by Diane W. Shannon | Mar 4, 2021 | Culture, Gender, Humanizing Medicine
A month or so ago, I came across a social media post about a new children’s book. My children are young adults, not yet parents—so why did I immediately order the book and eagerly await its arrival? And when I had the slim paperback in my hands, why I place it on the... by Diane W. Shannon | Oct 19, 2018 | Culture
I love the idea of turning a negative approach to improvement in health care—looking for problems—on its head. Appreciative inquiry, a process of focusing on a group’s inherent strengths and fostering positive interactions among group members, is one way of... by Diane W. Shannon | Jul 31, 2018 | Culture
When I was in residency training, I felt struggled with a conflict between my perception of reality and a seemingly widespread fallacy. As a human being, and especially as a human new at the tasks I was undertaking, I knew I was imperfect, yet the clinical world... 
by Diane W. Shannon | Mar 23, 2017 | Culture, Leadership
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview a faculty physician at a large academic medical center. We spoke about burnout in students and faculty in general terms. He was aware of the problem yet did not seem affected himself. I asked him how he managed... 
by Diane W. Shannon | Jan 14, 2017 | Culture, Humanizing Medicine
Why would a well-respected, venerable health care organization adopt a soft and squishy approach—tracking disrespect and other forms of emotional harm—to monitor its performance? In 2007, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), a 672-bed health system affiliated... 
by Diane W. Shannon | Nov 15, 2016 | Culture, Leadership, Tools for Preventing Burnout
In this post, I want to share a cool idea used at Mission Health in North Carolina. I recently interviewed Dr. Ron Paulus, CEO of the health system. Three years ago the organization launched “Immersion Day,” when board members leave their corporate meeting rooms to... 