Health_Care_Intensive's blog

Carl Hammerschlag, MD, presenter at the Health Care System Design Intensive Feb 2009 in Baltimore, reflects on his experience in his blog (with video and photos): www.healingdoc.com/blogs

Here's some audio from the Health Care Systems Design Intensive at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. The first clip is a presentation by Patch Adams the potential of humanitarian clowning for establishing a connection with an isolated person. The whole presentation lasts 11.5 mintues.
Clowning with Cathy

I got a deeper understanding of Susan's idea of the bi-directionality of care from the stories Melissa and Tim told from their work: Melissa telling her staff that she's "bringing something today" but not saying what, creating a buzz of curiosity about what crazy thing she'll do, wig, costume, whatever ... Tim's story of meeting with the CEO to speak up for common sense ... and calling me on picking up the word "ownership" which he saw was becoming a cliché (!) ...

This morning was fantastic! Bowen White, M.D. author of Why Normal Isn't Healthy, was here from Kansas City and gave an incredible, funny and inspirational talk about infusing our life with play and fun as a part of the healing process. After that, I had a chance walk through the American Visionary Art Museum (where this conference is being held) on a break to see the beautiful and innovative art from artists around the world.

This morning we started the conversation with a few definitions and some ideas that could help us realize our ideas around health care. “Nesting” is the design concept we are exploring at the moment. On the surface, I love the idea of a nest. I remember finding a nest that had fallen out of a tree when I was a kid. I never realized how many bits and pieces go into the construction of a nest. The bird nest I found had been lined with a lot of cotton and soft things scrounged from who know where, but it seemed really strong in the way the branches were all bent and intertwined.

An Afternoon Talk with John Glick, M.D. and Tom Scalea, M.D.

We’ve just spent the early afternoon taking the time to think about things we would like to see in the world.

We all have been meeting in design groups, writing statements of desire for health care: what is not now true that we wish were true, and problems in health care: what is now true that we would like to be true no longer. We tried reframing of problems and nesting of desires, and the theme of day 2 was "It seems like a small change but ... has far-reaching benefits". Then in the aftenoon, we created bouquets of connected statements.

Whenever new arrivals step off the elevator to the 3rd floor they have a dazed look in their eyes: the surreal magnificence of the American Visionary Art Museum—just the taste that you get from the outside of the buildings: giant birdnest balcony, 6-foot mirror-mosaic egg—puts people into a state of beauty shock. The founder and director of the museum, Rebecca Hoffberger, gave a heart-breakingly eloquent welcome, asking us to "blow on the embers of all that is good."