fbpx

Susan E. Mazer, Ph.D. Blog

Thoughts and ideas on healthcare

Hi, and welcome to my blog! I'm Susan E. Mazer -- a knowledge expert and thought leader on how the environment of care impacts the patient experience. Topics I write about include safety, satisfaction, hospital noise, nursing, care at the bedside, and much more. Subscribe below to get email notices so you won't miss any great content.

Houston: As the Flood Waters Came, So Did Courage and Compassion

September 1, 2017

HOPE new growth

Hope bursts through our tears from which life begins again, like the sprout from the stone.

Watching the flooding in Houston is painful.

Not as painful as being in the flood, but painful that we cannot know what suffering, fear, and tragedies are occurring right now. And painful because we feel we can do nothing other than give money and offer prayers.

The term “First Responders” headlined and entered our daily language after 9/11, when firemen who entered the World Trade Center to rescue those trapped, died as the Towers collapsed.

The term “First Responders” now encompasses anyone who can and does respond, not just the professional firefighters, police officers, Coast Guard or National Guard. Neighbors, citizens from neighboring states, healthcare workers, business owners – the list goes on. At great personal risk, and in some cases loss of life, people continue to step up.

And the story is not over yet.

That is what emergencies draw out of us. That when it comes down to it, we are all vulnerable, human, and cannot survive without each other.

It is what it means to be in a community, be a part of a community, to be human together with another, knowing our risks are equal.

We extend our deep appreciation for the compassion and courage of the healthcare community in Houston and the surrounding areas. And we pray for all those who are suffering and struggling to safety as I write this.

P.S. If you like this post, please do me a favor and share on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.  Also to get automatic notices when a new post is published, please subscribe.  No spam – just great content. Thanks!