A new vision for health care is emerging. It is a vision that brings health, healing, compassion, and wellness into the conversation. It is a vision that invites professionals to work together to create a healthy and sustainable society. It puts people, their needs, their dreams, and their lives at the core of its efforts. It holds promise and sets us on a course toward a vital and healthy nation.
Yet bringing this vision into reality is the true grist for the mill. How do we do it? Where do we begin? How can each of us possibly make a difference?
There are many initiatives and programs that can bring us closer to this vision. In the next few newsletters I’ll be talking about new models, legislation, research, practices, and programs that can help create a world that is healthier, more wholesome, and more compassionate . . . a world that we feel good about . . . a world that we cherish . . . a world that is sustainable and insures generations to come the opportunity to be healthy, vital, and happy.
Each of us can make a difference . . . one thought . . . one intention . . . one step at a time. When we act with wisdom and firm resolve, engage our highest intellect and our highest Self, then we can create a healthy and sustainable society. We can make a difference!
New Vision Emphasizes Wellness, Compassion, Interprofessional Collaboration, Prevention, Accessibility and Affordability
The Institute of Medicine in collaboration with the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation in their epic report “The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health” created this powerful vision:
We envision a future system that makes quality care accessible to the diverse populations of the United States, intentionally promotes wellness and disease prevention, reliably improves health outcomes, and provides compassionate care across the lifespan.
In this envisioned future, primary care and prevention are central drivers of the health care system. Interprofessional collaboration and coordination are the norm. Payment for health care services rewards value, not volume of services, and quality care is provided at a price that is affordable for both individuals and society.
The first step in creating a new reality is to envision what that reality might look like. There is an old saying “if you can see, believe it, then you can achieve it.” It is exciting that many promising visions for a new type of health care are emerging. For me, this is a definite sign that we are awakening as a society. The Institute of Medicine, the World Health Organization, the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, the Integrative Health Policy Consortium, the American Holistic Nurses Association, and the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation are just a few of the many organizations that are advocating for a new system that promotes health and wellness. In subsequent newsletters I will be featuring some of the initiatives that these and other organizations have developed. Their stories will inspire you, create hope, and perhaps even provide opportunities for you to get involved in creating a new paradigm.
Remember, each of us can make a difference . . . one thought . . . one intention . . . one step at a time!
