A Way Forward

“Be the change you wish to see in the world”
– attributed to Ghandi
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I subscribe to a number of news feeds related to healthcare and our medical system, and the dysfunctional way we pay for and administer medical care in the US is in the news constantly. In fact, it’s in the general news daily especially now that the presidential campaign season is in full swing. So I, like I am sure many of you, am not surprised when I read about how it has gone awry. Nonetheless, reading a personal story about the death of someone’s loved one from this dysfunction is heart wrenching every single time. 

When I saw this article “How American Health Care Killed My Father” by David Goldhill, it was so long that I anticipated skimming it. But I found it so gripping I read the entire piece in one sitting and it held my attention throughout. Not only does he describe what happened to his father, he discusses where the weaknesses in our system are, and then, in the section headed “A Way Forward” comes up with an excellent plan for changing the “medical industrial complex” to make it functional, economically sound, and to improve the quality of care.
 
I hope you will take time to read the entire article, and I would love to hear what you think once you have read it.
HOW AMERICAN HEALTHCARE KILLED MY FATHER

Following in the path of change of the “healthcare” system, I spent last weekend at a conference for physicians who are looking for nonclinical careers in medicine. These  are not doctors who are just out of medical school or residency, but for the most part were people who had spent years practicing medicine. There were 4-500 doctors at this conference, and I served as a mentor—someone who is doing something different (serving as a healthcare advocate) and advising those who are interested in exploring my field. 

How is this related to the previous article about changing the health care system? I spoke to 60 doctors, and if I had had more time I could have spoken to many more. Doctors are well aware of the problems in our healthcare system, and are aching to change it. Passionately so—I saw that this past weekend. And it is the reason I became a healthcare advocate after 25 years of practice—I felt compelled to go “upstream” (not sure what that means? Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter) and do something about the delivery of healthcare.