5SR - January 11, 2024

Today’s curator is the founder of #5SmartReads, Hitha Palepu. She’s a consummate multihyphenate - CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, author of WE’RE SPEAKING: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris and How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip, and professional speaker. Hitha is an unabashed fan of Taco Bell, Philadelphia sports teams & F1, romance novels, and is a mediocre crafter. She lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.

Federal fix for rural hospitals gets few takers so far (NPR)

I may sound naive for saying this, but I believe most policies are created with the best of intentions.

That said, these intentions don’t often correlate with the nuance of reality, and that’s what I see playing out in the Rural Emergency Hospital program.

This new model is intended to revive shuttered rural hospitals to provide emergency and outpatient services only, with no inpatient care offered.

A quick scan of the data supports this model, especially when you examine the causes for rural hospital closures (staffing shortages, declining patient numbers, low reimbursement rates). But this data doesn’t necessarily correspond with the reality for the patients and these providers. Patient transfer is often difficult, with nearby larger hospitals too full to receive new patients.

What gives me hope are the negotiations between the lawmakers and the hospital administrators and physicians to improve the program to reflect the reality of these communities and hospitals. Here’s hoping the program is improved so it can fulfill its goal - deliver care to those who need it.

Are You Doing Dry January? (Over The Influence)

Doing Dry January the past two years has significantly shaped my relationship with alcohol for the better. I was very much a “glass of wine every evening” and a social drinker for most of my adult life. These days, it’s purely in smaller social settings and only when I’m feeling celebratory.

I have felt (and sometimes still feel) exactly how Jo describes her own experiences in this piece:

How we talk about alcohol is just weird. It’s the only vice that has become so normalized in our culture that the prevailing narrative is “it’s weird to NOT drink.” If we decline a drink, there’s a lingering pause that questions that choice (though it’s becoming more rare, thank goodness).

In order to change that narrative, we should be talking about it more. And Piazza’s essay (and her conversation with Suzanne Wayre) is a thoughtful, non-judgemental exploration of this topic.

I also recommend following Suzanne - she’s truly a breath of fresh air on my feed.

Afghan girls detained and lashed by Taliban for violating hijab rules (The Guardian)

16 year old girls should be hanging out with friends, planning their futures, attempting the latest TikTok dances, stealing their sisters and moms’ nice makeup and borrowing their hair tools.

They should not be arrested and physically assaulted for not being covered enough. They should not be banned from receiving an education. They should not be restricted to their homes, and only allowed to leave when only their eyes are exposed to the world.

And yet, this is exactly what’s happening in Afghanistan. And it’s when I think about the freedom these girls’ moms, aunts, and grandmothers lived with, it’s a tragedy of the Taliban’s making - by design.

issue #7 (VARSITY READER)

This is a delightful, smart smorgasbord of reads from 5SR contributor Julia (her newsletter is excellent and you should click the link and subscribe).

It’s got it all - how to plan friends’ trips as adults, smart reads tackling the Stanley craze and bridesmaid burnout to one of the best career tips I’ve seen.

The Nation Builders (TIME)

I couldn’t help but think of the Mr. Rogers’ quote - ‘When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”’ - when I read this incredibly powerful piece.

It’s a timely reminder that people are not their governments, and we all deserve to live with dignity, safety, and security. And to read about those fighting for these rights - in both Gaza and Israel - is a flicker of hope in these tragically dark times.

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