Luis Chanaga Letters

  Dear Colleague, Too easily I find that my day is consumed with activities that go on and on like an endless ocean. Just one wave after another, persistently hitting the shore. Some waves are high, others are low…still, if you pay close attention, you see the tide rising over time. Before you know you have not stopped to take a break. For example, there are plenty of times when a meal is the last thing on my mind, and then I realize that my workday is done. I didn’t notice that once again time had just passed by like a whisper. I hear from many of our healthcare workers who I have the privilege to talk to, that they are pulling off extra shifts or staying later to support the needs of the people that are sick. Meals and breaks often get lost in the busyness of the day for these healthcare heroes. I can’t say I know why each of you has committed your life to serve in the healthcare industry, but there is a dedication to patient care and safety that requires a high standard of care ...

  Dear Healthcare Colleague, The other night we lost power and all went dark in the house. Although I have been living in this house for several years and feel like I could walk through it blindfolded, I was a bit more cautious because it was dark and I was uncertain of my precise surroundings. I turned on the flashlight function on my phone and things got better. Whether through your phone or a flashlight, if you wanted to see around you in the dark, a light can be important tool. Light has different wavelengths that impacts the brightness and distance that light travels. That is why we don’t have huge spotlights in our backyard or use a single candle to guide ships into harbor. We are in an era of healthcare in which we need to balance on obtaining the light to help us see the fast pace of change around us as well as what is coming. We need to be able to light the path for those around us AND work aligned with resiliency to produced laser beam focused results. Thank you for b...

Dear Colleague, Do you have people in your life that ever wonder what it is that you do when you go off to work? Try describing it to children what it is that you do for a living and that opens up a whole different way to look at things. I have and I have noticed that what I usually say to explain it, leaves them more curious than when they started. They usually follow-up my summary of work with, “What else?”. Also, it isn’t once but rather a couple of times of the “What else?” question followed by looks of puzzlement. Slow down and stop to think about this. Don’t look up your Job Description and hope to use that to explain it. Also, you won’t find it under your corporate mission statement because that isn’t what you do. Think of your purpose yet don’t limit it to the activities that you perform. Are you a team builder? Do you solve problems? Is your customer service just your personality coming through? Whatever your purpose, keep in mind that your “What else?” is always growing a...

Dear Colleague, If organizations had actual DNA that could be studied, I am sure it would be to no one’s surprise to find some strong improvement genes within most organizations. Maybe you feel it and have worked with your team or leaders to implement an improvement that better serves your patients, makes the quality of care more precise or the way you serve becomes more efficient. One way that you can contribute is to ask yourself a few key questions. 1.      “How are we doing?”. This lets you find a baseline of where you are. If things are going well, you may not want to address things in that particular area first. 2.      “Are we meeting expectations?”. Start with the patient first. Then think about the expectations of the team or other teams. If you are not meeting expectations, then proceed to the third question.  3.      “How can we improve performance?”. Listen to your team and take the initiative to s...

Dear Healthcare Colleague, Is it summer already? Here in the United States, it officially begins in about 50 days from today and I actually can’t wait. Do you get happy when the seasons change? If you do, there are likely some seasons that make you smile more than others. Seasons, for the most part, are “consistent changes” in that they arrive around the same time of year and what you get follows a pattern. You prepare for them so that you adjust what you wear, eat and drink.  There are also “changes” that are not “consistent” and end up being unexpected. When those happen, they take time to adjust and settle in to. Since you aren’t prepared for those, take the time necessary to process the change and learn from it. The old adage “change is constant” is true and in healthcare it couldn’t be truer. Technology, regulatory and reimbursement changes just to name a few are in a constant state of flux. Regardless of the changes, we have a mission to care for our community and...