An Interview with Caroline Diehl

In May, the Kenyan government decided to close the world’s largest refugee camp. Kenyan military intelligence reported that the terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, had used the camp to launch attacks against the Westgate Mall and Garissa University College. The Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camp complex, home to over 340,000 refugees, covers over 50 kilometers and is the third largest “city” in Kenya, after Nairobi and Mombasa. 

The healthcare model in Western medicine centers around accurate diagnosis and effective cure. Over the last hundred years, innovations in pharmaceuticals, surgical techniques, and medical technology have positioned modern medicine at the forefront of Western scientific discovery. However, this legacy model of diagnosis and cure separates Western medical practitioners from the thousand-year-old traditions of their Eastern colleagues.

We've heard a lot about technology and how it's changing our lives. Every day a new invention that can "make our lives better" seems to come out — who would have thought we were going to be living like the Jetsons?  

How has the smart phone improved your productivity?  Who would have thought that in 2016 most of us would be carrying around a very, very powerful computer in our pockets that in an instant can give us any piece of information we're looking for - on demand?

History

Back in March of 2014 the FAMCare blog reported on a controversy that erupted within the Phoenix VA Healthcare System.  VA employees had reported that patients were dying while awaiting appointments and that administrators were issuing phony wait-time data while collecting bonuses. This local scandal led to inquiries across the nationwide VA Healthcare System revealing untimely care, false data, and problems with transparency, whistle-blower retaliation, and accountability throughout the system.

This blog always seeks to celebrate exceptional contributions made by dedicated social workers and non-profit agencies. Non Profit Quarterly recently reported on a unique For-profit/Non-profit partnership that is tackling particularly thorny social problems in a creative way. 

AMERICA’S SCHOOLS ARE FAILING

For decades, well-meaning public servants and eager parental citizen groups have decried the quality of the American public school system. “Ed-reformers” claim that U.S. public schools are failing; that the culprits are bad teachers, teachers’ unions, and government bureaucracy.

When smart phones first came out, it was predicted that everyone would eventually have one and that we couldn’t live without them.  That prediction has come true. 

Having been in technical sales almost my entire 30-year career, I was used to selling to a variety of industries.  Whether it was helping banks make more money using technology or helping the Department of Defense build fighter jets and other weapons equipment, I was always in it for the money and career reputation.

“Don’t tell people what you do…tell them why you do it” 

(Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action, TED Talks)

Mission-driven companies are forces to be reckoned with. Usually born out of a strong founder-led culture, mission-driven companies consistently outperform the competition. True passion for a mission is not something leaders can fake.

Often times because someone uses the word “software” to title a project it is easily assumed the IT department will be managing this effort.  If that person from IT does not understand the agency  from front to back and has plenty of subject matter expertise,  it’s a mistake to make them the project manager.