RWL Newsletter #128
Happy first day of summer from the University of New Hampshire! It does finally feel a bit like summer here. It’s been good to be home for a few days - but tomorrow I head back across the Pond to a conference in Nottingham, England. I’ll let you know if I see the Sheriff or Robin. I’ll be presenting research I’ve done about how organizations can more effectively manage the school to work transition of early careerists. Should be fun!
(Picture: I took my daughter out kayaking earlier this week for her first time. Sunset on the water is always magical.)
Read
What: The New Yorker, The Comforting Fictions of Dementia Care
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/08/the-comforting-fictions-of-dementia-care
Why: This is a well written piece that explores the ethical issues around lying to people with dementia. The author cites reasons for and against, both for the patient’s well being as well as for the care giver’s. For example, what happens to you if, in your role as a nurse, you spend your day lying? It’s an interesting angle I hadn’t thought about. Does this do you some moral harm? Can you contain that behavior, long term, to your place of work? Does it start to shape your own view of reality? This is a long piece, but I think it’s well worth the time.
(PS - there is an audio version of this on the web site so you can listen to it instead of reading because it’s long)
Watch
What: The MICHELIN guide Insider Series: The Story of Chan Hon Meng
Why: Getting a star from the Michelin Guide is one of the highest honors a chef can earn. The Michelin Guide gave a star to a street food hawker in Singapore. At $1.50, Mr. Chen’s Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle is the cheapest Michelin-starred meal you can get in the world. Chef Chen says:
“Whether you’re a restaurant chef or a hawker, I hope that every chef will put in their best effort as if the Michelin inspector is tasting your food at every moment. That is our most important take away. And only then will your food display your passion.”
That’s pretty good life advice. If you’re a street food hawker, be the best damn street food hawker you can be. If you’re a healthcare leader working in a nice, cushy environment, well, what’s your excuse?
I originally read about this unusual accomplishment here: https://mymodernmet.com/chan-hon-meng-street-food-michelin-star/
Listen
What: Health Leader Forge, Marie Vienneau, RN, FACHE, President & CEO, Mayo Hospital
https://healthleaderforge.blogspot.com/2019/06/marie-vienneau-rn-fache-president-and.html
Why: My latest healthcare leader career interview is with Marie Vienneau, the President & CEO of Mayo Hospital in Dover Foxcroft, Maine. Mayo Hospital is a critical access hospital providing care in rural Maine. Marie has been a rural hospital CEO for 17 years. She has great advice for young people, and young women in particular, who are looking to move into leadership roles. Mayo is in the process of merging with Northern Light Health, one of Maine’s large health systems, so we discuss that decision and the process as well.
Thanks for reading and see you next week! If you come across any interesting stories, won't you send them my way? I'd love to hear what you think of these suggestions, and I'd love to get suggestions from you. Feel free to drop me a line by e-mail, or you can tweet to me at @mbonica .
Also, if you find these links interesting, won’t you tell a friend? They can subscribe here: https://tinyletter.com/markbonica
Have a great weekend and do amazing things!
Mark
Mark J. Bonica, Ph.D., MBA, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Management and Policy
University of New Hampshire
(603) 862-0598
mark.bonica@unh.edu
Health Leader Forge Podcast: http://healthleaderforge.org
"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." - Henry David Thoreau