Pediatrician Lisa Ponce expresses her concerns about the needs of her patients at last year’s Beyond Paper Tigers Conference. She says 5 minutes per patient simply does not give enough time to get to the heart of any matter where true healing can take place. “Seeing 30 kids a day to measure head circumferences and fix ear infections was not enough”. She asked herself important questions that began a change in her practice. She asked how can I provide optimal care and help these children achieve their potential. “It’s their psychological, emotional and security needs that we have to put at the forefront.” After many years as a pediatrician, Lisa is back in school studying for her degree in psychology. To Lisa, the heart of the matter is ability to provide holistic care.
Most doctors still do not have the wealth of knowledge about ACEs that provide the foundation to heal the lives of our children and promote the well being of our society. After learning about ACEs Dr. Ponce learned to ask parents and children how they are doing. Questions like “what’s going on, how are you getting along, has anything scary or upsetting happened, are you able to put food on the table, are you able to pay rent and what’s the job situation like” are the questions that lead to a child’s ability to experience holistic healing. Now is the time for all good men, women and children to provide informational education to their doctors. As responsible citizens we must inform doctors that our lack of safety and security are the heart of the matter.
Dr. Ponce also encourages parents and others to engage with social workers, legislators and community council members to find the resources available to help our children. Ask questions such as how can we work together to provide holistic care?
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