Americans have long sought a system that provides high-value care for all. We strive for prevention and community wellness programs, and to include patients and families as collaborators in managing care. But we struggle to agree how to make it all happen with balance and integrity.
If We Can’t Have It All, Can We Get What We Need?
In a system trying to do so much for so many, can a minimalist approach to healthcare help resolve conflicts within the system? Is there some way that striving for less can lead to more?
Proponents of minimalism praise its many benefits. The focus of life changes from the value of external things, to the things we value internally. It shifts our attention from having many things to having meaningful things. It works to reduce distractions and stress and helps to increase engagement and satisfaction.
Is Minimalism Traveling Light or Homelessness?
Detractors criticize the difference between lifestyle minimalism and “forced” minimalism produced by economic inequality. A significant portion of society lives paycheck to paycheck, unable to accumulate personal belongings, barely able to stay regularly fed, housed, and clothed.
Both sides of minimalism affect the modern world of healthcare facilities, funding, management, and staffing. Doing more with less is often another way of saying “figure out the most important thing we do, and do nothing but that.”
This process can produce conflict and struggle, but it can also lead to massive improvements through carefully targeted procedures and actions.
Healthcare Leadership and Career Minimalism
Many current healthcare leadership positions are based on a particular project rather than on a permanent position. These strategic considerations lead many top executives and senior managers to specialize in temporary assignments.
They can maximize the impact of their mid-career and later professional accomplishments, and minimize their institutional and geographical ties to focus on other personal values.
At NHS Solutions, we understand the personal drive to make a difference. We nurture an environment where the best aspects of minimalism are working for you in your career and personal life. We provide a shield from the negative pressures of minimalism at the same time.
Call us today for a personal, private consultation about opportunities to do so much more, with less.