Welcome everyone to this moment, as we prepare to dedicate this office to the service of the Lord.
At events like these, we pause to recall the past, we pause to prepare for the future, and we pause to acknowledge the higher purposes that guide us. I will speak obliquely to that higher purpose as others here will do so more directly. We may not all share the same religious beliefs, but we do, I think, share a common faith that what we do serves a high and noble purpose–that our labors here are about more than money, about more than an institution, about more than even the practice and perfection of our craft. This idea of higher purpose reverberates through the various versions of the Hippocratic oath.
Most medical schools have their students recite some version of the oath. I believe the the following is the version in use when I was coming through.
“I do solemnly swear, by whatever each of us holds most sacred”…
I will pause here and just emphasize that invocation of transcendence. Even the earliest oath recognized that health care is a sacred enterprise, and it invoked the gods.
[One translation of the ancient oath reads: “I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius the surgeon, likewise Hygeia and Panacea, and call all the gods and goddesses to witness, that I will observe and keep this underwritten oath, to the utmost of my power and judgment.”]
“That I will be loyal to the Profession of Medicine and just and generous to its members
“That I will lead my life and practice my art in uprightness and honor
“That into whatsoever house I will enter: it shall be for the good of the sick to the utmost of my power, my holding myself far aloof from wrong, from corruption, from the tempting of others to vice
“That I will exercise my art solely for the cure of my patients, and will give no drug, perform no operation for a criminal purpose, even if solicited; far less suggest it
“That whatsoever I shall see or hear of the lives of my patients which is not fitting to be spoken, I will keep inviolably secret
“These things do I swear. Let each of us bow the head in sign of acquiescence
The oath concludes but I’ll defer that for a minute.
I think it is a powerful testament to the people here, and to those in whose tradition we stand, that at a time when people are cynical about institutions, they still trust their physicians and nurses to take good care of them.
Of course, this current medical practice has been a reputable part of its community since the mid 20th century. It is because of the labors of our forebears there and then, that we enjoy such success here and now. We have stepped forward and taken on a work begun by others, by hard working men and women who built this practice and its reputation.
We honor and remember also the vision of the religious order whose toils and dedication to healthcare more than 100 years ago culminated in this hospital and the larger health system that we now serve.
We must continue to remember and cherish the best from tradition, as we also struggle to adapt to the staggering and rapid paced changes in healthcare. We must change and innovate as the circumstances require, while also being careful not to toss carelessly aside our heritage.
This is where that higher purpose comes back in. That is what guides us and gives us wisdom. That is what helps us to know when to change and when to resist change. May this higher purpose be always in view.
As my version of the Hippocratic oath concluded:
And now, if I will be true to this, my oath, may good repute ever be mine; the opposite, if I should prove myself forsworn
Or, as the 20th century philosopher known as Yogi Berra put it: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.”
Thank you