Culture of Respect vs. Culture of Burden
It is final presentation time in the Communications in Health Care class I teach. Throughout the 14 weeks, students complete parts of the project: Interview two people in their sphere about their experiences in health care.
Communication and patient safety
I am embarrassed to admit that it was a cardio-thoracic surgeon in Hebron, Palestine, who reminded me about the importance of including patient safety in discussions about health care communication.
Reflecting on Russia and Palestine
Thirty years ago, I traveled to the Former Soviet Union as part of a Women’s Leader exchange and later I hosted a group of our Russian counterparts in Minnesota. It was a different world in 1992 . . .
Tides and uncertainty
Tides change twice daily here on Narragansett Bay with roughly 6 hours difference between the high and low tide. The height of the tide, measured in feet is determined by thephase of the moon and the moon’s proximity to the earth as it moves on its elliptical path.
Tis the season of gratefulness…
I am thankful for all that I take for granted:
Living in a war-free area of the US. My recent 2 months in Nablus, Palestine, reminded me of the gift of not hearing drones and military planes flying overhead night and day. And to live in a US neighborhood where I am not afraid.
Life’s Ebbs and Flows
The violence in Nablus and Palestine has decreased with the conclusion of the Israeli election and the olive harvest. Borrowing from Reed: “it has been a cauldron of simmering conflict, oppression, resistance, protests and sporadic violence whose origins go back a millennia or more, but whose wounds are as fresh as yesterday.”
Lockdown
Fourteen checkpoints block the exits out of Nablus. As I write this we are on the 10th day “under a tight Israeli siege.”
Israeli forces instituted “Break the Wave” two months ago, a crack down on Palestinian militant groups who are too young to remember . . .
Back in Palestine
The scent of jasmine fills the September air. Fruits are ripening on the trees--figs, pomegranates, almonds, apples, pears, and olives grow on rock ledges in the deep valley behind the six-story apartment building.
Life Lessons
Summer seems to be winding to an early the end. Brown and yellow leaves are already falling due to the drought that has taken its toll here in Rhode Island. While the drought is much worse in other parts of the US, not to mention Africa and South Sudan, even here in Rhode Island where there are 400 miles of coastline, crops are lost.
Seeding Hope
“Give them hope.” That was my charge from the course directors in Gateways, a pipeline masters in science program at Brown University created to increase the diversity of the physician workforce. Started by Dr. Gowri Anandarajah six years ago, the first two weeks of the program this summer have focused on various aspects of the US health…
Preaching about Roe
Many sound frequencies and words in ink have been spilled on SCOTUS's action last week. I grit my teeth--today, what can I say that has not been said. As a physician I have seen the pain and anguish that comes with abortion decisions. I have seen the lack of support our society provides for mothers going it alone, trying to extricate themselves from an abusive relationship…
Mental health stigma (and more)
. . . is still present. A 9th grade student I am caring for in the school clinic was clearly depressed. Her PHQ-9 scored in the teens. She is sleeping on her aunt's couch as she attends a new school this year, having switched every year or two. Her mom who is homeless sees her routinely, but told her not to take the anti-depressant medication I prescribed…
Change is a given
Growth is optional . . . But how do we help those we care about grow?
Stories: stories about what changes, what stays the same, and how to navigate it all. I received a blog post from Michael McRay whom I know of through his Dad, a Tennessee family physician. His post inspired me. So here are my stories:
Memories and Prayers for the Ukraine
In June 1999, I had the privilege of visiting the Ukraine as part of a community collaborative training exchange. Watching the horrifying images on the news sent me to the back of my closet to search through my journals, trying to remember where I was. (I've kept them since Mr. Hemmert's creative writing class, sophomore year of high school.) We visited Lviv…
Hope
Beneath the 6 inches of new snow in the Northeast, there is evidence of spring. The skunk cabbage spears could be seen at the edge of the steams, and small carpets of moss appeared greener. Birds are beginning to show their breeding colors and behaviors. The Omicron variant is receding and the CDC is altering guidelines. You can now search…
Dog Poop, the Social Contract, and Pandemic Behaviors
Dogs have been part of my extended family for most of my sixty-plus years. With a dog comes poop, even with the angelic 4-pawed fellow to the right.
On a farm it doesn't really matter, but in the city there is an expectation, a social contract of sorts. In the public parks and boulevards the dog owner is expected to scoop the poop.
While some dog walkers dutifully pick up their dog's poop, others don't bother, and before I know it I've stepped in it. Squish! Yuk! Stink!
Holiday and Christmas greetings
. . . as we celebrate the return of the light during the pandemic.
Reed and I escaped to the Southwest to watch the Sandhill cranes and Snow Geese in their winter homes along the Rio Grande in and around Bosque del Apache. We made our plans 6 months ago and vaccinated and boosted we thought being outside was a safe way to spend the holidays. Then came Omicron…
Celebrating Gratitude
Tough times continue. Another variant of COVID19 has appeared in Africa. The pandemic marches on and on. The political divisions feel sharper with narrowing options for middle ground.
Thursday was Thanksgiving, a traditional celebration of colonialism coming to this continent. The alternative names are Indigenous Peoples day or Native American Heritage day. Will there always be the victors and the…
School-Based Clinics in 2021
I first provided care in school-based clinics in the 1990s. My most memorable crisis was an early morning page from the clinic nurse who had a flare for the dramatic. We didn't have cell phones back then, so I found the coins to call her from a pay phone at the cafe where I was having breakfast with a colleague.
"I think I have a student in labor. Can you get in here fast?" Stacy's voice…
We muddle on . . .
Is it the 4th COVID surge? I am losing count. I walked up the stairs in the medical school this week with a physician I didn't know. He complained about his exhaustion from COVID. "It's the unvaccinated we are caring for in the hospital. Such a waste of resources. Nurses are quitting." I empathized and agreed, "These are hard times."
I went to the barn where I lease a horse and the owner…