2017.08.15 Consuella Lopez FW Fall Preview, House of Herrera, Washington, DC USA 8183 (View on Flickr.com)
As I like to say, if I can walk to it, I’ll do it. And if it involves the future, I’m definitely doing it.
This week’s photograph was taken at the House of Herrera (@HouseofHerrera), more specifically CH Carolina Herrera, in Washington, DC USA (of course). It features Consuella Lopez (@ConsuellaLopez) and the management and staff, who hosted a preview of the Fall-Winter 2017 collection, as well as a celebration of our community leaders.
Consuella is now a member of the newly established DC Commission on Fashion Arts and Events, which I learned about at the House of Herrera. Like I said, living in the future.
A good family doctor knows what they don’t know, and then learns from others. #fashion #mostgorgeouscity ♥️DC #thefuture @carolinaherrera@consuella #5starexperience (View on Flickr.com)
Eventually we got to meet and I have learned so much and grown tremendously as a doctor, a human, a resident of the most inclusive city in the world since then. I wish these experiences on every nurse and doctor, to help them perform their best for all of the people they serve.
I am still learning a ton every day, which is what I hoped would happen when I came here.
2017.08.02 Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, CA USA 7856 (View on Flickr.com)
While in San Diego for a Continuing Medical Education course (more on that later), I was fortunate enough to get a personal tour of the brand new Kaiser Permanente San Diego (@KPSanDiego) Medical Center, by its Area Medical Director, Michael Lalich, MD (@KPlalich) and team, including Tana Lorah (@KP_Tana).
Sidney Garfield’s Descendants Focus on Health, not on Buildings
It’s worth noting, as I posted on this blog previously, that our physician founder, Sidney Garfield, MD, cited “adequate facilities” as only one part of the genetic code of Kaiser Permanente’s success. And true to these values, when I asked Mike and his team what was next, he/they spoke about all of the things they were doing outside of the hospital that produce health for our members. It’s a very different point of view than fee for service medicine, where much of the revenue derives from the hospital. Here, the hospital provides value, rather than revenue, in the way it is utilized.
s/he (a family medicine specialists) will be a specialist by inclusion – in contrast to the classical clinical specialist who specializes by excluding. His aim is to broaden his concern, to widen his skill; he seeks to accept responsibility; not merely to pass it along. He utilizes specialists, rather than surrendering to them. (Wilson, 1969)
The people who build medical centers are specialists of inclusion – of all the time, place, and spaces where members achieve their life goals through optimal health.
When you walk towards the museum, you’re greeted with light posts that show how much the world has learned to love better, and also how much farther it will need to go. I’m sure that 50 years ago a person could be arrested in this park for seeking the company of someone of the same sex. Now, it’s the law of the land that they must be able to live happily ever after.
Best All Gender Restroom implementation I have ever seen
2017.06.26 Ben’s Chili Bowl Mural, Washington, DC USA 6865 (View on Flickr.com)
This week’s photograph is from the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl, in Washington, DC USA (of course), where a beautiful new mural has replaced the one that featured Bill Cosby. The new mural was created by the same artist, Washington, DC’s Aniekan Udofia (@AniekanReloaded) who tells beautiful stories about Washington all over our city. You can read more about the mural here: Meet Aniekan Udofia, The Artist Behind The Ben’s Chili Bowl Mural: DCist.
I especially love the depiction of Eleanor Holmes Norton draped in the Washington, DC Flag.
2017.06.26 Ben’s Chili Bowl Mural, Washington, DC USA 6864 (View on Flickr.com)
And also how the community gets together to appreciate what we have as the place where the future is born every day, notice the people enjoying the art. <3 DC.
2017.07.02 DC People and Places, Washington, DC USA 7264 (View on Flickr.com)
This week’s photograph was taken in the Trinidad Neighborhood in Washington, DC USA (of course), and shows a view of the NoMA (@NoMABid) neighborhood in the backround, where the cranes are.
As the article linked to above, this part of our nation’s capital has been undergoing tremendous change (like the rest of the city), and in this analysis from the D.C. Policy Center (@DCPolicyCenter), Washington, DC is the only part of the metro region that is experiencing net positive migration. Surrounding counties’ migration is plummeting.
This is the third Werk for Peace event that I’ve attended and I so admire the leadership, courage, and creativity I see here, for the most pressing issues of our time. As courageous and innovative I have seen among people who have 100 times the resources, which makes sense, because innovation always happens in the out of the way places.
Note also the LGBTQ visibility and TransVisibility that this group brings to our nation’s capital. We know that the drive to be visible and live in one’s identity is one of the most powerful in human existence, so powerful that when taken away people may lose the will to live altogether. From that perspective, a dance party like this saves lives, too.
What We’re Here For
Each event I have attended begins with a ritual, a moment of silence for those who were lost to murder (Pulse Nightclub and countless other violent acts), or in this case, neglect, of the health care system, which has probably resulted in more death than many Pulse nightclub massacres.
During the moment, I reflected on what I saw while I was in training and how it moved my generation of physicians to change everything, which is what we are now doing.
Why would we do anything else? We’re here for health, for all of the people we serve, and their long, healthy, productive lives.
I was taught “you don’t have to be perfect as a physician. You just have to be there for your patients.” We’re here for your long, healthy life. #FMRevolution #WerkForHealth #EqualityEqualsHealth #mostinclusivecity #asdcgoessogoesthenation #LGBTQ artist c (View on Flickr.com)
Some people come to events like this for the dancing. I come for the leadership 🙂 .
This week’s photo is an easy choice. It’s a rainbow pride flag flying over Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, USA for 2017 Baltimore Pride. Nothing says visibility like a rainbow flag. Plenty of transgender pride flags as well, many many more than this same event 4 years ago.
2017.06.11 Equality March 2017, Washington, DC USA 6513 (View on Flickr.com)
This week’s photograph was taken in Washington, DC (of course), and is of the moment the Equality March for Unity and Pride (@EqualityMarch17) started.
The very start of a march (as of this year I have seen many) is a very impactful, moving, moment, and this was no exception. What I felt was the strong intention for LGBTQ+ communities to control their destiny. See for yourself in the photos below.
The image below is a reminder that the most powerful voices are the ones from the future.
2017.06.11 Equality March 2017, Washington, DC USA 6576 (View on Flickr.com)
Mobilizing LGBTQ+ communities, our loved ones and our allies – with particular focus on those who have been actively silenced and neglected – in the fight to affirm and protect our rights, our safety and our full humanity.Equality March 2017
2017.06.09 DCRainbowCrosswalks, Washington, DC USA 6230 (View on Flickr.com)
Washington, DC continues to lead the United States in promoting inclusion for all. It’s why we say that in the last century, as another State went, so went the nation. In this century, it’s “As Washington, DC goes, so goes the nation.” Our Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) calls it the most inclusive city in the world. I call it the capital of a world learning to love better.
Today’s photograph is of the first rainbow crosswalk. Tomorrow we will paint the first transgender pride flag crosswalk in the United States. Because we are DC 🙂 .
Saturday afternoon, June 10, 2017, seven temporary rainbow colored crosswalks and one representing the transgender pride flag will debut along 17th Street NW, in the heart of the traditional LGBTQ neighborhood of the nation’s capital. A community-led initiative, the crosswalks are designed to be a highly visible symbol of Washington, D.C.’s long-standing place as a welcoming city for LGBTQ residents and visitors.
Today a press preview event was held with Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, her LGBTQ staffers and appointees, community members, and regional TV and print media. One of the crosswalks was painted in advance to preview to TV and print media of the D.C.,Maryland,Virginia, Area.
2017.05.29 DC People and Places Washington DC USA 5524 (View on Flickr.com)
General John Alexander Logan (February 9, 1826 – December 26, 1886) was an American soldier and political leader. He served in the Mexican-American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a State Senator, a Congressman, and a U.S. Senator and was an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President of the United States with James G. Blaine in the election of 1884. As the 3rd Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, he is regarded as the most important figure in the movement to recognize Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) as an official holiday.
