A brand new blog for a new type of clinic

It was only a month ago that the thought seemed to just drop into my head that we should be using our clinics to build community. At the same moment it was also clear that this is just the right time for this to happen. Several forces, some that I know and probably others that I don't have come together right now to make face to face community crucial to our survival. At the same time it is equally clear that except in emergencies, the time has come to uselow tech low cost medical care. Population pressures, climate change, other environmental consideration, and the end of cheap oil are all part of what seems to be almost conspiring to make us remember that our roots our past is in community. This town, Cotati, is in the position of having recently stopped seeming rural and now seems suburban. The price of oil (gas) and with it the price of everything else is rising. It will become increasingly harder for people to buy foods from distant places, and to pay for health care that is both expensive and dependent in somewhat hidden ways on the availability of the low cost petroleum products. In order to get through this in a good way, I feel as do others, that we will need to come together.

The community clinic I am preparing for us to have locally will focus on making healing available at a low cost. I believe we have to do this. The health care "crises" means that the high cost mainstream heath care will be less and less available to the working person.

This clinic is designed to fill in the spaces where mainstream health care cannot quite take care of us. I hope we can have this clinic here in Cotati. We'll see. At first, at least, the clinic will have available mainly healing modalities that are thought of as alternative or complementary medicine. It days will be arranged into "clinics" with each one having a specific focus. I envision one half day focusing on cancer support, another half day for chronic pain, another for Hispanic women and children, one clinic or more for more general health issues, and others as the need arises. Not only do I envision folks being treated to some extent at least in groups with similar diseases, but also I envision people being together in a way so that is both casual and community support building.

I want there to be the sharing of meals together, also. So there has to be a legal kitchen. Maybe soup, bread and salad. Something like that. Happening during the lunch hours and open to those attending the morning AND the afternoon clinics of that day. it is probable that the food itself will come from various sources, some donated by food vendors, some bought with donations from clinic participants, some food brought by participants. A way to get to know each other, share stories of how this or that can be dealt with, fun.

There is more to tell, but I am holding that for the next blog entry.