Today we heard from John Nance, who spoke with such a depth and breadth of knowledge that it would be impossible to succinctly cover my response in one post. However, he said one thing that stuck out above everything else. He described the experience of flying his own plane, and consciously going through the pre-flight checklist faithfully. Nance said that he follows the checklist to a T because every item on that list is “written in blood.” Each item on that list is an error that killed someone, or many someones. More than those deaths, each item represents a shockwave of tragedy: orphaned children, grieving widows, and parents who will not see their son or daughter grow up. The phrase stuck with me, but the implication didn’t hit until I went for a walk after the town of Marseille went to bed.

A few years ago, my unit both doubled… Continue reading →

On Day 1 of my Marseille Experience I was struck by the enormity of our failures in healthcare and the depth of the human impact of those failures. I was also extremely impressed by the frankness and honesty of the faculty. I am also feeling very lucky to be here and learning with talented students from around the country.

I was recently taking care of an older gentleman with cancer who has been a very successful leader in his field. He was willing to speak with me at length about his experience and the lessons he has learned. It seems that his leadership is a role model for the kind of leadership that is being advocated here. He shared some of his new goals, which are not only focused on surviving, but thriving. He also told me each step he was taking to meet those milestones. He emphasized the amount… Continue reading →