Cell 2 Soul: The Humane Health Care Blog

America's Health Worker Mismatch

In the U.S., we rely on foreign-trained physicians, nurses and other professionals to care for our citizens.  Our professional schools have not taken on the responsibility of traing health care workers in sufficient numbers.  An Op-Ed essay in the NY Times (September 14, 2012) discusses this topic and concludes:  "It is irrational and immoral to recruit health workers from countries where one in five children die before their fifth birthday when we could be recruiting and training workers domestically."

Please read this informative article:  "Health Worker Mismatch."

Fallacy of Standardized Tests

Paul Tough's recent book, How Children Succeed, may be of immeasurable value to parents, teachers, mentors and those of us who are on a path.  His thesis is that standardized tests and IQ measures are often less important than grit, perseverance and curiosity in determining who succeeds in life.

An old proverb says it better:  "Fall seven times, get up eight." 

This NPR post, Children Succeed With Character Not Test Scores, is a must read for many C2S readers. 

Some of you may remember Paul Tough's landmark New Yorker article, The Poverty Clinic, which dealt with the effects Adverse Childhood Experiences have on an individual's  physical (as well as emotional) development and health.

How Children Succeed is another "home run" for Paul Tough.  If this topic interests you, Mr. Tough's book tour may be coming to your city.

Strange Fruit

In 1999, Time magazine named "Strange Fruit" the "song of the century." The Library of Congress put it in the National Recording Registry. It's been recorded dozens of times, most famously by Billie Halliday. The man who wrote "Strange Fruit" is New York City's Abel Meeropol, and he has two stories.  In one, he is a communist writer, teacher and songwriter; in the other, Meeropol and his wife adopted Julius and Ethel Rosenberg's two sons after their parents were executed for espionage.

NPR had a moving piece on Meeropol this past week.  He was an amazing man.

Sneezles by A.A. Milne

I remember reading this poem to my kids when they were young.  At the time, I felt it described how we practiced medicine,and agree more strongly today.  It speaks to some of the ludicrous aspects of doctors visits as we try to fit the patient into a preconceived diagnostic cubbyhole.

Sneezles

Christopher Robin
Had wheezles
And sneezles,
They bundled him
Into
His bed.
They gave him what goes
With a cold in the nose,
And some more for a cold
In the head.
They wondered
If wheezles
Could turn
Into measles,
If sneezles
Would turn
Into mumps;
They examined his chest
For a rash,
And the rest
Of his body for swellings and lumps.
They sent for some doctors
In sneezles
And wheezles
To tell them what ought
To be done.
All sorts and conditions
Of famous physicians
Came hurrying round
At a run.
They all made a note
Of the state of his throat,
They asked if he suffered from thirst;
They asked if the sneezles
Came after the wheezles,
Or if the first sneezle
Came first.
They said, "If you teazle
A sneezle
Or wheezle,
A measle
May easily grow.
But humour or pleazle
The wheezle
Or sneezle,
The measle
Will certainly go."
They expounded the reazles
For sneezles
And wheezles,
The manner of measles
When new.
They said "If he freezles
In draughts and in breezles,
Then PHTHEEZLES
May even ensue."

Christopher Robin
Got up in the morning,
The sneezles had vanished away.
And the look in his eye
Seemed to say to the sky,
"Now, how to amuse them to-day?"

The Appointment: Then and Now

Dr. E. Ceriani ~ 1948

Sue Mayfield Geiger submitted a fine essay to us on how the doctor's visit has changed over the years.

Basho has a haiku:

Chrysanthemum growers --
you are the slaves
of chrysanthemums

one might say

Doctors --
you've become the slaves
of corporate medicine

Please read Ms. Geiger's fine essay:  The Appointment:  Download The Appointment Geiger

Author Bio:Sue Mayfield Geiger writes and edits for regional and national publications, and lives on the Texas Gulf Coast. Her first book of prose and verse (with photos) is now available. www.gibbonsstreet.com.  You can email comments to her at:  SMG