“Verily I say unto you: Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40, KJV.
“A man’s true wealth is the good he does in this world.” Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)
We Family Physicians like to think that we have a good handle on caring for community. We take care of the people in our town or neighborhood who, in return, show us respect and admiration. And through their own resources, through copays and insurance premiums, our patients reward us with an enviable income. We docs are doing good for the patients that come to see us, through caring, diagnosing, treating, sometimes healing and always comforting.
But what about the people who have few resources, no insurance, no reliable transportation, limited education, limited language skills? Often these folks are on the periphery of our communities, the outer fragile edges of an otherwise supportive social structure. Who cares for them, the least of our brethren?
This month’s guest, Dr. Andrea DeSantis, shares her insights into how we as Family Physicians, and the Community at Large, can care for all the people. As Dr. DeSantis explains, it takes more than good-intentioned family docs. It requires a Health Care System that is Healthy, Caring, and truly a comprehensive well-planned System to achieve good health care that we all deserve.
I encourage you to look up the two system-change organizations that Dr. DeSantis recommends:
Primary Care for America. primarycareforamerica.org
Physicians for a National Health Program. pnhp.org
One more quote:
Paul wrote this to his friends in Corinth:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” First Corinthians, 13: 4-7
May our noble profession, and our beloved nation, always take these words to heart.
Lee Beatty, MD
Durham, NC