The rural health care enterprise: keeping up with the city slickers

As the managed care juggernaut rolls into rural America, numerous communities appear to be following the strategies adopted by their urban counterparts. But rural areas are different. There are several key dynamics that must be considered for rural communities to be successful in responding to the considerable challenges of the brutal market forces of managed care. The author presents practical suggestions for success in rural health care systems.     

Some Dimensions of Mand Variability and Implications for Research and Practice

The Analysis of Verbal Behavior - Since Skinner’s conceptualization of the mand, applied behavior analysis researchers have used the concept to develop stimulus control transfer procedures...     

Physician resiliency?

The profound changes in the health care industry have led to the anger, frustration, and unhappiness that physicians are feeling. It is important to examine physicians' responses to the threats to their professional autonomy, image, lifestyles, and relationships with their patients. The "learned helplessness" behavior exhibited by physicians is astounding, considering the education, status, and reputation of physicians as healers for those in need. This article explores the concept of resiliency among physicians and describes why physicians as a group may be less resilient than other individuals. In fact, the structure and training of the medical profession stacks the deck against those who want to change or to be resilient in the face of the changing environment.