Personal Care Community Vol 1 No 2

Greta and Don, The Healthcare Change we really need is to CARE ABOUT OUR HEALTH! And, I agree with Greta, "If we can not marry some sort of understanding between all parties involved, then our country will end up w/a National Healthcare Reform that serves no one well." Our citizens need to discuss the price they are willing to pay, albeit emotional, physical, finacial, spiritual etc. for giving the responsibility of caring for their health to others. Greta nails it when she talks about the WELLNESS factor as WELLNESS truly covers a full spectrum! WE THE PEOPLE are no longer willing to allow our GREATNESS to dissolve into mediocrity. WE THE PEOPLE, in this community, with a passion for WELLNESS have started the conversation. What is the possibility that we can stand for and who is it we are becoming. We want to hear from you.

Don & Katie, Both of you are absolutely correct w/respect to demanding accountability from our Legislators, Provider Community, and Insurance Carriers. It is high time that we, as consumers, reflect upon OUR requirements w/respect to meaningful "Healthcare Change". If we can not marry some sort of understanding between all parties involved, then our country will end up w/a National Healthcare Reform that serves no one well. While the National debate lingers & is very much clouded, we all know in our heart of hearts that "something" must be done. That "something" can not be expediate to legislate. Healthcare reform must be incremental in order to establish specific guidelines, pre-meditated goals/outcomes, and an engagement effort which includes all interested parties. The "WELLNESS" factor comes into play in several different arena's of our lives: Wellness may be defined as absence of fear, as a trust in our Democratic system, and/or as a collective commitment to cautious/incremental reform. WE THE PEOPLE are NOT attached to political affiliations, WE are not invested in political rhetoric, WE are motivated by the offer of systemic reform which serves to assure comfort, security & trust to our audience. The future of our healthcare delivery system most certainly is in dire need of "tweaking". Yet, it is NOT poised for radical reformation; if we do not have the supportive data to warrant "Change", then we would all be well afforded to proceed w/caution. Our collective Consumers, Patients & Clients are looking to us to help them mitigate the plethora of Healthcare reform initiatives without placing blame, without pointing damning fingers, and without action based upon anecdotal reference. Ergo we have designed a forum for all Industry Leaders, Marketplace Experts, and the "Common Man" to espouse their opinion as it relates to the current conundrum that faces our nation today. We welcome everyone to offer-up a Healthcare-Reform opinion brief; to include a snap-shot Bio & to attach a hyper-link to your web-site. For those interested, this will serve as a conduit w/respect to a greater insight re:the discerning factors that will serve to illuminate the rational behind YOUR opinion. And YES, BYB, Our "Recession" has offered us all tremendous insight as to the priorities in our lives: gratefully, many of us have learned a tremdous lesson w/respect to the what is, and is not, important. And, YES, Dr. Don, Wellness.com will serve to be a vehicle for everyone interested in the multi-faceted "Wellness" arena: mind, body, spirit, fiscal, socially-responsible, community-oriented efforts et al respectfully submitted, greta

Thank for your comments: I propose that we use this forum to design a Personal Care Community, which I define as people connected by relationships that care about each other’s health --without ramming any behavior change or philosophy down someone’s throat. These relationships can be families, lovers, friends, co workers: our Play Group as I call it where we spend our time. It can be physical or virtual relationships, and relationships can be in the bed next to you or a “pen pal” tens of thousands of miles away. Relationships can be with one’s self or Higher Self if you will. What matters is that we care about each other. And the direction of this care has to do with: 1) meaning in work and play; 2) striving for healthy relationships; 3) seeking a higher purpose or power in whatever terms you think of this. If you are atheistic or agnostic it is about seeking the best of your mind and awareness. If you are religious, it is about finding the presence of your faith within. If you are mentally focused, it is about working with the universal mind and proceeding, like true scientists, with disciplined inquiry. I would like to see the Personal Care Community create opportunities where the best of resources are available in terms of communications, products, services, and programs. I like BYOURBEST’s concepts of a Personal Care Leadership Learning Program. What I know of it, which is limited, is that integrity is a key component. We all could do with such a learning program. Gretacocco wants to bring wellness into the national-political debate and make this debate more accountable to the Personal Care Community. And, yes, it is about financial wellness as well. More Thoughts?

Greta's comments are right on target! I predict that what is emerging in our country is the PRUDENCE AND PREVENTION culture. The benefit of this "recession" is that our citizens are waking up and becoming much more prudent with a focus on prevention. Don't get me wrong we need to focus on healthcare transformation however what we really need is personal health care transformation. We have to stop projecting our lack of personal leadership onto our public leaders. We need to build communities that focus on prudent and preventative possibilities for all Americans. Let Wellness become a national emergency instead of illness becoming our country's worse nightmare. Why are we willing to poor more and more finacial resources into the pit of pre mature death than into possiblities of full spectrum wellness?

Dr. Don, You represent the quintessential "Doc Welby": you are fore-ever charged & stoked at every opportunity to drive Wellness & Integral Health into our daily lives. Over the past couple of weeks, you have highlighted several of the most dynamic infrastructure challenges of the millennium w/respect to Healthcare reform: Healthcare IS personal; Individual choice IS non-negotiable; Wellness/Preventative initiatives, concepts & constructs MUST be part of our Nation's dialogue. Patients have the right to demand information as it relates to cost/quality & reduction of error from our Healthcare providers. Consumers have the right to demand info re: best practices/centers of excellence/regional variances in outcomes from our healthcare carriers. And, most importantly, WE ALL have the right to voice to our concerns, fears & experiences as it relates to National Healthcare reform. So, thank you Don, for taking the time & energy to help create a discussion forum which looks to address several aspects of "Wellness". In response to BYB: I whole-heartedly agree that, in an effort to achieve GREATNESS, we all must become engaged w/the very Possibility that you reference: Balance can only be achieved if we, as a community, resolve not to "settle for less than the best". I believe that the time has come for all Wellness enthusiasts to speak up & demonstrate our collective commitment to healthcare reform which favors a pro-active engagement from every voting constiuent. We must let our elected officials in Washington know that we are prepared to either accept, or challenge, the proposals currently laid upon the table in D.C.. We will not let bureaucrats design or define our fate; so Kudos' to you & your organization for stepping up to the proverbial plate !!! The American public does not need any more rhetoric: we need compulsive facts. Outside of the reality that the Feds. are poised to "do something" w/respect to Healthcare reform, we need to speak up, loudly & clearly, about our current dissatisfaction w/the status quo. IF meaningful reform were to be enacted, then it MUST contain Wellness initiatives, incentives & rewards for all who are vested in our Nation's future. I wholeheartedly support Dr. McGee's vision that the definition of "Wellness" must be broader than mind, body & spirit: it must also include fiscal well-being, it must include privacy initiatives, and it must include legislative reform to meet the needs of our general audience. All of that being said, Thank You for your energy, commitment & forward thinking for the better good of our whole. Wellness.com will serve as a bridge between Governmental initiatives & the didactic demands of the public

We are glad Dr. McGee has offered a discussion about this to the community. In todays get2gather (thats what we call our gatherings) we had a full spectrum of wellness enthusiasts from age 14 to age 80. The possibility that these individuals stand for is GREATNESS. We all deserve the best health, appearance and work life balance strategies wouldn't you agree?