Tracy Kidder is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the author of the bestsellers The Soul of a New Machine, House, Among Schoolchildren, and Home Town. He has been described by the Baltimore Sun as the “master of the non-fiction narrative.” This powerful and inspiring new book shows how one person can make a […]

Peter Greer and Chris Horst “Keeping an eternal perspective is essential in our work. Mission Drift gives a clear message inspiring and challenging us to intentionally keep Christ at the center of all efforts. As Paul commands us, ‘Whatever you do, whether in  word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord […]

We interviewed 49 health care providers from 6 faith-based and 4 secular community health centers (CHCs) to explore the ways they relate their religious commitments to practice among the underserved… Most providers from secular CHCs explained their motivations in less religious terms by reference to intrinsic rewards such as “making a difference” for the underserved. […]

Commission on Social Determinants of Health Michael Marmot, Chair. Marmot is one of the thought leaders addressing the social determinants of health, with a particular emphasis on action to address the inequities on a worldwide basis. “Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale, and the reduction of health inequities, between and within countries, […]

Atul Gawande A ground-breaking exposé of the variations in health care costs between different regions of the U.S. illustrates the systemic forces that are driving American health care. From Ed. Read on the New Yorker website.

Many physicians consider the care of vulnerable and underserved patients to be an unsatisfying and often frustrating endeavor, but this new book offers an optimistic and evidence-based approach to the care of such patients. The editors define medically vulnerable populations as “those that are wounded by social forces placing them at a disadvantage for their […]

The Good Stewardship Working Group In pursuit of better stewardship of scarce medical resources, this piece review recommendations by expert panels and research base for changing prevailing practice patterns in five specific areas of primary care, like imaging for low back pain and using antibiotics for sinusitis. A big part of the learning curve in […]

Gordon D. Schiff et al. This short piece highlights common-sense, evidence-supported principles that go against the grain of a medicalized, over-technical approach to healing. Useful for all patient populations, but especially among the poor. From Ed. Read on the JAMA website.

The Hebrew prophets described the flourishing that God intends for creation as shalom, which we could today translate as health in the deepest and most holistic sense.  And nowhere is the lack of shalom more evident today than some of the most broken and economically-deprived places.  We would do well to work toward to health […]

Thomas Hale writes about being a missionary surgeon in the same delightful way James Herriot writes about being a country veterinarian. Dr. Hale’s incredible experience in tiny, mountainous Nepal are surpassed only by his talent for telling about them. Imagine, for example, the culture shock of moving to a Hindu country under such rigid religious […]