A Nurse Practitioner's View

On my snowy commute into work this morning for what seemed like 100th snow-laden car ride of this winter, I chuckled when the radio newscaster urged people to stay home. As a healthcare professional, we rarely see a "snow day." Hospitals and clinics don't close. So to all of my healthcare, EMS, police and fire (and anyone else needing to get to work) colleagues: Please stay safe out there when Mother Nature throws this nasty weather our way. Some people must get to work whatever the circumstances are.

I came across this well thought out commercial that has appeared on TV from the U.S. Department of Human Health & Services' Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality ( AHRQ ). Their website has a few other public service announcement-type of ads. With their, "Questions are the Answer" campaign, they are encouraging patients to ask questions about their care and to take an active role in the provision of their care. Hopefully, patients and providers alike will embrace this idea so that there are more answers than questions. Any questions?