Sunday, April 01, 2007

CareGroup -- Together again?!

This one takes a little explanation. Back in the 1990s, CareGroup was established to be an integrated health care delivery network comprising BIDMC, Mt. Auburn Hospital, New England Baptist Hospital, and several community hospitals. That idea failed miserably, as documented in a couple of posts below. Each hospital went its own way, clinically, although we remain tied through a bond indenture.

How ironic then, to see the Boston Herald report that the three main CareGroup hospitals have independently decided to post infection rates and other items related to patient safety. Does this mean we are an organization?! More important, can this ever be a movement?

As Arlo Guthrie said in Alice's Restaurant, in a very different context:

You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick. . . . And if two people, two people do it, they . . . won't take either of them. And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people . . . They may think it's an organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day . . . And friends they may think it's a movement.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a strange and powerful mind that find context between Alice's Restaurant and three hospital's decision to release info about infectious disease. Strange and powerful.

Anonymous said...

I knew we had the big things in common. That quote from Alice's restaurant inspires me even today. Love it!!!

eeka said...

I've always thought there was an appropriate Alice's Restaurant quote for just about every situation.

And if Alice's Restaurant doesn't quite have anything, surely "It's a Wonderful Life" will.