HJBR Nov/Dec 2019

Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge I  NOV / DEC 2019 51 Heath Veuleman­ Senior Advisor and Principal The Veuleman Group importantly, meaningful outcomes are cu- rated by moments of humanity and shared suffering, via your mind’s attention and your heart’s affection; meaningful outcomes are achieved by your presence. Peer reviewed literature reveals that em- pathetic touch has transformative and heal- ing qualities; it can lower blood pressure, decrease cortisol levels lessening distress, increase dopamine and endorphins ame- liorating pain and discomfort, and a host of other tangible and practical benefits. The science of hugs reveals tremendous benefits to both persons engaged in the squeeze. The hormone most associated with childbirth, but often called the love hormone, oxy- tocin, is released in high-volumes during a full-frontal, unabashed, completely au- thentic hug. Empathy and physical touch, individuals quick to listen, slow to speak, and whose body language expresses their authentic compassion for the patient, cre- ate irrevocable bonds that exponentially enhance patient care—all accomplished through presence. The world is a fragile and broken place filled with heartache and grief. Every day will not be rainbows and unicorns. There will be days of sadness, brokenness, and heart wrenching trauma that will leave you bereft and despondent. That is just reality. Instead of avoiding this reality by detaching and liv- ing in the narrative experience, I want to encourage you today to lean into that pain. Remove the emotional and physical barriers between you, the patient, and other stake- holders, and with hearts full of compassion andminds fully aware, lean in to the fragility and brevity of life. Individuals seeking power, influence, and wealth live in the future. Individuals end- lessly ruminating on past failure and grief live in the past. Both individuals are castigat- ing themselves into alternate realities—fig- ments of their imagination. However, there are individuals who face the day fearlessly and choose to experience all the thrills, joys, and laughter along with the brokenness, in- justice, and hurt of our current reality. These individuals are resilient to suffering because they believe that, by their presence, they can contribute, if nothing else, an invaluable balm—their presence. During a dark personal time, I learned a lot about presence. Beleaguered by life, I walked in to see a client and saw, taped on the filing cabinet in a nondescript office, a poem by Mother Teresa. I consider myself to be well read, but until that day I had never come across this poem. Today, I weave it into almost all my presentations. It changed my life. She writes: People are often unreasonable, illogi- cal and self-centered; Forgive themanyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, some- one could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will of- ten forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is be- tween you and your God; It was never between you and themanyway. How do we put her sage insight into prac- tice? If I could sum up her entire poem into two words, creating a pithy phrase of prac- tical guidance, it would be #LoveAnyway. Today, in the face of unfortunate pain and suffering, lean into it. Be present with your patients. Understanding that every individu- al in a healthcare organization is a caregiver, from administrators to housekeepers, and from physicians to architects, our sole pur- pose is to be present with our patients. To maximize reimbursement, minimize costs, mitigate risks, and achieve meaningful out- comes, we must live in the now. When heartache creeps in and the feeling of loss pervades so deeply that it becomes difficult to breathe, I do not run from it; I do not avoid it. Instead, I run into it head first, and while in the direct experience, I meditate on how very grateful I am for every memory and for every moment, for every fun and happy time, and the depth and breadth of love that I have today, and with resilience and a heart full of love, and some glistening eyes, I leverage gratitude to move forward. This has made me a better professional. I am more sensitive tomy clients and the patients that we all serve than ever before. I have learned to revel in the imperfections of life and to engage in our current reality. This is the season of charity, the season of giving, and we should pause to consider how to be grateful for every experience that has made us the individuals we are today. Next, we should boldly choose to experience the reality of good times and bad times, sick- ness and health, and to disrupt healthcare one conversation, one touch, one hug at a time. The key to incarnational living and transformational healthcare delivery and financing systems turns out to be one and the same: persist to be present so that you can #LoveAnyway. n