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Administration & Medicine Economics - God's Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine

Description

Book Synopsis: For readers of Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air, a medical “page-turner” that traces one doctor’s “remarkable journey to the essence of medicine” (The San Francisco Chronicle). San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital is the last almshouse in the country, a descendant of the Hôtel-Dieu (God’s hotel) that cared for the sick in the Middle Ages. Ballet dancers and rock musicians, professors and thieves—“anyone who had fallen, or, often, leapt, onto hard times” and needed extended medical care—ended up here. So did Victoria Sweet, who came for two months and stayed for twenty years. Laguna Honda, relatively low-tech but human-paced, gave Sweet the opportunity to practice a kind of attentive medicine that has almost vanished. Gradually, the place transformed the way she understood her work. Alongside the modern view of the body as a machine to be fixed, her extraordinary patients evoked an older idea, of the body as a garden to be tended. God’s Hotel tells their story and the story of the hospital itself, which, as efficiency experts, politicians, and architects descended, determined to turn it into a modern “health care facility,” revealed its own surprising truths about the essence, cost, and value of caring for the body and the soul.

Details

Discover the captivating journey of a doctor's unyielding dedication to the essence of medicine in God's Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine. This medical "page-turner" has been hailed by The San Francisco Chronicle as an extraordinary exploration of the human side of healthcare. Join Victoria Sweet on her transformative two-month visit to San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital which turned into an inspiring twenty-year commitment.

Unlike modern healthcare institutions, Laguna Honda Hospital embodies a more humane and holistic approach to medicine. In an era dominated by technology, this almshouse, a descendant of the historical Hôtel-Dieu (God's hotel), offers a unique haven for those who have fallen upon hard times. From ballet dancers to rock musicians, from professors to thieves, every patient is welcomed with open arms and extended care.

Victoria Sweet's remarkable experiences at Laguna Honda Hospital led her to rediscover the true essence of medicine. In God's Hotel, she beautifully illustrates how the patients she encountered evoked an ancient philosophy of viewing the body as a garden to be tended, rather than a mere machine to be fixed. This profound perspective sets Laguna Honda Hospital apart from the rest, allowing for a level of attentive medicine that has become increasingly rare in our fast-paced world.

The hospital's struggle to maintain its unique character against the pressure of modernization is a central theme of this compelling book. Join Sweet as she delves into the surprising truths about the essence, cost, and value of caring for both the body and the soul. Be prepared to be captivated by the story of God's Hotel, a true testament to the power of compassionate healthcare.

Take a pilgrimage into the heart of medicine with God's Hotel and witness the transformative power of attentive care. Explore the captivating stories of the hospital's patients and the everlasting impact Laguna Honda Hospital had on Victoria Sweet's understanding of her work. Embrace the essence of medicine like never before. Get your copy of God's Hotel today.

Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this website