October 22, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 12

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Tuesday, October 22, 2019 Opinion Page Managing emotions in the workplace lhCituNews “E By Angela Civitella Way Help whomever is having a Taking time to focus on Emotions are part of the No one likes to work with meltdown gain their sanity your own mental health and Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 human condition. As a re- Mr. or Mrs. Perfect. If you’re back. The key is to deal with well-being is one of the most honest about your struggles, workplace emotions swift- Clinging to belief sult, we deal with them in important things you can do every interaction, every sin- your team will kick in an ex- ly, but without making the gle day. From work to home tra layer of loyalty and trust other person feel attacked or for professional success. Ne- glecting your emotions will in the ‘free lunch’ to social events, life, and family, our emotions range because they can relate to you. In fact, it might make threatened. Be clear about what is being criticized and have adverse effects. Not depending on many factors. them more mindful about focus on the outcome not the only will this help you tre- By Jonathan Small In the workplace, when ex- creating chaos themselves. process of resolving the is- mendously, but as a leader While your parents probably warned you there’s no such pectations are high and re- It’s good to be honest. Try sue. thing as a free lunch, meaning a price is always paid, that’s it’s setting an important ex- sources are low, emotional it, you won't be sorry. This The Link Between Gen- ample for your employees a lesson lost on many policymakers. An obvious example outbursts can seem like the doesn’t mean you have to der and Crying is the continued argument that Oklahoma is allowing “our that says it’s okay to take norm rather than the excep- divulge all the little personal Women are six times more share” of Medicaid dollars to go to other states because we tion. If you are in a position details of your life, but be- likely than men to cry at care of yourself. have not added able-bodied adults to the program as al- of leadership, you have the ing more open about cer- work. Tears are the work- The takeaway lowed by Obamacare. added pressure to set the tain things will strengthen place equivalent of a “check When it comes to emo- Those who make that claim either don’t understand how tone for others to follow. the bond of the team. What engine” sign. It could mean tions in the workplace, lead- Medicaid expansion is funded—through increased federal This is not always an easy you’ll more than likely find we are overworked, we are ers have a complex chal- debt—or they don’t care and are willing to mislead Okla- thing to do while managing is a coworker who opens sick, we feel angry, or we lenge where the ripple effect homans. Contrary to the claims of expansion proponents, a team at the same time. up and says something like, are frustrated. Rather than there isn’t a pot of federal money for Medicaid expansion of any emotional situation Aiming for an “emotion “T often feel that way” or seeing tears as a sign of that is simply divided by the number of states choosing to free” business environment, “Let me tell you how I deal weakness, they signify that can run deep. This area is participate. Instead, Medicaid spending increases every seen as an area where great while perhaps a nice thought, with...” Personal relation- there is an underlying need time the program is expanded. is also completely unreal- ships strengthen leading to that should be addressed. leaders can really set them- US. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, recently pointed out how Medicaid-expansion finances really work. istic. Too many unforeseen more professional success. Get to work and address it. selves apart by approach- events make it impossible Don’t Wait for Armaged- By the way, men experience ing emotions as something If Oklahoma were to expand Medicaid, there would be a to work in an emotionally don emotions too. They just have 90-10 federal-state cost split. Lankford noted Oklahoma healthy for the business. It controlled environment. The As a leader, go deeper and different ways of expressing expansion would require a “ “pretty significant increase” in secret to success is learning look for what is triggering and dealing with them. is believed that these pro- federal spending, but the federal side would be funded via found social changes, in tan- how to manage those emo- an employee’s emotional Managing Your Own debt while state government would have to make real fi- tions, whether you are in an behavior in the first place. Emotions at Work dem with the new scientific nancial choices. entry level position or the This positions you to deal Last but not least, if you insights into the ways each “The federal government has the great benefit of we just CEO. with issues at their root level are a leader feeling over- gender operates, will trans- print more money,” Lankford said. “We don’t have to wor- Here’s a bag of goods and provides insight into the whelmed, take a well-de- form the future of interper- ry about having it balance. Oklahoma’s government has to to help you navigate the “danger zones” to avoid. served breather. Keep it figure out how they’re going to tax more, what they’re go- sometimes-messy world of You will be in a much bet- short, no need to explain, sonal dynamics on the job. ing to do less of, because they’ ve got to balance at the end alpha personalities, divas ter position to prevent an simply say, ‘You know Angela Civitella is a busi- of it.” outburst by avoiding the what, I need a break. I'll be ness leadership coach and and leaders in the making, to As originally passed in 2010, the Affordable Care Act come out victorious. boiling point. Don’t pre- back in 30 minutes.’ And founder of the firm INTINDE included numerous tax provi isions that paid for the law—on Honesty Goes a Long tend chaos isn’t happening. just like that, take a break. hitp://intinde.com/ paper. But many of those taxes have never taken effect, have since been repealed, or both. To cite just one example, the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted in July to repeal the ACA's “Cadillac tax,” which has not taken effect but wil II eventually impose financial Solving the doctor shortage and medical school bottleneck penalties on those whose insurance plans are considered too lavish, including plans serving many states’ teachers. Put simply, Obamacare was never truly “paid for” and today is substantially funded by increasing debt. By Richard Liebowitz plicants and available seats. cent over the past five years. below $15,000 annually, The U.S. government’s public debt is more than $22 tril- Tens of thousands of Applying to med school That kind of modest growth more than four in ten doc- lion and on pace to hit $28.7 trillion by 2029. Medicaid Americans apply to U.S. has become a numbers game. won’t get us anywhere close expansion plays a significant role in that growth. At a re- medical schools each year. In the 2018-2019 cycle, U.S. to narrowing our nation’s tors received their degrees cent meeting of the legislative Healthcare Working Group, Only a fraction gain admis- medical schools received projected shortage of physi- abroad. Clay Farris, an official with the consulting firm Mostly sion. The University of Ari- over 850,000 applications cians, Americans are increas- Medicaid, pointed out that Medicaid’s nationwide spend- zona, for instance, posted a from nearly 53,000 students. International medical ing totaled $7.2 trillion from 1966 to 2014, including both ingly turning to international 1.9 percent acceptance rate The average student applies schools can address these is- state and federal funding. The program is now projected to in 2018. UCLA, Florida to 16 schools. sues, providing opportunity schools. More than 60 per- spend $5.5 trillion total from 2014 to 2022. “We're going State University, and Wake Many students who would to talented students and sup- cent of licensed medical to have spent almost as much in eight years as we did in the Forest accepted fewer than 3 make terrific doctors fall plying the physicians Amer- first 50 years,” Farris said. graduates of international percent of applicants. through the cracks. In a re- ica needs. Oklahoma's decision to (so far) decline Medicaid expan- Many U.S. _ medical cent interview with U.S. Many international schools schools in the Caribbean are sion not only reduced welfare dependency in this state, but schools are proud of their News and World Report, Dr. provide an education every USS. citizens. Three-quarters also reduced the debt burden handed down to our children. microscopic admission Robert Hasty, the founding bit as good as those offered of the medical students at St. Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma rates. But they have negative dean and chief academic of- by U.S. schools. For exam- Council of Public Affairs (www.ocpathink.org). ramifications for the nation’s fer of the Idaho College of George’s are U.S. citizens. ple, 96 percent of first-time healthcare system. Osteopathic Medicine, said, test takers from St. George’s The odds of gaining ad- Legislators need to The United States will “We hear from high-quality need up to 121,900 more applicants every day . . . University in Grenada -- the school I lead -- passed Step 1 mission to U.S. medical physicians by 2032 to care and these are people with of the U.S. Medical Licens- schools are growing longer. earn their pay raises for its aging population. really high MCAT. scores ing Exam in 2018. That’s But bright young Americans U.S. medical schools aren’t and GPAs, that this is their the same rate as graduates of don’t have to give up their The Oklahoman, Okla- nine-person compensation producing enough graduates second year, third year or U.S. medical schools. homa City board, consisting of non- dreams of becoming doc- to meet that demand -- and even fourth year applying to Research confirms that in- Two years ago, members elected officials, has all- don’t have the capacity to medical schools. And years ternational schools produce tors. They can turn to top- of the board that determines new members since two expand anywhere close to ago, they would have got- high-caliber doctors. Ac- notch international medical Oklahoma legislators’ pay years ago. At Tuesday's that degree. ten accepted the first time cording to one study pub- made it clear they weren't meeting, some questioned schools. Their future pa- International medical through, but the demand is lished by the BMJ, a lead- pleased with what they were why salaries had been cut schools are America’s best just incredible.” ing medical journal, patients tients will surely thank them. seeing at the Capitol. They by the previous board -- hope for addressing its phy- In other words, the status treated by doctors trained Dr. Richard Liebowitz cut pay by 8.8 percent; one the 2017 decision followed sician workforce needs. quo is failing thousands of overseas had lower mortal- is vice chancellor of St. member said he would have considerable criticism of They’re a crucial alternative qualified applicants -- and ity rates than those treated liked to cut salaries in half. budgeting decisions made for the thousands of quali- the U.S. healthcare system, by U.S.-educated doctors. George’s University (www. This week, the Oklahoma by lawmakers in previous fied students who find them- which needs more doctors. Internationally trained sgu.edu). He previously Legislative Compensation years. selves on the wrong end of U.S. medical schools don’t doctors also practice where served as president of New Board sent a different and Following that move, amed school admissions de- appear capable of grow- the U.S. healthcare system more mixed message by ap- some including House cision as a result of the mis- ing to address this problem. needs them most. In areas York-Presbyterian Brooklyn proving pay raises totaling a Speaker Charles McCall match between qualified ap- Enrollment is up only 7 per- where per-capita income is Methodist Hospital. whopping 35% for the 149 wondered whether it would members of the Legislature. lead to more wealthy Okla- It's a stark turnaround but homans seeking office and ment, they're retired or it's states that have what the brid states, the average sal- chairman, Robert DeNegri, not without some merit. fewer average folks serv- their first job, those are the website Ballotpedia consid- ary is $41,110 (that figure who preferred a salary boost Instead of $35,021 per ing. Current board member people we're trying to draw." ers a "hybrid" legislature didn't include Oklahoma's to $42,500, said the group year plus per diem ($166 for Jonathan Dodson, a devel- The raises, approved by -- not full time or part time, new salary). Alabama, needed to consider legisla- each day the Legislature is oper in Oklahoma City, a vote of 7-2, are the first but one in which members Maryland, New Jersey and tors but also "keep in mind in session), lawmakers will noted that a better salary for lawmakers since 1999, devote 74% of a full-time Washington are hybrid states what the citizens of Okla- get $47,500 plus per diem should broaden the pool of something that was men- job to legislative duties. Al- whose lawmakers earn more. homa might think." when the raises take hold potential candidates. tioned during the board's though Oklahoma's Legis- than $47,500. The new sala- Many will balk, certainly, in November 2020. In addi- "We're really trying to get discussion. lature is in session just four ries will place Oklahoma's but a salary correction was tion, members who serve in the brightest from our state Some members also noted months each year, members legislative pay ahead of bor- in order after 20 years. It leadership positions in the to go to run and represent that Oklahoma's average stay busy year-round with dering hybrid states Arkan- falls to lawmakers to earn House and Senate will see us," Dodson said. "Wheth- median household salary is interim studies and other du- sas, Colorado, Missouri and their raises with sound poli- bumps in their stipends. er it is a single parent, or roughly $52,000. ties. Texas. cies and responsible stew- It's worth noting that the they're in the fire depart- Oklahoma is one of 26 Among Ballotpedia's hy- The compensation board's ardship of taxpayer funds.