The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society Issue 2 Vol 115 | Page 5

COMMENTARY David Wroten Executive Vice President Penny Henderson Executive Assistant Journal Advertising Nicole Richards Managing Editor Jeremy Henderson Art Director EDITORIAL BOARD Appathurai Balamurugan, MD, DrPH, MPH Family Medicine/Public Health Tim Paden, MD Family Medicine Sandra Johnson, MD Dermatology Issam Makhoul, MD Oncology Naveen Patil, MD, MHSA, MA, FIDSA Internal Medicine/Infectious Disease Benjamin Tharian, MD, MRCP, FACP, FRACP Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist Robert Zimmerman, MD Urology Tobias Vancil, MD Internal Medicine Darrell Over, MD Family Medicine EDITOR EMERITUS Alfred Kahn Jr., MD (1916-2013) ARKANSAS MEDICAL SOCIETY 2018-2019 OFFICERS Lee Archer, MD, Little Rock President Amy Cahill, MD, Pine Bluff Immediate Past President Dennis Yelvington, MD, Stuttgart President Elect Chad Rodgers, MD, Little Rock Vice President George Conner, MD, Forrest City Secretary Bradley Bibb, MD, Jonesboro Treasurer Eugene Shelby, MD, Hot Springs Speaker of the House of Delegates Jim Ingram, MD, Little Rock Vice Speaker of the House of Delegates Danny Wilkerson, MD, Little Rock Chairman of the Board of Trustees Tim Paden, MD Count Your Blessings Health Care, EMR, Outcomes, Data, Reimbursements A ll those issues and others consume our days and our efforts. But have you been over- seas, on mission trips? I joined a medical mission group from Texas to Haiti in 2016. Our mission field was located two hours up the coast from Port-au-Prince to a medical clinic serving the people of Gonaives and those in an orphanage in the desolate landscape. Flying into Haiti and traveling cross-country in an open-air bus; living behind concrete, guarded walls; and working at the orphanage and clinic with poverty-stricken, destitute patients ... is overwhelming at best. Af- ter adjusting to the environment and climate, you provide care at the best level you can with the supplies you brought, taking into account the abil- ity of the patient. There are many of us in the AMS who have gone on similar journeys. The common thread among all these endeavors, I believe, is how it changes your perspective on your own life and your medical pra ctice. When you consider the vast array of issues we deal with on a daily basis, it still comes down to a single point of focus: our patients’ needs. Without the patient as the prima- ry focus, we will lose our direction in this complex process we call health care. I want us to consider two main points. First, are we holding to our values in the medical pro- fession despite the pressures of society, legal is- sues, the health care climate, or the government influences? I do not know of any other profession with such high standards as the one in which we practice. As a new member to the AMS, my inter- est in joining centers on the direction our profes- sion is likely to take if we do not stay engaged and apply our own pressure to the system. Second, I ask us to count our blessings. If you have not taken a mission journey, I encourage you to sign up for one. In this country or another, there are multiple resources and locations that would gladly accept your contribution. The benefits far outweigh the time or commitments. Do you have EMR difficulties? Experiencing burnout like a large portion of physicians? Is the pay diminishing? Take a mission trip. It only takes a week. I recall some patients in Haiti. One patient was an infant who suffered from microcephaly (felt to be a result of the zika virus). The mother came to the clinic every day for exam and nutrition advice. The life span of the infant was expected to be short, but the encouragement and advice were lifelong and priceless to this mother. Another patient, an Ameri- can male, had multiple, recurring skin abscesses. He typically lanced them himself but one developed in the scrotum region so we assisted him on this one. I used local xylocaine 1%, which pleased him greatly as he usually did not have this available. We also provided him with sterile scalpels for him to use in the future on himself. Another patient, with multiple skin lesions simply required a large tub of Vaseline to hydrate his skin daily. If used sparingly, it would last him at least three months. This would likely impact his quality of life more than anything he had been given in the past several years. When you look at your long list of patients to see today, or the long call hours, or the system of documentation required, just remind yourself of the resources available to you. It may be restricted or even denied in some cases, but we usually have some other avenue to pursue. I have a new per- spective on medical practice with this experience under my belt ... and I don’t plan on stopping. I need this again. NUMBER 2 AUGUST 2018 • 29