Vonda's Vlog

After the completion of a big event, it's time for something completely different. Thanks to my son's partner Maren I had an opportunity to work at a distance in a community garden here in Lowel. Check out Mill City Grows if you are in the area or curious. 

Over 80 people dropped in for my daylong Zigzag birthday. The conversations were illuminating and have certainly given me a lot to ponder during my 54th year. I'll be posting several segments on the Zigzag YouTube channel over the next few weeks. The first one is already there, an inside look at what it has taken to produce the Unite For Safe Care event. 

During the day I modeled transparency, invited peer review, and heralded the Unite For Safe Care campaign, which has developed over 30 plans of action to ensure that every person who delivers or receives health care around the globe can do so safely. Please consider one or two simple things you can do now to prioritize safe medical care in your own life or that of a loved one. 

1. Pay tribute to someone you know who has experienced unsafe medical care or advocates for safe care.
2. RSVP for an inspiring program that broadcasts September 17th.
3. Learn more about how to be safe when you receive or deliver medical care.
4. Make a donation to help us ensure that safe medical care is prioritized everywhere.
5. Light up orange for World Patient Safety Day, September 17th.
6. Call your local media outlet and ask them to cover this critical topic for public health.
7. Call your legislators and ask them to prioritize medical safety by supporting a National Patient Safety Agency.

As I Zigzag through the Chicago area I'll be celebrating my 54th birthday. And, you are invited. I've curated a daylong program that is all open to the public. It's not all about me this year - I'm highlighting amazing people I get to love, work with, and learn alongside.  You'll find the official invitation here. 

Events start at 7:00a on Tuesday, September 8th and run on the hour until midnight, via Zoom. Register here.

As I reach the halfway point zigzagging from CA to D.C. to raise awareness about the need for safer medical care delivery, I'm stopping in WI for some much-needed rest and relaxation. This is one of my favorite spots on the planet. 

It takes me quite a bit of time to stay organized as I Zigzag For Zero across the USA, especially during a pandemic. I do my very best to keep others and myself as safe as possible. Here's a quick peek inside the papers I accumulate and the bags I carry.

The last few days took an unanticipated turn. Thank goodness for professionals who stay current on safety practices in their fields. A special thanks to Roto-Rooter and people who know when to call in the experts. 

These long walks of 5-8 miles each day have an added benefit of igniting new ideas. Today, I imagined engaging writers and actors on popular hospital and clinic television shows to host the upcoming Unite For Safe Care virtual event. It would be a great PSA from entertainers about the importance of understanding the 'real-life' issues related to delivering, receiving, and supporting safe medical care. Does anyone know these influencers? Shoot me an email if you do, please. [email protected]

Also, there are now over 460 people walking to #uniteforsafecare. Check out this Washington Post article published today.  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/29/pandemic-hasnt-slowed-patient-safety-advocates-quest-walk-every-mlb-ballpark/

Goodbye cows. Goodbye family members of origin and my birth state. 

Thank you, to all who sat down for interviews with me. I learned about Oklahoma's healthcare and insurance. Check out one of the interviews here. 

And, my nieces showed me a gosh-darned great time!  One of them also granted me an interview. I'm editing a very sweet conversation about crushes. ;-)

COVID-19 is impacting nearly every aspect of how we care for ourselves and others. It is also revealing areas that have needed public attention for some time.

Most medical professionals understand that the delivery of medical care is not as safe as we know it should and can be. However, a recent poll shows that the general public falsely believes that the intention to deliver quality medical care equates to harm-free care. Sadly, families like ours know this is not the case. It is easy to find evidence that when we collectively prioritize the safe delivery of medical care, errors decrease and harm is reduced as a result. Let's unite for safe care, which includes addressing disparities that leave vulnerable populations at higher risk.

This YouTube channel is dedicated to raising awareness.

Take action to join me in prioritizing the safe delivery of medical care.

Your exercise miles in motion can help raise funds to ensure the safe delivery of medical care.

What I proclaimed as rain coming was in fact the Sahara dust cloud sweeping through Oklahoma; many are calling it Godzilla. Sometimes what we know to be true - just isn't. Sometimes something so massively impactful is hidden in plain sight and we innocently deny it. At 10th Dot, we attribute this tendency to our Big Bad Wolf, who is also our greatest teacher.

On July 1st, I'll launch an eleven-week Zoom series discussing Yogiraj's second book, Pigs Eat Wolves; Going into partnership with your dark side. In these times of angst for so many, it can be helpful to clearly identify our Big Bad Wolf. Our wolf helps us WAIIT, ask Where Am I In This? WAIIT helps identify underlying agendas, which can complicate things while we are navigating life's challenges.

Want to meet your Big Bad Wolf? Want to learn to love yourself unconditionally? Join me for eleven calls to explore your dark side. There is no fee for the weekly zoom calls. Register here.

The online training has 35 lessons and can be purchased here.