The Wholistic Health Center: A New Direction in Health Care

The Wholistic Health Center: A New Direction in Health Care

trance requirements, program length, and certificates and degrees awarded at the completion of programs. The role of physician’s assistant clearly nee...

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trance requirements, program length, and certificates and degrees awarded at the completion of programs. The role of physician’s assistant clearly needs more research and evaluation. It is evident that unanimity of programs and qualifications do not exist. Martha Hoffman, RN Sayre, Pa

Managing Others Creatively. Pollock, Ted. Hawthorne Books, Inc, New York City, 1971, 154 pp, $2.95. Pollock‘s second volume of a two-volume series on creative management is a practical, how-to guide for the creative management of others. His first book covers creative selfmanagement. A series of 85 questions in the first chapter allow the reader to judge how he handles people. Following chapters offer practical advice for hiring and firing, putting ideas across effectively, giving instructions or criticism, sizing up people, getting the most out of employee ideas, generating enthusiasm, winning cooperation, improving morale, handling gripes, dealing with problem employees, spotting and grooming a comer, and developing a top assistant. Similar in format and theme, Pollock‘s two books do not have to be read in sequence. Any nurse who has to work with others will find this book valuable for becoming a good manager. Sister Kane, RHSJ, RN, MEd Cornwall. Ontario

The Wholistic Health Center: A New Direction in Health Care. Cunningham, Robert M, Jr. The W K Kellogg Foundation, Battle Creek, Mich 49016, January 1977, 55 pp. The Wholistic Health Center embraces the theory that “nature tends to bring things together to make whole organisms, and thus the determining factors in nature and in evolution are wholes and not their constituent parts.” This concept is holism. The founder of the center, Granger E Westberg, DD, preferred the spelling “wholistic,” however, to clarify the meaning of wholeness and to avoid confusion with holiness.

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The development of two center+in Hinsdale, 111, and Woodridge, Ill-provides the background for this book. Located in two community churches, the health centers are staffed with pastoral counselors and volunteers as well as physicians and nurses. Each patient is interviewed by a pastoral counselor before seeing a physician. The patient talks about his physical symptoms and the stress and strains of his life in relationship to his symptoms. Following the initial interview, the patient returns to the waiting room where volunteers make him and his family welcome. Coffee is served, patients are introduced to each other, and health films are sometimes shown. The pastoral counselor sometimes introduces the patient to the physician who he will see at the clinic, and the physician is provided with a summary of the initial interview. Following the medical examination, the physician, attending nurse, and the counselor confer with the patient who is encouraged to ask questions, give opinions, and help in the decision making. Health center personnel believe that having an opportunity to talk to sympathetic persons creates understanding, a willingness to follow the physician’s orders, and a willingness to change to reduce stressful situations that may affect the patient’s health. The centers also offer community health education programs in management of stress, nonsmoking, marriage, aging, self-care, grief, divorce, family planning, parent-teenager communication, life planning, and the wholistic concept of health cares. They also extend annual health evaluations to local employers interested in preventive medical services for their employees, and the Woodridge Center sponsored a health fair for its community. Some physicians and health care workers in the communities have not responded favorably to this type of center, but patients who use the centers’ services are overwhelmingly pleased. The book is well illustrated and has a bibliography and several appendixes with statistical information. For the health care professional interested in ways to deliver health care services, this is an informative and interesting book. Sister Kane, RHSJ, RN, MEd Cornwall, Ontario

AORN Journal, July 1977, Vol26, No 1