Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Winter 2021 - 19

important to all of us throughout our careers. Ethics Committees
are adjuncts, not primal.
2. Professionalism: how we behave in the workplace. Perhaps
it could be considered the everyday behavior that results from
our ethical foundation. Both Drexel and Penn State have well
developed professionalism curricula.
3. Personal Development: all of us should take the
opportunity to continue our personal development so we can be
the best persons that we are able; I have taught seminars using the
" 7 Habits of Highly Successful People " , but there are many other
programs available.

Making an Impact
for our Customers for our Community

4. Narrative Ethics/Narrative Medicine: This is really
important. We learned how to diagnose a disease and then how to
treat it, with little attention to patient differences and how they
perceive their illness and how that should impact their therapy. As
Sir William Osler put it so brilliantly, " Much more important than
understanding the disease the patient has, is understanding the
patient that has the disease " .

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Frank Barwis, Owner

" Because of their understanding of our company and industry,
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5. Communication skills: Regardless of our current
communication skills, there is evidence that our skills can be
enhanced with training. The use of social media, effective use
of telehealth, e-learning (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, etc.)
demand different communication skills. All physicians are teachers
and we must constantly improve our teaching skills.
6. Diversity/Cultural sensitivity/Bias Training/Gender
based care: An important competence that affects how we interact
with our patients, how we interact with the people with whom
we work, and how we fulfill our public health obligations (social
determinants of health). In a recent JAMA article Don Berwick
opined, " When the fabric of communities upon which health
depends is torn, then healers are called to mend it. The moral law
within insists so. " We can benefit from understanding how we can
be of help in this area. Social determinants of health is not just a
buzz phrase but a challenge for all of us to become engaged.
7. Theology and Medicine/Philosophy and Medicine:
the influence of religion on healing; understanding religiosity,
spiritualism, and atheism; learning how to balance strongly
held personal beliefs with the needs and beliefs of our patients,
particularly as it may affect their decision making in healthcare.
8. Politics in Medicine: The recent past has taught us how
intertwined politics could get with health care. Perhaps even more
important is the need for physicians to learn how to advocate
for their patients and health care providers. Our government
needs our educated opinions and our strong voice in health care
legislation. Without our place at the table and desire to speak
when we sit there, other interests will take away from patient and
health care workers' needs.
9. Medical Economics and Personal Economics: Physicians
must get a better understanding of the economics of health
care to protect both their patients and themselves. We must
understand where the health care dollar goes and how we might
alter the course. We must learn how to control costs. The United

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6/20

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WINTER 2021

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Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Winter 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Winter 2021
