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3 Ways to Provide Care & Compassion in a Pandemic
Dr. Greenberg:
Coming to you from the ReachMD studios, this is COVID-19: On the Frontlines. I’m Dr. Michael Greenberg, your host.
The universe always seems to work perfectly, even though while it’s happening in the moment we can’t see its logic. There are silver linings to crises and problems and pandemics. And if you’ve ever listened to any of my shows or go back and review them, you’ll see that I’m a physician who’s really worked on a vision of healthcare focused on care and compassion rather than money.
It’s not about big-time stuff. It’s not about recognition, fame or money. The great reward in life is knowing that you helped in some small way to make this world a better place, and it’s something we all can do.
So I have some suggestions during this time of COVID pandemic on things we all can do. First suggestion is, say hello to everybody. As I’m walking into the hospital past staff members who are leaving from the earlier shift, I make it my business to say, “Hello,” “Good morning,” look at them in the eyes and mean it, especially when people are wearing masks. We really need to have that human connection, not just with patients but with our staffs. I’ve seen some people even draw smiley faces on their masks.
Number 2 is humor. Keep your humor. Every morning when I walk into the hospital we get our temperature taken, and as the nurse says, “I’m going to take your temperature,” I kind of laugh and say, “Okay, I’ll let you do that if you promise to give my temperature back to me when I leave at the end of the day.” It always starts them laughing—or I find some other joke that I can do.
Number 3, listen and be present. This is really important. I think these days people need to be listened to more than ever. For some reason Mother Nature gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth, which means we’re supposed to listen twice as much as we speak—because we’re all scared. And while you’re listening and communicating, don’t limit yourself to just conversations about the patient’s medical condition. Talk to them about their fears. Talk to them about how they’re doing. Ask them how they’re doing and share your humanity. I let my patients know my fears and the problems that I’m facing and how we’re all doing this together. When you humanize yourself as a doctor, it allows your patients to be human. I know that, as doctors, sometimes we think our job is just doing the procedures or handing out the medications, but it’s really more than that. Patients come to us to be loved and to be listened to, and it’s our responsibility.
Be alert for the opportunities that we do have, both in the local media and with partners and patients, to demonstrate calm and evenness and not to buy into rumors or fear. Your local television station or radio station may call you for a story. Be available, be listening and be calm. We still have our doctors’ lunchroom open, and we are doing social distancing, but it’s a chance to talk to my fellow physicians about how I’m doing things, how I’m coping with things.
So, what’s the bottom line here? The bottom line is, the more human we are, the more we are present, the more opportunities will show up for us to be of service to help. As physicians, I think we have a responsibility beyond the medical things that we do for our patients to be really listening and be present. Listen beyond the disease. Listen for patients’ fears. Listen for your own fears. Listen for solutions. We’re all in this together, and the more we humanize this, the better everyone will be. And I hope we keep that humanity with us long after this pandemic is gone.
For ReachMD, this is COVID-19: On the Frontlines. I’m Dr. Michael Greenberg. For continuing access to this and other episodes and to add your perspectives to the fight against this global pandemic, visit us as ReachMD.com. Thank you for listening.
The chaos and uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic may make us forget the simple actions we can all do to connect with others and make the world a better place. Listen in as Dr. Michael Greenberg shares three of those simple actions.
Published June 15, 2020
Dr. Greenberg:
Coming to you from the ReachMD studios, this is COVID-19: On The Front Lines I'm Dr. Michael Greenberg.
I’ve come across an interesting way of thinking about patients; one that makes me a lot happier and brings the connection between my patients and myself a lot closer. Now, I have to preface this by saying I’m going to mix some science here with some spirituality. Not religion. I’m not necessarily a religious guy. And I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and having time to think during this pandemic has really clarified my belief here. You know, a lot of us note that there are ten commandments that are biblical. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the science part here. And there’s that one commandment that says honor your father and mother. And I’ve always thought about this, like what’s wrong with your grandparents and your cousins and your aunts and uncles? And there must be some type of hidden message here, especially one that we can use as physicians. So, I started to think about that, and I realized something.
I went back to my college botany and how plants grow. Actually, plants take all their nutrients from the soil, from dirt. They use that to grow and they use sunshine for energy. So, literally, and this is the science part, plants are made of dirt. Animals eat those plants to make their bodies and so they’re made of dirt too. And our mothers eat those animals and plants and make these bodies for us. So, literally, we are made of dirt. And the word ‘human’ in front of human-being comes from the word humus that means soil. And in Hebrew, the word for man and dirt are the same, the word Adam. So, literally, we are all brothers and sisters having a common mother, the earth. And wouldn’t it be interesting to practice medicine looking at that person across the exam room from you and come to realize that that person over there, that we call them patient, is literally my brother or my sister. How would that change medical practice? It certainly has for me, because I’ve always spoken about rules for being a happy doctor. But one of the things that I always talk about to residents and medical students is treat your patients like they’re members of your own family. Plug it into the algorithm. If this were my father, mother, brother, sister sitting across from me, what would I do? And most importantly, what would I not do?
But now this takes that to a different level. To understand it through science, that’s the truth; we are brothers and sisters. And I would challenge or invite anybody who relates to this to start to change that, because during this COVID pandemic, we’re really seeing more and more instances of where people are treating each other like family. And if that’s one of the silver linings that comes out of this COVID pandemic, I’d like to see it be something that we continue after we get back to whatever new normal life that it is. I think it would make medical practice happier. I think it will make doctors and patients happier, relate to each other as family because, to me, that’s the truth.
For ReachMD this is COVID-19: On The Front Lines.
For continuing access to this and other episodes and to add your perspective towards the fight against this global pandemic visit us at ReachMD.com.
Thank you for listening.
The chaos and uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic may make us forget the simple actions we can all do to connect with others and make the world a better place. Listen in as Dr. Michael Greenberg shares three of those simple actions.
Published June 15, 2020
Dr. Greenberg:
Coming to you from the ReachMD studios, this is COVID-19: On The Front Lines I'm Dr. Michael Greenberg.
I’ve come across an interesting way of thinking about patients; one that makes me a lot happier and brings the connection between my patients and myself a lot closer. Now, I have to preface this by saying I’m going to mix some science here with some spirituality. Not religion. I’m not necessarily a religious guy. And I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and having time to think during this pandemic has really clarified my belief here. You know, a lot of us note that there are ten commandments that are biblical. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the science part here. And there’s that one commandment that says honor your father and mother. And I’ve always thought about this, like what’s wrong with your grandparents and your cousins and your aunts and uncles? And there must be some type of hidden message here, especially one that we can use as physicians. So, I started to think about that, and I realized something.
I went back to my college botany and how plants grow. Actually, plants take all their nutrients from the soil, from dirt. They use that to grow and they use sunshine for energy. So, literally, and this is the science part, plants are made of dirt. Animals eat those plants to make their bodies and so they’re made of dirt too. And our mothers eat those animals and plants and make these bodies for us. So, literally, we are made of dirt. And the word ‘human’ in front of human-being comes from the word humus that means soil. And in Hebrew, the word for man and dirt are the same, the word Adam. So, literally, we are all brothers and sisters having a common mother, the earth. And wouldn’t it be interesting to practice medicine looking at that person across the exam room from you and come to realize that that person over there, that we call them patient, is literally my brother or my sister. How would that change medical practice? It certainly has for me, because I’ve always spoken about rules for being a happy doctor. But one of the things that I always talk about to residents and medical students is treat your patients like they’re members of your own family. Plug it into the algorithm. If this were my father, mother, brother, sister sitting across from me, what would I do? And most importantly, what would I not do?
But now this takes that to a different level. To understand it through science, that’s the truth; we are brothers and sisters. And I would challenge or invite anybody who relates to this to start to change that, because during this COVID pandemic, we’re really seeing more and more instances of where people are treating each other like family. And if that’s one of the silver linings that comes out of this COVID pandemic, I’d like to see it be something that we continue after we get back to whatever new normal life that it is. I think it would make medical practice happier. I think it will make doctors and patients happier, relate to each other as family because, to me, that’s the truth.
For ReachMD this is COVID-19: On The Front Lines.
For continuing access to this and other episodes and to add your perspective towards the fight against this global pandemic visit us at ReachMD.com.
Thank you for listening.
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