I have always been interested in how people from other countries view life in America. On a recent trip home I sat next to a young man from Columbia who worked as a visiting "hospitalist". Both he and his wife were physicians and his candor about their profession was revealing. They left South America because of the many real dangers of living there, but felt the healthcare system here was an even greater threat to his family's welfare. Instead of providing services that were greatly valued and highly appreciated as they were in his country, the litigious nature of our culture forced him to make decisions not in the best interest of the patient but to protect himself and family.
The visual picture he painted was even more enlightening as he described the feeling of wearing a "HUGE" target for anyone with an inclination to attack. Those professionals I have shared the story with don't find this to be a unique perspective, but a predominant pall throughout much of our healthcare system. Among the "Most Popular" MGMA blog entries, those about lost practices or deferred retirements are a painful testimony to the fact that healthcare is not much fun. The solutions to these challenges are many, varied and worthy activities, but understanding the core of this too common dissatisfaction is crucial. These are conversations uniquely available to the association environment; in the safety of peers we can grow through the honesty of mutual understanding.
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