Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Dr. Cohen.

Over the next few weeks I will be spending an inordinate amount of time with my internist of 32 years, Richard P. Cohen.

The way Dr. Cohen practices medicine has more in common with how it was practiced in the 1960s than in our heavily industrialized age.

He believes in "laying on hands." In listening. In the "meta" power of humanity as a force stronger than mere technology.

We are all of us--and all our clients, too--about to be victims of a mega-merger. I don't see it making advertising stronger or better or more effective.

What I see are the things that make accounts work--the things that lead to powerful and effective work--they will attempt to wring from the system. Listening to clients, knowing their heart patterns, being intimate with their bloodstream and their desires....there's no room for any of that on a timesheet. It's all so inefficient. Antiquated. Dinosaurish.

What people don't want to wake up and realize is painfully obvious to me. Systems, technologies, software and processes are good for 80% of all cases.

When you get pneumonia, complications, atrial fibrillation and a hosts of other mishegas accompanied by a head-on collision into a concrete wall, I don't want "scale, size and 'efficiency.'"

I want a human.

Hopefully one with insight and compassion.

Who's handled a case like mine before.


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