of my own experiences. His perspective, while not inclusive, has great value. However, he fails to note the role of government in shaping the system we have today - diagnosis related groups (DRGs), resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS), CMS CP codes, Medicare and Medicaid cost shifting, and, for me personally, the role of the FDA in driving up the cost of medical innovation. Much of what he describes as systemic failure can be attributed to government intervention. The private sector's greediness is a response, much like Wall Street's and the public's greedy response to the government's "everyone should own a home" policy which led to the Great Recession of 2007-2009.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2012

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