I Dare You to Try This! by Manuel M. Quiñones, Jr., MD
Bexar County Medical Society
President 2008
When was the last time you
walked out of a patient’s
room and asked yourself, “Did I do everything I could have done
to help him/her?” If you’re like me, you
go through a process that includes that
very question countless times a day. You
do it in your office, in the hospital, on
the phone during office hours, and afterwards
when you answer calls from home.
You do it walking out of the operating
room, after you talk to a waiting family.
You do it pulling into your driveway as
your day winds down, or maybe your
last thought as you fold your pillow,
tuck your arm underneath, and relax
into the coolness of your sheets.
We all do it. But what are we really
doing? Don’t we believe in the 2/0 silk
we used to tie off a bleeder on an omentum,
or the antibiotic we prescribed for
that lobar pneumonia we saw at the end
of the day? Don’t we believe in that regimen
of an ARB and a statin for the high
blood pressure and elevated lipids in
that post-CABG patient? Of course we
do. We were taught how to do this by
giants, and we continue to train and
learn every day of our lives.
But what about the human entity that
occupies that mass of molecules we call
a body? What about the Human Spirit
that loves, thinks, feels, fears and rejoices?
What about the person who lives
inside — how often do you focus your
treatment efforts on the Human Spirit?
Isn’t that what really counts? When you
die one day, do you really think you’ll
be remembered for what your Blue
Cross/Blue Shield score was? Or will you
be missed for your warmth, for your caring
and sensitive nature? Will your
patients even cry for you when you die?
If you’re not sure, you may have missed
the boat. You may be ignoring your
patients’ Human Spirit.
There was a time when doctors were
worshipped like gods — when your
doctor came to your home to sit at the
edge of your bed, lay his hand on your
fevered forehead, and assured your parents
that all would be well in a few days.
There was a time when the doctor’s
orders were like a king’s edict — to be
respected and followed. What happened
to those days?
I honestly believe that many of us
fear how we will be seen by society and
even our colleagues if we care too much
for our patients. We are even afraid to
tell our patients “I love you” because
you might get a call from the Texas
Medical Board. I believe that the role we
have been assigned by insurance companies
as “providers” is often deserved, but
not by all.
But why is it politically incorrect to
care about the Human Spirit? Why is it
inappropriate to sit down for a minute,
make eye contact, listen, squeeze a toe
at the end of the bed and tell someone “God bless you” or “I love you” as you’re
leaving the room? Can you begin to feel
the power in those two phrases just
reading them? Can you imagine the
healing power in saying them? And isn’t
that why you chose to do what you do?
I want you to humor me and try
three things tomorrow when you make
rounds in the hospital or have any contact
with your patients. I hope you see
the value in doing this and continue to
do so for the rest of your life.
First of all, I want you to smile when
you walk in, make eye contact with
everyone you see and tell a stranger “Good morning.” Watch their faces. I’ll
bet you a doughnut that nine out of 10
of them will smile back, and you will
improve their day. And they will
improve somebody else’s day right
after that. It’s contagious — the
Human Spirit thrives on warmth and
love. No matter how hurried or stressful
your life may be, by simply smiling
at a stranger, you have addressed and
greeted their Human Spirit.
The next thing I would like for you
to do is learn someone’s name — a
nurse, or a housekeeper, or a ward
clerk, or even a colleague you’ve never
met before. Look at their name tag and
greet them by name. Their Human
Spirit will recognize and remember
your warmth and sensitivity. Try to
learn someone else’s name every week.
Lastly, I want you to tell a patient “I
love you” or “God bless you.” This is the
hardest thing to learn to do because it
means having to care for your patients at
a different level, drop your protective
barrier, and make yourself more vulnerable.
I have to tell you that in the last 26
years of my life, I have never been criticized
about caring too much about my
patients. You will do more for their
Human Spirit in two seconds than a lifetime
of prescriptions. And nobody but
your patient has to hear you say it.
But what about your Human Spirit?
How are you feeling today, and how fulfilling
is your life? How happy are you,
and how much do you love? When was
the last time you took inventory of the
Power in your Human Spirit?
I will promise you that if you follow
my simple exercise above — smile, greet
and care — you will re-energize your
Human Spirit without limits. What a
powerful quality to be recognized: “My
doctor loves his patients and his life as a
physician.” Isn’t that where we all want
to be again?
From the back porch, feet up and sun
going down, I am your President.
Manny Quiñones
