2. About Dr. Mike
- T Michael White MD FACP
- Oct 15, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 21, 2025
ABC-STEEEP
Affordable Basic Compassionate
Safe Timely Efficient Effective Equitable
Patient-Centered Care
Letters to the File
T Michael White MD FACP
******
About Dr. Mike
“If you haven't had a few dents in your resume, you haven't tried.”
Andrew Forrest
“The study of error is not only in the highest degree prophylactic,
but it serves as a stimulating introduction to the study of truth.”
Walter Lippmann
The WhiteHouse on the Belleair Bluff
Tuesday, October 15, 2025
Dr. Mike,
A letter to the file…
At heart you are an unimposing, private person. However, you find yourself compelled to advance universal access to affordable, basic, compassionate, safe, timely, efficient, effective, equitable, patient-centered care (ABC-STEEEP). To begin to be effective (to be taken seriously), against your nature, you must step from the shadows and publicly share who you are, where you come from and what you are about ꟷ it just works that way. In that context, what is it that you wish your readers to know? Imagine for a (comical) moment that you are being presented the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine. How would you be introduced?
******
T (Thomas) Michael (Mike) White MD FACP (Dr. Mike to most) is a specialist in adult medicine. He is a proud alumnus of Union College and Albany Medical College. He trained at New York Medical College, at Greenwich Hospital/Yale University, at Michigan State University and at Crosby’s Quality College. His almost sixty-year career has addressed clinical, academic, administrative and regulatory medicine. Along the way, he has held many titles ꟷ private practitioner, residency program director, department chair, chief medical officer, vice president for value (quality and safety ÷ cost) and vice president for medical affairs. He has held academic appointments at the University of Arizona, Temple University, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh. He has consulted for The Joint Commission and for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. His career has emphasized partnerships that 1) facilitated the success of aspiring physicians; and 2) inspired institutions to realize cultures that embraced compassionate, safe, timely, efficient, effective, equitable/just patient-centered care (C-STEEEP).
In 2004, for his work addressing medical error which parlayed root cause analysis into institutional culture change, Dr. White’s institution (UPMC McKeesport) was awarded the prestigious National Quality Forum/JCAHO John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award.
Dr. Mike is an author. Today he is in the process of constructing ABC-STEEEP (Affordable, Basic, Compassionate, Safe, Timely, Efficient, Effective, Equitable, Patient-Centered Care) ꟷ Letters to the File. He has written eight important, meaningful books that few will read. They include:
Stepping into the Lead — A Leadership Pocket Primer with chief executive/entrepreneur Mr. Charley Price (Amazon 2024)
A ‘Grand’ Lad Golfs — A Fable for Fading and Trailing Generations (Amazon 2023)
Smoke Signals II — Life Tools for Trailing Generations with internist/physician executive Dr. Dana S Kellis MD PHD (Amazon 2023)
Affordable Basic Health Care for All — An American Health Care System Charter with geriatrician/physician executive Dr. Stephen F Hightower (Amazon 2020)
Letters to an Aspiring Physician — Reflecting on a Career in Medicine with otolaryngologist/physician executive Dr. Edward Drawbaugh (Amazon 2017)
Safer Medical Care for You and Yours ꟷ Six Tools for Safe, Effective, Compassionate Care with geriatrician/physician executive Dr. Stephen F Hightower (Amazon 2016)
A Crystal Spring Thanksgiving — A Little Girl Plays Manly Golf (Amazon 2013)
Unsafe to Safe — An Impatient Proposal for Safe Patient-centered Care (Amazon 2012)
All that is useful background information. However, to better understand our honoree ꟷ
Dr. Mike would have you know: 1) he is compelled to advance universal access to health care; 2) amidst complexity, strives to be meticulously decent, kind and respectful; 3) his strength is writing ꟷ please read; 4) as you read, you may sense a smidge of dry humor ꟷ please enjoy; 5) as you read, you may detect he at times feels he is soldiering on very much alone; therefore, please lend support by sharing your wisdom, insights and perceptions (your reality) about what he has right, wrong and/or omitted. He will be delighted to hear from you as his thought processes and subsequent efforts will be significantly enhanced; and 6) he is proudly impervious to opinion that judges his efforts advancing universal access to care to be quixotically futile.
On a personal note, Dr Mike is a serious guy who does not take himself seriously. Forever a blue-collar kid, he proudly hails from Schenectady. Not yet (and probably never) truly retired, he lives comfortably with his wife, Nurse Jackie, on Florida’s Belleair Bluff ꟷ but he shall always be most at home in Lake George’s Paradise Bay on a perfect August day. Daily, he enjoys writing, the beach, the golf course, the pool, the piano and dining with friends. Privileged to live in a destination, Nurse Jackie and he are regularly blessed by family ꟷ children (4) and grandchildren (10) ꟷ visits.
Most importantly, he is always ready to enjoy a good laugh. (635 words)
******
Thank you Dr. Mike, Should a stranger stop by the above will assist with an understanding of from whence your serious advocacy for universal access to ABC-STEEEP emanates. Oh, and yes ꟷ a picture would be nice.
Respectfully submitted with fondest personal regards,
Dr. Mike
You may leave an anonymous comment without username and email ꟷ please do. Please share your wisdom, insights and perceptions (your reality) about what I have right, wrong and/or omitted. I will be delighted to hear from you as this draft and subsequent chapters will be significantly enhanced.
Dr. Mike
Letters to the File
Introduction to ABC-STEEEP ꟷ Letters to the File
About Dr. Mike
(more to follow)
Comments