I have a neighbor — a really lovely person — who believes we already have entered the early stages of the Mayan prophecy that the world will transition from one “world age” to another by December of 2012. It won’t end, it just will end as we know it today, and it is our choice whether this transition brings a better, more peaceful future or a cataclysmic one.
While the Mayan prophecy deals with a global view, and is time-specific, this general expectation really applies to all parts of everyday life, including health care. We can all work together to find ways of making care more cost-effective and of higher quality, or we can continue to worry about protecting our own turf, whatever the price tag. Of course, how to bring about a transition in health care is a matter of heated debate as 2011 ends. Health care now occupies more than 17 percent of our Gross Domestic Product. We certainly can’t afford to ignore it, as that percentage will continue to rise with an aging population.
What will 2012 bring? As the health care debate continues, it is our choice as to how productive — or cataclysmic — its outcome will be.
Happy Holidays.
Nancy Tomich
