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Can a Village Group Fix Our Healthcare System?

Much of the power and dynamism of the Village lies with its Small Group gatherings. The level of engagement, the enriching interpersonal and social interactions, the friendships formed, and the joy experienced is rarely matched in other settings. Perhaps most amazingly is how groups are formed. I’d like to tell you about one such group, the Wellness Practice Group that is just beginning to take shape. 

First, let’s talk about how and why the Wellness Practice Group got started. The American Healthcare system provides excellent training in Allopathic medicine and the treatment of acute conditions, but doctors receive far less training in treating chronic diseases like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, dementia and many more. It also provides an overwhelming amount of information but little help with understanding and implementation. Our system has a hole and we need to fill it.

The marketplace has tried to fill that void with hundreds of books, videos, supplements, alternative medicines, commercial wellness programs and wearables of one sort or another, all offering solutions and information frequently for a price. Like many of you, I’ve read scores of books, articles and watched hundreds of videos on health and wellness—some confusing, some more useful than others. In each case, initial enthusiasm faded and efforts to make lifestyle changes and develop practices were abandoned for lack of motivation.

For the past 22 years, I’ve attempted to manage my diabetes through products and services available in the marketplace and 10-15 minutes with a medical physician 2-3 times a year . . . essentially I tried to do it on my own with mixed results. There have been some successful years but there have been many more unsuccessful years. Heart attack and stroke remain a high risk for me. Fear, it seems, is not sufficient motivation to change. Something more is clearly needed. 

I had a couple Aha! moments after two recent experiences. The first was joining the Village in 2022 and experiencing the power of small gatherings, the Village’s secret sauce.  The second was reading Dr. Casey Means’ book: Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health. A Stanford MD and surgeon, Dr. Means left a traditional medical career to study the root causes of chronic illness and disease; the topics missing from her formal medical training. Her book includes an explanation of metabolic science and gives suggestions for our full participation in our own health management. I call her book a ‘Users Manual for the Human Body’, a guide to taking charge by focusing on Metabolic Health.

Over several of those famous Friday morning Village Urban walks, I talked about Dr. Means’ book to anyone willing to listen. In one of those conversations, someone suggested that Good Energy might interest one of the many Village book groups. From there it was a small leap to form a new group to read Good Energy and explore together implications for managing our own health. 

The Wellness Practice Group was conceived as a forum for exploring various practices and for offering support to our fellow participants as they develop and adopt a Wellness Plan that best fits their needs. A wellness practice is defined as the cultivation of those life skills and habits that produce good health, and the energy needed to be fully present, available, connected and engaged with our families, friends and communities. We have not come across other similar groups, so we are developing this as we go. Currently, meetings have two parts: Check-in and discussion of wellness related topics or practices. During check-in, we share updates and experiences from our own practices. 

We have had only four meetings to date, but participation has been spirited and enthusiastic.  Paula Rao said she joined the group because “I thought it was great example of how Villagers can support each other in important ways. Health and wellness is something we all want to strive for but sometimes we need more information or a boost from others to hold ourselves accountable.” Jim Hendrick briefly sums it up when he said he wanted to “build a healthy aging lifestyle.”

Kayla Partridge, new to the Village and the Wellness Group says she is interested in how to work with “anything that might make being independent less difficult…  starting with not falling, better driving and memory improvement.” These topics and more will be covered in future meetings.

Will a Village small gathering fix the healthcare system? Not likely but just maybe it might make managing our own health a little easier and a whole lot more fun.

We meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month and all Villagers are welcome.  If interested, please contact Ed Mervine for more information.