Our image today reminds us of how one tragically poor decision brought down the Presidency of Richard Nixon.  Since we focused on a fictional president yesterday it seemed appropriate to focus on an actual President today.  When the story of the Watergate burglary became a national obsession one of the most frequently asked questions was, “Why would the Nixon campaign engage in such an activity?”  The polls from the beginning proclaimed Nixon would easily defeat McGovern, and that is what happened.  By breaking the law and getting caught, events cascaded so dramatically that it caused Nixon to resign the Presidency in disgrace.  The lives of others in his administration were also impacted very negatively.  There is no way to score the pain and emotional stress that was caused by the burglary.  It does stand as a shining reminder to us that when we try to violate the law and break the rights of privacy of others, we are embarking on the slippery slope.  As Nixon and his associates so painfully learned the price they paid was not work the crimes they engaged in.  The “Watergate” affair became a national embarrassment.  It wasted resources used in investigation and criminal prosecution that could have used to address the other problems that existed at the time that were no manufactured by Nixon and his associates.  It reminds me of a slogan I read years ago, “There is no right way to do something that is wrong!”  I hope we can all remember this truth when we are tempted to break law for our own purposes.

Brad Meltzer is one of my favorite writers.  He writes historical fiction and documentary non-fiction.  Last week his most recent book, The President’s Shadow was released and he began a book signing tour around the nation.  The cover page of the book is shown on this page.

Today also marks my first day back at writing daily blog articles for several weeks.  I wish I had a good excuse for “going black” and not posting.  The plain truth is that I did not make daily posting a priority and the longer I went without posting the easier it was to leave posting on the shelf.

I would like to be able to say I gave up posting to read Brad’ latest book, but that also not the truth.  I have bought a copy but have not started reading it yet.  I am convinced I will enjoy the book once I begin reading it.

I hope my resuming the blog today will be an encouragement for you to resume an activity you have let fall by the wayside.  It is my experience that once we resume these habits we feel better and have a higher level of productivity.

Readers are always invited to use the contact form to comment on a post. I would truly love to hear from readers who are glad I have resumed this blog.

Look at the image of the walker.  Most of us have the first reaction that we are glad we do not have to use one to move from place to place.  In visiting a patient who temporarily had to use a walker during her inpatient rehabilitation process following surgery, I saw the walker from a different perspective.  For this patient the walker one component of a process that lead her to the point where she can walk without assistance and without constant pain.  I saw her the day she was being discharged and she felt her surgery and recovery were fantastic.  When she said how helpful the use of a walker had been I said to myself, “No one has ever told me that before.”  So today in addition to celebrating healing with a patient, I learned to view a walker from a different perspective.  That is something that is good for all of us to learn from others a different way of viewing objects we see all the time.

Today I attended a funeral visitation for the mother of an employee of the health system.  As she introduced me to members of her family she followed after giving my name and title by saying, “He is always just a phone call away”.  I had not expected that “tag on” to the introduction.

As I reflected on the comment on the way home I realized that in that relationship as well as many others, people value dependability.  If you think of a relationship as being made of building blocks, I would say dependability is one of the most important building blocks in a relationship – whether the relationship is personal or professional.  That is why I chose the image of blocks for today’s post.

On the topic of dependability I thought about the people I depend on in my life.  Some are people from the health system, others are from churches in the area, and others are people I have known for a significant part of my life, whom I met prior to making the trek from Illinois to Maryland.  I am thankful for the people that I know  and depend on, and I hope you are able to think of people that you can depend on as you read this post.

I am attending a workshop on how to function effectively where moral dissonance exists.  Moral dissonance exists when what you are hearing or being asked to do is in conflict with your moral beliefs.  You will notice the people in the picture I have chosen have concerned contemplative expressions on their faces, rather than expressions of joy.  I would love life if every encounter I faced was one of joy!!  The truth is that is an unrealistic expectation.

For some patients and their families the option that is advocated by the physicians is not one they can easily embrace because of their moral beliefs.   Some amount of conflict arises in these situations.  The training I am receiving this week will help me listen to the patient and/or family express their dilemma and then allow me to help them look at the option that is being suggested by the physician and the option they are looking at that comes from their own thought processes.  The ideal outcome is not to force anyone into making a decision they are morally against.  The outcome is to help people think about the decision from a different perspective and in some cases include facts and beliefs in the discussion that up to this point have not been included.

By listening and responding in an atmosphere that affirms the moral values of the patient and/or family, the goal is to help them make the best care plan decision possible given the specific circumstances of the illness and treatment options that are available.

At Western Maryland Health System intentional effort to define and improve our patient experience and culture have been in place during the entire 5 years I have been an employee.  The structure and format of the staff that have the responsibility to implement changes and monitor the level of engagement and culture have changed several times during these five years.

Under each configuration I have found that Pastoral Care can be an effective partner in helping identify patient needs and support initiatives to improve the total patient experience.  These changes tell me there is more than one way to accomplish this work.  I have also learned that without coaching employees on the power of patient experience it is easy for that focus to slip from the fore front of our minds as we encounter patients.

At our most recent meeting our team was divided into groups of 5 – 8 people and the theme was a baseball diamond.  Each table had a different part of health care they were looking at from the lens of patient experience.  Each team was able to identify steps we either are taking or could adopt to help with this area of patient experience.

I liked the theme of the baseball diamond because is stressed we are in constant movement as we round the bases with each patient.  Just as a baseball runner is very aware of the people on the field as he or she is running the bases while the ball is in play.

I chose this graphic of the globe and a stethoscope intentionally because the image states our mission in images not words.  We are to care for the medical needs of the world (or the portion of the world that seeks help at our institution).  Showing patients we care for them is the first step in treating their illness even before we know their diagnosis.  If people don’t feel that they are valued as individuals they will not place much trust in the medical interventions we provide.  Caring creates trust.  I invite you to create trust with those you encounter by first showing them you care for them as an individual.

One of the ministries that offered to families who have experienced a recent death is our Bereavement Support Group.  The group meets monthly and the individuals who attend it changes over time as some people cease coming and new people start to attend.  People attend as long as they feel the group is helping them cope with the death they have faced.  I am not the leader of the group and don’t attend the sessions.  I do hear from attendees who tell me how much they benefit from the group.

Several components that those who attend the group share in common are what give the group the power to be effective as they meet.  They include:

• A chance for everyone to talk and the permission for anyone who chooses to be silent to do so without pressure to speak.
• A chance for members to benefit from hearing from others who have walked the path they are now walking. Knowing that your thoughts and emotions are normal for the situation can be a great comfort.
• The structure of the group is also informal. As a result fellowship that follows is as much a comfort to those who attend as the content of group session.

I am glad that this group exists and thankful for all the good things that each participant brings to the group.

Today I want to place focus on how the illness of one member of a family affect the other members of the family.  Illness doesn’t just change the life of the patient – it changes the lives of everyone in the household.  These are a sampling of the comments I receive that describe how family member’s lives are changed by illness:

• Our daily routine is changed and we don’t have time for activities we enjoy.
• Waiting with the patient at the hospital is more exhausting than we thought it would be.
• I did not realize how much the patient did around the house until I had to do those chores.
• Caring for the patient while being an act of love is also very tiring.

Family members tell me some of the most appreciated actions of friends and extended family members are those actions that bring comfort and relief to the members of the household who have made significant adjustments to their routines to meet the needs of the patient.  While it is always important to remember the needs of the patient, it is equally important to remember the needs of other members of the household.

Today we remember one of the most unexpected tragedies in modern history.  The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was destroyed, lives were lost, and people were injured.  The picture posted is not of the destruction 20 years ago, rather it is a picture of the memorial that has been placed where the Murrah building was previously located.

I have been to Museum and walked along the rows of chairs, one for each person killed that day.  It is a somber experience to be there.  The way that people all over nation responded to help care for the injured and then to plan and erect a fitting memorial is a testimony to the fabric of this land we call The United States of America.  Even when tragedy strikes, we don’t let that tragedy keep us from moving forward dedicated to the hope of a better tomorrow.  I encourage you to pray for the survivors and the families of those who died that day.  Even 20 years after the fact, they need our prayers!