Reflecting on the Culture of Our Healthcare System

The story of Lewis truly broke my heart. This was the loss of a son, a brother, a student, a friend, an unfulfilled potential. It, like so many other tragedies, revealed the precarious situation that is our healthcare system. There was so much that had gone wrong because of a malformed series of systems in place: a lack of attention, ineffective and insufficient communication, premature assumptions, a culture that solidified the hierarchy and provided little room for seeking guidance, etc. There was a comment that stood out to me today after this movie regarding the fact that our healthcare system has accepted the intrinsic weakness of weekends, night shifts, and holidays, subjecting our patients to high levels of risk and suboptimal care. I had not quite thought of it in this way, and my realization of the veracity of this statement expanded my perception of the issues surrounding the harm-engendering… Continue reading →