Page 6 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_March-2016

Feature

Giving Back: It’s Good for
Your Health

By Donald K. Jonas, PhD, Executive Director, Care Ring
M arch 30 is National Doctors’ Day, and this is
an ideal time to recognize the doctors in our “How many hours did you volunteer over the last month?”
community who give back in so many ways to A host of recent studies reveal the many health benefits, in some
cases the direct correlation, between giving back to serve others and

help our neighbors in need. improved health outcomes.

At Care Ring, we have the good fortune to partner with Dr. John Rowe, founding director of the Division on Aging at

hundreds of physicians and all of our major hospital and health Harvard Medical School and professor of health policy and aging

care systems in the Charlotte region to manage a network of at the Mailman School

voluntary care for those needing access to care. Because of the of Public Health at
Originally established by the Mecklenburg County Medical generosity of Columbia University,
Charlotte’s medical points to numerous
Society, Physicians Reach Out has been managed by Care Ring studies showing how
in recent years. Collectively, PRO has generated more than $112 giving back to help others
million in donated care from local healthcare providers in just over

a decade. This remarkable generosity every year allows thousands providers and in need can have multiple
of our very low-income neighbors to access life-saving treatments positive health benefits

and improve their quality of life. their voluntary for the volunteer.
Passage of the Affordable Care Act helped many in our region participation in Cited in a recent
Physicians Reach
in a number of ways, including improving access to health care Huffington Post story
insurance for many who had previously been excluded from as “The Surprising
getting care. But the ACA is by no means a panacea — we Health Tip That Doctors

recognize there are still tens of thousands of people across the Out, Charlotte is a and Bosses Should
region who remain unable to access or afford care. Far too many Recommend,” Rowe

continue to work in low-wage jobs that do not offer affordable more kind, caring and believes volunteering can
care, or for a number of reasons find themselves ineligible for compassionate place. yield multiple positive
public or private assistance. results, including:

Thanks to the giving back spirit of Charlotte’s physicians and Volunteers are more

the leadership of our local medical community, Charlotte has not likely than non-volunteers

turned their backs on those in need. Because of the generosity of to take better care of

Charlotte’s medical providers and their voluntary participation themselves, getting

in Physicians Reach Out, Charlotte is a more kind, caring and required vaccinations at a greater rate and avoiding risky health

compassionate place. behaviors like smoking;

Why do so many of our physicians choose to volunteer to care Volunteering can enhance an individual’s social network, giving

for others through Physicians Reach Out? And in addition to the more meaning and purpose to daily living; and

clear benefit the recipients of care receive, does the volunteer Those over 60 who regularly volunteer actually can reverse

physician reap any rewards, as well? cognitive declines.

The value of volunteering Charlotte’s medical community seems to have figured out
long ago what the science is telling us today about the value of

Doctors are our critical friends — knowledgeable of best practices, volunteering. Volunteering to serve others not only helps the

aware how we have performed in the past, seemingly always recipient of the good deed, but the person who is volunteering

optimistic we can adopt healthy behaviors and live more healthy lives. reaps multiple positive rewards, too.
To all of our volunteer providers — PAs, dentists and physicians
I have come to expect my primary care physician to ask a series of
at primary and specialty clinics and hospitals across Charlotte —
critical questions when I arrive for a check-up. These include: “Are
thank you for volunteering through Physicians Reach Out.
you eating well, exercising every day, getting enough sleep?”
Your work is so beneficial to our community. And it also is good
To the list of appropriate and expected questions we might need to
for you!
add one more:

n March 30 is National Doctors’ Day n

6 | March 2016 • Mecklenburg Medicine