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.