Many good things have happened since our last blog post and most of them will be listed here for further conversations in blogs that will follow. So, you ask, what have we been up to and what will be our next steps? Most of my time in April was spent providing Critical Care services to patients at Geisinger. That is pretty intense and all consuming, which reminds me to say that none of these words, ideas, or thoughts have anything to do with Geisinger Health System. And, while I ponder the clinical work done there and in all the other locations where I have provided patient care, certain patterns emerge that are timeless and intuitively obvious. The casualties we see in the hospital and the ICU are mostly the result of individual and collective lifestyles that breed pathology. Sure, some are accidental, random and out of our control and that is why we need a safety net of physicians and health care institutions who can provide top notch disease care. But, for the most part, Health Care is Self Care and healthy lifestyles promote health in the individual, family and the community, which, by the way, includes the environment we live in. We can do better at keeping our people healthy, disease free and out of hospitals and intensive care units … we can do much better. Recognizing patterns is an important part of the process of Building Better Health Care and that is why VHC is here. We are your platform and springboard for Building Better Health Care. This list highlights recent Veritas Health Care activity.
1. Welcome New VHC Working Group Member, Uchennna Ofoma, MD. More details after receipt of his CV.
2. We have the funds to authorize filing for tax exempt status. More details upon confirmation by legal team.
3. Meeting with Geisinger Innovation officer on April 22. Details to follow this emerging story.
4. Conversations about Intellectual Property and development of tools to promote Health and Health Care.
5. B2 Building Best Practices testing is in progress. Updates will follow.
6. Conversations about Health and Health Care tracking. How to define the individual and community needs in each and every community.
7. Don McCormick’s essay on Patients.
8. Conversations with prospective members about the value of VHC membership.
9. Conversations with friends and members regarding guidance and support for their Health and Health Care eforts.
10. Next Steps: Summer & Fall Meetings in Maine/NE a. with Directors & Members of the VHC Working Group b. Town Hall Meetings
Please let me know if I left anything out. Your comments and questions are always welcome, and stay tuned for additional blogs that will elaborate on some of the items listed above.
Ciao for now and let us know how we can help you to Take The Best Care™© of yourself and those in your charge.
Dr. Mike