Can the health system survive?
It comes down to the people. It is not about their work, but how they feel: feeling valued, feeling their work is valuable to those they serve, and feeling valuable doing the work. It is work as an extension of what you believe, what you love and how you want the world to be reflected back to you.
For 22 years, I have watched systems work to …
Want to change the health system? Find your why.
Lately, I have been seeing a lot of writing from Pamela Wible, MD. And today, I re-read her article about doctor suicides. As I read and reflected on how medicine has changed during my lifetime, I am struck by the degree to which the humanity scrubbed out of the system. I think about the times when I thought, “You know, it is not worth …
A physician thinks about his future
I did not need help. I could do it myself. I never asked, and anyone who worked with me quickly understood they did not need to offer.
This was my modus operandi. It was how I unconsciously organized my life, no more aware than riding a bike or tying my shoes. It happened in the background — utterly unknown to me for many, many years.
I could see “side effects” of this …
A physician goes from stressed to zen
It was another weekend of training in Hakomi. We were working on figuring out our resources (those things in our lives that help us get through tough times). It was the second day of training for this block, and my student therapist asked how things were going “day by day, usual days, the usual stuff.”
“Why don’t you take me through a usual day then, how do you start seeing your …
The patient is your only focus
Something was missing as I walked into the house, something was just not right. It took me a moment as I closed the door to realize. My greeter was not present. And then I remembered, she would not be coming to see me any longer. Her time with us had come to an end. And at that moment, the sorrow that had been lurking near the edges of life came …
How this doctor deals with loss
There she was — compassion. It had been so long since I had caught sight of her, I wasn’t sure at first if I recognized her. Had she had changed so much over the years or had I? She was peeking around the corner checking in to see how I was doing. I am surprised she still visits me, after the way I treated her all those years ago. If …
Compassion and empathy can solve so many of the pains that arrive in the office
“How did you know what to say to her?” asked the resident, “We have been trying to figure her out all morning and have gotten nowhere.” An expression of mixed curiosity and frustration crossed her face.
“I try not to focus on how she is acting, as much as I try to talk to the part of her Jesus would love,” I found myself answering. This catchphrase would find its way …
Want to make meaningful connections with patients? Here’s how.
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