Medical Whistleblower Canary Notes Newsletter 00 Bridging The Gap Communication Across Disciplines Preliminary Issue

Medical Whistleblower Premier Issue Volume 1 Issue 00 Medical Whistleblower’s Canary Notes Inside this issue: Bridging the Gap 2-3 Bridging the Gap — Guiding Principles for Communication 3 Communication Across Professional Disciplines We, as citizens, must demand open Relationship Traps 4 discourse regarding problems in the medical community of Medical Fraud, Abuse and Neglect. The civil liberties of Medical Whistleblowers should not become casualties. We must not pun- ish the “Truth Sayers” but instead create laws to protect their right to provide timely accurate information. Our government and medical community should acknowledge mistakes rather than seek to conceal them. We need to learn to value human ex- pertise and analysis of information. “Tell me and I'll We need to build a better a better network of communication between the Medical Whis- tleblowers and those whose help we need. Our partners in this struggle to expose forget. Show me and Medical Fraud, Abuse and Neglect come from many professional disciplines – law enforcement officers, legislators, social workers, therapists, patient advocates, the media I'll remember. and attorneys. Involve me and I'll We must as medical professionals understand our own professional culture and the pro- understand.” fessional cultures of those other agencies and individuals we need to interact with. Of- - Confucius ten our own professional biases places limitations on our ability to understand and re- spond to law enforcement, legislators and attorneys. All medical professionals might benefit from learning “Whenever two good more about the role of law enforcement and opening a people argue over more meaningful communication on areas of common principles, they are both interest. It is my belief that cross training between law right.” enforcement and the medical community would reap benefits to both, and add to our overall understanding of Marie Ebner von how to address prevention, detection, and response to Eschenbach Medical Fraud, Abuse and Neglect. Medical Profession- als are often unaware of their vulnerability to organized crime and have a strained relationship with law enforcement over drug enforcement. But increased reporting and response might benefit both the medical and law enforcement communities.

Medical Whistleblower’s Canary Notes Volume 1 Issue 00 Bridging the Gap We need to address cultural differences between organizations and governmental agencies. Medical Whistleblowers need to cultivate cooperative sharing between organizations and learn to bridge the differences between them. We must understand how to initiate change in the system, most importantly cultural change. While government and medical community leaders say that they are open to the issues of change, few are able to translate that understanding into successful action. Knowledge is power. The greater the Truth, the more psychological obstacles, people and organizations may have to overcome, before accepting it. This highlights the need “The relationship is the to strengthen free speech protections for those who raise alarms. It is a sad fact that sounding the alarm has usually resulted in punishment, not reward for Medical Whistle- communication bridge between blowers. This reaction to unwelcome truths persists even when the urgent concerns are people.” discretely expressed through proper channels. It is important to our nation’s public health that we not let restrictive measures weaken the already tenuous free speech pro- -Alfred Kadushin. tections of Medical Whistleblowers who have the critical access to field knowledge. They must be acknowledged as being our first line of contact for gathering information about criminal activity, medical malpractice, human rights violations and even terrorist threats. Our national decision makers must replace long-term thinking over short-term thinking. Decision makers often want the rewards, but do not welcome the challenging process of changing their orientation in order to successfully integrate the information given by Medical Whistleblowers. This information is often a double-edged sword that must be handled with maturity, for the bare truth is not always easy to face. Politicians or executives may fear the Truth that the whistleblower brings especially if it threatens their own career plans. It is best to approach with humility the change necessary to bring meaningful insight of a problem to a government or organization. “The truth isn't the truth until people believe you, Government officials and corporate executives need to know where they are headed. Those with coherent goals and a willingness to adapt to new information will gain the and they can't believe most. Developing a responsive community or organization is as much a psychological you if they don't know as an analytical or logistical process. The challenge is not just about acquiring valuable information but also about rethinking the organization's accepted beliefs and practices. what you're saying, and Both go hand in hand. they can't know what Accepting the lessons learned from Medical you're saying if they Whistleblowers re- don't listen to you, and quires learning how to learn. they won't listen to you if you're not interesting, and you won't be interesting unless you say things imaginatively, originally, freshly.” - William Bernbach

Medical Whistleblower’s Canary Notes Volume 1 Issue 00 Page 3 Bridging the Gap Developing an effective organization to serve Medical Whistleblowers is therefore about building an organization of learners. Becoming an intelligent learner is not only about find- ing valuable information, but also being open to new ideas and concepts. Equally impor- “The problem with tant, is understanding the limitations of one's own cultural or professional framework, communication ... is the transcending one's biases, and recognizing the value of best information sharing practices across cultures. By integrating these practices we will redefine the world in a new way, as illusion that it has been a consequence of recreating our relationship to it. Different beliefs lead to different atti- accomplished.” tudes and practices, which, in turn, create different abilities and disabilities. Professional cultures evolve, that foster or inhibit intelligence. Often these professional cultural influ- George Bernard Shaw ences are powerful and are shared across religions, levels of education, social networks, companies and agencies. Despite the sophistication and size of the medical community, there is still the tendency to “Group Think.” Each individual's cognitive process is dominated by different affinities and avoidances. Every person, and by extension every organization, has a natural affinity for certain concepts and ideas. While some persons or organizations are fact- oriented, others prefer to use their intuition. Some may be satisfied with creative approximation, while others may need specific details. Preferences and avoidances along key ideas and concepts reveal a person's or organization's approach to the analysis of information. Because in any bureaucracy there are limited resources, medical bureaucrats, like man- agers of any type, strive to please their policy bosses and often have a narrowness of per- spective. Creative analysis of whistleblower information often requires “Out of the Box” thinking and a willingness to accept change with all its inherent risk. Creating a culture of change requires continuous integration within the organization. Such meaningful change finds its power in people, not in logic. It rests on a shared emotional understanding and so there is a deep human side to social change. It connects and unites people, offering them something larger than themselves to be part of. It gives them the chance to build something important and to do it with others. Emotions and intuition play a large role. This can be a constructive or a destructive force. We need a better, more robust, efficient social network. We must face the obstacles that divide us and build those bridges to better understanding. Communicating information is most valuable to the public interest when it constantly educates policymakers in a compelling manner. Guiding Principles for Communication ♦ Trust is easier to destroy than build. “The most important ♦ Both sides are always accountable in communication. thing in communication ♦ Focus on influence not control. is to hear what isn't ♦ Be constructive and give away credit. being said.” ♦ Use your own passion to ignite relationships. - Peter F. Drucker ♦ Institutions are the way individuals reach their full potential. ♦ The quality of the founders determines the potential size and influence of the organizational network. ♦ Quality in the communication protocol is important to its sustainability.

Medical Whistleblower The information contained through the Medical Whistle- blower Canary Notes Newsletter is provided for general information only. The information provided by the Medial Dr. Janet Parker Whistleblower Canary Notes does not constitute legal or P.O. Box C professional advice nor is it conveyed or intended to be con- Lawrence, KS 66044 veyed in the course of any adviser-client discourse, but is Phone: 360-809-3058 intended to be general information with respect to common Fax: None issues. It is not offered as and does not constitute legal or E-mail: MedicalWhislteblower@gmail.com medical advice or opinion. It should not serve as a substitute for advice from an attorney, qualified medical professional, social worker, therapist or counselor familiar with the facts We are on the Web! of your specific situation. We encourage you in due diligence MedicalWhistleblower.googlepages.com to seek additional information and resources before making any decision. We make no warranty, express or implied, concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content of this newsletter due to the constantly changing nature of the legal Supporting the Emotional Health of All Whistleblowers and medical aspects of these issues . and their Friends, Supporters and Families. Relationship Problems “Insecurity” Lack of self confidence “Narcissism” Focusing on what you get out of the relationship as opposed to mutual benefit. Superfi- cial relationships. Websites “Benign Neglect” Ignoring the personal side of the relationship, instead focusing on the of Interest problem exclusively. Www.coopcom.org “Booby Traps” Hidden resentment expressed through passive aggressive actions. Www.workteams.unt. edu “Use or be Used” Manipulative, lack of trust, submissive behavior to authority Www.oxfordchallenge “Holding Back” Refusing to give people autonomy so that they can be participants in .org their own way. Www.pon.havard.edu “Falling Short of Scale” Burn out and collapse due to depletion of energy. Www.openbookmanag ement.com “You messages” Focusing on oneself, blaming others for problems. “When we have the courage to speak out – to break our silence – we inspire the rest of the "moderates" in our communities to speak up and voice their views.” Sharon Schuster

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Medical Whistleblower Canary Notes Newsletter 00 Bridging The Gap Communication Across Disciplines Preliminary Issue

by MedicalWhistleblower on Aug 30, 2009

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Medical Whistleblower Canary Notes Newsletter 00 Bridging The Gap Communication Across Disciplines Preliminary Issue — Document Transcript