A View from Overseas – Part 1

Updated on March 6, 2022
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By Rodney D. Reider

I have been in multiple clinics, hospitals, and healthcare sites and facilities around the world. I have watched heroic activity by some of the most excellent human beings one can ever come across in this life. Emergency Room colleagues, Cath Lab teams, Operating Room and floor personnel all rising up to meet the immediate challenges and yet still being able to follow up with the care and empathy necessary for the patient and family members following the event. It is incredibly impressive and inspirational. It is a special individual who takes on this responsibility. These individuals have taken the calling seriously to care for others and impact the lives they touch for the better. This occurs through their dedication to the practice of medicine, the continual learning as the expansion of technical knowledge evolves, and the never-losing sight of people being the beneficiaries of their knowledge and careful action. It is the never-ending quest to be at their best in all aspects of care. These are impressive people in our field of healthcare.

I experienced this same attitude towards care when I was overseas. No matter the formal training, hospitals in Australia and Austria have colleagues dedicated to their patients. Acute facilities in France, Belarus, Israel, Qatar, and Russia contain individuals who care for others regardless of equipment or conditions. 

During my visits, I watched as nurses and respiratory therapists exhibited expertise and incredible patience. I saw housekeepers offer comfort. I watched as the admission clerk went out of her way to aid the elderly and confused individual in line with additional support and direction. I observed physicians staying up all night interacting with patients and family members who were suffering both physically and with the emotional turmoil of fear.

I viewed healthcare individuals arriving every day to do the best they can, with what they have, for every patient. It is amazing the heart of individuals in healthcare, no matter the country or language.

We are truly in the time of miracles. The miracles of people dedicated to their art of caring for others.

For more than 25 years, Rodney has been involved in the healthcare industry and has positioned organizations to adapt to the continuously and rapidly changing healthcare environment. An International Scholar twice-over, he has a thirst for knowledge and a drive to explore, create and support innovative solutions within the healthcare space that make a lasting impact. He writes about healthcare innovation and leadership at rodneyreider.com.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.