Category Archives: Uncategorized

Yes, This Really Happened.

Posted on June 2, 2019 by summergathercole

I’m organizing a trip for a group of friends and asked each of them to pitch in $100 towards the deposit. Brian gave his money to Amy and asked her to pass it on to me. I thought this was … Continue reading →

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When It Comes to Integrated Care, We Have Work to Do

Posted on February 14, 2019 by summergathercole

I know that we have a lot of work to do to integrate health care, and my recent experience simply reinforced that. Two years ago, I was feeling a little down-and-out and I couldn’t shake it off. I made an … Continue reading →

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Take Opioids. No, Don’t. Yes, Do.

Posted on February 10, 2019 by summergathercole

Last week, I had my tonsils taken out. As an adult, this is a pretty painful surgery, and ice cream is not a prescription for recovery. But Percocet is. And given all that we’ve heard about the opioid crisis, I … Continue reading →

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I May Be Wrong, But….

Posted on December 2, 2018 by summergathercole

When I’m wearing my work hat, I stay away from politics. I don’t talk about it and I don’t blog about it – especially these days. But it’s been on the forefront of my mind because I’ve been working with … Continue reading →

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Giving Meaning to Work

Posted on November 11, 2018 by summergathercole

About a month after starting my first “real” job at a public accounting firm following college graduation, I vividly remember waking up and thinking, “I can’t believe that this is going to be my life for the next 40 years, … Continue reading →

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It’s Time to Stop Faking Wellness

Posted on November 6, 2018 by summergathercole

“Mental Health is a challenge, but not a weakness.” This is a statement made in the recent HBR article, “We Need to Talk More About Mental Health at Work.” I totally believe in and agree with the statement. However, it … Continue reading →

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Philanthropic Failures Are Not Always a Bad Thing

Posted on October 30, 2018 by summergathercole

Yes – there is failure in philanthropy. And it’s a good thing. Last month, well before the SSIR article, “Getting the Best Possible Failures in Philanthropy” was released, I was talking with a funder about taking risks and possible failure. … Continue reading →

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We Are Better Than This

Posted on October 28, 2018 by summergathercole

There are almost 175 drug overdose deaths per day in the United States – right now. It is a stunning number. There is an incredible amount of resources going towards treatment and prevention. And that should be a good thing, … Continue reading →

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A Great Example of How a Community Can Learn and Work Together

Posted on October 1, 2018 by summergathercole

In 2004, I graduated from Leadership Greater Washington – a 10-month program that included a cross-sector of leaders who came together once a month to learn about the various issues facing our region: education, housing, health, etc. At the time, … Continue reading →

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I Hate Telling People What I Do

Posted on July 31, 2018 by summergathercole

I cringe when I tell people that I am a consultant. There are too many greedy consultants who are in it for the wrong reasons: their own personal gain. They give the rest of us a bad name. So I … Continue reading →

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