Luis Chanaga Letters

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

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

  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...