RECENT TOPICS:
HOSPITAL resulted from the rare opportunity Julie Salamon was given to spend a year observing the inner workings of Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, a large, urban hospital where sixty-seven languages are spoken. She came to understand the multiplicity of demands on the system and on the people working within it: technological, cultural, spiritual, psychological, financial, bureaucratic--and, yes, medical. Even as she learned about factionalism and petty quarrels, as well as the industrial nature of modern medicine, she was struck by the desire of the medical people and staff to find meaning in their work--and by their desire to make the system better. Salamon addresses crucial questions about modern medical care, including: Is there a way to foster respect between medical professionals, and between doctors and nurses and their patients? How can hospital management help people working in the hospital improve systems that will make the experience less frightening and frustrating for patients and their families?
RAMBAM’s LADDER has attracted wide attention in the philanthropic world and has been translated into Portuguese, Chinese and Dutch. Using the text as a springboard, Salamon has become a sought-after speaker through her engaging, provocative examination of the ethical, emotional and practical issues surrounding the deceptively simple desire to do good. The debate about the role of philanthropy and charity in a civil society is even more urgent in this time of economic uncertainty.