Patient Handbook

TRUE HEALTH
BEGINS
WITH YOU
A guide to
discovering your
values and how
they impact
your health

We need to talk.
We love you, but we don’t want to see you anymore.
It’s not you, it’s us.
If you need us, we are always going to be here for you, providing
the very best care possible.
STAYING UP
WHEN YOU’RE
FEELING DOWN
But we would much rather have you be home playing with your kids
than lying in one of our hospital beds. We’d prefer to see you at
work being productive rather than seeing you in one of our clinic
treatment rooms.
But so long as you are here, we would like
to share some inspirational insights with you. We hope that they
will give you a shot of hope and courage while you are here,
and inspire you to make whatever changes you need to make to
prevent you from needing to come back.
In recent years there has been a great
deal of research showing that your attitude – positive or negative –
has a huge impact upon your health and upon your ability to heal.
And that the lifestyle choices you make will profoundly influence
your health and happiness.
We are sharing this because we care
enough about you to hope that we see
you downtown and not because you are feeling down.

CONNECTING HOPE WITH HEALTH
Research noted in an article published by the Mayo Clinic
shows that your attitude towards life, either positive or
negative, can impact your overall health and the healing
process.
According to the study, the health benefits that positive
thinking may provide include:
• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk
of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and
times of stress
MISSION
STATEMENT
Leading healthcare
for greater Midland
One theory behind this connection is that having a
positive outlook enables you to cope better with
stressful situations, which reduces the harmful
health effects of stress on your body.

VISION
Midland will be
the healthiest
community in Texas
VALUES
Pioneer Spirit,
Caring Heart,
Healing Mission

THE
12
CORE ACTION
VALUES

1Authenticity
Nobody looks forward to
illness or injury, but these
experiences can help you
achieve clarity on what really
matters in your life – the
goals and priorities that are
most authentic.
2Integrity
Maintaining good health,
and recovering from bouts of
injury or ill health, requires
that you learn to trust yourself
by being honest about your
personal habits and reliable in
improving those habits.

Awareness
Emotional health means living
in the present – don’t get
crushed between the anvil of
yesterday’s regrets and the
hammer of tomorrow’s fears.
4Courage
Fear is a reaction, courage
is a decision, and caring is
the catalyst for making that
decision. Reminding yourself
of the things you care for can
give you emotional strength to
deal with health challenges.

Perseverance
You are stronger than you
think you are, and in ways
you could never imagine you
will emerge from your current
trials even stronger, so never
6Faith
The placebo effect – where
medical treatments work
simply because you believe
they will work – is powered
give up and never give in.
by the four pillars of faith:
faith in yourself, faith in your
caregivers, faith in a positive
outcome, and faith in a higher
power giving support.

7Purpose
When you or a loved one is
struggling with poor health,
your central purpose is to
direct every resource possible
toward recovery, and then
doing everything possible to
prevent a relapse.
8
Vision
If you lose hope, it means
you’re just not looking far
enough ahead. Holding a vivid
mental image of you and your
loved ones being strong and
healthy will guide you toward
the actions needed to turn
that dream into a Memory of
the Future.

9
Your One Big YES requires
Focus
lots of little No’s. To regain
and maintain your health, you
need to say No to tobacco and
drug use, to overeating and
unhealthy foods, to sitting in
front of video screens when
you should be exercising, and
to staying up too late when you
should be sleeping.
Enthusiasm
Attitude really is everything,
and especially when it comes
to your health. No matter
what you are going through,
refuse to be a victim whining
and complaining, because
you need every shred of
emotional energy to regain
and maintain your health.

Service
Whatever you most need in
life, the best way for you to get
it is to help someone else get
it who needs it more than you
do. Empathy for others helps
you take your mind off your
own problems while creating
powerful endorphins that help
in your healing process.
12
Leadership
When you are sick or
injured, the last thing on
your mind might be how
you can be a leader, but
the example you set
through your trials can
be the ultimate
encouragement for
your family and friends
– and often for your
caregivers as well.

THE SELF
EMPOWERMENT
PLEDGE
Seven
Simple
Promises
That Will
Change
Your
Life
1
MON | RESPONSIBILITY
Promise: I will take
complete responsibility
for my health, my
happiness. my success
and my life, and will
not blame others
for my problems or
predicaments.

2 3
TUE | ACCOUNTABILITY
WED | DETERMINATION
Promise: I will not
allow low self-esteem,
self-limiting beliefs, or
the negativity of others
to prevent me from
achieving my authentic
goals and from
becoming the person
I am meant to be.
Promise: I will do
the things I’m afraid
to do, but which I
know should be done.
Sometimes this will
mean asking for
help to do that which
I cannot do by myself.

4 5
THU | CONTRIBUTION
FRI | RESILIENCE
Promise: I will earn
the help I need in
advance by helping
other people now,
and repay the help
I receive by serving
others later.
Promise: I will face
rejection and failure
with courage, awareness,
and perseverance,
making these experiences
the platform for future
acceptance and success.

6 7
SAT | PERSPECTIVE
SUN | FAITH
Promise: Though I
might not understand
why adversity happens,
by my conscious choice
I will find strength,
compassion, and grace
through my trials.
Promise: My faith and
my gratitude for all that
I have been blessed
with will shine through
in my attitudes and in
my actions.

SUCCESS IS IN YOUR HANDS
For our health system to truly succeed in
improving your health, we need you to join
with us on a mission to begin treating your
whole being—body, mind and spirit. Are you
on board? If so, check out the next page for
resources to help you find the root cause of
many of our ailments, as well as the ways in
which you can overcome them.
Forks Over Knives is now available to
watch in all patient rooms on channel 2.
This 90-minute documentary is a great
introduction to learn about the connection
between diet and chronic disease. We are
one of two hospitals in the United States to
offer inpatient viewing of this film.
The Lifestyle Medicine Center at the West
Campus offers a variety of programs to
help you treat the root cause of most
diseases. Call 432.221.LIFE (5433) or
visit midlandlifestylemedicine.org to
learn more.
To learn more about how Midland
Health is working to make Midland the
healthiest community in Texas log onto
midlandhealth.org/community-health
For more information and
patient resources, log onto
midlandhealth.org/handbook
Better U is an online wellness program
created by Midland Health to help you
achieve your best health, body mind and
spirit. Find out more at betterutexas.org

For more information and
patient resources, log onto
midlandhealth.org/handbook