Introducing A Return to Healing
A new book challenging the status quo of modern medicine and calling for a return to patient-centered care.
A Return to Healing is a bold new book that challenges the foundations of modern American medicine. Written by veteran physicians Dr. Andy Lazris and Dr. Alan Roth, the book explores how today’s healthcare system—dominated by data, protocols, and corporate influence—has strayed from its human-centered roots.
At the heart of the book is the idea that medicine should be about people, not profits. Drawing on decades of experience in primary care, geriatrics, and palliative medicine, the authors expose the system’s reliance on what they call the “measure-diagnose-fix” model—a rigid, impersonal approach that often leaves both patients and doctors disempowered.
Blending historical insight, real patient stories, and professional critique, A Return to Healing invites readers to rethink what good healthcare should look like. The book doesn’t just point out what’s wrong—it offers a clear path forward toward restoring empathy, autonomy, and trust in the doctor-patient relationship.
Available for purchase March 25, 2025.
Preorder now to be part of the movement for change.
Why This Book Matters Now More Than Ever
The healthcare system is at a breaking point. Patients feel unheard. Doctors are overwhelmed. Costs are rising, yet outcomes aren’t improving. A Return to Healing arrives at a critical moment—when both healthcare professionals and the people they serve are searching for answers.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cracks in the system have become impossible to ignore. From burnout and bureaucracy to rushed visits and impersonal protocols, the human element in medicine is slipping away. This book addresses that loss head-on, revealing how we arrived here—and how we can begin to course-correct.
Drs. Andy Lazris and Alan Roth argue that modern medicine has become too focused on control, compliance, and data, often at the expense of true healing. Their message is clear: we need a system that sees patients as people, not as metrics or diagnoses.
A Return to Healing isn’t just timely—it’s necessary. For anyone frustrated with how medicine is practiced today, this book offers both an explanation and a hopeful path forward.
Flexner vs. Osler – The Philosophical Divide at the Heart of Medicine
At the core of A Return to Healing is a powerful historical contrast between two competing visions of medicine: Flexnerian and Oslerian. Understanding this divide is key to understanding what’s gone wrong—and what needs to change.
In 1910, Abraham Flexner’s report transformed American medical education, introducing a model based on science, standardization, and institutional control. While this shift advanced technology and clinical rigor, it also laid the groundwork for a system driven by data, protocols, and bureaucracy.
On the other side was Dr. William Osler, who championed a more humanistic, intuitive approach to medicine—one grounded in the doctor-patient relationship, clinical judgment, and personalized care.
A Return to Healing explores how the Flexnerian model came to dominate, sidelining the Oslerian philosophy in favor of efficiency, compliance, and corporate interests. The result? A system where care is too often cold, fragmented, and impersonal.
By revisiting this historical fork in the road, the book invites readers to reclaim Osler’s legacy and restore compassion and autonomy in modern healthcare.
What You’ll Learn from the Book
A Return to Healing is more than a critique—it’s a roadmap for change. Through a compelling blend of research, personal experience, and patient narratives, the book helps readers understand how the system operates—and how it can be reimagined.
The Rise of the Medical Industrial Complex
Learn how corporate interests—from pharmaceutical companies to insurance providers—have shaped the healthcare system to prioritize profits over patients.
Data-Driven Care vs. Patient-Centered Healing
Discover how standardized, numbers-focused protocols often overshadow clinical judgment and the individual needs of patients.
Why More Medicine Isn’t Always Better
Explore the dangers of over-testing, over-diagnosis, and overtreatment—and how they can harm more than help.
A Vision for the Future of Primary Care
Get a look at what real reform could look like: longer visits, empowered physicians, and care that treats the person, not just the chart.
Whether you’re a patient, clinician, policymaker, or advocate, A Return to Healing will give you the tools to question the status quo and imagine a more compassionate model of care.
About the Authors: Dr. Andy Lazris & Dr. Alan Roth
The authors of A Return to Healing bring decades of frontline medical experience—and a deep passion for reform—to every page.
Dr. Andy Lazris, MD, CMD is a board-certified internist and geriatrician with over 25 years of experience in primary care. A vocal advocate for patient autonomy and medical transparency, he has written extensively on the problems of over-medicalization, physician burnout, and the corporatization of healthcare. His work challenges the idea that more tests and treatments always lead to better outcomes.
Dr. Alan Roth, DO, FAAFP, FAAHPM, is a respected leader in family medicine and palliative care, known for his work in community-based health initiatives. With a career grounded in whole-person, compassionate care, Dr. Roth has been a pioneer in bringing patient-centered models to underserved populations.
Together, they offer a rare and valuable perspective—one that is clinically grounded, historically informed, and unapologetically human. Their shared mission is clear: to help restore the heart of medicine by putting patients, not profits, at the center of care.
Who Should Read This Book?
A Return to Healing is for anyone who has ever felt disillusioned, overlooked, or overwhelmed by the healthcare system—and anyone ready to imagine something better.
Healthcare Professionals
Doctors, nurses, and clinicians who feel trapped in a system that prioritizes policy over people will find both validation and vision here. The book offers a framework for reclaiming autonomy and reconnecting with the core of what it means to heal.
Policymakers & Advocates
If you’re working on healthcare legislation, reform initiatives, or patient advocacy, this book delivers historical context, real-world insight, and actionable ideas for change.
Medical Students & Educators
Future healthcare providers deserve to understand the philosophical divide that shaped modern medicine. This book offers a lens to question, reflect, and lead differently.
Patients & Caregivers
Whether you’ve felt dismissed during a rushed appointment or struggled to navigate a confusing diagnosis, this book empowers you to be your own advocate—and to push for a more compassionate system.
No matter your role, A Return to Healing invites you to be part of the solution.
How to Preorder A Return to Healing
A Return to Healing will be available for purchase on March 25, 2025—but you don’t have to wait to secure your copy.
Preordering now ensures you’ll be among the first to receive the book when it’s released, and it helps amplify the message of patient-centered care and healthcare reform.
Click here to view all purchase options and preorder your copy today.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the movement to reclaim healing, humanity, and integrity in medicine.
The Future of Medicine Starts with Us
A Return to Healing is more than a book—it’s a call to rethink what healthcare should be. In a time when the system feels more complex, impersonal, and profit-driven than ever, this book offers clarity, context, and a way forward.
Whether you’re a patient who feels unheard, a doctor who’s burned out, or someone simply seeking better care, A Return to Healing empowers you to question, advocate, and act.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the movement.
Let’s work together to restore the heart of medicine—one story, one voice, and one reader at a time.
