To those who think their health matters to someone else, Taylor Grant has one thing to say: “You are on your own.” Once this is understood, we’re ready take responsibility for our own health. It won’t be easy: The system is broken. We live in a world of misdiagnoses and mistakes where doctors call their patients cases rather than people and insurers describe us merely as accounts. But by conquering our fears of the overwhelming healthcare maze, we can become our own best advocates for better health.
In her new book, HEALTH MATTERS: 8 Steps That Can Save Your Life—and Your Family’s Health (Wiley; September 2007; Paperback Original; $16.95; ISBN 978-0-470-04572-5), Taylor Grant makes sure we’re prepared to make the best decisions for ourselves and our families. Her “8 Prescriptions for Health” help consumers understand why we avoid dealing with our health, how to find the best doctors, how to develop a “Healthy Life Plan” for a lifetime of wellness, and more.
People rarely think about their health and what might go wrong until something does. Studies have shown that the 11 minutes on average that we spend per visit with a doctor might not make us better; it might actually make us sicker. We rely on our doctors and healthcare system to be there for us, but too often healthcare is not for the sick – it makes us sick:
Two-thirds of intensive care patients receive bad care
1.8 million people each year pick up infections in a hospital
35-40% of missed diagnoses result in death
HEATH MATTERS has its roots in Taylor’s 15 years of professional experience developing safety and wellness programs for government agencies, international corporations, national retailers, and major healthcare organizations including the State of Florida and the County of Los Angeles. Through her constant appearances on TV and radio, including Fox and CNN, and her “Take Charge! of Your Health Seminars,” she inspires people around the nation with messages of empowerment and personal stories of overcoming health issues, including her own. Because Taylor Grant knows a health crisis can happen to anyone: It happened to her. And the impact of it on her everyday life is her constant motivation to improve the health of every American by helping us make informed decisions, get better care, and take charge of our health.
To learn more about empowering yourself and how to take charge of your family’s health, please visit Taylor Grant’s web site: www.tayloryourhealth.com or tune into her weekly podcast, 5 Minute Clinic on iTunes.