Tag: seattle

No Time to Lose

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“No Time to Lose” was the title of this past weekend’s teachings by Pema Chodron. It is a talk based on a portion of her book No Time to Lose which contemplates The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva. The chapter she dealt with was called Patience, which is an argument against anger. I got a lot out of the weekend, and found it personally rewarding. I also found that some of the teachings I got from it were front and center in my mind, and I was working to meditate and practice despite irritants.

The chapter that we were lead through was called Patience, and really, was an argument against anger and hatred. The schedule of the event were from 7-10 on Friday, 9-12:15 and 2-5:30 on Saturday, and 2-12:30 on Sunday. Before Ani Pema’s 2 hour long talks, there was a lesson in meditation by Karl Brunnholzl, and then some gentle stretching with local yoga teachers. Additionally, there was a request after the first night for silence to be kept in the theatre space, and “functional talking” only in the halls outside the theatre.

I found that I experienced what is called “bourgeois suffering,” that is, suffering that has nothing to do with actual suffering. During the weekend, I had the opportunity to reflect and learn how some things irritate me, and what those moments can teach me.

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“Non-profit” Hospitals in Seattle

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KUOW has a lovely piece on the profits of some of Seattle’s non-profit hospitals. Not surprising, but Swedish Medical Center (which is currently on my sh*t-list) is one of the hospitals they talk about.

Nurses at Swedish start at about $25 an hour. But for top doctors and executives at hospitals like Swedish, the paychecks dwarf that figure.

KUOW has learned that 15 nonprofit hospital leaders in the Seattle area earned at least $1 million in 2007. This elite group includes the CEOs of Swedish, Providence, Virginia Mason, Group Health, Seattle Children’s and MultiCare in Tacoma. Another three dozen hospital officials in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties earned at least half a million that year.

I think the question we need to be asking, when we’re talking about health care reform, is where is the money going? I mean this from every single point, from the doctor’s time and his liability insurance, education, home, golf, etc. to the prescription meds or procedures – the elements to make them, legal costs, patents, etc. How much money does Astra-Zeneca spend on pens for doctors alone?

Maybe I’m the only one curious about this – but I think these are important things to ask when you’re asking for an overhaul.