Akinbode's BLOG on Faith, Politics, Science, Engineering, Education and Health

We very quickly react with disgust when we hear others misstep, we abhor the people caught and act as if we are angels who has no fault. I look with dismay when politicians react to one of their own caught either in sexual sin or financial mismanagement. We see this same behavior when news is going round about kids misbehaving or crime committed. When you point an accusing finger, you should look at the direction of the remaining four fingers, it is in your direction. Christ said to the people who gathered to stone Mary Magdalene, “he who has no sin should be the first to cast a stone against this woman”, paraphrasing. Compassion and mercy should be the mindset and attitude when people are shown / caught misbehaving. If it is possible to x-ray everybody’s misdeeds, no one will be left without a badge of discredit. When others are not watching, you know what you say; if things you imagine in your heart is spoken out, will it not show you as devil’s incarnate; what you do when oth...

Ise ni ogun ise (Work is the panacea to poverty) mura si ise ore mi (Be conscientious my friend in your work) ise ni a fi n di eni giga (Through hard work can we excel) ti a ko ba ri eni feyintin (If there is none to create a pathway to the top for you) bi ole la n ri (It is as if we are lazy) ti a ko ba ri eni gbekele (If there is no one to be your mentor and godfather) a tera mo ise eni, (Work harder then, don't give up, innovate, there is dignity in labor, a way will open up for you soon) Iya re le l'owo (Your mom may be super rich) Baba re le l’esin lekan (You dad could have real estate in choice places) T’oba gbo’ju le won o te tan ni mo so fun oh (If you trust in their riches, your shame is around the corner) Ohun aho j’iya fun kii t’ojo (What you did not labor often does not last, because you might not value them) Ohun ta ba s’ise fun nii pe l’owo eni (It is what you work for that becomes a treasure) Apa lara, Igunpa niye kan (Arms are your f...

By Dr. Sosunmolu Shoyinka Begin with the end in mind.... The 2nd of the habits propounded by Stephen R. Covey. I start my day by mentally reviewing my overarching goals. In formulating the objectives that underlie my activities in this role, I have drawn heavily from Ekong’s paper on this role and from discussions with seasoned colleagues. My goals are to • Resource the health plan clinical teams. • Resource our provider network. • Resource the system of care, as best I can. I make certain to get an early start, particularly since my to-do list today consists of 3-4 hours of driving to and from meetings. Included are a series of provider visits, a public-policy workgroup meeting with key stakeholders, clinical team meetings to discuss complex cases in two of the four health plan markets that I support and, most crucial of all, a high level state meeting to discuss the system of care in one of the states I support. As I have intimated in a previous post, one of the things I e...

By Sosunmolu Shoyinka, M.D. This blog is about my introduction to the world of Managed Care. It is about one individual’s gradual transformation from junior faculty into business executive, from clinician-educator to administrator. It is about learning to function in the world of health care financing - a world of politics and of policy, of rapidly-shifting alliances, priorities and strategy. It is a world of oft-difficult decisions and of confronting stark realities. Yet it has also proved to be an unparalleled learning opportunity, one in which politicians, bureaucrats, clinicians, business and data analysts, media, policy and lobbying experts sit together to hammer out strategy for ensuring that the health needs of a very vulnerable population are taken care of. And it is home to some of the most hardworking, talented, dedicated and genuinely caring people that I have ever met. Over the next several posts, I will share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned and cont...