New York, NY—Nate Link, M.D., author of The Ailing Nation: Lessons from the Bedside for America's Leaders, had a feature article published in the May issue of the USA Today Magazine which encapsulates the central premise of his bestselling book: transposing medical problem-solving techniques and lessons into the messy world of politics.
In the article, In Search of a 'Just Culture,' Dr. Link, Chief Medical Officer at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, describes a particularly complex investigation into a patient death at the hospital when a nurse failed to respond to a ventilator alarm in the ICU. Then, as he did in the book, he formulates how and why the conclusions from this case should be applied to political problems and sticky societal issues plaguing our nation.
On first glance, the death of the patient was clearly the result of employee misconduct, a dereliction of duty. Upon deeper investigation, it became clear that the outcome was due to a system defect, a ventilator alarm that went off constantly for no good reason. When the investigation was over, it became clear that hospital leadership was accountable for a broken system, and those leaders (including Dr. Link) needed to repair the defect in order to prevent any future occurrences. This case exemplifies the "Just Culture" of the health care world, which is a leadership approach that starts with the assumption that front-line staff are always trying to do the right thing. When errors occur, it is important not to blame and shame employees, but rather to identify system weaknesses that cause or fail to prevent errors. The Just Culture promotes patient safety and improves relationships between leaders and their constituents.
Dr. Link then examines the nation's COVID pandemic response through the lens of the Just Culture and finds it wanting. Why was our leadership initially in denial, why did the White House downplay public health measures, and why was there so little coordination between the states. Why so much blaming and shaming? A Just Culture approach could have prevented the loss of many thousands of lives.
The Ailing Nation recently received the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in the Political category and releasing a new book trailer. This was Dr. Link's third book award in just over a month after picking up the Literary Titan Gold Medal Award and a Gold Medal Reader Views Award in the Societal Issues category. Watch the book trailer at http://bit.ly/AilingNationBookTrailer
The Ailing Nation Book Trailer
Evidence Based Medicine Video by Dr. Nate Link
"Standards of leadership in our political world are sadly deficient," says Dr. Link. "As health care institutions have learned about efficiency from automobile manufacturers, about safety from the airline industry, and about customer service from the hotel trade, we are ready to pay it forward, by sharing important lessons in leadership to those who govern our nation."
Dr. Link uses engaging narratives of patient care and leadership challenges at Bellevue to underline what good leadership should look like. These lessons address topics such as atonement, forgiveness, trust, compassion, systematic approaches to problem solving, and evidence-based decision-making—all qualities that are essential in a good leader and that are sorely lacking in America's recent administration. Most tellingly, he examines recent Presidents' leadership qualities before asking a powerful, provocative question: who would you rather have as your doctor, Trump or Obama?
"The selection of our national leaders through elections should be based on proven attributes of great leadership," says Dr. Link. "If voters do their job well, our nation will be well-governed and can recover from its current ailing state."
Dr. Link is on a mission to bring evidence and politics together. He examines real political issues such as climate change, tax policy, campaign financing, gerrymandering, abortion, and gun control through a lens of evidence as he urges the American people to examine their responsibility in electing humble leaders who are willing to admit to and learn from their mistakes.
"At once captivating and provocative, Dr Link's presentation is a pleasure to read as well as a standard for close inspection of our political system and our country in general. There is a cure for our ailing nation–read and discover!" —Grady Harp, Amazon Top 50 Hall of Fame Reviewer
"The author has cleverly likened the state of America to that of a terminally ill cancer patient. If only the people in power could embrace, and go forward with Dr. Link's suggestions, this country would be in remission and on the way to recovery." —Susan Keefe, Midwest Book Review
"The Ailing Nation is a fascinating, immersive read that sheds light on the sickness that has taken hold of America. It offers hope in the midst of great fear, distrust, and disillusionment. Highly recommended."—Rachel Song, Editor and Writer
The Ailing Nation: Lessons from the Bedside for America's Leaders, ISBN 978-1977224989(e-book) $6.99, (paperback) $18.95, Outskirts Press, 292 pages, Available at Amazon.
About Nate Link, MD: Dr. Nate Link is the Chief Medical Officer at Bellevue Hospital, America's oldest public hospital, in New York City, standing at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. He has practiced at Bellevue for 37 years since arriving as an intern at the onset of the AIDS epidemic.
Dr. Link graduated from Washington University School of Medicine in 1983, completed his residency training in internal medicine at New York University/Bellevue Hospital in 1986, and has continued as practitioner, teacher, and physician leader at Bellevue ever since. In 1989, Dr. Link earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree in Health Policy and Management at Columbia University School of Public Health while working full time as an NYU faculty member in the Bellevue Primary Care Clinic.
In 2001, Dr. Link was named Chief of the Bellevue Medicine Service, a position that he held until 2012, at which time he was appointed Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Bellevue Hospital. During his tenure as CMO, Dr. Link has helped lead the hospital through the harrowing Hurricane Sandy evacuation in 2012, the successful care of New York City's only Ebola patient in 2014, and the COVID-19 surge in the Spring of 2020.
Dr. Link is the author of The Ailing Nation: Lessons from the Bedside for America's Leaders. For more information on Dr. Link, visit his website snickersnack.com.
Media Contact: For a review copy of The Ailing Nation: Lessons from the Bedside for America's Leaders or to arrange an interview with Nate Link, MD, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on twitter @abookpublicist