I have written two non-fiction books on healthcare.
WHERE HAVE WE FAILED?
(2002, American College of Physician Executives)
The Healthcare system has failed us in a number of ways, among them that it is excessively expensive, not very sensitive to the needs of the population, of uncertain quality and unreliable accessibility. To some commentators, it has seemed to be a very unorganized mess. In truth, the healthcare system is a complex, living system, conforming to our knowledge of living systems. To understand how to fix the system, it is necessary not only to understand the history and failings of the system, but also the nature and interaction of the components. This book was written to approach the problem of understanding the identities of the “players” in health care and how they interact with one another.
HEALING HEALTHCARE
(2008, Durban House Press)
One of the most pressing questions facing us in 2008 was how to fix America’s broken healthcare system. Our Politicians, Insurance Companies, Physicians, Hospitals, and Pharmaceutical Companies played the blame game and did nothing. As the book was preparing for publication, the remarkable thing that happened was the arrival on the scene of a politician who evidenced a dedication to improving the healthcare system. Almost nine years later, a new politics seems intent on undoing what was done, almost regardless of what results it has brought. I wrote this book to bring not a set of solutions, but a method for approaching the problem. In a complex system, because the system adapts and morphs before one’s eyes as one attempts to make changes, any change must be tentative and subject to alteration to achieve the goals desired. What is important is the goals. What I have presented is a set of goals and a suggestion as to how they might be approached.