Healthy Wealthy & Wise Dr. William T. Choctaw, MD, JD
The Healthy Wealthy and Wise Podcast, with Dr. William T. Choctaw, MD, JD is a monthly podcast that focuses on personal growth and development by exploring a range of topics related to mental and physical health, personal wealth, leadership, and interpersonal relationships. Dr. Choctaw draws on his 75yrs experience and 50 plus years of surgical practice since graduating from Yale University School of Medicine.
Each month, we strive to provide our listeners with mental, physical, and spiritual strength by giving actionable advice, tips, guidance, and information to help them achieve their own personal, professional, and spiritual goals. We consider the health of the mind, body, and spirit paramount as a single unit that provides a cumulative strength greater than the individual parts, to strengthen the whole person.
We appreciate the natural differences in need between men, women, adults, and children. We recognize that the power to be happy is within each of us and under our control. We embrace technology and identify how it is applicable to our daily success. We address the entire human experiences from generation z to the baby boomers.
We’re passionate about the total person, and helping our listeners build and lead a full, well-rounded and happy life. So, tune in every month for an inspiring, encouraging, and informative podcast!
Healthy Wealthy & Wise Dr. William T. Choctaw, MD, JD
Healthcare's New Frontier: The Ascendancy of Wellness Leadership
Ever wondered what it truly means to be a wellness leader? What if we told you that the American Medical Association has endorsed wellness leadership strategies as a substantial part of healthcare and health education? Our latest episode provides a thoughtful and insightful discussion on the power of wellness and leadership, their intersection, and the critical role they play in our lives. We shed light on the essence of wellness, its different types, and the significant benefits it brings to the table. But that's not all - we also delve into the realm of leadership, exploring the skills required to influence and empower others successfully.
In the latter part of our chat, we examine the importance of teamwork in wellness leadership, emphasizing how understanding individual needs and motivations can pave the way to excellence. Here's where it gets even more interesting - we discuss how wellness leadership strategies can be effectively applied in the response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We unpack the challenges of managing a global health crisis and delve into the important role of promoting wellness in the workplace and home during these trying times. Whether you're a healthcare professional, a wellness enthusiast, or simply interested in leadership and personal development, this episode is set to offer a treasure trove of insights. Tune in, and let's uncover the true meaning of wellness leadership together!
Healthcare Quality Leadership Education Group
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
The Host, Dr. William Choctaw; MD, JD, is a healthcare leadership expert, possessing a Medical Doctorate from the Yale University School of Medicine, and a Jurist Doctorate from Western University. Over a span of 50 years practicing medicine, he has served as Chief of Staff, Chief of Surgery, and as a member of the medical executive committee at Citrus Valley Medical Center over a 10 year period. Also, while practicing at Citrus Valley Medical Center, he served as Chief Transformation Officer, (developed a Robust Process Improvement/Lean Six Sigma program). Dr. Choctaw lectures nationally and internationally on medical leadership issues for hospital staffs, executives, and managers. He served as a Physician Surveyor on the Joint Commission. He's the author of 2 books, "Medical Malpractice: A Physician's Guide to the Law" and "Transforming the Patient Experience: A New Paradigm for Hospital and Physician Leadership, published by the Springer Publishing Co. He’s the President of Choctaw Medical Group, Inc., a clinical practice and medical legal consulting firm for medical staff executives, physician leaders, and hospitals.
Coming up on this episode of the HWWP.
Speaker 2:We have this thing in healthcare, in medicine, called the Koch Postulates, that someone needs to be able to take my process that I say I created that will make it rain, and they need to be able to produce my process independent of me and get the same result. That's just one part of that approach. My point is very simple. It's more than just me giving an opinion, more than just me being a nice person that you got to prove it.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the Healthy, wealthy and Wise podcast with Dr William T Choctaw, mdjd, where the doctor helps you unlock your full potential by equipping you with tools and knowledge in the areas of health, wealth and wisdom Anchored in his experience as a business executive, a physician and surveyor for the Joint Commission, a former mayor and over 50 years of experience as a general surgeon. You've got questions, he's got answers, so let's get started. Here's Dr William T Choctaw, mdjd.
Speaker 2:Good morning. I'm Dr William T Choctaw. Welcome to our Healthy, wealthy and Wise podcast. Each month, we strive to provide you, our listeners, with mental, physical and spiritual strength by giving actionable advice, tips, guidance and information to help you achieve your own personal, professional and spiritual goals. We recognize the health of the mind, body and spirit are paramount as a single and simple unit that can provide a cumulative strength greater than the individual parts to strengthen the whole person. This product is part of our Leadership Masterclass series based on my 50 years of medical experience 50 plus years of medical experience and 75 years of life experience. So sit back and enjoy with us.
Speaker 2:Today, we're going to talk about wellness leadership strategies, why and why we need them. That's wellness leadership strategies and why we need them. As always, I'd like to start off with my beliefs. I believe life is about being of service to others. I believe knowledge is power. I believe leaders can change the world. I also like to give you an outline to give you an idea about what we're going to talk about today and also specifically to give you an idea of when we're just about done. I certainly recognize that you're very busy people and you have a lot on your plate and we appreciate you stopping by to visit with us for a brief period of time. We're going to talk about the American Medical Association, which is the premier organization in this country for healthcare and physician education and certification. We're going to discuss the definition of wellness. We always like to start off with definitions. We're going to go over the types of wellness, the benefit of wellness and why wellness is finally taking its role in the position of health care and health education. The American Medical Association decided this year in 2023, to endorse the wellness leadership concept. To endorse the wellness leadership concept.
Speaker 2:If you're asking yourself, but what is that different from them endorse and leadership in general? I would surmise that it involves the AMA taking a more my word holistic view of health care. Now, the word holistic has been around for a long time, but I think, in essence, what it says is we don't just think about health care as the body, we don't just think about health care as care of the body. But I think, as time has gone on and this, indeed, is representative of my growth in health care that I have, and I think the whole medical association, have developed an appreciation for the importance and the significance of mind and spirit, if you will, as important as the body in terms of the whole being, if you will, the whole being growing and developing and becoming healthier. So when you hear wellness, think in terms of the totality of body, mind and spirit. Not only are these three areas side by side, but they are integrated, so think of it as a continuous movement between these three entities to create, ultimately, the whole you. That's really what we're concerned about, what we're interested in.
Speaker 2:We're going to talk about it from a leadership perspective. But what does that mean? That basically means that this is a leadership masterclass and we leaders are basically committed to helping others, and you can do that on multiple levels and you can do that any way you like or choose, but our goal is the other person, not just us, but it's us, so that we can then give back or give to someone else. So what is leadership? I would one define leadership. My simple definition of leadership is helping others. Now, that may sound a little strange, because usually we think of leaders as the people out front and the people who make the speeches and the this and the that. I look at it very, very basically.
Speaker 2:I really strongly believe that the essence of life is contributing to others. Now, you can do that in many different ways, that there is no perfect way or specific way to do it. But it should be about what you give than about what you get. And parenthetically or ironically, if you give something to others, you will automatically receive something. That's the beauty of it. So leadership is not someone who's telling people what to do. It is someone who decides that he or she is willing to help somebody else, and by helping that other person, you then receive yourself. And also parenthetically, by helping that other person, you then become a leader. Think about that by helping someone else, you then become a leader. So leadership another way of looking at it is the capacity to translate vision into reality. The capacity to translate vision into reality. Now, whether one is born a leader or you become a leader over time, I honestly do not know, but I do know the leadership does exist. I do know the leadership is requisite for us to go to those next levels. I do know that leadership is necessary for us to advance and grow and I do know that, should you make that decision in your life, your world will remarkably improve on multiple levels.
Speaker 2:What are some of the required skills of leaders, at least as we think of them. Leaders tend to be people who empower others, and that empowerment could be what they say, it could be what they do, or I would argue it's probably a combination of both, especially what they do, because I honestly believe that people look at what you do more than listen to what you say. They inspire people Think about Martin Luther King, think about Gandhi, think about Nelson Mandela. They inspire people. They lead change. I believe that change is always with us. The only constant in life is change, and so it's important not to be depressed and not to get upset. Whenever something changes, it's to anticipate it, to prepare for it, and the ultimate part of dealing with change is adaptability. If you determine or you figure out for you what adaptability is, then you will survive, and not only will you survive, you will thrive. So change is always with us and leadership are individuals or it is a process that leads the change, that leads the change through its ability to adapt to the change. Another required skill of leadership or leaders is a shared vision. You think about what needs to be done, you think about what is best for others, including yourself, and then you set out to reach that vision or to achieve that goal or to get to the top of that mountain. And then part of the thing about leadership is you don't wait for someone else to do it. You see what needs to be done and if it meets your criteria, you move forward.
Speaker 2:I have learned many lessons over my life over my 75 plus years and over my 50 plus years as a physician and one of the, I think, most important lessons I learned, as a physician particularly, was what the essence of life is all about, what's most important in life. Now I have and as many, if not most, individuals always want to strive for the best. That was sort of ingrained in me very, very early on from my mother who, as I mentioned in previous podcasts, was responsible for me being in medical school, going to medical school, and when I arrived at Yale Medical School and finished, I basically felt that I was equipped to deal with anything. Obviously, it's an excellent school. They taught me well and I had that level of confidence that I could do anything, that there were no limits on me. But some of the things that I learned along the way and I freely pass this on to you you can be good by yourself. I believe you can be good by yourself. If you work hard and you're well trained, or a combination of the two, you can achieve certain things and do a good job if you will. So you can do good by yourself, but excellence comes from a team. Let me say that again you can be good by yourself, but excellence comes from a team.
Speaker 2:I'm a general surgeon. When I finished medical school as a general surgeon, I was very, very confident that I can go in and do the operation that I needed to do in my area or care for a patient in my area and do a good job. But what I also learned? That singularity, or the individual, whoever he or she may be, has an inherent limitation. Why? Because, as an individual, I am uniquely me. Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but I'm saying that there's a limitation with it and we all have it. We all have it. So what's the point I'm trying to make? My point is even though I can be good by myself, excellence comes from a team.
Speaker 2:Let me repeat that, even though I can be good by myself, excellence comes from a team. I can be a good surgeon or a good physician, arguably by myself, but if I want to be an excellent surgeon or an excellent physician. I need a team. What I've learned, then, is that we were designed, I believe, as humans, to work as teams. If you can accept that concept and adopt and embrace and digest that concept, your life will be remarkable and better, because it's really not all about you, it's about the team. Think about it. Think about it. Yes, patrick Mahon is an excellent football player quarterback excellent but he cannot win a single game without the other 10 men on his football team. Michael Jordan is an excellent basketball player, but he cannot win a single game without a team. I think those examples are before us throughout life, and sometimes we chose to notice them and sometimes we chose to ignore them. But what I have learned is that if you want excellence, then you need a team. Part of your achievement, a part of your journey if you will getting to that level of excellence is understanding how you function within a team or with a team. Does not matter what position you have in that team, but you need a team. I used to say many times I do not want a good doctor to take care of my wife and my kids and my family or myself. I want an excellent doctor. I do not want a good nurse, I want an excellent nurse. I do not want a good hospital, I want an excellent hospital. So my point is that if you want to get to that level of excellence that you need, it is important to understand the value, if you will, of a team and, more importantly, it is important for you to understand how you can work with a team and how that helps you achieve your goals, whatever those are. So keep that in mind. Excellence comes from a team.
Speaker 2:Now, when we look at wellness again and we are still sort of on the defined part of wellness we are talking about body, mind and spirit. Body, mind and spirit. Our bodies are obvious, we can stand in the mirror and we can look at our bodies. The mind is a little less obvious because the mind is sort of inside of the body and we have to be able to appreciate the specifics of the mind and what it works and how it works and in terms of how we think about ourselves and about our surroundings. And the spirit is even more subtle. The spirit is that part that we conceive in our minds and understand how it relates to us. But the part I am very simply trying to make is that all three are our requirement for us to thrive and for us to be well, and we want to always be well. We want to be well ourselves so that we can then help others to be well. So let's go a little deeper into wellness.
Speaker 2:Wellness refers to a state of being in good health, both physically and mentally. It is a holistic approach to health. And again, that word holistic many people used to be disturbed by that word. I am not and I hope you are not either, but you can substitute a different word as you choose. But basically it means looking at the total being or the total essence, the total entity, if you will, and that's really body, mind and spirit. But it's also taken that body, mind and spirit approach to health care, because if you take that approach to health care then you will be more successful in achieving those levels of excellence that we've talked about before. When I was working with the John Commission and we were going to a hospital, to a hospital survey, I as a physician would primarily evaluate the physician areas, particularly surgery and surgery related areas, and the whole point is we look at the body, mind and spirit approach. We may not call it that, but we look at the results, which includes that total approach. Wellness includes nutrition, exercise, stress management and mental health. To look at it on another level Nutrition, exercise, stress management and mental health Wellness. So when I say wellness, I'm talking about those particular four areas nutrition, exercise, stress management and mental health.
Speaker 2:Wellness leadership it's a concept that emphasizes the importance of promoting wellness in the workplace. Let me say that again wellness leadership this is our topic. It's a concept that talks about emphasizing the importance of promoting wellness in the workplace. We talked earlier about body, mind and spirit and how that's important in terms of as we look at ourselves. We then transitioned to the importance of the individual working with a collective group of individuals, ie what I call a team. We specifically said that if we want excellence in whatever our pursuit is, it's important that we work with that team effectively. Now what we're saying is, when we think of wellness leadership, we want you to think of it in the context of promoting wellness in the workplace and also promoting wellness at home.
Speaker 2:Wellness, wellness wellness body, mind and spirit. As you think about your body, mind and spirit and what your needs are and what motivates you and what gets you in a good place. Think about that in terms of your spouse. Think about that in terms of your children and understand that at the different ages of your children, their needs and their understandings will vary as you're interacting with them as a parent or as a friend or as a partner, however you do it, whatever the circumstances are, think about it in terms of body, mind and spirit. Body, mind and spirit that when your son or daughter is playing soccer or basketball or whatever sport they're playing, and you're on the sideline and you're supporting them, think about body, mind and spirit, and then you'll be much more effective in terms of what you're doing.
Speaker 2:So let's take a look at well-being and well-being leadership and apply it to a specific area. Let's apply well-being leadership to strategies for responding to COVID. So what would that look like or why would it be different? Now, clearly, all of us have developed strategies to respond to COVID because we've all had to deal with this, a worldwide pandemic. We live in the world. Therefore, we've had to deal with it some way. Some of us have probably done this easily, some more difficult, Some have had more challenges with it. It is a serious problem. It is a problem that has not gone away and probably will not go away.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to this episode of the Healthy, wealthy and Wise podcast with Dr William T Choctaw, mdjd. Be sure to check out other great episodes covering areas of health, wealth and wisdom at THWPcom and, while you're there, be sure to check out the books, blogs and other literature in your preferred format. And don't forget to leave a review, subscribe, share and support the podcast that's at THWPcom. You've been listening to the Healthy, wealthy and Wise podcast with Dr William T Choctaw, mdjd.
