By Amy Dee
Many years ago, Mom snagged two last-minute tickets to Oprah’s “Live Your Best Life” tour with Cheryl Richardson. Our fantastic aisle seats were on the floor just four rows away from the stage. As an emerging speaker, I envisioned being pulled onto the stage with Oprah, where we’d connect so profoundly that I’d replace Gayle as her best friend, (I like Gayle, but you know how it is to be the third wheel). In my fantasy, thirty pounds of fat would magically plop off my body like an industrial size bag of lumpy, wet flour. I’d have six-pack abs, defined biceps, and cheekbones (think 5’2” Jennifer Lopez). I’d wear tight red, sleeveless dresses as a regular guest on the Oprah show (stop rolling your eyes, a gal’s gotta dream.) The show was about to begin. Our amazing aisle seats gave me easy access to the stage. There was one empty, inside chair beside us, but otherwise, it was a full house. I was mentally rehearsing my opening line to Oprah when a tall woman appeared next to me and leaned down to ask, “Would you mind moving over so I can sit in the aisle seat?” Mom (4’11”) is soft-spoken, polite and ladylike. If it were fashionable, she would still host teas, serve capered canapés, wear white gloves, patent leather shoes with a matching purse. So it shocked me when my mini Mom threw the lady her killer stink eye and roared, “NO!” Embarrassed, I turned back to look for the lady and saw she was being mobbed for autographs. The woman who asked us to move so she could take our aisle seat was the author Cheryl Richardson, who’d soon join Oprah on stage. The electric atmosphere had increased Mom’s stress level. Instead of responding thoughtfully, she reacted from her lesser self. She wishes she’d been kinder. Not just because it was Cheryl Richardson, but also because she wasn’t her best self. The coronavirus pandemic is amping up stress levels everywhere. We see incredible acts of kindness. We also see some nastiness. IT’S TOILET PAPER, PEOPLE! To borrow from the song, “This is one moment in time to be more than you thought you could be.” Someday, when our lives return to normal, we will reflect on our behavior during this crisis. Let’s choose to volunteer where possible, help each other out, and be kind. Let’s act from our better selves so we can be proud of who we are, because even in crisis, we have a choice. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success!
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By John O'Leary. This was originally posted on JohnOLearyInspires.com. When John O'Leary was 9 years old, he suffered burns over 100% of his body and was expected to die. He is now an inspirational speaker and bestselling author, teaching more than 50,000 people around the world each year how to live inspired. John's first book, ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life was published March 15, 2016. John is a contributing writer for Huff Post and Parade.com. John is a proud husband and father of four and resides in St. Louis, MO. Order John’s book today anywhere books are sold.
The day after the Kansas City Chiefs won their first Super Bowl, I had a call with a client planning a corporate gathering to finalize my role within the meeting. As we wrapped up the call, I asked if he had concerns for how the coronavirus might impact the event. There was a long pause. Then a firm response: “Man, that’s over there. It’s just not my problem.” Merely a month later the virus has spread, borders have closed and economies have temporarily grounded to a halt. His meeting – and nearly all meetings – have canceled. “Over there” is now very much here. The coronavirus is now very much his problem. And ours. And this man isn’t alone. Many of us have had seasons in our lives where we identify problems as “theirs” only to see that they are “ours.” So what do we do next? How do we progress forward? An experience with a different client from a decade earlier offers some helpful insight. This time my client was a large electric company. In previous years they’d experienced significant challenges with preventable injuries, workplace accidents and even loss of life on the job. Our goal was to galvanize a group of toughened, independent men and women to slow down, be intentional and realize the only way to get better collectively is to focus attention not only on their job, but on the work of everyoneon their team. Flipping the script on one of the oldest stories in the Bible, they decided to actively care for one another. Their motto became: I am my brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. For them, it meant they were responsible not only for their life, but the lives of those around them. They committed to calling out poorly done work, including their own. They would hold others accountable. They wouldn’t accept a colleague putting themselves at risk and would love them as if they were family. That year the organization enjoyed historically low workplace accidents and zero deaths. My friends, as headlines share fear, as social media shames and as the number of reported new cases elevates, it’s reassuring to know that at the epicenter of where this outbreak began, the spread of coronavirus is actually dramatically dropping. It’s the result of entire communities embracing social distancing, thorough hygiene practices and strict adherence to rules put forward. These individuals have come to recognize that the best way to end this plight is to realize they are responsible for their actions. And, as importantly, that those actions have a direct impact on everyone else, too. We are indeed our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. And it turns out, the novel coronavirus is our problem because what happens in one part of the world impacts the rest of it. Individuals focused exclusively on their own needs, desires or interests will exasperate the problem. But when we choose to come together we can create wildly important, life-giving change. In time – like every other virus since the dawn of humanity that disrupted the world – this too shall pass. Then it will be our great work to ensure the lessons we’re learning about interconnectivity as a global family remain. This is your day. Live Inspired. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Courtney Clark
Here’s some bad news: you can actually be too “good” for your own good. So many of the cultural behaviors we think are good – like always maintaining a positive attitude, or being a hard worker – aren’t always so good for us. These expectations we place on ourselves may in fact drain our strength and our mental energy, so that we aren’t able to be resilient when it really matters. Here are 9 habits that get a bad rap, and why you should reconsider adding them back into your daily routine: #1 – Complain The world gives bonus points to happy people who don’t gripe, but sharing our struggles with the people around us can be beneficial. It helps us bond, and puts our problems in perspective. The key is to communicate your stress but not dwell TOO long on the problem before moving on to a solution, or else it turns into repetitive venting. In small doses and to the right people, complaining can help you feel supported, understood, and ready to move forward. #2 – Daydream Thinking about the future is critical for surviving stressful times. Studies of children from difficult backgrounds showed that the children who succeeded despite the odds had something called a “future-orientation.” When you shift your focus toward the future and start making plans, your brain starts to make meaning out of your current struggle, and use it as fuel to get you where you want to go. #3 – Procrastinate Some deadlines can’t be missed, but others are self-imposed out of some idea of what “successful people” do. In my own business, I often set an artificial timeline on when something “has” to be done, and then I beat myself up when I miss it. But I was busy doing things that were truly more important to my business. It’s 100% okay, and even smart, to move deadlines that don’t make sense anymore. #4 – Say No I like to think of myself as a nice, helpful person. I hate saying no. As a result, I’ve often spent my days completely overcommitted and overwhelmed. Then a smart friend passed on this bit of advice: “Every yes is a no to something else.” When you say no to something just to be nice, or because you think you should, you’re taking up time for a future activity or opportunity that would be more meaningful to you. #5 – Goof off When your stress level is high, it might seem like goofing off is the last thing you should do. But when you’re under extreme stress, your brain floods your body with adrenaline and cortisol, sending you into a biological panic mode. While you’re under the influence of adrenaline and cortisol, you aren’t capable of getting high-level work done, because your prehistoric survival brain has taken over. Take time to not just clear your head, but release the adrenaline and cortisol from your body. By goofing off and doing something enjoyable, like laughing at an internet video, you move your brain out of stress mode and into high-performance mode. #6 – Be weak There’s a common belief that tough people survive traumatic events with grace and poise, never wavering or having a moment’s doubt. I know from experience that’s a lie. Every one of us who struggles, even those who feel deeply that it will all be okay in the end, have moments where we just can’t stand the suffering. If we all suffer in silence – because we don’t want to appear pathetic or we don’t want to burden anyone else – then each one of us believes that WE are the only one who is weak. Instead, be honest about your fears and doubts. You’re sure to find that you’re in good company. #7 – Be Selfish A lot of the narrative about “good people” includes the belief that good people spend their time and resources on other people. A “good mom” is there for her kids 24 hours a day. A “good employee” works late and on weekends. A “good husband”, a “good friend”, a “good boss”… most of these designations involve some form of selflessness. But being 100% selfless is physically and emotionally draining, and is completely unsustainable over the long term. If being “good” means giving everything you have to others, you’re likely to snap at some point. Prioritizing your own needs can actually be a kindness to other people in your life, because it allows you to do good work, behave with patience, and enjoy the world around you. #8 – Get distracted As humans, we want to avoid the sting of rejection. Whether we don’t get the promotion we were hoping for, or we get dumped by a love interest, rejection is a fact of life. One of the best strategies for coping with a feeling of rejection is to distract yourself. Focus on something else. In a study of sales people who struggle with fear of rejection on sales calls, even something as simple as snapping a rubber band on their wrist helped them distract their mind from the rejection. You may not want to get too distracted in everyday life (like commuting to work!), but if you’re feeling neglected or rejected, find somewhere else to channel your energy and focus, so you can keep moving forward. #9 – Ignore Advice One of the most common rules for success is “Find a Mentor.” Receiving advice from others, we’re told, is a great way to shorten the learning curve and avoid the mistakes that other people have made. There’s one problem with that plan, though: thanks to a common judgement error called the “Peak-End Rule,” most people don’t remember enough details of their path to success to give very good advice. Because of the limitations of human memory, a mentor or coach can give you some good ideas, but they can’t help you reverse-engineer your way to where you’re trying to go. If you take someone else’s advice and – likely – don’t get the same results, you may start to beat yourself up or think you’re a failure. Instead of taking any advice as gospel, gather suggestions from multiple places, and be your own best guide as you consider what will work for you. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Jonathan Burroughs
It’s said that people love surprises, but when they come in the form of medical bills, American consumers beg to differ. More than half have gotten a surprise medical bill, according to the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, and more than half of those surveyed blame the insurance carrier. While occurrences of surprise medical bills flew mostly under the radar for a long time, as high healthcare cost discussions retain center stage, the topic is being widely discussed. It seems to be something that both political parties can agree upon. Most people with health insurance know that they need to check with a provider before using said provider to make sure that healthcare professional is in-network. That’s all well and good, except for those times when they’re incapacitated, as in an emergent situation, and they need care fast, at the closest facility able to receive the care that is needed. Maybe they can’t talk and maybe they have no one with them to advocate; a typical recipe for a surprise medical bill. Another recipe for a big bill: ending up in a facility that is in network, but having a provider care for them who isn’t, a situation that befalls many Americans each year. Of course, it would be ideal if the facility or provider would say, “I’m not in your network,” but at that point, what can a patient really do? We’re Afraid: Very Afraid The Kaiser Family Foundation says that two-thirds of us are “very” or “somewhat” worried about unexpected or surprise medical bills. They occur because of a difference in cost-sharing levels between in-network and out-of-network charges. And they happen when out-of-network providers, who aren’t bound by contracts, bill patients directly for additional charges. The foundation shares that the majority of bills aren’t that big, below the $500 mark, but we’ve all heard the horror stories of exorbitant bills that threaten to bankrupt the unsuspecting patient. Approximately one in five emergency room visits result in a surprise bill. Sometimes patients can negotiate bills much lower and sometimes not. And the process can require hours and hours of time. As Kiplinger advises patients and the medical community can at large, it’s smart to ask if everyone involved in a procedure is in network. Consumers are advised to check out state protections, since some states don’t allow surprise billing. They should never pay that bill before calling both insurer and provider to ask “Why”? and then should ask for itemization. Then, when all else fails, as it frequently does, they should appeal, via the state insurance department’s consumer services or healthcare advocate. Sometimes even that can’t solve the problem. Lawmakers Take Action If it all sounds hopeless for the unfortunate patient, in reality, it often is. President Donald Trump spoke on May 9, 2019, along with a patient who was billed $110,000, even with insurance. “So this must end,” he said then. “We’re going to hold insurance companies and hospitals totally accountable.” On July 17, 2019, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed an amendment to H.R. 3630, the No Surprises Act. The legislation contains a third-party arbitration clause and will make its way to the House for its next review. It was introduced in mid-May as a discussion draft. Both providers and payers have an opportunity for independent arbitration specifically, says Healthcare Dive, which reported the action early. They can do that, according to the amendment, when the median in-network rate is more than $1,250, a change from previous wording that specified a benchmark payment rateif disputes arose. That term, benchmark, is defined as the maximum amount per member per month that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will pay a Medicare Advantage organization that delivers traditional Medicare benefits. We Have Choices Other things are happening, and they’re not just wishful thinking. The Senate introduced S.1531, Stopping the Outrageous Practice of Surprise Medical Bills Act of 2019 last May 16. It’s with the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019, S.1895, that debuted on June 19 includes language about precarious air ambulance bills. Its currently resting on the Senate Legislative calendar and also contains language about keeping costs transparent and tackling the equally hot topic of too-high drug pricing. There’s also H.R. 861, End Surprise Billing Act of 2019; S. 1266, Protecting Patients from Surprise Bills Act; H.R. 3502, Protecting People from Surprise Bills Medical Act; and H.R. 3784, To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act and title XI of the Social Security Act to prohibit surprise billing with respect to air ambulance services, introduced on July 16. Some For, Some Against The issue is made more complex by the fact that states may do things differently in terms of resolving differences between provider claims and insurer reimbursement. As Yahoo! Finance reports, New York and Connecticut utilize independent reviews that cite a database as the benchmark, while New Jersey uses arbitration. And at the root of this, there are no federal regulations — but that is about to change. As expected, opponent and proponents have voiced their opinions about the No Surprises Act. The American Hospital Association says it supports arbitration, America’s Health Insurance Plans says “no” and The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) cites “government-mandated baseball-style arbitration in this legislation,” and no longer supports the act. With so many wheels spinning around such a complex topic, one could wonder how long it will take to get through all the layers to bipartisan legislation that gets the job done. Yes, there’s a lot of noise around surprise medical bills, but for the American consumer, it certainly beats the sound of crickets. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Amy Dee
At a recent speaking engagement, I found myself in need of a five copies of a one sided handout. In a rush, I ran from the event room to the hotel desk where I saw several employees standing around a copying machine in the back office, laughing and chatting with each other. When one woman disengaged enough to address me, I explained my need and asked very politely if she could please run just five copies of the handout. I offered to pay, whatever she thought fair, for those five copies. She responded “I’ll check” and disappeared into the back office room, now closing the door. A few moments later the woman returned, handed back my paper, saying with a smile “I am sorry we are unable to help you.” Really? Who is your company to a customer? Your company is not the radio jingle, the slick campaign slogan or CEO. Your company is your employee who delivers (or not) the service. Great companies create, support, and celebrate employees who look for kindness and connection opportunities. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
Learning how to handle “The Overs” is a skill. What do I mean by “The Overs”? An “Over” is a guest who is over-friendly, over-researched, or overbearing. The Over-Friendly Although it doesn’t sound bad when you first mention it, many people may feel uncomfortable with over-friendly guests in the workplace. I find it especially true for young attractive women who feel that patients or customers are crossing the line from friendly banters to pickup lines. However, it certainly is not limited to male offenders. Female guests can be just as guilty of crossing the line. What can you do to get out of these situations? I have a three-step approach. Remove yourself from the engagement. Walk away to another part of the facility. Busy yourself with other work causing a physical distance between you and the over-friendly. Be sure to stay professional and formal in your word choices when it is appropriate to reengage. Redirect. When it first starts to sound over the line, redirect with statements like, “Bill, I can’t let you keep talking to me like that. I have to ask that we keep this conversation professional.” Then immediately follow that up with an instruction related to the purpose of the encounter. Refer to another team member. Discuss with your teammates the guest who makes you feel uncomfortable. If possible, refer the guest to another member of the team who can attend to his or her needs in your place. Over-friendly equals insecurity. Knowing this helps me react appropriately toward this person. The Over-Researched For example, a patient presents in the exam room loaded with knowledge from the internet. She has a ream of paper that explains the self-diagnoses, the treatment plan, and a brand-new drug that will best work for her. She behaves as if all you have to do is confirm and prescribe. We all know that many times this data is going to be off-base or at the very least not the standard of care. The best thing here is for the staff to protect the doctor’s time by acknowledging the work that went into the research, showing appreciation for the participation in their care, and giving assurance that it will be shown to the doctor. By doing that, we are able to acknowledge the work that they put into their research. Being proactive and gathering information gives the patient power at a time when they will need it. Acknowledging what they’ve done is the best thing you can do. The Overbearing Guest In this category, we find almost every annoying characteristic that’s difficult to handle. Over the years, I have dealt with people who have sworn at me, said cruel things, and even threatened the staff. In my personal life, I’ve dealt with overbearing people by avoiding them or getting away from them as fast as I can. In business, that isn’t a choice. We have to know how to deal with them. One thing that has really helped me is to see beyond the behavior that annoys and try to remain unaffected by their words. Instead, I let it fall off my back and maybe even look for a chance to use humor. My favorite story about this was the time my patient was an older gentleman who seemed to have lost his verbal filter over the years. He said anything that came to mind. I was finishing up his testing when out of the blue, he leaned out from behind the equipment and smirked, “You sure are fat.” Having been a plus-sized gal most of my life, this was not news to me, but this overbearing older gentleman’s rude remark caught me off guard. I knew I couldn’t be rude back to him. Instead I went with humor. I stepped back, looked down at myself, and said, “What? I’m fat? You’ve got to be kidding me!” He burst out laughing, and I just went on with my work. My feelings were hurt, but I didn’t show it. One of my colleagues overheard what he said. She informed the doctor we were working with about what had happened. I found out later that when the doctor got into the room, he shook hands with the man and said, “I’m happy to take care of you today, sir, but I’m going to ask you to treat my team with the respect they deserve. Laurie works very hard for me, and I will not agree to take care of you as a new patient if you won’t agree to be kind to the people I care about.” How to Handle “The Overs” The man profusely apologized and asked to speak to me before leaving. He said he was very sorry and didn’t know why he even said such a rude statement. Humor worked for me that day, but as you can tell, I’ll never forget it. More than two decades later when I needed to reflect on a person who was overbearing towards me, he is the man who first comes to mind. Overbearing behavior comes from the fear of being incompetent. This gentleman was likely feeling vulnerable in the medical situation he was in, and he chose an overbearing attitude as a way to cope. What all of these Overs have in common is the need for control. They demonstrate that need in a various ways. Knowing how to watch for these behaviors, react appropriately, and remain professional is key. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
People who consume three servings of milk daily have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality than those consuming lower dairy levels, according to a study in 21 countries. The findings, which were published in The Lancet Journal, run contrary to dietary guidelines for people to minimize consumption of whole-fat dairy products. “Our findings support that consumption of dairy products might be beneficial for mortality and cardiovascular disease, especially in low-income and middle-income countries where dairy consumption is much lower than in North America or Europe,” Dr. Mahshid Dehghan, a senior research associate in nutrition Epidemiology at McMaster University, Canada. One standard serving of dairy included a glass of milk, a cup of yogurt, one slice of cheese, or a teaspoon of butter. Researchers analyzed data on 136,384 people between age 35 and 70 collected between January 2003 and July 2018. Participants were followed up for an average of 9.1 years. When compared with those no consuming milk, the high intake group had lower rates in five categories — total mortality, non-cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular mortality, major cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Researchers noted that the guidelines to consume low-fat dairy are based on saturated fats on a single cardiovascular risk marker of LDL cholesterol. But they also point out that evidence suggests some saturated fats may be beneficial to cardiovascular health. And dairy products may also contain other potentially beneficial compounds, including specific amino acids, unsaturated fats, vitamin K1 and K2, calcium, magnesium, potassium and potentially probiotics. They concluded that “consumption of dairy products should not be discouraged.” Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Kristin Baird
Empathy is an essential element in a good patient experience, yet many providers miss important cues. In the past few weeks, I have shadowed a number of hospitalists to help them improve their patient interactions. During hours of observation, one common theme emerged. They missed important cues from patients and family members where they could have expressed empathy. The good news is that when I pointed out the situation in our feedback sessions, every one of the doctors recognized the missed opportunity and were receptive to suggestions. How to Show Empathy In one situation a young woman was admitted the night before. She had cardiac symptoms. Her husband called 911. They were frightened by the ordeal. The physician did a great job explaining the physiology of what had transpired. He also clearly outlined the next steps in the treatment plan. What he missed was the cue that both the patient and the husband were really worried. He could have said to the patient and her husband, “That had to be really scary for you both.” That simple statement would have opened the door to the emotional impact of the medical situation. In several other situations, the patients offered cues that they had children or elderly parents at home. The doctors never asked about their home life or if they had the support they needed. It was evident that they were so focused on the physical and medical situation that they were missing out on the emotional aspect. I firmly believe that everyone can learn to pick up cues that will lead to more empathetic interactions. Shadow/coaching is a great way to help nurses and doctors improve communication and empathy. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! |
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