#5SmartReads - May 2, 2023

Hitha on the challenges of American hospitals, postpartum psychosis, and celebrating multitudes over monoliths.

May 02, 2023

The post-pandemic recalibration for the healthcare system has been a rocky one - especially for hospitals.

And for hospitals serving underserved and rural communities, they’ve been impacted the most and the most vulnerable to closure.

What helped American hospitals stayed afloat during the acute pandemic phase was the funding from relief bills - which indicates that government-supported healthcare is not only a worthwhile investment for our nation, but also something we can build quite easily at this point.

If we can get Congress to agree on such funding (along with boosting Medicaid funding and expanding it to the states that have yet to do so), I would also include that oversight of executive compensation would be necessary, as well as student debt relief for healthcare workers entering in-demand roles in the hospital.

While I’m postponing my MPH studies for the foreseeable future, I’ve only become more passionate that everyone should have access to quality healthcare and leave to care for their families without literally paying an arm and a leg for it. The idealist in me would like to think we can figure a compromise solution, building on the global hospital budget pilots done in Maryland to improve care in hospitals without increasing costs.

This is so much more than a trends piece. Riana is a really thoughtful content creator who shares such balanced advice in every way - but especially in sharing these style staples that are classic, great quality, and work for a lot of body types.

Packing a streamlined suitcase is not just for efficiency. By packing the pieces and outfits that you truly love and make you feel your best, you’ll look and feel your best with less stress - something I think all of us want. (My book How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip is all about that, and makes for a great gift *hint hint*).

If you’re looking to get some new staples, this is a great piece. I’ve picked up the Uniqlo bag immediately, and have my eye on a couple of the other pieces.

Things are feeling a little too similar to 2008 for my liking - but also different.

I feel like this Treasury is acting with greater urgency and decisiveness than their 2008 counterparts, which explains the relatively rapid bailout of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank’s depositors, and why First Republic Bank was quickly acquired by JP Morgan Chase.

This article does an excellent job of explaining the climate that caused these banks’ closures and acquisition, and the differences between First Republic from SVB and Signature.

Women’s reproductive health carries so much stigma (and also lacks the funding and resources that other health areas receive, but that’s another story). And women’s mental health as it pertains to reproductive matters carries the biggest burden of them all.

Ayana Lage will save lives in sharing her own story of postpartum psychosis. It’s an important story that shows you can do absolutely everything to care for your mental health during the precarious phase that is pregnancy, and still endure something as serious as what Ayana endured.

“In the media frenzy, these misunderstood women received little to no sympathy for the things they did during a psychotic break that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. For many, the only time they hear about PPP is when these horrific stories consume the internet for an excruciatingly tabloid-y cycle. That’s part of the problem.”

Ayana - thank you for sharing your story and changing the discourse around the problem. I hope we can find solutions because of what you’ve shared.

You’ve likely heard me rant about accepting and learning about an individual’s multitudes and to stop fitting them in monoliths. AAPI Heritage Month - while incredibly important to celebrate the many cultures and experiences within this massive group - often receives the bulk of my ranting.

And while progress can be frustratingly slow, I am starting to see it. And this photo-essay (created by the talented Akash Pamarthy) made me feel not just seen, but celebrated.

I spent nearly every summer at my grandparents’ home in Hyderabad, in a rare independent home tucked in a narrow street in Himayatnagar. I would spend those days exploring every nook and cranny of the house, walking to the small shop stand at the end of our street to buy small candies, climbed the few trees on the property and, eventually, to the roof of the house.

I identify as Telugu first, before I identify as Indian. And to see my experience captured so beautifully, and celebrated in a Western publication, had happy tears falling down my face.

While my boys won’t have the same amount of time and the kind of Telugu experience I am so blessed to have, I do think about how we teach them about both of their cultures - Telugu and Tamil. I have some great ideas, after reading this piece.

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