Hug Tour 2013 – Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center, Washington, DC USA

This is the second annual DC Hug Tour. Like last year’s (see: Photos and podcast from DC Hug Tour 2012 | Ted Eytan, MD) the 2013 tour was led by innovator Lauree Ostrofsky (@simplyleap) and joined by Kimberly Daulton (@okdaul). Every hug tour needs a podcast, so here’s this years’.

(click here to download directly into iTunes)

In 2013, Lauree was supported by the team from Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center in bringing hugs to our care providers.

And you know what has happened in the last year thanks to this innovation?

The Center for Total Health (@kptotalhealth) hug timer (see: The Hug Timer : A respectful way to guide and show gratitude during discussions | Ted Eytan, MD) was created and has graced many a meeting, many cities, across the country (could it go international?)

Now, whenever I facilitate panels and other work with our members, leaders, leaders in other organizations/industries, I ask “Are you a hugger?” And guess what, a lot of them are. The hug is a tool to show gratitude, for what seems like the smallest amount of service in terms of time, but is really a huge amount in terms of impact. That’s what people deserve, rather than a red flag/“times up” or other negative/disempowering behavior.

If someone is doing something better than I am, I’d like to know about it, which is why I invited Lauree to teach us how to be better leaders. 

We’re here to empower people and give them control of their lives so that they may achieve their goals, defined by them. That’s what health care is for.

More photos below, click to enlarge