American health care is broken. There are decades of literature detailing the physician shortage, burnout, moral injury, administrative bloat, devaluing of physicians, the shift from fee-for-service to real value unit (RVU)–based compensation, as well as the challenges of electronic medical records. No discernible and substantive changes have been made.
Coming from a health care family, I was familiar with the challenges I would face as a physician. My father, John Denman, was an internist who switched to emergency medicine in the early 1990s to address work-life balance. My mother, Georgia Denman, has advanced degrees in political science and hospital and health administration.
My personal engagement in the health care system as an infectious disease physician has been bolstered by the privilege to care for our society, a fascination with the host-pathogen interaction, and heartwarming interactions with patients. It has also been marked by many of the stresses listed above, which my parents warned me about.
Real change in health care is going to require help from people outside medicine, pressuring the system to respect and care for providers. We decided to act toward this end. Our project has been cathartic and joyful.
The Pink Tree Collective is an independently published introductory short story about a group of physicians and their associates improving the world one secret charitable deed at a time. The reader meets the main characters, is introduced to health care burnout and moral injury, and learns about the unique work sites, setting the stage for future domestic and global adventures.
In creating characters and stories about health care issues, climate change, environmental challenges, socioeconomic stressors, and animal welfare, The Pink Tree Collective raises awareness about major issues we face today.
We post topics of interest to our blog regularly and have an associated shop with merchandise that further spreads the message. In concert with the concept of the story, a portion of the proceeds from the book and merchandise goes to philanthropic polls. The Pink Tree Collective translates conversations that often occur in niche medicine and academic settings to the lay population.
Change, innovation, and transformation occur by informing and inspiring everyday people to come together. The answers to some of the most difficult challenges often are found after reaching out to those outside the traditional circle of influence. We aim to reach those individuals and elevate their solutions via an interesting and engaging vehicle of relatable characters and entertaining plots.
Additionally, the premise of The Pink Tree Collective promotes individual charity and kindness. There is an emphasis that both large and small acts of goodwill have the power to heal.
What has long been known by health care professionals is increasingly acknowledged in the popular press and emerging into the consciousness of the general population. I am proud to work together with my mother toward improving the world around us.
Britta Denman is an infectious disease physician.
