May is the most diminutively named month, and yet it is the time when spring bursts forth, and it is the harbinger of the summer. It reminded me thatsmall things matter.
This can be hard to appreciate because we live in the age of Big: companies that are too big to fail, ideas that have to be scaled. And in such a time, it's difficult to remember that not only does the small matter, it can have quite an impact.
This can be hard to appreciate because we live in the age of Big: companies that are too big to fail, ideas that have to be scaled. And in such a time, it's difficult to remember that not only does the small matter, it can have quite an impact.
In the face the seemingly intractable problems, especially around access to care for the poor and dealing with the social determinants of health, it's easy to forget that something as straightforward as taking the time to listen to a patient and treating them with compassion actually makes a difference. At Casa, I've seen how a smile from our receptionist can positively affect a medical appointment, not to mention the effort our medical providers make to put patients at ease.
In the larger healthcare Safety Net, I've seen Dwayne Butler, CEO of People's Health Centers, go through his facility and say hello to everyone waiting to be seen. And Elaine Ottenlips at SLU Cancer Center, personally greeting at the entrance of the clinic the patients scheduled for their mammograms.
Yes, these are small things, and we shouldn't expect them to yield dramatic results. After all, a hurricane doesn't occur every time a butterfly flutters its wings. But that doesn't mean we aren't having any effect. And if you put enough small things together, you could be surprised by a mighty breeze starting to blow.
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