Creating possibility: Just do it!

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Feb 172012
 
Creating possibility: Just do it!

Our stories say a lot about us, and they can also teach us a lot from them ourselves. Consider this example about one of our colleagues, summarized by a volunteer interviewer:  She was at mass one day and heard the priest repeat a few lines very slowly and oddly. In thinking that he was having a stroke, she approached the pulpit. As a diabetic educator and research nurse, she quickly realized that he was hypoglycemic. In caring for him and talking with him, she noticed severe symptoms such as a [read more]

World without end

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Dec 212011
 

Perhaps trips of any type need to have a beginning and an end for us to really feel as if we have accomplished something of purpose. Milestones are there for a reason. Not being able to leave well enough alone, I have given this idea some thought and have recognized that there may be exceptions. One of our sister schools at ECU, the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, sponsors a lecture series called the Voyages of Discovery. These “voyages” take place in Wright Auditorium in the center of [read more]

Thankful

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Nov 232011
 

The rest of the world tends to count down to the end of the year. We in academic medicine have just reached our stride by now and are accelerating. There is a constant flow of good news that permeates our school at this time of the year. Here are the elements of just a couple of communications that came across my view this week: –Dr. Pete Pancoast of the Department of Internal Medicine was just informed that the pulmonary disease and critical care medicine program was fully accredited for five [read more]

Pushing the right buttons

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Oct 032011
 

I am certain that those of us who have raised kids will immediately understand what “button-pushing” really means. It seems that even as babies, our children learn very rapidly how to win a concession by pushing all of the right buttons. This skill is brought to a fine level of development if one is fortunate enough to have a predominance of girls. At least, that is my own personal experience. How many shoes and purses does one human being really need? Please don’t ask me to answer this question, as my [read more]

Holding on

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Sep 022011
 
Holding on

When I ask how she is doing, my 89-year-old mother always says that she is “holding on.” This response has not changed for decades. As we have come through the last natural disaster, weathered the statewide economic recession and struggled with the day-to-day demands of providing education and service, it is tempting for me to say to others that we are “holding on.” This response, however, is less than satisfying for me. “Holding on” seems to signal that there is nothing else that can be done. This is a maintenance [read more]

Goodbye Irene!

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Aug 312011
 

My dear colleagues, You have been in my thoughts. Most certainly, there has been significant property loss and personal injury all along the East Coast. We are aware that more than 200,000 people in eastern North Carolina are still without power, and there is still an aftermath of disaster that is being addressed as we speak. It is the Brody professional family that remains foremost in my mind. At a minimum, there is clear evidence of water infiltration on the north side of our building. It will take some time [read more]

About people and places

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Aug 222011
 

The Daily Reflector covered a fair amount of territory today. I enjoyed seeing some of our Brody School of Medicine enjoying a buffet meal at the Al-Masjid Islamic Center. They were at the mosque engaging in a long-standing tradition of the Muslim faith: breaking the fast during the month of Ramadan. Good-looking feast! The lead editorial was also worthy of attention and was titled “Hospital name discards history.” We live in an ever-changing, competitive world. This is true for the “business” of medicine as well. Major health systems have developed [read more]

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