Redefine your coffee break with.... The Mocha Club

In keeping with this week's theme on the BEST WAYS TO GIVE IN 2011, today HOSPITALstyle is highlighting The Mocha Club.

Give up 2 drinks a week at your coffee shop of choice to promote clean water, disease prevention, education and care for orphans.

We drink so much coffee in the HOSPITAL to probably support an entire village.

Find out more @ www.themochaclub.org

Great Ways to Give in 2011: Heart to Heart International

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world". -Gandhi

This is one of my favorite quotes, and this week HOSPITALstyle is highlighting some ways in which we can do just that. On a daily basis we help our patients within the hospital, but what about those we do not come in contact with? They need our help too! Get your altruistic nature into gear and check out these ways you can be a part of something great.


Here are some great ways you can give in 2011. Take some of that Tax return and make a difference for someone else. I dare you!

A Great Way to Give #1:
HEART TO HEART INTERNATIONAL     www.hearttoheart.org 

Named as one of FORBES top non-profits. http://www.forbes.com/2010/11/17/charity-10-personal-finance-philanthropy-10-most-efficient-charities_slide_11.html

An exclusive agreement with FED EX helps them to get medical supplies to the most remote and disaster stricken areas.

Heart to Heart annually promotes health and responds to crises in nearly 60 countries, including the United States. On average, HHI can transform every $1 donation into $25 worth of aid—mainly through utilization of thousands of volunteers and high-profile relationships with industry-leading pharmaceutical and transportation companies.

Historically, they operate on less than a 2% overhead—meaning that more than 98% of contributions go straight to global humanitarian operations.

I have been involved with HHI since medical school. They hail from my home state of Kansas.  Visit their website for more information on volunteer opportunities and ways to give.

www.hearttoheart.org

When you aren't a Chef

Our daily lives are full of books, patients, and eating in hospital cafeterias. If you are like me, unless you have a huge passion for cooking, it does not happen that often. I buy groceries and then find them weeks later when I emerge from a string of night shifts in the Emergency Dept. The milk is usually past expiration date and the fruit beginning to go bad. A lot of times it makes more sense to just order take out.

This past week I had some extra time and decided that I was going to cook a great meal one night. I perused cookbooks and recipes to no avail. Until I came upon Jessica Seinfeld's website www.doitdelicious.com . It is comprised of simple recipes and videos giving step by step instructions for easy meals.

Check out this video on HOW TO MAKE HALIBUT:

 One of the reasons I went into medicine is because I love procedures. Preparing a meal is just like a procedure. However, I found that the thing that is missing in most cookbooks is visual stimuli. I found the videos made by Jessica Seinfeld to be just what I needed to bring the fun into cooking.

My Meal: Chilean Sea Bass (they were out of Halibut), Sweet Potato Coins, Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
Cost: 45 dollars
Time: 1 hour

I was so shocked at how well it came out! Give it a try...

A Caribbean Adventure

A few short weeks ago I was in desperate need of a vacation and I posted an article about how to escape the HOSPITAL by planning a week aboard a yacht in the Caribbean. I am back this week, refreshed, and well-tanned.

British Virgin Islands

A special Thanks goes out to Bruce and Laura (The owners of Amaryllis) for making it a week to remember!! And to Kevin at Mainsail Yacht Charters for helping me organize amidst a very busy schedule in the hospital.

Our Itinerary:

Friday Feb 25: Flight to San Juan
Saturday Feb 26: Jeep rental, drive through rainforest, surfing in Rincon (on the west coast), salsa dancing
Sunday Feb 27: Flight to Saint Thomas, lounge by pool, nap, fancy dinner @ Havana Blue
Monday Feb 28: Board Amaryllis @ noon. Meet friends on board. Unpack. Sail to St. John
Tuesday March 1: Run on St. John. Sail to Tortola and then to Norman Island.
Wednesday March 2: Scuba dive in Norman Island. ( Saw a shark!). Boat to Cooper's Island with Dinner ashore.
Thursday March 3:Run/ Explore Virgin Gorda.
Friday March 4:Virgin Gorda. Dock in Tortola. Dinner & Live Music ashore.
Saturday March 5:  Morning Yoga on the boat (Thanks Steph!). Jost Van Dyke. Snorkel with sea turtles. Dinner and live music @ FOXY's.
Sunday March 6: Morning swim. Clear customs in St. John. Sail to St. Thomas. Bid farewell to Amaryllis. Fly back to NYC.

This was a vacation that surpassed expectations. Having lived and traveled extensively in the Caribbean, this is by far the best way to see and explore the islands. There are many options to consider when planning such an adventure. To see my earlier post about how to plan your own click the following link:

 http://hospitalstyle.blogspot.com/2011/02/sail-away-with-hospitalstyle.html

Neil, Eric, Me, Steph, Courtney, Matt

Virgin Gorda

Aboard Amaryllis

As Healthcare professionals we are always taking care of everyone else and their needs are before our own. Take time to travel, to explore, and to marvel in the beauty of something outside of the operating room. It makes us better for our patients, our families, and our friends. Take your HOSPITALstyle outside to play!

Email me HOSPITALstyle@gmail.com for more information on setting up your own Caribbean adventure.