Summer 2020 | Volume 9 | Number 3
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Open Wide:
Tooth Decay - From Condition of Humanity to Consignment to Medical History? Part 3
CBD and Mental Health - Therapeutic Magic or Myth? Part 2
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2020 has been a year that will undoubtedly go down in history. The novel coronavirus continues to have an unprecedented impact in every aspect of life across the globe. And it appears COVID-19 will influence the future not only for years to come but also in ways we may not even be able to imagine at this point in time.
First a bit of good news. I am excited to announce this issue inaugurates a new column – CyberVitals – brought to the
Wharton Healthcare Quarterly
by WEMBA’42 grad Vidya Murthy. Vidya will keep all of us informed and on the cutting edge of cybersecurity and beyond.
Now for the increasingly bad news.
The pandemic has taken a physical toll and has shone a bright light on the many inequities which exist in communities of color and those of low wealth and have both gone unaddressed and actually increased over time. The pandemic has also resulted in repercussions which are being manifest by a pandemic of another type…..the toll on emotional and mental health. And with the now
global
acknowledgment and reaction to the longstanding epidemic of racial injustice and brutality resulting in a seemingly endless number of deaths of African Americans at the hands of the police, another seismic journey is unfolding.
Recent events have triggered turmoil and a wide range of emotions - fear, horror, disbelief, grief, heartbreak, anger, resentment, rage, an ignited sense of purpose and a reactivated commitment to action. The world has not been able to “unsee” or turn away from the video of the life of George Floyd drain out of his body. For some, eyes have been opened, and for others overwhelming physical and emotional exhaustion has set in.
“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
Lastly, and in a “you wouldn’t believe it you if you saw it in a movie” moment, the coronavirus seems to be mutating to an even more contagious form,
and
there is now word of an emerging flu virus, G4, found in pigs in China that has the potential to become a pandemic. It bears a resemblance to H1N1, and current seasonal flu vaccines aren’t likely to provide any protection.
2020 has been a year that will undoubtedly go down in history. It is up to us to determine what that history turns out to be.
Z. Colette Edwards, WG’84, MD’85
Managing Editor
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2020 has thus far tested the very fabric of our world: personally, professionally, societally, globally. It is an understatement to say that it has been a hard year for many – in fact, for many it has been life changing. We have experienced an unprecedented global pandemic, economic and health uncertainty, and a global demonstration spurred by the violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others to combat systemic issues of racism and inequality.
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This eclectic standing column features insightful musings, words of wisdom, life lessons, and stepping stones to business success. This month's philosopher is
Brian Holzer, WG’05
, President of Kindred Innovations and the founder and CEO of Lacuna Health.
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to participate in future editions.
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Affidavit: Healthcare and the Law
-
COVID-19 and Constitutional Rights
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COVID-19 has taught us that the federal and states governments should be well-prepared for public health emergencies, including ensuring that important laws and policies that promote health are in place. Even though we cannot predict the exact time of the next major public health emergency, we can assume there will always be a variety of opinions and legal challenges during each emergency on the question of how much is too much government control, and whether individual liberties that are protected by our federal and state constitutions have been compromised.
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Downloading Success
:
Harnessing the Hidden Strengths of Physician Leaders to Thrive Post-Pandemic
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Never has the clarion call to transform healthcare delivery been louder or more urgent than it is today. Organizations will need to engage physician leaders to answer the call. But not in the way many assume. The COVID pandemic has thrust us into the most incredible circumstances, forcing organizations to reassess nearly every aspect of how they operate, and how they will survive and thrive in the near and distant future.
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Mind the Gap:
The Ghost of COVID Future
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The coronavirus pandemic has unmasked and amplified our nation’s glaring health inequities and its deep-rooted disparities, as have other health crises before it. I am not certain who to credit for this version of the following quote, but I think it captures the essence of our COVID-19 era: “We are all in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat.”
What lessons do we remember from the past? More importantly, what do we choose to remember? And what memories do we choose to “flatten”? What values do we choose to act upon in a meaningful and consistent manner? Will the COVID-19 pandemic be our galvanizing moment? Or will our most prominent memory be the day we learned that toilet paper was more valuable than crude oil?
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CyberVitals:
Planning for Medical Device Security in 2025 while Surviving 2020
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With COVID-19 bringing into focus the importance of disaster planning and remote capabilities, it is a foregone conclusion that the threat landscape will keep growing. Moving to more remote functionality to sustain business operations introduces new technology, practices, and threats. Unfortunately, the pace of transitioning to remote working means that prioritizing security can be difficult, but there are tangible changes that can be made today.
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COVID-19: The Invisible Impact of an Invisible Threat
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“One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through, and it will be someone else’s survival guide.”
~Lene Andersen
At the time this article is being written, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the globe is almost 16 million people, and the number of deaths is greater than 650,000. COVID-19 will impact everyone sooner or later, in ways that are simply inconvenient for some and completely life-changing for many others. No one will go unscathed.
COVID-19 has taken a toll on physical health and has taken lives. Those are the visible signs of its presence. But what about its many invisible impacts? The novel coronavirus spreads quickly, unseen by the human eye and not physically perceived in 40 – 60% of individuals who are infected. Those very facts serve as the starting point of the cascading ripple effect that may be manifest in the insidious way it can enter our lives. How do you combat a threat you can’t see and may not feel?
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The Power of Integrated Leadership
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Imagine, if you will, a world in which each of us comes into our full integrated selves, where we see each other in our full humanity, and we each possess deeper levels of compassion for ourselves and everyone around us. Consider what this would do to our relationships, workplaces, governments, and society when we begin to reimagine the systems and structures that have been built upon only half the equation and based exclusively on a masculine model.
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The year 2020 has presented us with new and unique challenges. This spring, many of us found ourselves in our homes quarantined to avoid the COVID-19 virus. “Embrace the in between.” These powerful words resonated with us as we began to wonder how embracing such an uncertain time applies to not just our family, but everyone else who is living through the pandemic. Our discussions over the past few weeks have made us realize we need to do something, and what better way to make a contribution than to use our calling as designers and “problem solvers”? We identified 5 key areas that can be improved to increase function and safety - Entry, Kitchen, Social Space, Wellness Space and Work/Learn Space.
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Leading in a Virtual Reality
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The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched the health system in many ways, not the least of which includes shifting the settings in which work gets done. While frontline caregivers may be working in unfamiliar locations, many administrative leaders and others find their new working environment already all too familiar—as often it’s their home. Work constrained by physical distancing has forced many of us to turn to videoconferencing technologies. During this uncertain time, we are being pushed to exercise flexibility in countless ways - convening online is just one.
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Wharton Around the Globe:
Helping Improve Access to Vulnerable Populations in Rural India
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This past semester a team of Wharton students from the Wharton Global Health Volunteers (WGHV) had the opportunity to work with Makunda Christian Leprosy and General Hospital, a 190-bed hospital strategically located at the junction of three Indian states: Assam, Tripura, and Mizoram. As a mission and not-for-profit hospital, Makunda believes in providing comprehensive health services to all, especially the vulnerable populations who make up a significant portion of the communities surrounding Makunda. Despite having very little outside funding (e.g., donations) and limited resources, Makunda has been able to successfully deliver charity care to all of its identified vulnerable patients in a given year and still be profitable.
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Disclaimer
: The opinions expressed within are those of the authors and editors of the articles and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Wharton School and/or the University of Pennsylvania, and/or their respective organizations. Publication in this e-magazine should not be considered an endorsement. The
Wharton Healthcare Quarterly
and WHCMAA make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information in this e-magazine and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.
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