UPDATE: Victoria Sweet

Update: Dr. Victoria Sweet

April 3, 2013

 

---I had the privilege of visiting with Dr. Victoria Sweet this past week. The site was the room of Elizabeth C., on S4. A goodtime was had by all.
---She mentioned her TEDtalk on ''Slow Medicine'' that will be out at the end of April. I plan on putting it on this website. She said that they filmed it in Middlebury, Vermont during their past blizzard. She said that their was a lot of preparation for that talk. The folks from TED give people exactly 18 minutes and stop. She said that she had to practice a great deal to make things sound conversational and comfortable and she wasn’t allowed notes, etc. She said that her room, there, was much the size of the rooms at the ''new'' hospital. It was filmed in a three-story barn converted for such purposes. She said there were four others that were filmed, also.
---She, also, mentioned that the book ‘’God’s Hotel,’’ is coming out in paperback. She recorded an audio book, also, to be out at the end of April. She knew that I would be interested in that (having the eyesight that I do.) She said that that was four-six hour grueling days. They demand near perfection at those things. She hadn’t realized how difficult it would be and (I laughed at this) how many times that she used the word ‘’physician.’’ The word was like one of those tongue-twisters, after awhile. She would anticipate it coming up.
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MacArthur Foundation;
---She was very interested in the concept of shifting vision of patient happiness from trickling down TO the patient to having the happiness coming FROM the patient. Have the patient happiness be top priority…all benefiting from that.
---We, also, spoke of patient happiness depending on a few key preferences - like keywords in a Google search. If one hears the patient properly…than one hears what would cause happiness to be real in his life. When provided…they mean a great deal to the patient involved…causing him to relax, be more contented and an increase in his overall (well-being) happiness takes place. It is, also, a big step in his ability to recover. When this ALL happens than the patient can get on with the business of living. Until then...the patient is concerned with ''getting'' his needs and preferences met. She said she has been contacted by Mrs. MacArthur of the MacArthur Foundation. She says that this material may be very valuable to her.
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---An anecdote that she told that happened recently. She was driving down in Southern California when made a stop. She saw that the cashier had a copy of God’s Hotel opened upside down on the counter. She said to cashier after a time, ‘’oh! You’re reading God’s Hotel?’’ The cashier went on to tell her how fascinating it is and that she should get herself a copy. She said, ‘’I wrote that book’’ and showed him her picture in the book. The man was beside himself with surprise.
---It was very nice spending time with Dr. Sweet. She is very enthusiastic. But, she was always this way. I like enthusiasm. I respond to it. She is easing into her role of being an author/spokeswoman as well as being a doctor. She is a very eclectic person who basically answers any question that is thrown at her, hence wears each hat with authority. I’m glad I saw Dr. Sweet that day and hope that we meet in the future.