One area that we don’t talk enough about is the impact that gratitude can actually have on a cardiac patient’s well-being and recovery!
These facts can serve as a first step to opening our eyes to the importance of cardiovascular health, but there’s more we can do for ourselves to achieve full and healthy hearts.
One area that we don’t talk enough about is the impact that gratitude can actually have on a cardiac patient’s well-being and recovery! Yes, gratitude. In a study conducted by Jeff Huffman, Ph.D., and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School, known as Gratitude Research in Acute Coronary Events (GRACE), individuals who were more optimistic and more grateful showed signs of improved blood vessel function two weeks after being hospitalized for heart attacks. By comparison, those who were not specifically optimistic and grateful showed signs of improved blood vessel function at six months post-hospitalization.
The Huffman study is one of multiple scientific studies of cardiac patients conducted in recent years. These show consistent positive themes: that patients who are truly grateful – and who practice daily gratitude for their care – have increased length of life, heightened physical health, better sleep patterns, more resilience to infection, stronger relationships and even more patience. Why? Because these individuals have developed greater levels of empathy for others. In today’s world, that’s not a bad thing in any context.
In health care, we see this gratitude manifest itself every day – and frankly, it never gets old. Certainly, that is the case here at Northern Arizona Healthcare and specifically, Flagstaff Medical Center. Gratitude is a game changer for the patient, as we’ve demonstrated above, but it’s also instrumental for the caregivers. Our doctors, nurses, techs and non-clinical staff are recognized often for their life-saving care. Receiving this gratitude from our patients is a reaffirmation for our teams, for it reminds all of us why we chose this profession in the first place: to improve health and heal people.
Acts of gratitude are rooted in basic forms of kindness our patients show through notes, letters, baked goods and philanthropic investments of all kinds. Gratitude in philanthropy is reflected throughout three primary avenues: one is time, one is treasure and one is talent. There are those who volunteer their time as a way of saying “thank you,” those who provide their talents and expertise and so many who believe in supporting our staff through scholarship or programmatic contributions, which all help ensure the very best health care for future generations.
Recently, we had a patient, Pensy Graves, who was so grateful for the lifesaving care she received from our cardiac team that she gave a patient testimonial in a video. In that video, Pensy says, “I woke up in the ICU to one of the sweetest nurses, she was so kind and caring. That kindness that you give to people, not just your clinical skill, but that kindness, is super important, too.”
In health care, we celebrate February as American Heart Month and we’d like to invite you to join us as we remind ourselves to take good care of our hearts. We are working to practice gratitude, intentionally, for the two go hand-in-hand. The positive effects on ourselves and on those who care for us are far-reaching. And that is the heart of the matter. FBN
By Larry Kushner
Larry Kushner is the Chief Philanthropy Officer at Northern Arizona Healthcare
