RWL Newsletter #27
Greetings from a strangely warm Durham! We're getting rain and the temperature yesterday was 58 degrees - which is more typical of May than January. Luckily we're getting back down into the 30's - otherwise my daffodils might decide to come up and get wiped out by the snow like they did last year.
Here's a few bits to chew on over the coming weekend - dental goes prime, the challenge of Millenials, and a farewell talk by Obama on Obamacare. I hope you enjoy them!
Read
What: from Modern Healthcare, Moving dental health into primary care by Elizabeth Whitman.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20170107/MAGAZINE/301079949
Why: I think, like a lot of healthcare professionals, I often overlook dental health and access to dental care. Here's a good article on the access to dental care and the progress in integrating dental health into primary care.
Watch
What: Simon Sinek, The Millenial Question
https://youtu.be/vudaAYx2IcE
Why: "Their mums can't get them a promotion." I'm generally not a big fan of generational generalizations. I find that such articles tend to be an articulation of jealousy by the older generation that happens to be writing the articles and wishing they could be young again. I remember reading articles written about Generation X (my generation) by Baby Boomer journalists who called us slackers and lazy. And now we that Gen X has grown up and has a pen, we're writing about how Millennials are lazy and entitled. Seems like every generation sees the next generation as lazy. I could invoke the marginal product of labor and wages, but let's just say that maybe its healthy to be non-committal when you're in your twenties. I'm teaching Millennials now and some of them are lazy and entitled. Some of them are highly motivated and chomping at the bit to go off and save the world. Most of them are just young and clueless (including the latter two groups). But that said, there are some things that are different. My wife and I talk all the time about the fact that we (Gen X) were the last generation to come to maturity before the internet. Growing up with instant communication and social media is something never seen before. We aren't done adjusting to the impact of instant communication and social media on our culture - we're just beginning. The Millennials are different for that reason. And, as Sinek says, they are the victim of bad parenting - in part driven by this incredible cultural phenomenon. Worth a listen if you haven't already seen it.
Listen
What: Vox, Obama on Obamacare
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/30/14112224/vox-obama-interview
Why: President Obama gives a lengthy interview about health reform and the future of Obamacare (I ordinarily make a point of saying "the ACA" normally, but in the interview he welcomes the Obamacare name). I think his key talking point is, if the Republicans want to repeal Obamacare, they should show what their plan is first. I think that's actually a fair point (of course, we have Pelosi's famous quote, "We have to pass it so you can find out what's in it", but we'll let that pass - water under the bridge - that was so 2010). By the way, if you are a policy wonk, Vox's Ezara Klein podcast is quite good. He clearly a Progressive, but he's thoughtful and reasonably aware of his own biases.
That's it for this week! Have a happy and safe New Year and I'll talk to you again next year!
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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 @bonicatalent .
Thanks for reading and see you next week!
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
Twitter: @bonicatalent
"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." - Henry David Thoreau