Posts

Healthy Gratitude

Dear Healthcare Colleague, This time of year, right before Thanksgiving the weather begins to get cool and will dip to freezing once in a while as the cold fronts begin to find their way in. Before the weather gets too cold, I ventured out on a hike. The trail was blanketed with brown, red and orange hues from the leaves that had lost their grip of their branch. The crisp cool weather made the sun feel more like a picture than an actual heat source. As I walked through the arching fall colored trees, the sense that the fall season was in full display was evident. I have heard many times how seasons change so rapidly. It seems that summer had just started days ago or for that matter, spring and last winter too. Still, here we are right at the Thanksgiving time of year. What are you grateful for? Has someone shared with you that they are grateful for you or for the work that you are doing? We are part of an industry in which we spend our most valuable resources (skills and time) to hel...
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Declaration of Health Independence

Dear Healthcare Colleague, It has been more than two centuries and four decades since the Declaration of Independence was signed signaling the end of a war and announcing the birth of our country. With all that is going on in the world, I am thankful that we live a country that encourages the pursuit of peace, happiness and liberty which our founding leaders established. Thomas Jefferson drew the first draft of the Declaration of Independence before it was submitted to a committee for review. A very memorable section from the final document is: “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”   What struck me about this preamble portion is how it mirrors the mission and purpose to many healthcare  organizations. All people are created equal and we treat anyone in need within our industry of providing health. Our pati...
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Laughter as Medicine

Dear Healthcare Colleague, You likely have heard that laughter is the best medicine. We work in providing medicine and health to those who are hurting yet I doubt you have run into a patient at the pharmacy asking for a refill on "laughter". So how is it that by letting out a joyful chuckle can improve our wellbeing? Laughter is a potent endorphin releaser. This means our bodies were made to celebrate this joy with a lasting effect of euphoria. You can also create a sense of teamwork with others when you laugh together. It also exercises your brain because it activates connections between different brain regions. Finally, there has been research that has shown that it has an anti-inflammatory effect that protects blood vessels and heart muscles from the damaging effects of cardiovascular disease.  Take time to laugh with the funny and bring joy with a good joke when you come to serve and see for yourself how laughter can be a great medicine. Your Friend, Luis Chanaga
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Low Battery

Dear Healthcare Colleague,  Have you noticed that so much in our life requires charging. Headphones, watches, phones and cars just to name a few. As my phone gets older, I end up seeing that the batter won't last as long as it used to. Normally this isn't a problem and I am usually fine battery wise until I end up using it for extended periods of time without charging. I start seeing that percentage number go down and I wonder how long I can make it without charging. I have to admit that if I am in a place where I can't charge I get a little anxious and careful not to overuse my phone unless necessary. At around 20% it alerts me that it suggests I go into low battery mode which slows things down, yet I can still see that number drop and I start feeling that overwhelming thought that my phone should charge! It would help if I had a portable charger and I begin wondering “where can I find a spot to charge”. Almost always, I can make it without having my phone completely reach...
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Avoid the Potholes

Dear Healthcare Colleague, When I get a car, I like to drive the car until it reaches about 200,000 miles. Currently I am on pace to take my 4 th  car to this stretch goal. That just says how old I am and how much time I have spent on the road. The past week while driving through a familiar street I was surprised to find a pothole so deep that when I drove by it the first time, I thought I had left one of my front wheels behind. A few days later while later in the evening and some rain had filled in the gap, I had forgotten all about it until I found myself once again hitting the pothole and this time it seemed to want to crack my car in half with the loud "THUD". That was enough! I wasn't going to let this happen again because I care about my 10-year-old Honda and we have some miles to go before that 200K goal. The next day, I went slower, I looked carefully and then I maneuvered through it without hitting the pothole that I was certain was after my car. I have since bee...
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What? vs. Why?

Dear Healthcare Colleague, When someone asks you “ What do you do for a living?”, what do you think of? Images of your day likely come to mind because the question is based around your " what " which turns into activities. Since we spend the majority of our lives at some type of work, does that start to define us as who we are ? Let's try a different question, “ Why do you choose the work you do?”. “ Why ” has a much deeper sinking answer than “ What ” because it brings up images not of the activities but rather our purpose and calling. You could be working in ANY other type of industry today, yet at one point in your life, the decision was made that led you to this point today where what you do in healthcare often saves and heals lives or at the very least provides support and comfort. The statement of saving and healing lives applies to ALL healthcare associates regardless of whether they have direct patient contact or not. I have witnessed your sacred work in action a...
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On Demand

Dear Colleagues, How do you get your news? I remember growing up and watching my father make time for the evening news or get the newspaper  on the weekend and lay out the oversized grainy sheets that were bundled together and sectioned off by topics. With the whirlwind of life, I don’t get to consume much of the news the way my father did. Today, it is on demand and usually waiting for me in my pocket as I pull out an app that gives me the updates of what is going on. News and information today travels faster than before and it will continue to find faster momentum.  Our patients arrive at our facilities expecting to find quality care, safe & calm environments and to improve in an effective and efficient manner. The speed of what they expect to receive is similar to getting care "on demand" because it seems like everything else is that way. Regardless of your organization, when you keep your mission at the forefront of what you do and lean on each other to care for your ...
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