For those of us who work in healthcare delivery, we know it’s particularly tough right now, and it will get worse before it gets any better. In one of his April LinkedIn posts, David Jarrard makes a great case for maintaining hope right now. As he mentions, “It’s so easy to be cynical about the state of things…Today, if only for a moment, let’s choose hope, instead.”
According to author Jamil Zaki, “cynicism breads its own kind of ‘dark complacency.’” The stakes are much too high for us to become complacent. The need for healthcare will never cease. Hope is the foundation upon which we need to continually build, rebuild, and maintain our resilience.
Of course, we can’t operate successful healthcare systems on hope alone. We must pair that with strategy, collaboration, and an innovative mindset. To quote Mr. Jarrard again, “Hope’s walking companion must be critical thinking, that sober, real-world acknowledgement of the challenges you face, yet remain undefeated by them.”
I was called to healthcare over fifteen years ago. I’m not a clinician, but my calling was, and still is, to serve and care for others.
I am part of an industry solely dedicated to the care of our fellow human beings. To me, there’s nothing better than working in healthcare.
As a marketing communications leader and practitioner, I’m privileged to be able to tell the stories of the people who make a health system run 24/7/365. In so doing, I get to collaborate with physicians, clinicians, non-clinicians and patients to harness the essence of the incredible strength, skill, compassion, and empathy that all coexist to create a community of healing and wellbeing.
With true collaboration and support of one another, we can continue to be there for our patients. Hope is our foundation, let’s move forward together.
Christina Deidesheimer 