From: "Wesenberg, Nancy Christine" <WESENBNC@uwec.edu> Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:34:38 -0500 Subject: Health Care Issues Message-ID: <E3F0E607B3CF71418CE725F002B5F60440DE53D37D@CHERRYPEPSI.uwec.edu>
In light of the notes from the recent SFPJ meeting, I would like to suggest
that folks might like to read two excellent books I recently read by surg
eon Atul Gawande. Both are excellent. The first is Complications: A Surgeo
n's Notes on an Imperfect Science, and his most recent book, Better: A Su
rgeon's Notes on Performance. The first is more personal and talks about
the contradictions involved in trying to give people the best possible heal
th care while balancing the need to actually train people on the job (using
Gawande's own experiences during his seven years of surgical residency for
examples), and the second, written after Gawande finished his residency,
looks at more general systems in health care and how they might be improve
d. I found Gawande to have an honest and humane voice and a very thoughtf
ul approach. He even talks about typically taboo subjects, like how much do
ctors earn. He deals with issues we all face at one time or another. I hi
ghly recommend these books, both of which were brought to my attention by m
y oldest daughter, an artist and photographer turned pre-med student.
Nancy Wesenberg
Communication Specialist
News Bureau
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
715-836-4423
wesenbnc@uwec.edu