Ozzy Obscenity

I should be finished reading Ozzy Osbourn's autobio later today. Ya wouldn't think that a book about the prince of darkness rocker would have anything related to health care, but it does!

K, picture it...the mid to late 90s. And AIDS. News about AIDS is just everywhere. Reader's Digest, sitting on the tank of my parents' toilet, had an article entitled, "AIDS: Is Anyone Safe?" Every homosexual was suspect, no matter their sex. Diabetics had eyebrows raised because, hey, who knows? Maybe those really aren't insulin syringes. Maybe it's heroin. And everyone shooting heroin obviously has AIDS, right? Well, 20 years later, we know that there is a correlation between AIDS and high risk behavoir, but we no longer think anyone and everyone is living with AIDS or HIV. But, again, think back to those fearful times...

Ozzy, having just gone on a tour and after consistently having unprotected sex with all kinds of groupies, learns of this HIV and AIDS phenomenon. He smartly chooses to have himself tested. Doctor takes his blood and it's a week before the results come back. When Ozzy goes in to get the results, the doctor says, "Well, the good news is that you don't have the clap, herpes or any of the usual sexually transmitted diseases. The bad news is that you're HIV positive." Never mind he's the prince of darkness and the evil persona that is Ozzy...he does what anyone would do: breaks down crying with the knowledge his days are limited.

Then, the doctor's phone rings. After a short conversation, the doc turns back to the Oz Man and says there's been some confusion. His tests did not actually come back as HIV positive, but rather inconclusive. They'd have to do another test and wait another week for the results.

Can you even imagine the emotions that go along with being told you've got a death sentence? Then, whoops! My bad! J/K! You may not die, but I'm going to keep you in limbo for another week until we know for sure.Just hearing this made me sick to my stomach about how this could happen with any patient. It really speaks to the health care professional doing his/her homework before sharing info with a patient. Even if it's as something as a hormone test, a patient doesn't want incorrect news. Inconclusive results with a repeat test is bad enough, but incorrect info? There's just no excuse. And when it's as frightening as AIDS and HIV were in the 80s, that's just pathetic.

So, what was the reason behind this? Ozzy had been doing so many substances that his immune system was no longer functioning. Like, at all. Hence, inconclusive blood tests...but again, inconclusive is one thing, handing someone their death cert is quite another.

Before sharing bad info with patients, check, double check and triple check the information. That emotional dip issomething no patient should have to walk through because of your mistake.

Soothing Trauma

This is probably breaking all kinda HIPAA rules, but here goes anyway...

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were out of town on a biz trip. While heading into Target to grab a couple road items, Marvelyne suddenly started experiencing abdominal pain. Now, my wife is tough as nails and does not complain. So, when the first words out of her mouth were, "I need to get to a doctor", I knew there was no messing around.

Off to urgent care, but urgent care suggested a CT scan. Off to the E.R. where we spent the next four hours. Seriously, E.R.s of the world, run a tighter ship. But, I digress...

After her CT scan showed up clear, her pain subsided and the docs couldn't find the cause of the earlier pain, she was released to go to our temporary Doubletree home.

If you've never been in an emergency room, consider yourself lucky. VERY lucky. No matter what your ailment, these days, it seems like three hour minimums are the norm in the E.R.Yet, with all the hustle and bustle and trauma and weirdness of the E.R., there was a single oasis: Marvelyne's doc.

He came in, sat down next to her gurney and leaned in to converse. His tone was never much more than a low breath, his words came slow and compassion just oozed from the man. Even in the craziness that is the E.R., his tone and demeanor neutralized everything except the patient, the doc and the ailment.

Is this helpful? Absolutely. Is it even MORE helpful when the patients the doc usually treats are in traumatic situations? Double absolutely.

His tone did so much to calm our fears; just by speaking quietly and slowly and sitting down. We weren't just a couple of yahoos who were in for no reason. We'd endured some terrible and unexpected and immediate pains. Well, SHE had, at least.Yet, the scary fears associated with the E.R. were negated by one person's ability to communicate effectively.

The Whitest Of White Coats

Are you a little nerdy? I am! Got no probs admitting it, either!

One of my nerdy things is some lighter exploration of science, the brain, really anything. I don't want to get a Ph.D. in astrophysics or anything, but I like learning a little about a lot of different topics. One way I do this is through Radio Lab.

What's Radio Lab? A NPR program featuring two highly intelligent scientifically minded individuals. For one hour per week, they explore everything from the evolution of ancient practices in medicine, to the effects of love on the brain, to whether or not animals can reason like humans, just a wide variety of interesting topics. If you check out RadioLab.org, you'll also find a program on the placebo effect.

One of the hosts' father is a M.D. at a major university hospital. In observing his father, the host watched his father prepare to see patients in his office. One of his rituals was to open his closet, choose the whitest of a half dozen white coats hanging there and don it for the day. As the host said, there was a perceiveable change when his father put on his white medical coat. That change? Confidence and competence.

As they stepped into the hall, his first patient of the day, a woman, ran to the doc and hugged him. "I'm just so glad to see you," she murmured over and over. Her life had gotten out of control; family stuff, her health, etc. Just the sight of the doc in his lab coat was enough to cause her feelings of comfrt, that all was well now that her doc was in control.

This is exactly what the white coat SHOULD communicate. A physician who is compassionate, comforting, competent and confident. After all, a patient is giving up his/her control of their health as soon as the doc walks in.

But what about if the doc does NOT communicate compassion and competence? Could the reverse happen? Absolutely...and this is why, I feel, docs owe it to their colleagues to practice compassionate care. Is it unfair to think a physician's moment of frustration or weakness could tarnish the entire field of medical docs, at least in the mind of a single patient? Sure it is...and that doesn't change the reality.

Yet another reason docs should take a moment to put on a coat of compassionate, not just the identifier of their position.

Got Any Good Book Reccos?

In a few days, yours truly will be sitting in an office at an Ivy League university, chatting with faculty of a grad school about continuing my education. I'm looking into a highly specialized form of health care that'll help me do an even better job on the platform, in my writing, anything you associate with your ol' pal, Marcus.

If I'm accepted into the program, and if all the cosmos align properly, I'll start the year long master's work in about a year. In the meantime...I need your help.

First, since I haven't been a student for, oh, 10 years, I need to get back in the swing o' things. So, do you have any health care book reccomendations you'd like to share? Anything from the patient/caregiver element to systems and institutional/organizational psychology? Anything?

Second, If you know of funding sources for grad schools, I'd love to hear of them! Scholarships, grants, work for hire by Marcus Engel-I'm all about the creative ways we can make this happen! Thanks, friends!

Spells and Some Awesome Ideas From Snyderman

I've just finished reading Dr. Nancy Snyderman's "Medical Myths." If you're not familiar, Dr. Snyderman is the health correspondent for one of the major television networks. Truth be told, I did not know this before starting her book; probably b/c I usually watch cable news. Anyway, I digress...

Dr. Snyderman told a story I think we should all heed. As a young med student in Omaha, Nebraska, a woman came into the emergency room at the teaching hospital where Snyderman was working. The female patient was middle aged and appeared healthy, for the most part. The patient filled out her paperwork, waited in the ER waiting room until she finally got her turn with the ER doc.

When the female patient spoke with the doc as the students looked on, she complained of the feel of ice in her back as she inhaled. A few other symptoms were discussed, but none were the classic symptoms of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and the woman had suffered no trauma. The physician asked the students what a possible diagnosis may be. Students called out several possibilities, but the doc dismissed all of them and said quietly, "She could just be hysterical."

Simply put, this doc thought the woman was a hypochondriac, or crazy, or attention seeking. The catch all phrase of "hysterical" was primarily used for women, further reinforcing the stereotype of women as unreasonable and afraid of everything (aren't you glad we've come a little further than that in society?) The ER doc gave the woman some Rolaids and the name of a gastro specialist then released her from the ER. The woman walked out of the hospital and dropped dead of a heart attack in the hospital parking lot.

What a fantastic teacher! And no, I'm not kidding! Is this a horrible tragedy? Most certainly it was. But, what a fabulous time for students to always know to be cognisant of symptoms...and not to disregard patient complaints as nothing IF those complaints don't fit a pattern.

Have you ever known someone like this ER doc? While there's a sick part of me that takes pleasure in knowing this doc had to eat a whole flock of crows, and while it wasn't his intention, he taught a fabulous, FABULOUS lesson. I'm sure many of us can think back to someone we disliked or disagreed with. I sure can think of a few! If you're like me, you may have even made a vow to do everything NOT to be like that person. I've gotta bet that Dr. Snyderman made that vow, too. It's certainly not worth the death of a medical mistake, but the lesson changed Dr. Snyderman. And she's hopefully inspired and influenced docs along the way...I know that reading "Medical Myths" certainly gave me a lot to think about.

I mean, Voice Mail Has Only Been Around For , What? 15 Years?

I just finished reading an interesting article in Men's Health about something totally NOT health related: E mail etiquette. Good article talking about how certain E mail techniques can be perceived as insulting, improper or just a time waster.

So, why don't health care offices understand this concept?

Here's the thing: Very few people E mail with their doc. I'm not referring to that, but to that other "mail" that's a tecnological improvement over the Pony Express, a.k.a. Snail Mail. That is, for you novices, voice mail.

I called a physician's office at 11:50 a.m. today. I get a recording that says the office is closed every M-F from noon until 1 for lunch.

What time did I call? Oh yeah, 10 minutes BEFORE the lunch break. Did I have the option to have my call returned? Nope. Just a message saying call back during business hours.

I don't think I'm that much different than other people here. I don't like my time wasted. By taking an earlier than stated lunch break, my time was wasted by the office staff. Now, I have to call back after 1 instead of someone calling me back. A little thing? Yes, but having that option to leave a msg would have made a big (and positive) impresion on me.

And what happened when I called back at 1:23 p.m.? I press 1 to schedule an appointment...and, without ever speaking a word to a human being, stay on hold until after 1:35. Again, had I been able to leave a voice mail, an extra 10 plus minutes of my time would not have been wasted. Now that my time has been wasted on two separate occassions in one day...well, I'm thinking there needs to be an article like the E mail etiquette article in Men's Health. And who shall write it? Me. And I'll be on that soon.

In the meantime, though, if you're office staff can't get it together, please understand that it's making a bad impression on your patients.

15 Seconds

I've become a big fan of Boston Med. Granted, I'm just kinda nerdy about medical stuff, anyway, but it also gives me fodder for this blog and for my patient care keynotes.

The last episode I caught showed a surgeon in pre-op with his patient. He spoke to the patient, explained what he'd be doing and what the patient could expect. When the camera cut away to a quick interview segment, he said something really profound (I'm paraphrasing here):

"Before a patient goes into surgery, you have about 15 seconds to make them comfortable. Because we (surgeons) do this kind of thing every day, we get accustomed to it. What we forget is that it's traumatic for a patient to know they're going to be cut on. Especially if they've never had surgery before and don't know what to expect, we only have about 15 seconds to help them understand and feel comfortable before they go under."

Maybe this is the whole scenario of "walk a mile in his moccasins", but I think it's important for health care professionals to keep in mind that, while appointments, surgery or hospitalization is common for them, for patients, it brings about feelings of vulnerability and fear.

If you're a health care pro, I encourage you to take 15 seconds, just like the doc said. But not 15 seconds with the patient...take your 15 seconds on one of your breaks. Think about what a patient might be feeling, thinking or feeling. It doesn't take long to understand what the patient feels...and then to help them because, now, you have some extra empathy.

Habla Doctor?

25% of physicians practicing in America went to medical school outside the United States.

Does this matter to you?

Okay, story time! Back in my single days, I dated a young lady who was an aspiring physician. By aspiring I mean she started college going into pre-med, but dropped that and went with nursing in hopes she'd return to medicine. While we were dating, she discussed a medical school in the Caribbean where a friend was a student. This friend had trouble passing the standardized test for med school, so looked outside the country. As a patient, this was kinda concerning. After all, if he's not smart enough to get into an American med school, why should he be able to come back to the states, do his residency and be recognized as a board certified physician? Well, this was nearly 10 years ago...and my tune has changed.

I have had several foreign born docs who also attended med school outside the states. Off the top of my head, there are some who I didn't care for their bedside manner, but their practice of medicine was professional and competent. Turns out, my experiences align with the data.

The Journal of Health Matters recently looked at the data on cardiac mortality rates with docs who graduated from an American med school vs. those who graduated from a foreign school. Their findings? No discernable difference. Good to know...and I, for one, believe in the economical data. Therefore, I no longer have any sort of prejudice against a doc who graduated from a med school in another country. In fact, in the last several months, I've switched our family doc to a gent who's degree was handed out by Mexico. Still, I was kinda surprised when I found out that one in four American docs didn't go to American med schools.

Here's a question (no idea if this data has ever been tabulated. If not? Someone should...) Take a survey of a wide group of patients. How many patients have even checked on where their physician went to med school? Or where he/she did his/her training? Fellowships? Unless you see the diploma hanging on their wall and recognize the name of the institution, I'd bet a shiney new nickle most patients can't discern undergrad from med school from residency from fellowship.

I find this a little sad; that patients are so uninformed. But, what does a patient think when they find out their doc's med school sheepskin comes from a university across the pond? What if it's the really big pond called the Pacific? I would love to see these opinions taken, the data analyzed, etc. Mainly, just because I'm a big nerd like that. Also, though, I'm fully in favor of patients arming themselves with knowledge. The more active a patient is in his/her own care, the better of they are.

So, faithful reader, how much do you know about your doc? And, if and when you do find out where he/she got their degree...does it matter?

AHEAD 2010

Last week found the AHEAD conference in the Mile High City…and with yours truly exhibiting as always! The Assoc. on Higher Education and Disability is composed of disability support services professionals at colleges and universities across the country, plus a variety of other professionals who work in the field with disabilities. And, as always, it was such a great time seeing awesome people!

Special thanks to Jenny Dugger, Rae, Melanie Thompson, Emily, Erin, Lana, Tamara and a whole slew of others who I did NOT get to go to dinner with!

Thanks to all who stopped by our booth and got books, grabbed info and expressed interest in bringing the Marcus message to campus this fall!

Are You A Health Care Pro With A Master's?

I've been exploring grad schools and grad degrees lately. I'd love to get some letters behind my name that'll behoove what I'm already doing: inspiring excellence in patient care and honoring the hard work and committment of health care pros.

Thus far, my findings lean towards a Master's in Public Health, but I've also seen a few others offered; specifically health care admin and health care informatics.

Do you have any of these degrees? Know anyone who does? I'd like to interview someone familiar with a range of grad level degrees in the world of health care. If you know someone, please pass their E mail address along to me at Marcus@MarcusEngel.com

Thanks!

The Triumph Of Touch

Just got done reading "In The President's Secret Service" by Ronald Kessler. While it borders on the trashy side of the presidency (the affairs of JFK and LBJ, the ego of Carter, the oddities of Nixon), the part that struck me most was about Ronald Reagan.

Now, I'm a child of the 80s, so Reagan was the first president I can consciously remember. Or maybe there are whisps of Carter stuck in my grey matter, but really, my primacy with a president was Reagan. Specifically, when Reagan was shot.

From Reagan's own mouth and from the memories of his Secret Service agents, I learned some interesting things about the day of the shooting. If you're interested, grab yourself a copy of the book-I think you'll like it.

But, how does this relate to health care? Well, one of Reagan's only memories once he was in the hospital was a hand holding his. He knew the hand was female. He knew the hand was soft and feminine. Yet, more than anything, he took comfort from the hand. Was it a nurse? Maybe. Was it Nancy, his wife? Later, yes, but initially, it was a nurse...someone who knew that in moments of terror and pain and confusion, simply touching another person can help them feel more comfort and secure. Who'd have thought that nearly 30 years after the shooting, we could still learn something like this? Guess that's all the more reason Reagan was the great communicator.

I'm Here...Released!

At long last, my newest book is out and ready for purchase! Get your copy of, "I'm Here: Compassionate Communication In Patient Care" at:

http://www.MarcusEngelproducts.com

Thanks to everyone who helped make this book a reality!

I'm Here Is Almost Here!

Mark your calendar: July 1 (that's day after tomorrow, for you non-numerical people)

"I'm Here: Compassionate Communication In Patient Care" will be released to the public! We've been having free book giveaways on Facebook for the last week, but in just over 24 hours, anyone and everyone will be able to get their own copy of, "I'm Here."

If you liked "The Other End Of The Stethoscope", we think you're going to love, "I'm Here." Same style, same emotions of raw, uncensored reality, but with talking/discussion points for anyone, not just health care professionals.

We hope you'll get yourself a copy and share it with nurses, docs, therapists; anyone you know who works in health care. We're trying to change the patient experience, one book at a time!

One Week!

Next Thursday, July 1, 2010, will not only be my third anniversary, but will also mark the release of, "I'm Here: Compassionate Communication In Patient Care."

We are spending the next seven days getting ready for shipments of "I'm Here" to buyers nationwide! Plus, for the first time, these books will be offered in a completely new medium (that ought to get you wonderin'!)

If you haven't already, sign up to be my friend on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter, for the contests leading up to the release! Happy reading!

Dancing & Dough-Is Cancer Really All About Making Money?

We've all heard it: modern medicine won't cure cancer because there's too much money to be made in treatment!

Is this true? I dunno. Probably the only people who really DO know this are the researchers searching for a cure.

Yet, I think we all know someone who has had cancer and seen the mountains of money spent in treatment; radiation, chemo, surgery, etc. No doubt about it-cancer is expensive.

So, I take this with a grain of salt (as you should, too), but I saw something on the news this morning that kinda made me cringe.

On Fox News, one of their morning show guests was a current finalist on Dancing With The Stars. I didn't catch her name, but I believe she's a comedian. Some sort of celebrity or (gasp!) she wouldn't be considered a star.

So, in a search for topics, one of the questions posed to the star was this: New research says we could have a cure for cancer in as little as three years. What do you think?

Really, who cares what she thinks? She's not a health care professional or anyone who has an expertise in anything cancer related. Yet, she gave an interesting answer (which I'll paraphrase):

"Let's just be real...as long as there's more money in treatment than there is in a cure, I think we won't see a cure brought to the public."

Does her statement have any validity? Look at the points above, but let's not give too much creedence here.

But, what does this notion mean to a patient? What does a patient currently receiving chemo think about this idea that their cancer won't be cured because, as they get the chemo and are nauseous and worried about their survival, there are people milking the patient's bank account, purely out of greed?

I can't speak for every patient, but frankly, I'd feel a little deceived. Scratch that, I'd be pissed. I think we ALL would be hacked off if this notion turns out to be true. Still, a statement like the star made leaves a patient wondering and discouraged and potentially angry.

If a patient is undergoing a potentially life threatening disease, don't they already have enough things to worry and fret about?

If you believe this notion of cancer is true...keep it to yourself. And especially keep it to yourself if you're intimately involved with a person undergoing cancer treatment. They have enough to worry about already.

Really, I Can Stop Gushing Any Time Now!

I know I've written a lot about Missouri Baptist Medical Center lately. Partially because they're my client, partially because I've been a patient there for an extended time, and partially because they continue to impress me.

K, so ya know how before surgery you've gotta strip off all your own clothes and put on the gown and all that stuff? Well, however it happened, my tray full o' stuff (tee shirt, sandals, basketball shorts and a couple personal items) ended up, well, not with me. Maybe it was the extensive surgery, maybe we just never looked under the bed again-whatever the reason, I came home barefoot (luckily, I did have another pair of shorts!)

Tonight, a large package comes through the mail. You guessed it! All my stuff!

The most valueable thing in this load was my sandals...and really, they're probably a year old and weren't exactly a designer brand to begin with. If I'd never gotten these items back, I wouldn't have been singin' the blues. But since they ARE back? All I can say is...another Mo Bap moment!

Tweet Tweet

I've been terribly lax on blogging and Tweeting as of late, but thanks to a new Twitter client, I think I'll be getting back into it, head first!

Due to Twitter being a microblog, it's hard to think anything really in depth will be shared as far as patient care. Still, maybe you'll get a good laugh once in a while! Follow me at:

www.Twitter.com/MarcusEngel

Blood Everywhere...Really?

The lovely and talented Ms. Marvelyne and I visited a new doctor a few days ago. The practice wanted to get a baseline of her blood work, so after seeing the doc, we waited in the waiting room for the vampire. This was a simple blood extraction; nothing fancy. The flubotomist(did I spell that right?) asked if she wanted to have the draw sitting there, or would we rather go back to the lab...She (my wife) said, "It doesn't matter to me, wherever is better for you."

Now...wait for it, wait for it.....

The vampire's response: "Let's go back to the lab, just in case we get blood everywhere."

Really? Is that something that comforts the patient? The potential of their precious blood being smeared all over the room? Yeesh!

When conversing with a patient, take a moment or two to think about your words. Do they make the patient feel like he/she is in good hands? Does your statement offer comfort? Support? Does it abide by the simple notion: First, do no harm?

As you may expect, this did not go well. It took two or three sticks and the vampire seemed more anxious than Marvelyne. I firmly believe this wasn't completely due to incompetence, but to a self fulfilling prophecy. When the statement about blood everywhere was made, both Marvelyne and I said something like, "Wow, that's comforting!" That 10 second communication set the stage; a vampire uncomfortable with his own abilities, a patient feeling their care is incompetent...not a good combination. Think for just a split second before choosing the words you say to a patient...it can set the stage for excellence...or disaster.

An Update And Some Up-To-Date Thanks

If you've wondered why there haven't been any "Stethoscope" blog posts as of late, I've got your answer! It's a long story, but I'll try to give you the Cliff Notes version...

First, it was an extremely busy spring. From my last post, there was another several weeks of travelling and speaking. Hope to be able to update this blog with pics from several health care programs from that time frame.

Then came May 5. Just three days after I turned 35, I went into Missouri Baptist Medical Center for some scheduled surgery. On the docket that day was an inguinal hernia repair, abdominal/incisional hernia repair, some further reconstructive work on my face and a little bit of cosmetic surgery, just to put the icing on the cake. Surgery was performed by two awesome surgeons and lasted about 12 hours. Whew!

A few days after surgery, we realized something was very, very wrong. My bowels had not kicked in since surgery and I was in a whole, WHOLE lot of pain. A few X rays and CT scans later it was determined that, due to abdominal scar tissue and a lengthy surgery, I'd developed a bowel obstruction. Into emergency surgery and several more days of hospitalization. What should have been a trip to Mo Bap for one surgery and three nights of hospitalization turned into two operations and 11 nights of hospitalization.

First and foremost, a HUGE thank you goes to Dr. Omar Guerra and Dr. Timothy Jones for taking such good care of me. Next, thank you to my nurses and techs for helping so, SO much. Finally, to our friend, Jeff Robinson, and my mom-in-law, Faith Fredrick, for flying to STL to help Marvelyne during this lengthy hospitalization.

Another big THANK You goes to my parents and a handfull of other close friends for really helping Marvelyne by helping with Carson, bringing her coffee or taking a shift at the hospital so she could rest. Now, onto chapter 2 of this saga...

A week after being discharged from Mo Bap and coming home to Orlando, I hadn't progressed. In fact, I was hurting more and had less energy; precisely the opposite of healing. To the ER here in Orlando where (after an obligatory 5 hour wait), it was determined that the incision site from the bowel obstruction repair was infected...and bad. Next day, back into surgery (this time by Dr. Davis at Florida Hospital-East.) Infection cleaned out and, thankfully, had been contained in the abcess area. Yet, cultures returned that the infection was a particularly nasty, antibiotic resistant strain of something gross. Five more days of hospitalization and IV antibiotics and I was sent home with a handy dandy Picc line and orders to go to wound care and rcv 8 days of IV antibiotics.

Thanks goes to, first, Eric, a nurse in the Florida Hospital east ER for giving me extra drugs. A five hour uncomfortable wait deserves some extra pain killers and relaxation drugs...and Eric knew that. Next, thanks to Dr. Murphy, an antistesiologist(sorry, can't spell this word) fr his care and compassion prior to surgery. Finally, thanks to the nurses at same day services for all the info and for helping knock that nasty bug out of my system.

Now? Home and feeling much, MUCH better. This summer has been marked off for some rest, relaxation and recovery time, so you may not see a huge amount of posts. Either way, know that I'm grateful to everyone who helped me get through this nightmare called the month of May...and yes, I have stories galore of patient care that'll be fodder for the next health care book!

A MO Bap Moment

Next month, I'll be working with Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Strangely enough, Mo Bap is now not just a client, but a place where I've been a Patient. And will be again soon!

As I spoke with my client this morning, she shared how they have a new initiative called Mo Bap Moments. This is simply to raise the awareness that every Mo Bap employee has a moment to help create a positive experience for the patient. Lining two hallways at Mo Bap are posters with noteable stories of employees implementing the philosophy of the Mo Bap moment. But, here's one my client shared that I thought was especially cool...

An elderly woman showed up at a Missouri Baptist clinic for a mammogram. Yet, at the clinic, they realized she needed a specific test that's only available at Mo Bap Hospital; some 10miles away.

The patient was disheartened at the mistake, but also intimidated by the hospital, the parking garage, different buildings, etc. that make up the campus. One of the clinic employees said to the patient, "ya know? I'm due for my mammogram, too. I'll call over right now, make an appointment for each of us and I'll pick you up and help you navigate the hospital."

Talk about creating a moment! One thing I always encourage hospitals to remember: it's your place of employment, but a place of confusion, intimidation and uncertainity for everyone else. The more you can help patients feel comfortable with the logistics of the hospital, the more likely they are to have a positive patient experience.

Support-It's Not Just For Groups Any More!

Tonight I was corresponding with a nurse at a children's hospital in Texas. Paraphrasing here, but she said, "I'd love to see your message of hope and inspiration and determination brought to groups of our patients. If you haven't already, I hope you'll think of starting a support group at children's hospitals."

Well, thinking of it now! Not exactly how this could be done on a large scale, but here's my philosophy: you never know what kind of impact you can make on someone in the tiniest communication.

There have been people who've inspired me to write articles, books and to keep on doing what I do...and these aren't professional speakers or experts in motivation. It may just be getting really awesome service at the dry cleaners and seeing someone take a great amount of pride in his/her job.

Last year, I was on a flight with a guy who rattled off something I've tried to adopt into my thinking:

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and I'm living in the now"

Yet, does this fellow even know he's made this impact on me? Maybe, if he reads this...but realistically not. This interaction? I think it was somewhere between Cleveland and Orlando...

And yet? His statement is now being relayed to you. I can share with groups of young patients and create a giant support group...but really, I could just pop into a patient's room for a few minutes and...who knows? Maybe that patient will take something away from a brief interaction.

Whether it's in a group setting, or just a passing comment from a stranger, we all want support. We all want to know our problems don't seem insurmountable. We all want to know what the best thing we can do to face our adversity. Never, ever underestimate the power that you, the health care professional, has...and how your interaction may be just the thing that supports your patient for the future.

The Drop

Well, after years of folks reading "After This..." and "The Other End Of The Stethoscope", I've heard tons of comments. Most often, though, I hear this one:

"Wow, this would make a great movie!"

That's a huge compliment because, well, it means the reader wants something more than just words on a page and images in their mind and heart. Well ya know what? Y'all get your wish!

We've just completed work on a short film called, "The Drop." This is based on experiences from "After This..." and "Stethoscope", but brings a whole new experience to those who've been touched by the Marcus Engel story.

The official web site is:

www.TheDropMovie.com

Now, here's where I'll start begging....

"The Drop" is currently entered in a short film contest being sponsored by TheDoorpost.com. If you're inclined to do so, we'd really really really really love it if you'd go to:

www.TheDoorpost.com

and search for "The Drop." That'll bring up the method for voting. Votes and views move us one step closer to making "The Drop" into a full length feature film based on "After This..."

And if nothing ever comes of this besides the seven minute film? So be it...we got to be filmmakers, we got to be screenwriters and we got to bring another dimension to the Marcus Engel story.

And, before leaving this post, I have to thanThe Drop" and my sis-in-law and executive producer, Martha Munizzi. Love you guys!

Free copy of "Stethoscope"

If you're a health care professional, I'm offering a free copy of "The Other End Of The Stethoscope: 33 Insights For Excellent Patient Care."

Just send me an E mail to Marcus@MarcusEngel.com before Feb. 26 and a copy will be in your hands soon after!

Why am I giving away copies? Simple: Nurses Week is just over two months away. The more people who read "Stethoscope", the more people who'll be looking for a program for Nurses/Hospitals Week.

When you E mail me, be sure to include your name, preferred mailing address, place of employment and your title. Thanks!

Tellin' Tales

President Clinton was in the hospital again this week, having new stints put in his chest. This caused cardiovascular health to be at the top of the discussions on the health portions of some of the Sunday morning news shows.

I caught a segment with a well known (and respected) M.D., but after listening to him, I don't think I respect him quite as much as I used to. Why? He was a bit too self indulgent...

Here's the story: When the interviewer asked the doc about the procedure to put in stints, Clinton's symptoms, etc., the doc went off on a storytelling rant. First off, this doc IS a cardiologist. Second, he's probably 70 years old, maybe closer to 80. Does he have great experience and education? Most certainly. What he does NOT have is a gift for communication...

I'm not one of his patients, but I can imagine with his personality that what you see on a talk show is what you get in his exam room. Before explaining how Clinton's stint procedure was done, he started spinning yarns about his father's cardiovascular health, how that inspired him to become a cardiologist and how his father suffered due to the fact there were no such things as stints back then. Only after explaining what went on 50 or 60 years ago did he come back around to how it's done now.

When communicating with patients, think. Does a patient want to know how things were done 50 years ago? Or do they want some knowledge on how they will be treated today? If you're like me, the old way makes absolutely no difference to you-it's what's going to be done to me now, here, today that is at the forefront of my concern.

Those in the health care profession who have many, many years of experience are most likely to do this. After all, they're the ones who've seen the evolution of procedures and treatment. But living in the past when it has no benefit to the patient, well, does not benefit the patient. No brainer, huh?

Catching Up!

Wow. Just wow. What a blogging slacker I've been on the patient care front!

Okay, it's truly sad that I haven't posted in many months...but that's going to start to change...

See, for the months I've not been blogging, I really HAVE been hard at work on patient care matters. Specifically, I've been working on "The Other End Of The Stethoscope #2: 33 MORE Insights For Excellent Patient Care."

Our goal is for "Stetho #2" to be out by Nurses/Hospital Week (first week of May)...and, I'm pretty sure we're going to be able to accomplish said goal.

Thanks to all who visit HealthCareSpeaker.blogspot.com looking for updates...and my apologies for there being, well, none lately. But, talk is cheap...Just check back frequently and see what newness I've come up with!