2017 Thoughts for the New Year

[Originally posted at the PPG blog on January 4, 2017 by Dr. KL Lagana]

I did not see the ball drop over Times Square at the stroke of midnight. I was visiting friends next door and they were on a media blackout… so tired of bad news…wars in foreign lands…terrorist attacks…contested election results…international relationships showing signs of wear… fear about our preexisting medical conditions, ect. So we drank an Irish whiskey called “Writer’s Tears” and ate way too much dark chocolate. By 1210 a.m. on January 1, 2017, I was home watching television and revisiting the dropping of the ball over Times Square.

Why? Well I could say because the primary alkaloid in dark chocolate is theobromine with an average biological half-life of 7.1 hours. But more than that…much more than that …was a driving need to look optimistically toward the New Year. No New Year resolutions…just a recommitment to my life spent as a nurse, to know and tell the truth, to advocate for those who do not have the power to advocate for themselves. On December 7, 2016, the Gallup Poll released its annual ranking of professionals on honesty and ethics. Healthcare professionals and police officers filled the top spots. Once again nurses ranked #1. This tells me that the public needs to feel safe in times of great risk around the world. Sadly, the lowest ranked profession was U.S. congress member.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1654/Honesty-Ethics-Professions.aspx

Healthcare providers are the gatekeepers and the safe-keepers and need to hold that responsibility as a foundational duty. Health policy makers in the U. S. Congress need the guidance and wisdom of those who actually must delivery health care. As 20 million more Americans have health insurance under the ACA then prior to ACA, the world in 2017 may become even riskier without wise decision-making regarding access to healthcare. Activism and compromise are needed if we are to maintain the public trust.

We at Pacific Perinatal Group pledge to serve our perinatal colleagues in their efforts to improve maternal, fetal, and neonatal health outcomes. As a Benefits Company in 2017, we re-dedicate ourselves to the emotional, professional, and spiritual resuscitation of perinatal healthcare providers everywhere. Let’s look for safety in each other’s hands.

Happy New Year! … From the Partners and Staff at PPG.