Rev. George Handzo

Why is whole person care so difficult to attain?

Patient

July 26, 2012

Recently I was privileged again to be on the faculty for the Summer Institute of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health in Washington, DC which draws participants from several health care disciplines, including medicine, chaplaincy and nursing.

One afternoon, we break up into interdisciplinary teams and interview patient actors as if we were a palliative care consultation team. For those who have not experienced patient actors in this context, …

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Good communication in health care is about listening

Rev. George Handzo

Patient

January 30, 2012

A great deal of effort in the current health care environment is being put into improving communication – between patients and families and members of the health care team, among family members, and among members of the team. The case can be made that good communication is at the heart of patient safety, cultural sensitivity, and the pillar of palliative care — aligning patient’s wishes and goals with treatment plans.

So …

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Cultural competency leads to better patient care and higher patient satisfaction

Rev. George Handzo

Physician

August 18, 2011

It may sound obvious. But many years working in and with hospitals has taught me that many health care providers, although they want to treat their patients in a culturally and spiritually sensitive manner, often don’t know how. It seems that every day as our country becomes increasingly diverse, health care clinicians are confronted with someone from a cultural or ethnic group they have never encountered before.

At the same …

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