Some names in our field naturally go together: Mac Baird and Bill Doherty, Donald Bloch and Nathan Ackerman, Susan McDaniel and Thomas Campbell. By its name and nature, collaborative care is a team sport. Without our collaborators, integrated care services are as effective as one hand clapping.
Similarly, wherever we are in our careers, we owe much of our success to the assistance of mentors who have helped us along the way. Mentors are our key advocates and personal champions. They point us in the right direction and stick with us along our professional path. They have sufficient hope to bring out our best and sufficient compassion to help us overcome our worst.
This post is about expressing gratitude to our key collaborators and mentors. Please pause today to pay tribute to someone who has been key in your professional development. This can be a colleague, a friend, or a family member. After you’ve posted your thoughts, please email this person the link to this post to and encourage him or her to read it and add to our chain of gratitude.
I’ll get us started by thanking two treasured mentors.
Larry Mauksch took me under his wing back in 2000. I was fortunate to complete my PhD internship at Marillac Clinic shortly after Larry had completed a year-long sabbatical during which he established Marillac’s collaborative care program. My internship was funded through a 5-year RWJ grant Larry had co-authored. During my years there, Larry returned to Grand Junction yearly to offer training and conduct research. My first published research was with him as a first author, and my early professional presentations included him as co-presenter. On multiple occasions I’ve slept in his home and eaten at his table. I’ve called him for advice before each major decision of my career. He personally nominated me when I was invited to join CFHA’s board. Thank you, Larry, for your loving wisdom and prescient vision.
Steve Hurd was my 2nd supervisor at Marillac Clinic. I’m pleased to have played a role in his conversion to the collaborative care model. He was a dream supervisor who provided direction, required accountability, and advocated for my promotion. Steve was always very tolerant of my pet projects and clinical distractions. When I became the Executive Director of a Marillac-like clinic in Frisco, CO his phone number was #1 on my speed-dial and he never lacked time to work me through issues. He consoled me in South Bend when Notre Dame beat BYU and I consoled him in Provo when BYU returned the favor the following year. He is the godfather of my eldest daughter. Thank you, Steve, for your warmth, caring, and abiding support.