The key to health care is to have a great team

I was a chubby kid, but my parents still introduced me to lots of sports. Soccer, swimming, tennis, basketball; so many sports, when all I wanted to do was read and eat Doritos.  I wasn’t particularly good at any of them, but some of my teams were better than good. We were champs. My swim team won the Cape Cod Summer League, my soccer team won its division one year, and my high school tennis team was state champions all four of the years I was there. I didn’t come in first in butterfly, score the winning goal, or take the final set. But I like to think I contributed. I swam well enough to place. I defended the goal. I was the manager, the motivator, and the morale booster.  A team needs every one of its members, even in those sports like golf, tennis, and swimming that seem so singular and individual.  Ask the best of the best; they will always tell you there is a team behind each win. Want to win at wellness and health? You need a healthy team.  Every one of us will be a patient at some point, and every patient needs a good doctor.  But doctors need good patients as well. It doesn’t end there. Nurses, physical therapists, physicians’ assistants, medical assistants, nurse practitioners, techs, caregivers, children, fellow patients are all members of the health care team.  Not only do we need each member to play his role, but the entire team needs to be healthy to maximize the chances for a healthy outcome. We should give as much of our energy to building and ma...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Hospital-Based Medicine Malpractice Public Health & Policy Source Type: blogs