Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, a physician-scientist and chief of medicine at Cooper University Health Care, dives into the transformative science of hope. He discusses how fostering hope can significantly improve patient outcomes, contrasting it with feelings of helplessness. The conversation explores Hope Theory, emphasizing personal agency and resilience in healthcare. Dr. Trzeciak also highlights how literature, like Viktor Frankl's writings, can inspire hope and gratitude, offering invaluable insights into the human experience during critical care.
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insights INSIGHT
Hope Defined by Science
Hope is a belief that the future will be better than the present and that you play a role in making it so.
It involves goal setting, planning pathways, and the willpower to stay on course despite obstacles.
insights INSIGHT
Hopelessness Crisis Today
There is a current hopelessness crisis with 44% of American high school students feeling persistent hopelessness.
This crisis leads to disengagement from life and a rise in deaths of despair like suicide and addiction.
insights INSIGHT
Regoaling After Illness
Regoaling means accepting a new reality when original goals are unreachable and finding meaning within it.
Radical acceptance allows life to still be meaningful despite changed circumstances.
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The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference
Stephen Trzeciak
Anthony Mazzarelli, MD, JD, MBE
Compassionomics presents compelling evidence that compassion is not just a moral virtue but a measurable factor in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. The authors argue that compassion can alleviate burnout among healthcare providers and improve overall well-being. Through a rigorous review of scientific data and real-life stories, they demonstrate the transformative power of compassion in medicine.
Good to Great
Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Jim Collins
In 'Good to Great,' Jim Collins and his research team investigate why some companies achieve long-term greatness while others do not. The book identifies key concepts such as Level 5 Leadership, the Hedgehog Concept, a Culture of Discipline, and the Flywheel Effect. These principles are derived from a comprehensive study comparing companies that made the leap to greatness with those that did not. The research highlights that greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance but rather a result of conscious choice and discipline. The book provides practical insights and case studies to help businesses and leaders understand and apply these principles to achieve sustained greatness.
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl
The book is divided into two parts. The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners. The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure. Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering). The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.
Wonder Drug
Wonder Drug
Jennifer Vanderbuss
In this episode, Dr. Zanotti discusses the science of hope. He's joined by Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, a physician-scientist, the Edward D. Viner Endowed Chief of Medicine at Cooper University Health Care, and Professor and Chair of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, New Jersey. Dr. Trzeciak is a practicing intensivist and a clinical researcher with more than 100 publications in the scientific literature. In addition, he is co-author of two excellent books: Wonder Drug: 7 Scientifically Proven Ways That Serving Others Is the Best Medicine for Yourself (2022) and Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference (2019).
Additional resources:
Recovery Expectations and Long-term Prognosis of Patients with Coronary Heart Disease Barefoot JC, et al. JAMA Internal Medicine 2011: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21357800/
Optimism and Rehospitalization After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery. Scheler MF, et al. JAMA Int Med 1999: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10219928/
The median is not the message. By Jay Gould: https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/sites/joedb/files/2018-05/mnar1-1301.pdf
Books mentioned in this episode:
Man’s Search for Meaning. By Viktor E. Frankl: https://bit.ly/3SqsNyt
Wonder Drug: 7 Scientifically Proven Ways That Serving Others Is the Best Medicine for Yourself. By Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli: https://bit.ly/4kiyA5q
Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference. By Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli: https://bit.ly/43ul5IE
Critical Matters 
