I had a chance to work as an illustrator with author Mary Soper for her newly published book “The Hospital Handbook / Strategies for Surviving Your Hospital Stay”. Using storytelling and coaching techniques, this book empowers its audience to be effective by giving 29 tips and tactics for maneuvering within the hospital culture.
A valuable read, it is a book you should ask for in your local bookstore.
About The Author
Mary Soper is a trained social worker who spent most of her career working with various aspects of public policy and marketing, economic and community development, travel and tourism, as well as being involved with human rights issues. As a student of process and macro thinking, Mary developed the lessons in this book over time as opportunities for learning were presented. Now retired, Soper is the oldest of nine siblings who are now in their fifties and sixties.
Widowed at age twenty-four, she has two adult children and three grandchildren. She has been through a variety of hospital experiences with family members and friends as well as her own hospitalizations for lower back injuries and heart by-pass surgery. From each of Mary’s hospital encounters, various lessons have emerged regarding how to do it better. “My children, sisters, and I have had many conversations and informally pooled our experiences into a ‘way’ we do hospital care.
The lessons learned during these traumatic times have been compiled and are shared in this book. Among those lessons are how to advocate for the patient, understanding which doctor is in charge, and learning about additional hospital resources. Each chapter gives true, personal vignettes, as examples of why having survival tactics is important. Reading the text of this self-help book is like reading a short-story collection as various personalities emerge illustrating lessons learned. The reader becomes more empowered to be an active advocate for the patient.
Soper’s goal for The Hospital Handbook is to share these lessons with others in order to make a difference in their hospital and patient experiences.
