vancouver activist, author and breast cancer survivor
sue robins
is a straight shooter when it comes to talking about canada’s health care system and what needs to change to make it better. and that means better, gentler, kinder and more compassionate for everyone, from hospital administrators to doctors, patients, caregivers, staff and all the part-time workers who provide janitorial and food services in care centres across the country.
she knows firsthand what it’s like to feel anonymous, going through the assembly-line procedure of radiation treatment, or waiting for her number to be called for surgery. she also knows what it’s like to be a parent of a child with
down syndrome looking for empathy to navigate treatment and supports.
her new book,
ducks in a row: health care reimagined
, is a practical guidebook for people to help shake the status quo and move health care “from a corporate model to the foundation of caring for each other as human beings.”
robins talked to
healthing.ca
about take-aways from the book, what keeps her pushing for change, and advice for people who feel stuck in a system that doesn’t meet their needs.
what was your motivation behind the book?
i wanted to write a book for everyday people about everyday change. it’s not written for those in so-called leadership roles, which i think most of our stories are for the corporate ceos. it’s time to start bringing the locus of control down to where the people are. and when i say people, i mean patients and caregivers and staff and clinicians. this is a book for them so that they feel encouraged to go out today and make change where they can make change.
you have been through a lot personally, and it’s so hard to move policy forward. how do you find the energy and passion to keep going?
sometimes i don’t have the energy and passion to keep on going. somebody called me a tireless advocate and i am definitely not a tireless advocate. when you have a child born with a disability, advocating never ends. so yes, i do take rests. i do surround myself with like-minded people. i realize that i didn’t write
ducks in a row
to convince people. i didn’t want to always be arguing with people that health care should be rooted in humanity and caring. if you don’t believe that, this book isn’t for you. so i wrote it for people who are already there and who know that health care can — and should — be a better place. that really helped take a lot of pressure off of me.
7 minute read
