Health Literacy

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health care reformAs Health Care Reform is implemented, the debate continues on two fronts: (1) is the law truly going to impact costs and (2) how will the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured impact provider access? While these two topics have dominated the discussion, there has been little discussion on how health literacy will impact both.

Choosing a healthy lifestyle, knowing how to seek medical care, and taking advantage of preventive measures require that people understand and use health information. The ability to obtain, process, and understand health information needed to make informed health decisions is known as health literacy. Numerous studies have indicated that limited literacy skills are a stronger predictor of an individual’s health status than age, racial or ethnic group, income, employment status, or education level.

Health information can overwhelm even persons with advanced literacy skills. Medical technology and science continues to progress rapidly. And in a 24-7 news cycle, early studies are often presented as “fact” and can confuse even those with a proficient understanding of health. In addition, health information that is provided in a stressful or unfamiliar situation is unlikely to be retained.

According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, nearly nine out of ten adults may lack the skills needed to manage their health and prevent disease. Fourteen percent of adults (30 million people) have below basic health literacy.… Read more..

Change How You Change

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By Tim Leman, President & CEO at Gibson

Ron Johnson, the former Apple executive, was hired as CEO in 2011 by struggling retailer JC Penney to revive the organization. He embarked on an aggressive vision – something he labeled a “transformation” – that ultimately ended with his recent firing.

What happened? Danielle Sacks provides her thoughts in an online Fast Company article I read recently during some down time between flights. It got me thinking about some of my own experiences with change management.

In late 2005 I joined Gibson, in part because of its private and independent ownership structure. I had been collecting a mental notebook of ideas and strategies during my time at the national firms and was just itching to put them into practice. As one of my clients said when I told him I was going to buy in to a smaller firm, “Tim, there’s nothing like owning a piece of the rock!”

Change came quickly to the business unit I was put in charge of at Gibson. In a matter of months, we had created a new vision and were aggressively implementing it: new tools, systems, technology, and people. In my familiar player-coach role I was not only actively involved with creating the vision (the “coach” part), but personally overseeing its implementation and utilizing it as I built a personal client base (the “player” role).… Read more..

Underinsured Risks Make A Dangerous Assumption

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Underinsured risksWhenever we encounter a particularly shocking piece of news, we tend to assume the worst. When the videos of the West Fertilizer Co. explosion appeared on YouTube and the news of the devastation was carried across the country, it caused many people to make some wild assumptions. The fact that it occurred in the same week as the tragic events at the Boston Marathon, led many to assume some kind of connection between the two tragedies.

As it became clear that this was a horrible accident, another misguided assumption began to emerge. As the facts materialize, the factory carried just $1 million in liability coverage, while the damage from the explosion has been estimated at around $100 million. The owners assumed they had sufficient coverage or that they would never need it. They were very wrong.

The Risk Of Inadequate Coverage

Inadequate coverage often comes back to assumptions.  Business owners choose reduced coverage because they assume they will be able to cover the shortfall. Others see insurance, like liability coverage, as a means to underestimate true value to keep the premium cost to a minimum. A reduced premium for something that might never happen may appear to be the ideal option. Of course, the reason you have insurance is to make sure you are covered when accidents do happen. Without that coverage, a business may not survive.… Read more..

A Tribute To Mothers

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By Tim Leman, President & CEO at Gibson

With Mother’s Day on Sunday, I feel compelled to devote this post to our Moms. A short blog won’t do them justice, but it would be worse to miss them all together.

My three favorite Moms are my lovely wife Kimra, my mother Ruth, and my mother-in-law Marilyn. I have, of course, listed them no particular order. Obviously if you’re my favorite you know who you are so really no need to spell that out here, right?

I’m not perfect and I’ve learned a lot from these ladies. What I’ve realized is that the more I handle situations the way they would, the better off I am. They make it look effortless, but for me, it’s real work.

  • They’re gracious and humble, whereas I’m considered a “Mr. Know-It-All”. My Mom has probably read this on my report card every year since the third grade.
  • They’re inclusive and accepting while I can be intimidating. As my wife reminds me, I need to take the intensity level down a notch or two sometimes.
  • They’re self-less and kind, but I often wonder, what’s in it for me? On a whim, my mother-in-law will drop everything to help someone out.

All three represent what I try to be on my very best days. If only that were every day…I’d be a better boss, better leader, and better friend.… Read more..