By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury

Years ago, I accepted a job even though I was told that the team I was to lead didn’t want me as their leader. During my tenure, I received anonymous threats to leave, as well as episodes of sabotage and unhelpful behavior. Despite this, I was convinced that I could win them over with my leadership skills. Instead of improved conditions, however, things got worse. It became clear that the team was just waiting for me to make a mistake. Like all leaders (and indeed all humans), I eventually did.

By Michael J. Zappa, MD, FACEP

Stepping outside just before dawn over the past few weeks there is a sensation, a smell, a feeling that quickly floods my brain producing a state that is most accurately described as the perfect balance of contentment and excitement. What is this magic that is happening in my mind? It’s the triggering of my childhood memory of the beginning of summer: another school year was done, and I had an entire summer to do whatever I wanted! It took me a couple of days to figure it out, but I quickly recognized there was no reason not to approach this summer, and in fact every season, with that same sense of opportunity – it would simply require listening to my inner child.

By Renee Jensen

In past articles, I have shared about my (fairly new) love for running. Truth be told, though, I am not sure I actually love running itself as much as the escape that running offers me. I love the pure physical exhaustion that lets my mind be free of everything and present in the moment. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I reach a new milestone, but not necessarily the act of running itself. For these reasons, I often say that I don’t consider myself a “real” runner. (Although, once a friend scolded me for saying that, reminding me: “You run; therefore, you are a real runner.”)

By Pamela J. Gallagher

For organizations and their leaders, the past year has been one of upheaval, intense challenges, and new opportunities. The word resilience has been on the tip of every leader’s tongue and the subject of many articles. The leadership of organizations that have been able to rapidly and repeatedly adapt or pivot as the world changed demonstrated that resiliency is the key to success.

By Renee Jensen

Active listening is an essential skill for anyone who leads others. Ensuring others feel heard and understood is part of what builds strong teams, but I have found that when you’re having a conversation as a team or with an individual, listening to what they aren’t saying is just as important as listening to what they are saying.

By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury

As an increasing portion of the global population continues to receive the COVID vaccine, public health experts, government officials, and healthcare professionals continue to monitor variants emerging around the world. With recent spikes of infections in India that have brought devastating death tolls and an overwhelmed healthcare system, it is clear that reaching the “end” of COVID and moving forward into a sense of normalcy will not be a straightforward process.

By Michael J. Zappa, MD, FACEP

Comprehension of the secret to life starts by knowing the facts of life. No, I am not referring to where babies come from! I am talking about the indisputable facts of life - the exciting reality of birth and the inescapable eventuality of death. When most people think of life, they are envisioning what happens between these fixed points of birth and death. Not only is the distance, or time, between these two points uncertain, so is the kind of life one will have. Neither the situation you were born into, nor your current circumstances dictate who you are or what you can do with your life; it is completely dependent on what you choose.

By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury

An organization’s “culture” is simply defined as the expected way to behave within an organization. Stated more simply, organizational culture is “the way things are done around here” (Deal & Kennedy, 2000). Culture is not written rules or guidelines, but rather the way we act and how we get work done. The values of a particular organizational culture are engrained into the life of the organization. When culture is found to be ineffective or, worse, toxic, leaders discover that it is extremely difficult to change.

By Renee Jensen

There are many things that the COVID pandemic has taught us. For me, the experiences of the past year have reinforced something many of us already knew: your state of mind can be a very powerful influence on the outcome of your work, your day, and even your life.

By Pamela J. Gallagher

The need for strong leadership in the healthcare industry has come into stark relief during the pandemic. Good leaders shined, while organizations whose executives were only equipped to deal with the status quo struggled. COVID-19 has tested the abilities and skills of healthcare leaders. The ones who embraced uncertainty, had built strong teams, and lived by their personal and organizational values before the pandemic have led most effectively during this past year.

By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury

According to the United Nations, 75% of all COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered among just 10 countries, while 130 countries have not received even a single dose of the vaccine, as of mid-February 2021 (Al Jazeera, 2021). Global health and political leaders have condemned this unbalanced distribution of vaccines and are taking action to ensure vaccine equity. Dr. Tebros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said in a recent address, “The world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure—and the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the world’s poorest countries” (United Nations, 2021).

By Pamela J. Gallagher

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare professionals were making predictions about telehealth’s effectiveness and the possibility of its post-pandemic adoption (including me). Nearly a year after the rapid rise in telehealth usage brought on by the virus, we are starting to get a clearer picture of telehealth’s role in the healthcare landscape as we inch closer to post-pandemic life.

By Gregory L. Neal, FACHE

Try as we might, adversity is something we are unable to avoid. It can be any variety of difficulty, often unexpected, that comes into our lives––a cancer diagnosis, a harsh public criticism, a mistake or accident with an unwelcome outcome, an economic downturn or even a pandemic or natural disaster.

By Rodney D. Reider

As we all know, challenges and obstacles provide the opportunity for growth. Many of us are aware of this adage, but some individuals and organizations respond differently to a difficult situation than others. The high performing organizations continue their move in striving to better meet the needs of their patients and customers.

By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury

The uncertainty brought on by leadership transitions can be hard on employees and organizations (Keller & Meaney, 2017). Staff members wonder: Will the new leader understand the mission? What changes will they implement—and will that impact my ability to do my work and find fulfillment in this job?

By John N. Kastanis

It’s a wonder how health care got minimal coverage during last year’s presidential campaign. During the 2019 Democrat candidates’ debates, we got to hear Senator Elizabeth Warren’s new “Medicare for All” plan, followed by Bernie Sanders’ call for a single payor system. But after closer examination, many asked how can we expand Medicare when we can’t even afford it now due to the exorbitant costs needed to cover all residents and the estimated huge tax increases to pay for it all. During which time, Sanders’ state of Vermont abandoned in 2014 its multi-year effort to implement America’s first statewide single-payer health system. When the debates were over in early 2020, most editorials deemed these plans unworkable, while COVID-19 completely detracted our attention on how we would overcome this dreadful virus and the resulting pandemic.

By Jim Wiederhold

I’ve observed that at this time of year and especially this year people seemed to be at their most exhausted level in their jobs. There are many possible reasons for this—hitting the ground running after time off during the holidays, trying to meet all their personal New Year’s goals, and the long winter months. I think the biggest reason is that too many people are not prioritizing taking care of themselves and their health. To be at your best in your work, you must invest in your physical and mental health. Again, in our current environment, it’s even more critical.

By Renee Jensen

When was the last time you had time to ponder a curiosity or seemingly unimportant fact? Our lives are crazy busy with work, family, chores, and oh, not to mention the pandemic! It leaves little time for our minds to be free to explore new ideas, ponder existing dilemmas, or rehash a concept for which you still have not stumbled upon a reasonable solution. Taking time for yourself may seem unimportant given the current state of the world and our nation, but it is necessary for your sanity and personal growth.

If you don’t make time to allow your thoughts to run free and your creativity to go wild and uninhibited, how will you ever explore new concepts beyond your comfortable day-to-day world?

By Dr. Michael “Mike” Zappa

Just a few weeks into this new year, has the excitement already faded? Wouldn't it be a better year if you could recapture that feeling of a fresh start? Think about someone you know that always seems to have a positive outlook; odds are that individual looks at the birth of each day as "new." They seem to have figured it out. They know how to press the reset button effortlessly despite the challenges of the day, the week, or the year that have already transpired.

By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury

Next to clean water, no single intervention has had such a dramatic effect on decreasing mortality as has the widespread introduction of vaccines (Howson, Howe, & Fineberg, 1991). The World Health Organization (WHO) describes immunization as a “key component of primary health care and an indisputable human right,” as well as “one of the best health investments money can buy” (World Health Organization, 2020). Vaccines play a critical role in the prevention and management of the outbreak of infectious diseases. The rapid spread of COVID-19 during the months-long wait for a vaccine have highlighted their importance to public health.