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Let's Talk Truth

In our amazing country, it is now becoming painfully clear that we have some serious problems with our health as a nation and our health care delivery system. I believe that the general perception is that we have the world's greatest health care system and that we are "special" because we have so much and such great technology. However, it is now well documented that we are actually one of the worst deliverers of health care among the "wealthy" nations and that our general health as a nation also rides near the bottom. The following article from JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association) reveals the painful truths.

The US Health Disadvantage

So, what do we do about this?

First, let's open up the real conversation. Let's talk straight. We have to know and admit the truth of where we are so that we can get back to where we want to be (and should be). I always struggled in my work "in the system" for exactly this reason -- we always said we were great and I frequently was disappointed with the product we were delivering. As health care transitioned in the 1990's and early 2000's to a business model closely tied to the pharmaceutical and insurance companies, we seemed to lose our focus. We slipped with the product we were delivering as we tried to make medicine into a profitable venture.

It is not at all my intention to blame or put down "the system". We have a remarkable care system for the delivery of acute care. However, most of our work is in chronic care and the management of chronic illness and disability (please see my previous posts on the difference between acute and chronic care 2-18-2012, 10-14-2011). We need to realize this fact and adapt appropriately. Our system does NOT work for chronic care. We spend way too much trying to do it and we are not doing an adequate job managing the problem. We owe it to ourselves and our people to innovate and re-create our health services so that the needs of our people are truly met.

My response to this national problem is to start a new style of care which addresses our problem: chronic illness and disability. My solution at Pando Health Groups is to care for people in groups and to offer more contact time, more chance for human connection, and more opportunity for personal empowerment (as opposed to being dependent on the system and providers). Our approach is to bring people out of isolation (arguably the biggest risk for disability and poor outcomes) and into relationship.
Further, we teach and promote a style of being in relationship on an ongoing basis (not just at our center). Lastly, we teach and nurture ways to access and work with the mind-body connection as a way to create and maintain self-efficacy and self-mastery. We intend to help our clients transform from frustrated patients to empowered masters of their health and well-being. People may have chronic medical conditions but they do not have to be consumed by them.

We at Pando Health Groups are devoted to changing the injured medical model and help bring in a new paradigm that can reverse the disturbing statistical facts revealed by the above article. We dream of being part of the answer to the question at the end of the article: "What is US society prepared to do about it (the US Health Disadvantage)?"


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