Takeaway
Throughout the entirety of the year, placing emphasis on humanity and connecting with patients is paramount.
Passion in the Medical Profession | January 3, 2019 | 1 min read
By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine
The limits of medicine are never more evident as they are during the holiday season. Our tools, imaging, diagnostics, and so forth, are focused on morbidity and survival. We emphasize humanity as much as possible, but it unfortunately sometimes loses out to medical needs.
However, during the holiday season, there is a renewed emphasis on compassion, empathy, and humanism. That is why I love to work at the hospital through the holidays. The opportunity to break the stasis and recognize the dynamics of the special time of year is met with joy by both staff and patients. Professionals go the extra mile to brighten moods. It’s clear how many patients appreciate the effort, and there’s appreciation from family members who visit too. The hospital truly transforms into one focused on the humanity of health in addition to the medicine of health.
And that is why this time of year is the hardest. When the festivities have ended, the holidays have come and gone, and we are back to the status quo of humanity sometimes losing out to medicine. Being a patient is never easy, and the mood of healthcare teams will often dictate the patient’s mood. Therefore, my wish for 2019: regardless of a formal holiday or not, placing the humanity of health and medicine at the forefront of patient care is my priority!