Dan Diamond, MD - Dan Diamond MD's Blog

Resilience: Climbing a Mountain Without Hands or Feet!

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:31:58 +0000

Title: Resilience: Climbing a Mountain Without Hands or Feet!
Article:

Frankly, stories like this make me a bit uncomfortable. There is a lot to learn from 25 year old, Kyle Maynard. He was born without hands or feet and yet he is training to climb Mt. Kilamanjaro. His attitude is refreshing and, at the same time, challenging. Watching him redefines my challenges and compels me to get back in the game. How about you? What are your thoughts after watching him?

Click HERE and leave a comment below (on the full article page)

Dan Diamond, MD

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 30 May 2012 19:22
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Resilience, Determination, Power, Purpose

Joplin, MO - Day 2 (extra): People Making a Difference

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:49:20 +0000

Title: Joplin, MO - Day 2 (extra): People Making a Difference
Article:

I've been on the ground now in Joplin for a little over 24 hours. As usual, when I try to come and help, I feel like I'm being blessed more than I'm blessing others. I met some terrific people since I've been here and I experienced a spirit of resilience that is out of this world. Joplin is a wonderful place where people care about each other and they put each other first. American Family Insurance sponsored my trip to Joplin as part of their commitment to reach out and meet the needs of the community. Remember, however, that many of the folks that responded were also at the mercy of the tornado and had their own challenges to overcome. Wait till you see this video...

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Tue 20 September 2011 04:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, Significance, Healthcare, Joplin

Joplin, MO Day 2 - The Waffle House Index. A Lesson in Resilience

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:03:18 +0000

Title: Joplin, MO Day 2 - The Waffle House Index. A Lesson in Resilience
Article:

There really truly is a Waffle House Index that those of us in the disaster response world use to measure how bad a disaster is. It isn't complex but it is real and I'm promise I'm not making this up. So, here it is:

GREEN: Waffle House is open and has a full menu available

YELLOW: Waffle House is operating on a limited menu due to power outages or other disruption of service.

RED: Waffle House is closed.

Lest you think that I'm making this up because I love the Waffle House (which I do) here is what FEMA administrator Craig Fugate said, "If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? "That's really bad. That's where you go to work."

So, since American Family Insurance has sponsored me to speak in Joplin this wee, I decided that I should visit the local Waffle House to check in and see how they were doing. (Also, they were miraculously just across the parking lot from my hotel!) Marla, my agent from In The Wings Speaker Management, was already there and already had them organized to say, "Good morning Dan!" as I walked in the door. It was hilarious. It was a Waffle House Level Green kind of a day. They were offering a full menu and I was hungry. Following the tornado, despite the lack of electricity for several day days, they managed to stay open (Level Yellow) and help! The stories from the staff took my breath away!

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Resilience, Determination, Significance, Power, Purpose

Joplin, MO - The Line When Dead So She Never Heard the Warning!

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:26:27 +0000

Title: Joplin, MO - The Line When Dead So She Never Heard the Warning!
Article:

This has been an amazing day! I was so excited to get to Joplin that I didn't sleep much last night. I was out of bed at 2:30 AM to begin the trek to the airport for my 6:10 flight where I met up with Marla Williams from In the Wings Speaker Management. She has been instrumental in organizing this series of talks. Marla and I were both committed to putting on these events with no cost to the Joplin community. American Family Insurance graciously sponsored the meetings so we could bring this message of resilience, empowerment and hope.

After we arrived in Joplin this evening, Vicky Mieseler (the Director at Ozark Center) picked us up and gave us a first hand view of the town. She was at work at the time the tornado struck and she was able to hunker down. Her daughter, on the other hand, had quite the experience.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Tue 20 September 2011 02:33
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Resilience, Determination, Significance, Power, gratitude, Healthcare, Purpose, Tornado

Heading to Joplin to Encourage and Equip

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:11:20 +0000

Title: Heading to Joplin to Encourage and Equip
Article:

It was just confirmed that on September 19th and 20th, I am going to be speaking to the folks in Joplin, MO that have been recovering since the devastating tornado in May. I'm eager to bring a message of hope and encouragement with four keynote speeches and two workshops. The theme is going to be "How to Get Back in the Game When All Your Stuff is Gone". We are also going to dig in and explore some of the concepts of Psychological Armor™.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Thu 18 August 2011 16:13
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Resilience, Determination, Significance, Power, gratitude, Purpose, psychological armor

Living in the Wrong Time Zone Could Cost You Your Life

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:29:51 +0000

Title: Living in the Wrong Time Zone Could Cost You Your Life
Article:

Sometimes I think that I've lived way too much of my life in the wrong time zone. It seems to me that I spend a great deal of energy and time pondering, planning for and worrying about what I'm going to do about an hour from now.

In doing so, I miss out on what is actually going on right here and right now. The big problem is that I never get caught up; I'm always chasing an hour hand that moves further away.

So I've decided to change time zones.

Since doing so, I find myself more frequently calling "time out" and just stopping to think about what I'm seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling. I've discovered something that I didn't expect. When I pay attention to the action of the moment, I can discover joy in the smallest of things.

Ahhhhhh. Time to enjoy life…right now.

Dan Diamond, MD

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Fri 26 August 2011 07:14
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Significance, gratitude

45 Seconds: Memoirs of an ER Doctor that Survived (Joplin, MO)

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Title: 45 Seconds: Memoirs of an ER Doctor that Survived (Joplin, MO)
Article:

This is an amazing report from one of the physicians that was on duty on May 22, 2011 in the Emergency Department at St. John's Regional Medical Center. I've posted it here in its entirety because it is so well written and will open your eyes to what it is like to be on the ground, in the trenches during one of these disasters. He or she did an outstanding job of becoming part of the solution despite dire circumstances. Some of the key things to note when you read this memoir include:

They took cover so they survived to be able to help. As difficult as it is, safety has to be a priority.
They worked together as a team.
They put the needs of others first. There was no room or time for egos.
They improvised and re-purposed to get things done.
They were grateful

When I read stories like this, part of me thinks about how I would respond if I were in the situation BUT the other part of me asks how I respond to the work that is before me right now. How do I respond to the challenges that I already face. How do you ?

Please take the time to read this and share your thoughts. Brace yourself:

Dan Diamond, MD

"...I was one of two emergency room doctors who were on duty at St.

John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin , MO on Sunday, May 22, 2011.

You never know that it will be the most important day of your life until the day is over. The day started like any other day for me: waking up, eating, going to the gym, showering, and going to my 4:00 pm ER shift. As I drove to the hospital I mentally prepared for my shift as I always do, but nothing could ever have prepared me for what was going to happen on this shift. Things were normal for the first hour and half. At approximately 5:30 pm we received a warning that a tornado had been spotted. Although I work in Joplin and went to medical school in Oklahoma , I live in New Jersey , and I have never seen or been in a tornado. I learned that a "code gray" was being called. We were to start bringing patients to safer spots within the ED and hospital.

At 5:42 pm a security guard yelled to everyone, "Take cover! We are about to get hit by a tornado!" I ran with a pregnant RN, while others scattered to various places, to the only place that I was familiar with in the hospital without windows, a small doctor's office in the ED. Together, she and I tremored and huddled under a desk. We heard a loud horrifying sound like a large locomotive ripping through the hospital. The whole hospital shook and vibrated as we heard glass shattering, light bulbs popping, walls collapsing, people screaming, the ceiling caving in above us, and water pipes breaking, showering water down on everything. We suffered this in complete darkness, unaware of anyone else's status, worried, scared. We could feel a tight pressure in our heads as the tornado annihilated the hospital and the surrounding area. The whole process took about 45 seconds, but seemed like eternity. The hospital had just taken a direct hit from a category EF5 tornado.

Then it was over. Just 45 seconds. 45 long seconds. We looked at each other, terrified, and thanked God that we were alive. We didn't know, but hoped that it was safe enough to go back out to the ED, find the rest of the staff and patients, and assess our losses.

"Like a bomb went off. " That's the only way that I can describe what we saw next. Patients were coming into the ED in droves. It was absolute, utter chaos. They were limping, bleeding, crying, terrified, with debris and glass sticking out of them, just thankful to be alive. The floor was covered with about 3 inches of water, there was no power, not even backup generators, rendering it completely dark and eerie in the ED. The frightening aroma of methane gas leaking from the broken gas lines permeated the air; we knew, but did not dare mention aloud, what that meant. I redoubled my pace. We had to use flashlights to direct ourselves to the crying and wounded. Where did all the flashlights come from? I'll never know, but immediately, and thankfully, my years of training in emergency procedures kicked in. There was no power, but our mental generators were up and running, and on high test adrenaline. We had no cell phone service in the first hour, so we were not even able to call for help and backup in the ED.

I remember a patient in his early 20's gasping for breath, telling me that he was going to die. After a quick exam, I removed the large shard of glass from his back, made the clinical diagnosis of a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and gathered supplies from wherever I could locate them to insert a thoracostomy tube in him. He was a trooper; I'll never forget his courage. He allowed me to do this without any local anesthetic since none could be found. With his life threatening injuries I knew he was running out of time, and it had to be done. Quickly. Imagine my relief when I heard a big rush of air, and breath sounds again; fortunately, I was able to get him transported out. I immediately moved on to the next patient, an asthmatic in status asthmaticus. We didn't even have the option of trying a nebulizer treatment or steroids, but I was able to get him intubated using a flashlight that I held in my mouth. A small child of approximately 3-4 years of age was crying; he had a large avulsion of skin to his neck and spine. The gaping wound revealed his cervical spine and upper thoracic spine bones. I could actually count his vertebrae with my fingers. This was a child, his whole life ahead of him, suffering life threatening wounds in front of me, his eyes pleading me to help him.. We could not find any pediatric C collars in the darkness, and water from the shattered main pipes was once again showering down upon all of us. Fortunately, we were able to get him immobilized with towels, and start an IV with fluids and pain meds before shipping him out. We felt paralyzed and helpless ourselves. I didn't even know a lot of the RN's I was working with. They were from departments scattered all over the hospital. It didn't matter. We worked as a team, determined to save lives. There were no specialists available -- my orthopedist was trapped in the OR. We were it, and we knew we had to get patients out of the hospital as quickly as possible. As we were shuffling them out, the fire department showed up and helped us to evacuate. Together we worked furiously, motivated by the knowledge and fear that the methane leaks could cause the hospital could blow up at any minute.

Things were no better outside of the ED. I saw a man crushed under a large SUV, still alive, begging for help; another one was dead, impaled by a street sign through his chest. Wounded people were walking, staggering, all over, dazed and shocked. All around us was chaos, reminding me of scenes in a war movie, or newsreels from bombings i Bagdad . Except this was right in front of me and it had happened in just 45 seconds. My own car was blown away. Gone. Seemingly evaporated. We searched within a half mile radius later that night, but never found the car, only the littered, crumpled remains of former cars. And a John Deere tractor that had blown in from miles away.

Tragedy has a way of revealing human goodness. As I worked, surrounded by devastation and suffering, I realized I was not alone. The people of the community of Joplin were absolutely incredible. Within minutes of the horrific event, local residents showed up in pickups and sport utility vehicles, all offering to help transport the wounded to other facilities, including Freeman, the trauma center literally across the street. Ironically, it had sustained only minimal damage and was functioning (although I'm sure overwhelmed). I carried on, grateful for the help of the community.

Within hours I estimated that over 100 EMS units showed up from various towns, counties and four different states. Considering the circumstances, their response time was miraculous. Roads were blocked with downed utility lines, smashed up cars in piles, and they still made it through.

We continued to carry patients out of the hospital on anything that we could find: sheets, stretchers, broken doors, mattresses, wheelchairs-anything that could be used as a transport mechanism.

As I finished up what I could do at St John's , I walked with two RN's to a makeshift MASH center that was being set up miles away at Memorial Hall. We walked where flourishing neighborhoods once stood, astonished to see only the disastrous remains of flattened homes, body parts, and dead people everywhere. I saw a small do just wimpering in circles over his master who was dead, unaware that his master would not ever play with him again. At one point we tended to a young woman who just stood crying over her dead mother who was crushed by her own home. The young woman covered her mother up with a blanket and then asked all of us, "What should I do?" We had no answer for her, but silence and tears.

By this time news crews and photographers were starting to swarm around, and we were able to get a ride to Memorial Hall from another RN. The chaos was slightly more controlled at Memorial Hall. I was relieved to see many of my colleagues, doctors from every specialty, helping out. It was amazing to be able to see life again. It was also amazing to see how fast workers mobilized to set up this MASH unit under the circumstances. Supplies, food, drink, generators, exam tables, all were there-except pharmaceutical pain meds. I sutured multiple lacerations, and splinted many fractures, including some open with bone exposed, and then intubated another patient with sever COPD, slightly better controlled conditions this time, but still less than optimal.

But we really needed pain meds. I managed to go back to the St John's with another physician, pharmacist, and a sheriff's officer. Luckily, security let us in to a highly guarded pharmacy to bring back a garbage bucket sized supply of pain meds.

At about midnight I walked around the parking lot of St. John's with local law enforcement officers looking for anyone who might be alive or trapped in crushed cars. They spray-painted "X"s on the fortunate vehicles that had been searched without finding anyone inside. The unfortunate vehicles wore "X's" and sprayed-on numerals, indicating the number of dead inside, crushed in their cars, cars which now resembled flattened recycled aluminum cans the tornado had crumpled in her iron hands, an EF5 tornado, one of the worst in history, whipping through this quiet town with demonic strength. I continued back to Memorial hall into the early morning hours until my ER colleagues told me it was time for me to go home. I was completely exhausted. I had seen enough of my first tornado.

How can one describe these indescribable scenes of destruction? The next day I saw news coverage of this horrible, deadly tornado. It was excellent coverage, and Mik Bettes from the Weather Channel did a great job, but there is nothing that pictures and video can depict compared to seeing it in person. That video will play forever in my mind.

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone involved in helping during this nightmarish disaster. My fellow doctors, RN's, techs, and all of the staff from St. John's . I have worked at St John's for approximately 2 years, and I have always been proud to say that I was a physician at St John's in Joplin , MO. The smart, selfless and immediate response of the professionals and the community during this catastrophe proves to me that St John's and the surrounding community are special. I am beyond proud.

To the members of this community, the health care workers from states away, and especially Freeman Medical Center , I commend everyone on unselfishly coming together and giving 110% the way that you all did, even in your own time of need. St John's Regional Medical Center is gone, but her spirit and goodness lives on in each of you.

EMS , you should be proud of yourselves. You were all excellent, and did a great job despite incredible difficulties and against all odds.

For all of the injured who I treated, although I do not remember your names (nor would I expect you to remember mine) I will never forget your faces. I'm glad that I was able to make a difference and help in the best way that I knew how, and hopefully give some of you a chance at rebuilding your lives again. For those whom I was not able to get to or treat, I apologize whole heartedly.

Last, but not least, thank you, and God bless you, Mercy/St John's for providing incredible care in good times and even more so, in times of the unthinkable, and for all the training that enabled us to be a team and treat the people and save lives.

Sincerely,

NAME REDACTED, DO

Department of Emergency Medicine

Mercy/St John's Regional Medical Center

Joplin , MO

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Fri 26 August 2011 07:18
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, Significance, Power, gratitude, Healthcare, Purpose

A Second Disaster Threatens Jopin, MO

Fri, 27 May 2011 07:03:31 +0000

Title: A Second Disaster Threatens Jopin, MO
Article:

I just received this update from FEMA:

"A second disaster threatens to overtake Joplin MO by way of a tidal wave of unsolicited goods (things like clothing, miscellaneous household items, mixed or perishable foodstuffs, diapers...) and volunteers who just show up to help. Critical resources are being redirected from the important work of response and relief to managing what has become a crush of unneeded donated items. Social networking sites are promoting collection drives while radio stations, small and large businesses, business and fraternal organizations and churches around the country fill semis with items that threaten to crowd warehouses and overwhelm distribution channels in the impacted area.

Your help is urgently needed to stem the flow of unneeded goods and volunteers into Joplin. You are encouraged to reach out to your employees, customers and other constituents on how those wanting to help can do so in a way that doesn't cause further impact, but rather aids in the response and recovery effort.

The following guidelines were developed by a coalition of government, voluntary agency and faith-based partners:

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Sat 13 August 2011 08:25
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Is This 83 Year Old Woman More Empowered Than You?

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:51:08 +0000

Title: Is This 83 Year Old Woman More Empowered Than You?
Article:

Imagine that you are 83 years old and sitting at home alone. All of a sudden your world begins to shake and you are nearly thrown to the ground. Gripped by fear you do your best to find a doorway or duck under a table. As the earthquake ends about 60 seconds later you check yourself over and are encouraged to find that you still have all of your parts and nothing is injured. Your belongings on the other hand didn't fair so well. There is glass everywhere... so much damage in so little time. Earthquakes are so overwhelmingly powerful and intimidating. It makes you feel small and helpless. As you begin to feel discouraged by the large mess and wonder how you will ever get it cleaned up, you hear a siren somewhere in the back of your mind. Then it hits you. This isn't over yet. That isn't the siren of a police car or a fire truck; it is THE siren. The Tsunami Siren! At 83 years old it would be understandable to just slump into a chair and wait for the inevitable. After all, you don't even own a car. You could walk towards higher ground but there just isn't time. You have lived a long and fulfilling life but every one dies at some point. Might as well just sit and wait.

Tsuna Kimura was 83 when the tsunami hit Japan following their 8.9 earthquake. She did anything BUT give up. I wonder how many 83 year olds would have done what she did? She jumped on her bicycle and peddled her way to safety! No kidding. How many 83 year old women do you know that even own a bicycle let alone ride it! She has amazing resilience. She was resourceful and adaptive. Despite overwhelming circumstances, she was empowered! This is worth pondering a bit so we can learn from her courageous example:

What would you do if it was you?
How do you handle it when you face challenges that seem insurmountable and resources are scarce?
If you are still young, what are the take home lessons for you in relation to your job? your home? your friends?
If you are pushing 80, how does this story impact your perspective?

I would love to hear your insights!

Dan Diamond, MD

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Fri 26 August 2011 07:18
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, earthquake

A Behind the Scenes Look at Disaster Response: The Japan Earthquake

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:16:14 +0000

Title: A Behind the Scenes Look at Disaster Response: The Japan Earthquake
Article:

I thought that I would share with you a bit about how things work when a global disaster strikes. Most people aren't aware of what happens behind the scenes. As soon as the disaster happens we usually go on standby. Then the folks at Medical Teams International begin to network with their contacts in the area. They are currently working with three in-country partners in Japan. In addition, MTI is part of a formal global network of international relief organizations. Needs assessments and other information are freely shared between the organizations so resources can be strategically deployed. At this time the leadership team at MTI has determined that the best way to respond to the Japanese situation is to send financial resources and not deploy any teams. They are very closely watching the situation and continually reassessing the need. Things may change and, if they determine that there is a need, I will deploy with them on their first in medical team. If you would like to support the relief effort, I would encourage you to take a look at the MTI website. They do a great job of getting the funds to the place where they can make the most difference. Thank you to all of you for your prayers and concerns.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Fri 26 August 2011 07:19
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Resilience, Determination

How to Lift Your Team

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:42:00 +0000

Title: How to Lift Your Team
Article:

Keep company with good men, and you'll increase their number.
Italian Proverb

I just spent this past weekend in Atlanta at the National Speakers Association “Unconference” and it was a phenomenal experience. I had the opportunity to meet people from around the world and I learned a tremendous amount from Matt Church about being a thought leader. Yesterday while driving I began to ponder how energized I was after sending such a short amount of time with such a powerhouse of support. Not only did I come away feeling a lot smarter; I also came away feeling inspired.Throughout my life I have had pivotal moments where my perspective changed and ideas started to flow. Moments where the doubts vaporized and the “I can do it!” took over. Rarely do this times come from isolation. There is something about the impact of a community on the individual. It is powerful. Surrounding myself with positive people that are moving forward and making a difference refocuses my sights on doing great things.

However, another thought hit me yesterday right between the eyes: It’s not all about me. Do I contribute to the community in such a way that others are inspired and realign their sites to do great things? Do I bring enthusiasm, joy, wisdom and knowledge to my relationships so that those I spend time with will be better off than they were before we met? If I am going to do that, I need to be sure that I am prepared to make a difference. I have a responsibility to the community. How I choose to live my life will make a difference on the community whether I want it to or not. How am I investing my time to be able to grow and contribute? Am I willing to invest in the lives of others?

The team that came from Australia made a difference beyond what they will ever know. My goal is to create and contribute to the community by inspiring and equipping others to experience positive, meaningful and lasting change.

Dan Diamond, MD

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Sat 13 August 2011 08:27
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Resilience, Determination

Be Careful! This Could Cause an Epidemic!

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:52:38 +0000

Title: Be Careful! This Could Cause an Epidemic!
Article:

Even as a physician well versed in infectious disease, I still am amazed how some things can be so contagious. I recently observed a group of employees that was working well together and having an overall great work experience. Then a strange thing happened. An employee showed up that had just returned from vacation and is known for seeing the negative in everything (I know, go figure, she just got back from vacation and yet she was still negative). When she walked in, the whole mood shifted dramatically. Everyone stopped what they were doing to gather around her to hear her complain. The smiles disappeared, the productivity came to a screeching halt and moral plummeted. We've all seen it and experienced it; many of us have caused it. Fortunately, I was far enough away that I didn't become infected. Even after she left, the sour mood persisted for an hour or so. She didn't even have a clue what she had done. The impact was tremendous and it only took a few minutes to accomplish it.

What do I bring when I walk in the room? How to I impact people? Negativity is certainly not the only thing that is contagious. I can absolutely prove that one to you. All you have to do is listen to this clip from my buddy Dan Johnson. I met him when I was a student at Washington State University. He had a nickname: "Smiling Dan". What you are about to hear is going to change you even though there are no words, you can't see his face and you don't even know the reason why he is laughing. This, by the way, is his real laugh. Share it with your friends; it will make them smile. Click the "read me"; it will make you smile. You won't be able to stop yourself.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 04 April 2011 03:14
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Power

Discovering Purpose, Passion and a Plan - Kathi Goertzen's Story

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:37:41 +0000

Title: Discovering Purpose, Passion and a Plan - Kathi Goertzen's Story
Article:

Over the years I've been challenged by my patients that are facing difficult physical challenges to re-examine my own priorities. Although she is not my patient, I was reminded of some of these lessons by Kathi Goertzen. She is well known in the Pacific Northwest as the news anchor for KOMO4 News. Twelve years ago she was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Since that time she has had multiple surgeries; today she had her sixth. In the process of her treatments, here right facial nerve was damaged and now the right side of her face is paralyzed. While she is no longer the news anchor, she has continued to work at KOMO. The reason that I decided to write about her today is because she has been willing to allow those of us on the outside to take a look backstage. This is a perspective that is usually reserved for family and the medical team. I would encourage you to take a look at this video that was aired last night on KOMO4. Stop long enough to ponder it. Here are some questions to consider as you watch it:

How does this change your perspective?
What is your defining purpose? (By the way, many of us often are so busy "fighting the battle" that we don't stop to ask this until we face a disaster)
Where is your passion?
Like Kathi has done, what is your plan to stay engaged in life and make a difference?

Please share your insights.

Dr. Dan Diamond

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Gunga Din's Lessons on Leadership

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 02:08:17 +0000

Title: Gunga Din's Lessons on Leadership
Article:

My most favorite movie since I was a child has always been Gunga Din. It was made in 1939 and starred such classic actors as Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Sam Jaffe as Gunga Din. I used to get up in the middle of the night with my Dad to watch it. It was before the age of VCR, DVR, TIVO and Netflix. (My younger sister, Amy, even believed that "back in the day" real life was "in black and white"). Gunga Din certainly was.

1939 was a great year for movies and included flicks such as Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. But, Gunga Din was always my favorite. Probably the biggest reason was that I got to watch it with my Dad and it was always on in the middle of the night so that was a big deal. To top it off, we each had pith helmets that we wore when the movie was on. We would stand and do a snappy, crisp British salute and then sit down to watch the movie together.

Gunga Din was based on a poem of the same name by Rudyard Kippling. The story is about an outcast that wants more than anything to be a soldier in the British Army. However, he is rejected and cast aside. He is the lowest of the lowest. He is the water boy for the troops. I don't want to spoil the movie for you but, in the end, he ends up being the ultimate hero. The story has a powerful leadership message. The people that we choose not to see are of value and may end up being the very people that save us.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Thu 09 June 2011 19:51
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Craig Wilson's Article at USA Today Hits the Nail on the Head

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:55:12 +0000

Title: Craig Wilson's Article at USA Today Hits the Nail on the Head
Article:

Craig Wilson, over at USA Today really hit the nail on the head. As we approach Thanksgiving it is worth the read. Perhaps even at the Thanksgiving table to your kids. Read more here:

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, gratitude

The Plane Could Have Crashed! Why Was the Guy So Angry?

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:22:24 +0000

Title: The Plane Could Have Crashed! Why Was the Guy So Angry?
Article:

It was one of those announcements that is never good to hear when you're on an airplane. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem with the landing gear.” An announcement like that can easily make your heart stop. Your life can flash in front of your eyes. Fortunately, we were still sitting on the runway in Minneapolis. We had just boarded our airplane. The pilot went on to say that there was a problem with the shock absorbers and they were going to have to add some special gas to them. He said it would take about 20 minutes. I thought to myself, “no problem, take your time”.

About 20 minutes later, with his best radio announcer voice, the pilot came back on the PA system and said that the problem was worse than they thought. It turns out, we needed a new tire. He said that would take about an hour. It seemed to me that having good tires was important so I decided to sit back and relax. About 45 minutes later he came back on the loudspeaker and said that the problem was even worse than they thought. They were going to have to do further work on the landing gear. They made the decision to have us exit the plane and wait at the gate.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 04 April 2011 03:37
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, gratitude

Here is the Secret to Keeping Your Job

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:04:57 +0000

Title: Here is the Secret to Keeping Your Job
Article:

When AT&T was broken up years ago, Salvatore Maddi and Deborah Khoshaba did a longitudinal study of the employees at Illinois Bell Telephone. They followed these folks for years and found that there was a set of characteristics that were common to the folks that did well. Those without the characteristics they described, did not do so well. They experienced more performance issues, conduct problems and a deterioration of their health. It turns out that only one third of the people excelled in two thirds of them did not do well. Let's take look at what separated the groups.

Those that excelled demonstrated three key attitudes. They showed commitment, control, and challenge. Maddi and Khoshaba described these as the three C's. They describe them as follows:

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience

Will Your Doctor Survive?

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:51:29 +0000

Title: Will Your Doctor Survive?
Article:

64% of the primary healthcare providers that we surveyed in Los Angeles last month said that their practice has become so chaotic that they were afraid that they might miss something important or an important test. Combine that with the fact that 49% of doctored surveyed in 2008 said that they were either going to see fewer patients or stop all together within 3 years!!! It was such a wonderful privilege to bring a message of hope to those providers in LA last month. As a nation we need to look at reinforcing our healthcare workers. We need to equip them with the tools that they need to thrive when times get tough. Today I am in San Francisco getting ready to do a presentation to the employees at Epocrates. I am eager to give this presentation; I've been looking forward to doing it for a long time. As a company, they really understand what it means to put the customer first. They have taken the time to understand the world of the physician and they have, time after time, come up with features that are spot on, features that really meet the need and help us to deliver better care. Today I am going to focus on the power of an engaged team that chooses to be empowered and put others first,

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 04 April 2011 03:53
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Healthcare

Fear Can Steal Your Resiliency and Rob Your Significance

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:27:40 +0000

Title: Fear Can Steal Your Resiliency and Rob Your Significance
Article:

Seth Godin recently posted a 45 minute master class session on his blog that is well worth the 45 minute investment! He discusses the barriers that keep us from taking risks and being successful. He is primarily talking about "business" but many of the concepts that he presents apply equally as well to overcoming the difficulties that you are facing in your personal life. If you want to leave a legacy despite the challenges that you are facing, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, click "read more" and listen to this:

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 20 February 2012 00:58
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Significance, Power, Purpose

A Slow Re-Entry from Haiti - This One Was Painful

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 03:12:43 +0000

Title: A Slow Re-Entry from Haiti - This One Was Painful
Article:

I've never really had to deal with this before. To be honest, I've had a difficult time bouncing back from Haiti. Usually when I come back from a deployment I just bounce back. This time I have been in a bit of a funk. I'm really not sure why. Perhaps it was the amount of gruesome physical trauma that I saw. In any case, sorry that I've not been writing more. I do feel like I'm getting back now and I plan to increase my writing and I'm still planning to do a web/telephone meeting in the very near future. I will put a notice up as soon as I nail down a date and time.

I just returned yesterday from a Board meeting for Children of the Nations. It was so exciting to hear what is going on in the lives of our kids. We have kids in Sierra Leone, Malawi, Uganda, The Dominican Republic and now in Haiti. The stories are amazing! I will share some of these in the days to come.

Tomorrow I'm going to meet our Governor to receive an award for our work in Haiti. It really seems strange to get an award. All I wanted to do was help. The way I figure it, God reached out to love me and heal me; it is the least I can do for others.

Dan

PS. I went to TyeDye Everything when I was in Idaho and got some new bamboo TyeDye socks! They always feel new. Happy Feet=Happy Head.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Thu 26 May 2011 14:27
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Resilience, Significance, earthquake, gratitude, Haiti

Absolutely Amazing! The Haitian Story You Need to See

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:09:03 +0000

Title: Absolutely Amazing! The Haitian Story You Need to See
Article:

Melanie Thomas put this show together. She has some tremendous photos that I just saw for the first time today. Mel was a wonderful member of the Medical Teams International team that was on the ground in the early response to the earthquake. She spent a bunch of time at King's Hospital sorting out the supplies and organizing the supplies that came in. She is one of the type of people that doesn't scramble to get in the limelight. She just gets busy doing the tasks at hand. Wow, did she work hard! She was such a blessing to the team! The show that she put together will move you and bless you. After watching it, please consider the questions that I've posted for you by clicking "read more" below.

Here are a couple of questions to get the discussion going:

1. Is there anyone that you work with that has Melanie's heart of serving, giving and kicking butt and not seeking the credit? If so, please share their story here. Let's celebrate the folks that we work with that make such a great difference and make work a great place to be.

2. Here is a hard question: If you're not one of those people, what keeps you from becoming one?

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Determination, Significance, earthquake, Haiti

Yes, I'm Still Having Dreams at Night About Haiti

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:01:35 +0000

Title: Yes, I'm Still Having Dreams at Night About Haiti
Article:

Haiti continues to occupy a tremendous amount of my energy, both consciously and subconsciously. In fact, I think that most everyone that was on our early team is still processing this disaster. I'm still having some dreams and wrestling with what I saw. I'm processing it on a couple of different levels. First of all I'm still very concerned about the long term health issues in Haiti. They have a long, long way to go. I am confident, however, that progress is being made. I'm encouraged by some of the plans that I've been told about and I don't feel that it is a hopeless situation. It is just going to be a long term struggle.

The other way that I'm processing the experience involves us. I can't help but ask myself, "What if it happened here?" That is good discussion for us to have. We need to be ready both from a physical, structural and procedural basis. We also need to be ready from a psychological basis. That is one thing that very few people talk about and I will address it in a new blog series entitled "How to Become Unshakable in Tough Times".

For now, let's take a look at what you can do from a physical, structural and procedural perspective. There is the check list of things that we can do to be ready from that standpoint. Here is a list that I lifted from the FEMA earthquake website:

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Thu 09 June 2011 20:04
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Haiti: Meet Some of the Volunteers

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Title: Haiti: Meet Some of the Volunteers
Article:

I just came across this broadcast from AM Northwest featuring two of our team members, Journalist David Michael Smith and Physical Therapist Kathi McCoy:

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Haiti: No Longer Numb

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:43:49 +0000

Title: Haiti: No Longer Numb
Article:

Now the tears are starting to flow in Haiti.

Photo: Lynsey Addario for The New York Times

When I was there originally the entire country appeared to be numb. They had to be; they were in survival mode. Now, according to a fantastic article by the New York Times entitled "Haiti Emerges From Its Shock, and Tears Roll", the emotions are finally starting to surface. I would encourage you to read the article and ponder it. It is good for us to stop and think about these thing and what we value. I know that I certainly look at things differently after returning from Haiti. I'm no longer having such intense dreams but I'm thinking a lot about what's important.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, earthquake, Haiti

Haiti: Photos from the Front Lines

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:53:14 +0000

Title: Haiti: Photos from the Front Lines
Article:

These are some of the photos of my experience on the front lines of Haiti during the first couple of weeks after the earthquake. (Warning: some of these are graphic.)

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 04 April 2011 04:22
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, earthquake, Haiti

Haiti: Would You Like to Know Why I Went? Google Earth VS Facebook

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Title: Haiti: Would You Like to Know Why I Went? Google Earth VS Facebook
Article:

Now that I've been back for a couple of days I thought I would share my heart with you. Perhaps you would like to know why I went.

It has occurred to me since my return from Haiti just over a week ago that there are two ways to look at major disasters. One can look at it from the perspective of Google Earth (the satellite view) or from the perspective of Facebook (relationships and networks with people) .

Whether it is Haiti, Katrina or any other major disaster, some people just look at it from the perspective of Google Earth. When we look at disasters from that perspective, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and useless. After all, from a satellite view, Haiti really hasn’t changed since the earthquake. Oh yeah, there are a lot more VSGs (Visible Spontaneous Gatherings) which is WHO-speak for tent cities. But the destruction is still there. It just looks like piles of rocks. This view, although it may be helpful for planning, has never been very inspiring to me personally. This type of a view makes me just want to stay home. After all, who am I to think that I can change anything of this magnitude. Nope, it’s not possible to even make a dent. Besides I really like my shower and I'll never cease to appreciate that it is hot and the water is so clean I can even drink it.

The Facebook view, on the other hand, is a different thing altogether. If you want to "find" yourself, give your self away. “Connecting” brings meaning to our lives; life is about relationships, it's about purpose. It is the belief that I can make a difference in the lives of a few and that difference will multiply beyond my wildest dreams. I believe that this difference will have a lasting impact on their friends and families in this generation and maybe even in the generations to come. (I'm not talking about "the doctor thing" by the way. I'm talking about bringing hope and love. And anyone can do that.) Now, that gets me off my couch and out of my comfort zone. A hot shower is nothing compared to making an impact. When I touch the life of one person, I touch a family and their network of friends. You can’t see that from a space but you can see it in the smile of another person. Despite my inability to speak their language, I can still connect with people using a deeper language -- a language where hearts are brought together and lives are touched.

I can bring some healing. I can bring hope. And, most importantly, I can bring love.
One person at a time.

So can you.

I would love to hear your stories as well. Please ponder these two questions:

How was your life changed by someone that reached out and cared about you, your family or your friend?
Have you left your comfort zone to reach out? If so, what happened to the people you were reaching out to? What happened to you?

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Thu 26 May 2011 14:33
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Haiti: If you want to help, here's how.

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 06:08:59 +0000

Title: Haiti: If you want to help, here's how.
Article:

Since I've returned, a lot of folks have asked me how they can help. If you text the word "HOPE" to 25383 it will send $10 to the folks at Medical Teams International (you can do it more than once if you like). If you would like to donate a larger amount, please visit their site at www.medicalteams.org. Thank you to all of you that have supported the work in Haiti. My biggest fear is that we will move on and forget. There is such a tremendous need. I'm still having dreams every night.

Dr. Dan

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Hypnotizing Haitian Chickens

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:57:18 +0000

Title: Hypnotizing Haitian Chickens
Article:

During my senior year at Washington State University I did research on chickens at the Veterinary school. You know, it was just one of those things. In the process of it, I learned how to hypnotize (mesmerize) chickens. It really is something that everyone should know how to do. After all, you never know when it might come in handy. At WSU we did it so we could put them on their side and give them medication to relax them before we operated on them. So I just couldn't resist teaching my Haitian friends how to do. Besides, the team was eager to learn as well.

So, with everyone gathered around I began the secret procedure. The first chicken I tried wouldn't cooperate. Well...neither did the second. So, being the bold man that I am, I decided to try the rooster. You can tell from the picture that the rooster thought he was king. I looked deep into his eyes, performed the hand motions and voila! The rooster was still wide awake.

Final conclusion: Myth Busted. Not possible to hypnotize Haitian chickens or Haitian roosters.

Go figure.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Haiti Update: Great News! You are going to love this!

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:49:35 +0000

Title: Haiti Update: Great News! You are going to love this!
Article:

(Photo: Pastor Devariste's wife in route to Miami aboard a donated Learjet about 2 weeks ago.)

I was able to speak to Pastor Devariste in Miami and he told me that his wife is doing well. Not only is she going to live but it looks like she is going to be able to keep her vary own foot as well. Please keep her in your prayers. She is having surgery this Wednesday.

Not only that but...

Phedeline, our little 12 year old girl with the massive facial burn, is doing very well in Miami as well! She has already had two skin grafts after her arrival and another one yesterday yesterday. We are going to be able to set up a video link between Phedeline (and her mother who is with her) and her brother and family back home! Isn't that really cool!!! I am so excited. I hope that I get to see her again someday.

Dan

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Thu 26 May 2011 14:35
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Jan 26 Haiti: Change Comes Suddenly

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:41:11 +0000

Title: Jan 26 Haiti: Change Comes Suddenly
Article:

For nearly the past two weeks I've been working as hard as I know how to get King's Hospital up and running with two functioning ORs that could simultaneously do surgery on three patients. We met that goal about 48 hours after we started it. After reaching that goal, we then began to focus our attention on the tent cities and other places where we might extend our work to reach more people. We began to partner with the Baptist Mission, Grace Tabernacle and Haiti One as we sought to understand the needs of the tent cities. Our plan was to use those places as outreach "clinics" to meet the needs of the patients there and, if needed, transfer patients via Haiti One's ambulance to King's Hospital for surgery or more advanced care. Today, Dr. Junie informed us that she wanted to return to business as usual at her hospital. In other words, now that her hospital was running again, she wanted to use her staff to manage the hospital and take care of the patients. This could turn out to be a great thing. It will free us up to meet more needs elsewhere. Therefore, today we did a 3D-Evaluation and decided that we should pack up and move from a hospital focus to a field focus. It only took us about 2 hours to gather our supplies and load the large cage truck.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, earthquake, Haiti

January 25th Haiti: Real Life Teamwork Saving Lives

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:51:54 +0000

Title: January 25th Haiti: Real Life Teamwork Saving Lives
Article:

We are still seeing a lot of wounded people that have not yet been evaluated by anyone. Unbelievable!

Today was an interesting one. Once again, for me it was a day of networking and coordination. We received word today that the anesthesia machine that we had been anxiously waiting for was finally in Haiti. Now, the challenge was going to be getting it from the airport to the hospital. The roads are dirt moguls and potholes. They could easily destroy sensitive medical equipment. It turns out that the machine was delivered to Haiti by the US Air Force. The folks at Hope Force worked it out. After even more behind the scenes work by them, they were able to arrange to have it delivered to the hospital by helicopter! The Canadian Air Force agreed to deliver it by sling.

It was awesome to see it come in and I couldn't resist being up on the roof to get some great pictures. Well, that was a big mistake. The roof used to be covered with concrete dust and gravel. Now, all of that is under my eyelids, in my ears and down my pants. But, we have our anesthesia machine! Nice! The US Army 82nd Airborne were with us and they coordinated with the helicopter to land in a nearby field while they provided security. That way the Canadians were able to retrieve their harness and hook and drop off two of the guys from Hope Force to help uncrate the machine and transport it down stairs to the OR. Great teamwork!

Today I started to work on a collaborative website for the NGOs from the Health Cluster at the UN. I can't believe that no one has set this up yet. Following Katrina we had a system where hospitals could log on and update bed counts and capabilities so we could coordinate care. We really need a system like that in Haiti. Like I've said before, the more we collaborate, the quicker we can bring relief to those that are suffering. The anesthesia machine is a great example of this. It was donated by someone to Hope Force, transported to Haiti by the US Air Force and delivered to the hospital by the Canadian Air Force. I'm building it in Google so all of the teams will have access and we can network. Fabulous teamwork!

At the Health Cluster at the UN today I found out that another NGO has developed the type of collaboration site that I was working on. Therefore, I'm pulling the plug on what I was working on and deferring to them. The site is OneResponse. Thank you, thank you to the team that put it together. Right on!

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, earthquake, Power, Purpose, Haiti

Jan 23 Haiti: The 5 Keys to Leadership During Disasters (and how to flush without running water)

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:20:48 +0000

Title: Jan 23 Haiti: The 5 Keys to Leadership During Disasters (and how to flush without running water)
Article:

As the medical director for this team I know full well that our effectiveness is dependent on several things.
1) I need to be sure that our team is safe.
2) I need to sure that we have the resources that we need to do our job or I need to work with the team to help them come up with creative ways to use the resources we have.
3) I need to be sure that we have adequate communications both internally and externally.
4) I need to be sure that I understand how we fit into the bigger picture.
5) I need to constantly assess how we are doing and look to the future with a willingness to adjust the plan based on feedback from the team and others.
The last point actually impacts the other three significantly. Networking is key during disasters. The strength of a disaster response in general has to do with how well the various resources cooperate. During this trip I introduced mind-mapping software called Mindmiester. This software allows us to track relationships in a visual format that will help our team get things done more effectively and more efficiently. We have found that the iPhone has been a very powerful and dependable communications tool her in Haiti. The folks at Mindmeister have an app that allows us to edit our map on the fly. All of us on the team can share the same map. The team back in the US can also see how the network is expanding. I anticipate that this type of technology will become more and more important as we respond to disasters in the future.

It occurred to me that many of you might not know how to flush a toilet when there is no running water. There are 2 important rules:
1) If it's clear, it stays here.
2) If it's brown, it goes down.
A corollary: if your urine isn't clear, you are dehydrated and need to start pouring down the liquids so as to not become part of the problem.
It turns out that there are two strategies for flushing. One of our team members is convinced that the best thing to do is get a bucket of water and fill the tank and then flush it as usual. The strategy that I prefer, however, is to just pour the water directly into the bowl. Need more pressure? Pour from higher up. Bottom line (so to speak): you have options next time your water stops running. Oh, the things that we take for granted.
Today was a very productive day. We were able to track down a pressure cooker type autoclave for sterilizing our surgical instruments. We were also able to track down an "oxygen concentrator". It is a piece of equipment that allows us to give patients increased oxygen. This can be a matter of life and death in the operating room. What a tremendous blessing! I'm still amazed that we found one.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, earthquake, Purpose, Haiti

Great News On the Frontlines in Haiti! Hope For My Girl!!

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Title: Great News On the Frontlines in Haiti! Hope For My Girl!!
Article:

(The above video was originally streamed live from my iPhone!)

I'm overwhelmed by the amount of injuries and the severity of the injuries! Everywhere that I look there are buildings that have been destroyed! Even banks! BANKS!? Good grief! Taking pictures of the destroyed buildings seems pointless after a while. They all just look like pictures of piles of rocks. I don't allow my brain to wonder what it could be like to be trapped alive. However, I must admit, my mind keeps burping the concept up since the aftershock scared the heck out of me. Last night I woke up about five times thinking we were having another earthquake only to realize, several heartbeats later, that it was only a US Air Force C130 transport plane taking off. Our guest house is somewhere just beyond the end of the runway. Those things are loud!

Today I went to the US Embassy to try to figure out how to get our 12 year old burn victim to the US. I knew it wasn't going to be an easy process but I was told that I needed to go to the "secret door". Well...there is no "secret door". I looked. Nope, not there. There where a lot of guys with machine guns though. The soldiers told me that they had to hold the crowd of 4000 off at gun point earlier in the day. After about fifteen minutes of negotiation though 3 inch thick bulletproof glass, they were finally able to figure out someone that I should talk to. They put the phone under the window and I spoke with the Embassy nurse practitioner. About 15 minutes later she came out the door and we had a chance to plead our case. One of out anesthesiologists, Dr. Angele went with me to see if she could get her aunt out of the county. Her aunt is diabetic and wheelchair bound.

So after all of the talk the bottom line was: no help.

So, really the only hope to get my little cutie with the burn out of the county was going to be a medivac with the US Air force. I knew it was a long shot but I wasn't going to give up. I kept thinking about what I would do if she were my daughter. I gave it a bunch of thought. I decided to go for it. So, I took a picture of her burn on my iPhone and took my passion to the airport.

At the airport I met CPT Tracie Tippins. She was the one in charge of medical logistics. I told her that I just wanted her to give me about 30 seconds. I asked her to shut out and forget about all of the stuff that was going on around us and just pretend that we were standing in her front yard on a bright summer day. Then I showed her the picture and asked her the big question, "What if this was your daughter?" CPT Tippins really went to bat for us. She ended up rallying several people to work on getting her Stateside. Col Holloway was instrumental in making it happen. A US senator came though the area earlier and, filled with compassion, asked them to transport the injured patients that they had to the US for care. CPT Tippins called me after I had left the hospital with the news. She thought there was about an 80% chance that she was going to be able to get her on the plane if we could get her out to the airstrip in 45 min.

Wilson and I jumped on the car and raced to the hospital to get her and her mother. They were both asleep so we woke them up and told them that there was a chance she was going to the US but we had to hurry. We needed to have her out to the airport by 11:30 PM. She has a brother but he could stay with his aunt. He wasn't there so he wouldn't find out until the next day when he came to see her. Wilson told me that he would look out for him as well.

She had never been on an airplane before. At first she was really afraid. She put on her sundress and looked at me with her huge eyes that seemed to talk. Without words they said, "Help me! I'm soooo afraid." I smiled at her and she smiled back. I felt our hearts connect.

We loaded into the car and raced out to the airport. The really cool thing about the airport is that we can drive out on the tarmac. We just go into gate 7, flash the guards our ID (usually I use my Kitsap County ID because it has a bar code so it works very well), and then we are out on the runway. One time a few days ago we came face to face with a 747. My Dad always said, "Yield to tonnage." so we let the plane go first. We drove down to the far end of the runway where the Air Force and the Army folks were gathered. They instantly fell in love when they saw her. I warned her that she was famous.

They took great care of her. They gave her a TootsiePop and she smiled. It was clear that they were really touched by her. Even the chaplin, "Happy Chappy", came and prayed with her. The next day Col Holloway wanted to take a picture with me because, he told me, getting her out was the best thing that happened to him on a very difficult day.

It was for me too.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 04 April 2011 05:12
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, earthquake, Power, Purpose, Haiti

From Haiti: My New Girlfriend is Worth Fighting For!

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:50:37 +0000

Title: From Haiti: My New Girlfriend is Worth Fighting For!
Article:

Today was a blur. The one thing that I do remember for sure is that I fell in love. No doubt. How can you not fall in love with a 12 year old 7th grader with huge brown eyes, a cute little sundress and a smile that could stop time itself? When "The Thing" happened she was so frightened that she ran out into the street and was hit by a car. She was pinned under the car and sustained third degree burns on nearly the entire right side of her face and her right shoulder from the muffler! Her neighbors pulled her out and she ran in to help her mother get out of the house!

When I met her she was a patient at the UN - U of Miami hospital. I fell in love with her instantly. No way was I going I let her stay there. I told them that we would be happy to take her to our hospital (where we could love on her and give her some personalized care). We loaded her and her mother into our car and took her to King's for some outstanding care (not that I'm biased but I really like our team).

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Thu 26 May 2011 14:36
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, earthquake, Power, Purpose, Haiti

Video Update from the Font Lines in Haiti

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:33:24 +0000

Title: Video Update from the Font Lines in Haiti
Article:

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: None

Aftershock! - Jan 20th

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:12:37 +0000

Title: Aftershock! - Jan 20th
Article:

Jay Leno said calling it an aftershock is like calling the second twin an "after-birth". He is right. No matter how you look at it, we had an earthquake early this morning that was a 6.1. It was scary! But there is more to the story. You see, at home I usually sleep naked (TMI?) but here I have been wearing shorts. Well, last night I was just too dang hot so I decided to sleep in my bun-huggers. When you were a kid did you ever have the same recurrent nightmare that I did—the one where you went to school and forgot to put your clothes on? When the quake hit, I was sleeping and the room started to heave and rock. There was an amazing rumbling roar that was a very deep sound/sensation. Bill jumped up and yelled "Earthquake! We gotta get out of here now!!!" I jumped up and asked myself a quick question, "Dan Diamond, would you rather look for your shorts and possibly die or experience a compound fracture or would you rather run outside in your underwear?" I went for the underwear and ran outside. When I got outside I was the only one wearing briefs. Then a little girl passed out and I ran over to check on her. Now Nick, our video guy that is documenting the trip (eat your heart out Brittany Spears, he didn't film me in my underwear)--Nick said that the girl passed out BECAUSE she saw me in my underwear. Needless to say my staff and the Haitians at my new home spent the rest of the day laughing at me.

The tremor was really scary. When we arrived at the hospital we found our night crew outside with ALL of the patients. They evacuated all of them. They were amazing! They had them all organized with their names, medications, and their diagnosis. They even drew out a grid of the hospital grounds and mapped their location so they could be located. Fabulous! I am working with first rate people.

However, now we had a new problem. We had work to be done and surgeries lined up but the patients refused to go back in the building! It occurred to me to pray so I made an announcement and had it translated to have everyone that was able, come to the front wall, lay hands on the building and pray. It was an amazing, AMAZING moment as staff and patients alike came over to the wall, put their hands on it and prayed! I was blown away. People prayed and thanked God that He spared the building and the begged God to surround the building with His angels and protect it. It was a very emotional experience. Wow! Following that, the patients gradually returned to the building. We will still get it re-inspected but, as of right now, we remain committed to press on!

After praying Bill, Dr Todd, Dr Bill and I jumped in the car and went to Leogaine on a fact finding mission. I've never seen that much destruction in my life. They estimate that about 90% of the buildings were destroyed. How do I describe something that is that utterly annihilated? What can you say about a pile of rocks?

We went to the main hospital in town that was closed down 3 years ago. They had a ton of the equipment that we needed but they wouldn't give us a thing. It was a bit discouraging but some people are like that. They put themselves first. I doubt that the current organization will ever get that hospital open. People like that don't thrive in the long run. We found out that there was a bunch of stuff going on at a nursing school that was located less than a mile away. Yes indeed, it was a busy place. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had their tent up, the Japanese had planted their flag and they had a big tent system set up. There were a ton of people everywhere. At the end of the little gravel road was the Gates Foundation building where they are studying filariasis (the parasite that causes elephantitis). There certainly appeared to be a preponderance of healthcare workers so we decided to return to Port au Prince.

On the way back we stopped at one of the Baptist missions where 4000 people are living every night!!! There was a group working there operating a medical clinic. They will be leaving on Friday so we worked out the details and we will return on Friday with a team that will stay at the mission and run the clinic.

We then hustled over to the UN for the Health Cluster meeting. While we were there we met a woman that is the medical director for an organization called Haiti One. It is a conglomeration of 42 Haitian non-governmental Christian organizations the joined together before the earthquake. They are now working to provide medical care in the tent cities. They need help covering the needs. They also have an ambulance. So they could transport patients to us. It was an amazing connection!

The pieces are coming together very quickly. God is great!

Onward

Dan

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, earthquake, Haiti

7 Seconds and It's All GONE!

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:58:29 +0000

Title: 7 Seconds and It's All GONE!
Article:

Bill and I were up very early to take the pastor and his wife to the airport. It was very emotional putting her in a exclusive Leer Jet. Her husband was overwhelmed with joy. His smile went all the way around his head. Then to top it all, the pilot asked him if he wanted to go as well!!! He was blown away. He hugged me like I just saved his life. Hmmm. I can still see his smile. It's only a 90 min flight in a Leer Jet. It was a happy ending to an amazing story. She was picked up at the airport by an ambulance and, as you read this, she is already in the hospital getting the care she needs.

At the hospital today I was able to define my departments and assign department heads. The departments are Triage, Intake, OR, Inpatient Floor B, Inpatient Floor C, Inpatient Floor D, Supply/Pharmacy, Operations, and Security. I have an outstanding team, they have rallied and made tremendous progress today. The OR looked like a real OR. We have had, however, significant troubles with the generator. It is too small and frequently the breaker trips. When that happens, the autoclave that sterilizes the instruments shuts down and has to be restarted. It has caused some frustrating delays. We ended up shutting down all of the breakers to the entire hospital except for the autoclave. We have big-boy huge generator on a palate but we don't have the cable to hook it up. There is only one forklift in town that can move it to the best location and it is at the US Embassy. All the UN lifts are being used to off load the supplies at the airport so we might be able to pull that one off soon.

I spent a good amount of time scrambling trying to find supplies and have made some great finds at the UN. We also agreed to take up to 15 post-op patients from their tent if they would send us their cots. I've been trying to find some cots today with a goal of about 250 cots. Don't tell the staff, they aren't quite ready for that many patients yet but we are growing rapidly. We also started using a regular charting system today. All patients are formally checked in and have a chart. Orders, notes and meds are all recorded. We are nearly JCAH certified! We even have radios so the Dept Heads can communicate.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, earthquake, Power, Haiti

The Art of Cup Showering

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:38:56 +0000

Title: The Art of Cup Showering
Article:

It was an unbelievable day! Before I tell you about it, you need to learn about the fine art of cup showering. That is how it gets done around here since there is no running water. You see there is just a five gallon bucket in the bathroom with a bowl floating in it. I'm not sure how water can be colder than air but, just like KY Jelly, it is. So my strategy is to fill the bowl then dip my hand in it and splash the water on a section my body. Then soap. Then I move on to the next part of my body. Then I go back and rinse each part. Now Bill, on the other hand, pours the water over his head while squatting and somehow manages to get his whole body wet. Then soaps. Then he rinses by pouring two cups over his head. Good grief. Three cups total. How does he do it? Mystery. I spent the majority of the day at our hospital today. We had several breakthroughs. Today our other team arrived in two waves. It was great to see Dr Tom Haggard again. I haven't seen him since we were working at the New Orleans Convention Center after Katrina. He is a great guy with an amazing servants heart. We also added Dr Todd Ulmar (Ortho), Dr Chris Achterman (Ped Ortho), Kathy McCoy (PT), Huston Hedinger (all around good guy) and Michael Graves (EMT and all around good guy). The second wave of folks came as I was heading out so I don't have all of their names yet. Stay tuned. Today the team worked hard and we were able to get our OR up and running just around noon! We were even able to treat the pastor's wife. The orthopods were able to debride her wound and, using external stabilizers, fix her leg so she can be transported to the United States so she can receive the treatment she needs to save her foot! Bill and I are taking her to the airport where she will be flown to Ft Lauderdale in a private jet. The use of the jet for one week was donated and we are using it to bring in supplies and volunteers. I am excited to see her someday with her foot still attached. I am celebrating today that she is still alive!! God is good. Today I also worked on organizational structure and figured out department heads etc. This evening I went to the UN field hospital and I was able to find some supplies that we desperately needed. I got some morphine, demerol, antibiotics, disposable surgical gowns, IV solutions and more supplies that were very needed. The new team is struggling with the fact that we don't have x-ray. For difficult cases we write what x-ray we want on a Rx pad and then the patients family has to go and find someone with a vehicle and painfully place them in the vehicle and take them around to find someplace with an x-ray machine that works. When I close my eyes and imagine transferring into a car (not a cushy ambulance), driving on horrible bumpy roads, transferring out to get the x-rays and then doing the procedure in reverse to get back to the doctor it makes me so grateful that I live where I do. My patients at home often put up with wait times that are embarrassingly long but these people have patience and gratefulness that would make Mother Theresa envious. I have much to learn from them.

We are working on getting some intake forms up and running. They are installing a generator that should give us enough power. By the way, we ran out of fuel for the generator in the middle of a surgical case today. They had to finish without power. I was trying to get some forms downloaded from the Internet this evening and to do that in these situations we use a portable satellite link device. The fun thing was the dozen children that were hanging all around me while I was doing it. They sure are curious and full of smiles. I speak very tiny bits of Creole but I do speak fluent "Kid". It was really fun with special handshakes and all that stuff. There were lots of giggles, even in the midst of all of this. Off to bed. I have to get up early to take pastor's wife to the airport at 5:30 or so. But first I have to get up early for my cup shower. Perhaps I will try Bill's technique. Please keep the prayers up. I could sense His strength throughout the day.

Onward,
Dan

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, earthquake, Power, Haiti

The Search For Answers - Getting Oriented to the Haitian Disaster

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:26:58 +0000

Title: The Search For Answers - Getting Oriented to the Haitian Disaster
Article:

I slept in the dirt and gravel outside of the UN hospital after I relieved the doctors last night. I was awake off and on throughout the night for the few hours that I laid down but I was suddenly shaken awake at about 3:42 am to a tremor. It was a bit startling but I just went back to sleep. I talked to one of the guys that has been working with us and he said that he ran outside when the tremor happened because everyone is still very twitchy about the stability of the buildings that are still standing.

I was up by 5:45 and fixed an MRE for breakfast. Bill picked me up and took me back to our guesthouse at about 6:30.

We had a quick meeting with some other folks after breakfast and then Bill and I went to the UN where we received the horrible news that the Pastor's wife was too sick to be treated at the Israeli field hospital. She was likely going to die.

I wasn't about to give up so I began to put together other plans. We heard on the radio that the nicest hospital in town was now open and ready for the sickest of the sick. I suggested that we not transport he until we saw it for ourselves. I was not prepared for the devastation that we saw along the way. It was not possible, the most horrific scene that I have ever seen, there is nothing to compare it to. People roam the streets afraid to go inside build after building is collapsed. I know full well that there are people in there and some may even be alive but there isn't anything we can do. There are not many heavy machines that I have seen.
When we got to the hospital we found a warm and friendly environment that well organized. However, they were operating in a makeshift OR located in their ER. They were lacking supplies and equipment. Bill and I both commented on the sense that we had of God's presence in that place. Unfortunately, they couldn't help us.

We then went to the Israeli field hospital compound because I really hate taking "no" for an answer when it comes to people that I care about. We met the commander and has was gracious enough to give us one of his physicians to go to see the paster's wife at the UN. Unfortunately, he was required to take a security guard with him. There was difficulty finding an available guard so we waited for about 45 Min for nothing and planned to come back later.
I then went back to our hospital (King's) and met with the team. They had a brutal day! There were so many patients that the were being pulled in every direction (literally) by families and patients. We did not have enough translators so communication was frustrating. Anne, one of our very experienced nurses, found a ton of surgical instruments today! This was tremendously great news! The teams coming tomorrow will be delighted. We are going to work hard tomorrow to get the operating rooms up and running. It is starting to feel like a "long term goal" but we have been here just a bit more than 24 hours and we have accomplished a tremendous amount. As a team we have seen many patients. There was one little girl that was only about 2 or 3 years old with a compound fracture (where the bone comes out through the skin) in her upper arm. It was amazing how much she was tugging at my heart. We also saw a 9 year old with cerebral palsy that had a major arm fracture. There were many people in the yard on tables, boards, cardboard, chairs as well as on the grass. So many, many foul smelling infections! Many people will require surgery. One guy can't feel or move his right leg. I suspect that he has a fracture of his low back. There are so many crush injuries including hands, feet and chests.

So after seeing patients I went back to the Israeli compound and grabbed the doctor to come and check out the mademoiselle. (French speaking country). His guard was available with his Uzi machine-gun. He went to the UN and the most amazing thing happened: it turns out she doesn't have a pelvic fracture and there is a chance she could live! She did, however, have a compound fracture of the lower leg. This will mean that she will most likely need to have her lower leg amputated. Our orthopedic surgeon will see her in the AM. I can sleep knowing that most likely she will wake up in the morning. We were given the incorrect diagnosis. Go figure.

Exhausted and going to bed. Tomorrow I will be crazy busy!! There is so much to get done!! Whoa!

Thanks so much for all of your comments, encouragement and prayers.

Onward,

Dan

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, Significance, earthquake, Power, Haiti

Setting Up Shop and Also Helping at the United Nations

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:35:28 +0000

Title: Setting Up Shop and Also Helping at the United Nations
Article:

Tent #1 at the UN Feild Hospital (where I worked my first night)

It has been a long but intense day. We started out by going to the UN field hospital to tell them that we thought we had a workable solution for the lack of operating rooms. All we needed was to have an engineer certify the building as safe. At the UN they were excited but they sent us on a bit of a wild goose chase looking for an engineer.

Later we came back to the UN for the Health Care Cluster Meeting. It was a very disorganized and frustrating meeting but we met Chris from Partners in Heath (the organization that the book Mountains Beyond Mountains was written about). Guess what he was? An engineer!! He went after the meeting and certified our building as safe!

I stayed out at the UN while he was inspecting the hospital and met with Stephanie from PIH that was working with the WHO and UN to coordinate the relief work. She was fantastic and had a great understanding of acute diaster relief. She was friends and coworkers with Chris. I ended up staying the night at the UN field hospital where I took on te role of supervisor to give some much needed rest and time for real food to the supervisors. They have done a monumental job under severe conditions.

This evening I helped to amputate the foot of an 11 year old boy but he later died. His mother lost his sister in the quake as well. So sad. I helped to put him in a body bag and we put him in the refer trailer with the other bodies. The smell is horrific and overwhelming. The mother is so destitute that she later asked me to get the money she put under his pillow. It was about 20 Haitian dollars. She was numb and just sat there. Non-verbally I tried to communicate with her that I cared. Our eyes locked and I knew she knew that I cared and that we did all we could.

Without funtioning operating rooms many of these people will be dead in a matter of days.

Tomorrow we are going to do what we can to get ours open and King's Hospital. I'm also hoping to do a helicopter survey tomorrow with Stephanie and Bill and perhaps the woman from USAID. As busy and smelly as it is sitting here outside the UN hospital, I know I will never be able to comprehend the full scale of this disaster.

I'm grateful for the cool breeze this evening.

Dan
www.medicalteams.org

Makeshift operating room at UN field Hospital where hundreds of amputations were performed.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 04 April 2011 05:55
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, earthquake, Power, Purpose, Haiti

The Road To Port Au Prince Pt. 2

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:28:53 +0000

Title: The Road To Port Au Prince Pt. 2
Article:

Roads are beyond horrible and this passage has been tedious and painful. We are four hours outside Port au Prince and just received word that Pastor Devarese's wife is dying at the UN hospital in Port au Prince due to complications from her compound fracture of her leg. She has maggots (can be good because it keeps the wound clean) but she is having renal failure. We are praying and driving while we are trying to make calls to get his wife air lifted.

[Update]
Pastor Devarese's wife has an open pelvis fracture. There are no operating rooms. There are surgeons at UN hospital but no place to operate. We are scrambling to get something up that is structurally safe. Biggest problem is there is no place for post-operative care. These conditions are bad! The worst I've ever seen.

Dan

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: None

Bumpy Ride To Port au Prince pt 1

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:45:38 +0000

Title: Bumpy Ride To Port au Prince pt 1
Article:

Our first vehicle broke down and we were on the side of the road with local guys climbing underneath it trying to get it running while little kids scampered around giggling at us. We ended up transferring our bags to a small pickup truck and Linda Markee and I crammed into the front seat for a long trip over dirt moguls. Eventually we teamed up with Pastor Delamy. He is friends with Dr. Joe and Linda Markee. He had two Toyota Land Cruzers and a large truck for our supplies. We are spending the night in Dr. Joe's clinic with the plan to be on the road by 6:00 or 6:30 AM. We are hoping to meet up with a pastor from Port au Prince that has a church just a few miles from the airport. We may be able to set up our clinic there and start treating the injured. We are very eager to get to work.

We received very the very sad news today that they found Molly Hightower's
body in the rubble of the orphanage she was serving. So much tragic loss!

Please keep her family and friends in your prayers.

Our trip tomorrow will be about 5 hours or so. I think I'm already about 4
inches shorter from the roads. Wow!

Thanks for supporting our efforts! We can't do any of this without a very
supportive team and we are grateful.

Off to bed. I'm really looking forward to more than 3 hours of sleep.

I don't know if we will have any access to the Internet tomorrow. Stay
tuned.

Enthusiastically,
Dan

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 04 April 2011 06:04
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Determination, earthquake, Power, Haiti

Boots on the Ground in Haiti!

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:39:00 +0000

Title: Boots on the Ground in Haiti!
Article:

Supplies on the runway in Port au Prince prevented us from landing. We landed in the north part of the country and we are driving in. We can only go 1/2 way today because it is not safe to travel at night. Right now I'm in a 4x4 on the side of the road while the driver is out trying to buy some gas. It may be a long trip. I suspect that the capital airport will most likely be closed the rest of the day. The US military is controlling the airspace but they are struggling to mobilize the supplies off the runway.

There wasn't room on our plane for my backpack. I was allowed to pull some things out so I have my stuff in some plastic bags that have now been crammed into other duffles. I forgot to pull out my Leatherman (oops) and I opted not to take my sleeping bag. They say they will get the rest of our stuff to us but I have my doubts.

Onward,

Dan

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Determination, Significance, earthquake, Power, Haiti

Loaded For Bear - Heading Into Haiti

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:48:16 +0000

Title: Loaded For Bear - Heading Into Haiti
Article:

Loading our plane

We flew into Ft Lauderdale last night, slept for a couple of hours and we are now back at the airport where we are waiting to board our charter flight. We had to weigh all of our supplies and our bodies and we will maximize our plane's capacity. We will fly in darkness and land in the Bahamas to refuel 1/2 way to Haiti. We are hoping to get into the airport but all is still up in the air (so to speak). The charter company guy says that most people don't know the "land at sunrise to refuel" trick and that will be to our advantage. Later flights are much less likely to get in.

We have several places where we might work. Security is a real concern. We have a local policeman that will guide us and protect us.

Not much sleep in the past few days. But eager to get to work. Please keep us in your prayers. (click read more for images)

Dr. Dan

Plane loaded to max capacity.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 22 February 2012 01:33
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Determination, Significance, earthquake, Power, Haiti

Going with the Flow - The World of Diaster Response

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Title: Going with the Flow - The World of Diaster Response
Article:

Disaster work is always a lesson in patience.

Our first vehicle broke down and we were on the side of the road with local guys climbing underneath it trying to get it running while little kids scampered around giggling at us. We ended up transferring our bags to a small pickup truck and Linda Markee and I crammed into the front seat for a long trip over dirt mogles. Eventually we teamed up with Pastor Delamy. He is friends with Dr. Joe and Linda Markee. He had two Toyota Landcruzers and a large truck for our supplies. We are spending the night in Dr. Joe's clinic with the plan to be on the road by 6:00 or 6:30 AM. We are hoping to meet up with a pastor from Port au Prince that has a church just a few miles from the airport. We may be able to set up our clinic there and start treating the injured. We are very eager to get to work.

We received very the very sad news today that they found Molly Hightower's body in the rubble of the orphanage she was serving. So much tragic loss! Please keep her family and friends in your prayers.

Our trip tomorrow will be about 5 hours or so. I think I'm already about 4 inches shorter from the roads. Wow!

Thanks for supporting our efforts! We can't do any of this without a very supportive team and we are grateful.

Off to bed. I'm really looking forward to more than 3 hours of sleep.

I don't know if we will have any access to the Internet tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Enthusiastically,

Dan

www.medicalteams.org

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, earthquake, Purpose, Haiti

Packing for Haiti: an Urgent Deployment with Medical Teams International

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:57:29 +0000

Title: Packing for Haiti: an Urgent Deployment with Medical Teams International
Article:

Today has been a wild day of packing, planning, interviews and seeing patients. I received a call from Medical Teams International and they asked me to join their team that is leaving Thursday morning. I will be helping with medical duties as well as helping them with the needs assessment as they begin to put together the longer term plan for the upcoming weeks and months. I am exceedingly grateful for my office staff (Stef, Dana, Cindy, Chelsea, and Darlene). They worked very hard today to reschedule patients and clear my schedule. Thanks to Dr. Ingela Thomsen for taking my call and covering for me when I'm gone. Thanks to Dr. Haydu and the rest of the team at Promptcare for adjusting things so I could leave.

Going on a trip like this is similar to being an astronaut on the space shuttle. As the rocket is beginning to rumble and lift off of the launchpad they must be aware of the fact that they are the fortunate folks that have the honor of the ride. They know full well that they didn't build the rocket. It takes an army of people to make a relief effort like this even possible. Thank you to the folks at Medical Teams International for their never ending commitment to being there when they are needed. I am blessed by your work and pray that we will be a blessing to the people of Haiti.

Please keep our teams in your prayers. I'm hoping to update this blog along the way if we are able to connect to the outside world.

Please consider being part of the team and supporting us with your prayers and, if you are able, with your finances as well. You can donate to Medical Teams International by clicking HERE.

Onward,

Dr. Dan

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Wed 31 December 1969 17:00
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination, earthquake, Power, Purpose, Haiti

How to Blow Up the Company Building and Still Become the CEO

Sat, 09 May 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Title: How to Blow Up the Company Building and Still Become the CEO
Article:

A key rite of passage for the hard-nosed “Neutron Jack” came in 1963, just a few years into his career with GE. Leading a team that was experimenting with a volatile chemical solution, Welch caused an explosion that blew the roof off a building. Luckily there were no serious injuries. 'My confidence was shaken almost as much as the building I had destroyed,' Welch wrote in his autobiography. But rather than scold or punish him, Welch’s manager taught him an important lesson by helping him focus on what he could learn from the event. 'When people make mistakes, the last thing they need is discipline,' he said. 'The job at this point is to restore self-confidence.' When he became CEO 10 years later, Welch encouraged his subordinates to build upon their failures rather than wallow in doubt.

One of the biggest keys to resiliency is learning from the things that don’t go the way you planned. In his research on resiliency, Dr. Salvatore Maddi found that one of the things that separates victims from survivors is the survivor’s determination to look at the event as a challenge to learn something. Victims, on the other hand, find that adverse events chisel away at their self-esteem. If you look at this as a time line graph what you see is victims heading downward over time because as they experience tough times they beat themselves up. Survivors (thrivers) do the opposite. They learn and grow from the ugly times. They “chalk it up” to another lesson in the school of life. They keep their eyes on the goal and press on. They are that much better because they survived and learned something that they didn’t know before.

Perhaps the most powerful lesson here is not so much Jack Welch’s ability to bounce back but, rather, the impact of his manager. It is worth remembering next time you have a collegue or friend that experiences an adverse event.

Have you had someone in your life that supported and inspired you to learn from the difficult times? If so, please feel free to share your story here.

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 07 March 2011 08:51
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: Resilience, Determination

Resilience: See it Through a Blind Kid's Eyes

Sat, 02 May 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Title: Resilience: See it Through a Blind Kid's Eyes
Article:

Get your own valid XHTML YouTube embed code

I don't think that you will be able to look at things the same after watching this. He is an outstanding example of resiliency. He remained committed, he believed that he could impact his situation and he learned from his feedback (so to speak). What are your thoughts?

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 07 March 2011 07:41
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational

What is Your Strategy When Resources are Scarce?

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Title: What is Your Strategy When Resources are Scarce?
Article:

The damage in Omaha from the recent severe storms was immense but the impact of generous people was even greater. Governor Dan Heineman said, “All of Nebraska ought to be proud of the citizens I saw up there. Neighbors coming in and helping neighbors. The resiliency and the spirit of our citizens is just amazing.”

Our medical team had a similar experience in New Orleans after Katrina. People came out of the woodwork to help. Even those that lost everything were reaching out to help others. In no time it became clear to me that it was not about resources. It was about heart. Those that choose, in the midst of challenging and overwhelming times, to put others first transform hopeless situations to situations where hope is reborn.

Reporter Molli Graham of KMTV-3 had this to say:

The aftermath of a storm so powerful it ripped off roofs, launched shingles into windows, and ripped trees right from the ground. "Driving through the neighborhood, it was like total shock, my husband grew up here and to see his entire neighborhood in pieces,” says Omaha resident Ashley Jankowski. But almost as powerful as the storm, the kindness of strangers. Covered in dirt and rain, Jankowski sifts through the destruction hauling branches from a downed tree. She doesn’t live here, doesn’t even know the people who do. “We’re a community, you have to get out here and help because two people can’t do it on their own.” And tree by tree, Jankowski, and dozens of strangers just like her, cleared yards for people they’ve never met. “We have such wonderful people like this who are coming to help us, I mean they don’t have to and they’re here to help us which makes it a lot easier,” says Debbie Klosterbeer. For the Klosterbeers who live near 139th and Millard, an uprooted tree is sawed down and hauled away in hours.Down the street it’s a task of repairing a house and the homeowners nerves. “Pieces of debris started beating on the windows so we got kids and went to basement,” says victim, Sergey Tsvid. When the storm cleared, Tsvid realized he lost a roof, but almost as quickly he gained a handful of much needed friends.

So, I have one question for you to ponder. We expect to see people helping when there are disasters. But, how would your day to day job be impacted if you sought to go out of your way to help those you with work with? It may catch people off guard; most likely, it would be tremendously appreciated. It may have the power to begin a significant transformation in your workplace. Remember, victims have an internal focus of purpose: it is all about them. Thrivers have an external focus of purpose: they ask how can they encourage others. Resilient people, in the midst of adversity, see opportunities to help others. What would the impact be on staff retention and job satisfaction? What are your thoughts?

Created By: dandiamond
Last Modified: Mon 04 April 2011 03:10
Categories: dandiamondmd-blog
Tags: inspirational, Significance