“To be amongst the best…”

Drew Weil, 2015 GHLI U.K. Fellow

You don’t have to go far to find a British citizen that is proud to receive health care through the National Health Service. It is one of the country’s sparkling achievements and a system that people from every social class and demographic endear. 

My fascination for how the U.K. can care for literally every member of their society so well was what drove me to this GHLI fellowship working for the 12 weeks with the East & North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. And subsequently, I wanted to understand what can we learn and apply to improve our own U.S. healthcare system. 

My work here is largely focused on improving the care and services provided for frail and elderly people. I believe that the way a country and health system cares for their most vulnerable populations is a good test of its conviction to humanity and civility. In this Trust, there are many stakeholders eager to work towards and progress forward with this aim. 

However, with a more diverse stakeholder group, also comes opportunities for redundancies and inefficient work processes. I am able to work with each of these groups – which include community health care providers, social service leaders, NHS commissioners, hospital administrators, physicians, government representatives, and others – to find a common approach to improving care and healing that is provided. I’m excited and feel a sense of accomplishment when I can apply concepts I’ve learned in my Health Care Management coursework and past work experiences. Whether it is interpreting data, discussing the economics of the NHS, or watching the hospital operations in real-time, it is an amazing feeling to see the pieces begin to come together.

Although the weather is typically grey and overcast, the people have been warm and cheerful. It is an inspiring group of people to work with, and it makes it very easy to wake up, be motivated and want to contribute-to and improve their community! “Cheers!”