T E AC H Chapter 5
Encouraging Equity
I
was sixteen when I built my first car. That’s right, built. I spent my weekends at the junkyard (I think they are now called recycling centers) looking for the parts I needed—a rear window from a Mustang hatchback, the transmission from a Volkswagen, etc. The fiberglass kit I bought came with a full list of the additional needed items. I remember my excitement when that beautiful sky-blue car body was unloaded from the delivery truck. All my friends were drooling. Every night after finishing my homework, I worked in the garage, slowly but surely building that car. Nothing could keep me from my car. With grease on my hands, I watched a ten-inch black-and-white portable television propped on the chassis as I experienced the 1969 moon landing. Building my car, watching my astronauts land on the moon—it was a great evening! The definition I am using for the term equity is ownership. Investors understand this concept, as do most homeowners. Your equity is your personal stake in a company, car, or home. We are invested in these things, and not just monetarily. Most of us long to own something. It could be physical, emotional, or psychological, but we desire a sense of ownership. Healthcare providers are no different. We work hard to care for our patients, make our office run well, or assist with efficient hospital care delivery. We even use the possessive when we talk: “my patients,” “my office,” “my hospital.” But to have equity, we need to be acknowledged by the other persons working 69
