Like all of us, I continue to live and work in the midst of this pandemic that’s disrupting pretty much everything. Yet, I find this time to be rich with opportunities for introspection as well as meaningful discussions about the things that matter most. As a wife, mother, sister, friend, physician, writer, speaker, and coach for physicians, I continue to seek ways to spread hope, emphasizing our need to advocate for ourselves and for those who depend on us.
Nurturing Meaning, Discovering Purpose
During this unprecedented moment in time, it’s become quite clear to me that my work and ministry revolve around caring for human beings as whole people in every setting, well beyond the exam room where I’ve served people for nearly thirty years. I consider this a tremendous blessing and responsibility, and I’m grateful for every opportunity to use all my gifts to encourage, equip, and empower others. Although COVID-19 has wreaked havoc, I’m grateful to continue to ground my life and work in the joy that comes from connecting with human beings in meaningful ways. Have we ever needed this more than right now?
Below are links to some of my recently published peer-reviewed articles and several interviews from this last month. The articles are now open access, so feel free to read and share, as I hope they will help us think in new ways and become more proactive in humanizing our world.
Incivility in Health Care: Strategies for De-escalating Troubling Encounters
“Burnout” in the Workplace: Strategies, Omissions, and Lessons from Wounded Healers
Last month, I had the opportunity to reflect on my medical training during this video interview with Physicians Working Together (PWT). Through the series, Our Stories, Our Journey, PWT hopes to remind the public that, as physicians, we too have our stories. And our desire to serve them well is as genuine and real as the struggles we face trying to accomplish that in our broken health care system. By coming together, we magnify our voices and can achieve so much more. It’s also a lot more fun!
Last week, I had a live radio interview on Success Made to Last with Rick Tocquigny. We spoke of my work as a writer, speaker, and coach in wellness, leadership development, and burnout prevention, and my desire to humanize the workplace for everyone, not just the medical field. We also discussed the disturbing murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and my hope that these devastating events will lead to meaningful actions that truly make a difference.
Our country is at a turning point once again. My sincere prayer is we will all choose to listen more deeply, learn, and stand firmly against ignorance, division, and any tendencies to demean people or deny the God-given dignity of every human life. And, yes, I join the rising choir to assert that, indeed, the lives of our Black brothers and sisters matter. Their worth is immense, and every time they are diminished, we are all diminished.
I am grateful to recognize and embrace the HOPE in Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s timeless words: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Stay well, and may we all be kinder than necessary!
Next month, I’ll present two webinars for physicians, one addressing incivility in health care in positive, healthy ways, and another on mindsets and skills to inspire change. Contact me if you’d like to participate and find out more!
