Rural health care presents unique challenges and opportunities that require thoughtful approaches. As clinicians, we can make significant impacts on rural health outcomes by considering patients' whole health—body, mind, and spirit. Understanding Rural Health Care…
Early in my military medical career, I gained a deeper understanding of what true healing really involves
As health care professionals, we frequently encounter patients with complex medical histories. However, treating U.S. military veterans with cancer presents a unique set of challenges that often necessitate a specialized approach. Having been a U.S…
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is extremely common. Experienced by 30%-60% of our patient with cancer during treatment, CRF can last for months or years for 20%-30% of patients.1-3 This is no ordinary tired feeling: cancer-related fatigue…
When Wayne B. Jonas, MD, started practicing medicine in 1981, he was the only physician responsible for two entire battalions and their families – about 4,000 people. He learned quickly how to deliver person-centered, relationship-based…
Uncovering what matters Whole person health has come a long way. When we first developed the Personal Health Inventory (PHI), this tool was revolutionary. Asking patients about what mattered in their lives? Considering what brought…
I’ve often wondered what will be the first signs that our health care system in the U.S. is shifting toward whole person, preventative care. The first hint I got that we may be reaching this…
When patients with cancer pain ask you about pain management options, what do you say? It might depend on where you practice. Most people with cancer are treated in community hospitals, in areas where medications…
I recently had an interaction that surprised me. I was speaking with a health systems administrator who was interested in understanding the efficacy of the efforts his team was making related to delivering whole person…
Jan comes back to her childhood home year after year. She walks by the water in the canals, by the lakes and the ocean. She comes back to see her family, the plants having grown…
