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Book Make Your Clinics Flow with Synchrony

Download or read book Make Your Clinics Flow with Synchrony written by Dennis P. Han and published by Quality Press. This book was released on 2016-01-14 with total page 53 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Synchrony is the ability of a healthcare process to control the pace of the physician process and the pace of the patient process such that the physician and patient are ready for each other at the same time, without waste or delay. When a process achieves synchrony, the patient does not wait for the doctor, nor does the doctor wait for the patient. Dr. Dennis Han is an ophthalmologist specializing in diseases of the retina at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Froedtert Memorial Hospital; Aneesh Suneja is an engineer and lean consultant who worked with Dr. Han to transform his practice. With the help of Suneja, Han’s patients experienced an 85% reduction in non-value added wait times, and a corresponding 97% “top box” rating on patient satisfaction surveys (“strongly agree to recommend this doctor’s office to others”). Financially, his practice saw a 25% year-over-year increase in relative value units (RVU) production and a 41% increase in payments due to increased physician availability. If you are a physician, clinic manager, administrator, technician, or provider of health services in a clinic setting, you can use the guidelines described in this book to effect a transformation as well.

Book Make Your Clinics Flow with Synchrony

Download or read book Make Your Clinics Flow with Synchrony written by Dennis Han and published by Quality Press. This book was released on 2016-01-11 with total page 53 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Synchrony is the ability of a healthcare process to control the pace of the physician process and the pace of the patient process such that the physician and patient are ready for each other at the same time, without waste or delay. When a process achieves synchrony, the patient does not wait for the doctor, nor does the doctor wait for the patient. Dr. Dennis Han is an ophthalmologist specializing in diseases of the retina at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Froedtert Memorial Hospital; Aneesh Suneja is an engineer and lean consultant who worked with Dr. Han to transform his practice. With the help of Suneja, Han’s patients experienced an 85% reduction in non-value added wait times, and a corresponding 97% “top box” rating on patient satisfaction surveys (“strongly agree to recommend this doctor’s office to others”). Financially, his practice saw a 25% year-over-year increase in relative value units (RVU) production and a 41% increase in payments due to increased physician availability. If you are a physician, clinic manager, administrator, technician, or provider of health services in a clinic setting, you can use the guidelines described in this book to effect a transformation as well. "Thank you, doctor Dennis Han, MD, and co-author Aneesh Suneja, MBA, for this marvelous work that applies Lean principles in healthcare settings. The focus on physician medical clinics is a brave venture into this complex, hectic world that has traditionally been dominated by physicians with a predominant emphasis on patient volume, and subsequent billing volume, versus caring for their customers... This important work is essential for just about all existing physician clinics." Dale Farris Healthcare quality improvement specialist with 25 years experience. "Lean principles have opened up more slots for patient care allowing better clinic and staff utilization, and have increased patient throughput while reducing employee overhead and burnout. There is a joy on the faces of the staff when they get to leave the office earlier than expected because lean principles have been deployed." Jose Martinez, MD Practicing physician and beneficiary of the “Synchrony” "Physician office managers and their medical staffs would be the primary targets for this book. However, I also see it being applicable to the higher educational setting...[such as in colleges and institutions teaching healthcare improvement.]" Jim Bente Vice President, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, College of duPage Adjunct Faculty, Carnegie Mellon University

Book Lean Doctors

    Book Details:
  • Author : Aneesh Suneja
  • Publisher : Quality Press
  • Release : 2010-01-01
  • ISBN : 0873897854
  • Pages : 247 pages

Download or read book Lean Doctors written by Aneesh Suneja and published by Quality Press. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This practical, how-to book clearly and succinctly takes the reader through six proven "success steps" for implementing lean in any healthcare environment: 1. Create physician flow 2. Support physician value-added time 3. Visually communicate patient status 4. Standardize everyone's work 5. Lay out the clinic for minimal motion 6. Change the care delivery model Why go through such a transformation? Because it works. Tell a doctor that he can see the same number of patients, offering the same high quality and personal care, and have an extra 90 minutes at the end of his clinic day -- and that means something. Tell the staff that they can look forward to actually ending on time, with satisfied patients, no backlog, and having focused their attention completely on quality patient care -- and they will listen. These Lean principles and success steps work in clinics ranging from orthopedics to neurology to cardiac care -- the specialty doesn't matter. They work in small practices and large hospital settings. Lean methodology provides the tools to address the frustrations patients and doctors alike experience in the clinic process. Included throughout the book is a case study showing the lean transformation undertaken at the Orthopedic Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, with numerous quotes and insights from those actually involved. This transformation resulted in patient wait times being reduced by more than 70 percent, the clinic being able to see 25 percent more patients in less space, patient satisfaction scores sometimes reaching 100 percent, and staff satisfaction scores improving by more than 25 percent.

Book Lean Hospitals

    Book Details:
  • Author : Mark Graban
  • Publisher : CRC Press
  • Release : 2016-04-19
  • ISBN : 1439870446
  • Pages : 260 pages

Download or read book Lean Hospitals written by Mark Graban and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Healthcare leaders around the world are facing tough challenges, including the need to deliver better value for patients and payers, which means improving quality while reducing cost. It might seem impossible to do both, but organizations around the world are proving it's possible, through Lean. Health systems are able to enhance all dimensions of patient care, including both safety and service, while creating more engaging and less frustrating workplaces for healthcare professionals and staff... all leading to improved long-term financial performance. Building on the success of the first two editions of this Shingo Prize-Winning book, Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Engagement, Third Edition explains how to use the Lean philosophy and management system to improve safety, quality, access, and morale while reducing costs. Lean healthcare expert Mark Graban examines the challenges facing today’s health systems, including rising costs, falling reimbursement rates or budget constraints, employee retention, and harm to patients. The new edition of this international bestseller (translated into eight languages) begins with an overview of Lean methods and mindsets. It explains how engaging staff and leaders in Lean practices such as value stream mapping and process observation can help reduce wasted motion for caregivers, prevent delays for patients, and improve the long-term health of your organization. In addition to a new introduction from John Toussaint, this updated edition includes: New and updated material on identifying waste, A3 problem solving, employee idea management, kanban for materials management, and strategy deployment New case studies and examples—including a new 5S case study (Franciscan St. Francis Health) and other case examples highlighting the challenges and successes of an academic medical center and a small urgent access hospital, featuring quotes and stories from executives New examples and updated data throughout, including revised chapters on patient safety and patient flow challenges and the improvements driven by Lean Detailing the mindsets and methods needed for a successful transition to a Lean culture, the book provides the understanding of Lean practices—including value stream mapping, standardized work, error proofing, root cause problem solving, and daily improvement processes—needed to reduce common hospital errors and improve performance in other dimensions. The balanced approach outlined in this book will guide you through the process of improving the quality of care and service while reducing costs in your hospital. *The Lean Certification and Oversight Appeals committee has approved Lean Hospitals as recommended reading for those in pursuit of Lean Bronze Certification from SME, AME, Shingo Prize, and ASQ

Book Root Cause Analysis and Improvement in the Healthcare Sector

Download or read book Root Cause Analysis and Improvement in the Healthcare Sector written by Bjorn Andersen and published by Quality Press. This book was released on 2009-11-09 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Healthcare organizations and professionals have long needed a straightforward workbook to facilitate the process of root cause analysis (RCA). While other industries employ the RCA tools liberally and train facilitators thoroughly, healthcare has lagged in establishing and resourcing a quality culture. Presently, a growing number of third-party stakeholders are holding access to accreditation and reimbursement pending demonstration of a full response to events outside of expected practice. An increasing number of exceptions to healthcare practice have precipitated a strong response advocating the use of proven quality tools in the industry. In addition, the industry has now expanded its scope beyond the hospital walls to many ancillary healthcare facilities with little experience in implementing quality tools. This book responds to the demand for a RCA workbook written specifically for healthcare, yet still broad in its definition of the industry. This book contains everything that the typical RCA leader in healthcare requires: A text specific to healthcare, but using the broadest definition of the industry to include not only acute care hospitals, but rehabilitation facilities, long-term care facilities, outpatient surgery centers, ambulatory services, and general office practices. A workbook-style format that walks through the process, step-by-step. Straightforward text without “sidebars,” “tables,” and “tips.” Worksheets are provided at the end of the book to reduce reader distraction within the text. A wide range of real-world examples. Format for use by the most naive of users and most basic of processes, as well as a separate section for more advanced users or more complex issues. Templates, both print and electronic, included for the reader’s use. Ready-to-use educational materials with scripting to enable the user to train others and garner support for the use of the techniques. Background text for users in leadership to understand the tools in the larger context of healthcare improvement. Up-to-date information on the latest in the use of RCA in satisfying mandatory reporting requirements and slaying the myth that the process is onerous and fraught with barriers. Background text and tools/process are separated to facilitate the readers’ specific needs. Healthcare leaders can appreciate the current context and requirements without wading through the actual techniques; end-users can begin learning the skills without wading through dense administrative text. Language and tone promoting the use of the tools for improvement of processes that have experienced exceptions, as opposed to assigning blame for errors. Attention to process ownership, training, and resourcing. And, most importantly, thorough description of the improvement process as well as the analysis.

Book Current Priorities in Health Research Agendas  Tensions Between Public and Commercial Interests in Prioritizing Biomedical  Social  and Environmental Aspects of Health

Download or read book Current Priorities in Health Research Agendas Tensions Between Public and Commercial Interests in Prioritizing Biomedical Social and Environmental Aspects of Health written by Matías Blaustein and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2024-05-09 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Predominant health research agendas, usually in line with existing financial incentives for obtaining lucrative research results, tend to focus on therapeutic and pharmacological intervention, prioritizing innovative therapies based on molecular biology and biotechnology approaches. However, commercial interests do not necessarily agree with existing public health priorities. The prevalence of health and biomedical research agendas often neglect not only the less lucrative diseases but also the study of the social and environmental determinants of health and disease, even when addressing these aspects could significantly improve population health at much lower costs. Some examples of absent studies in the health research agendas are the analysis of non-medical factors influencing health outcomes (social determinants of health), the analysis of the relationship between people and their environment (environmental health), or the evaluation of the socio-environmental factors that influence the deterioration of bodies and territories (such as the One Health approach).

Book Holistic Nursing

Download or read book Holistic Nursing written by and published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers. This book was released on 2013 with total page 913 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Market-Leading Resource In Holistic Nursing Is Published In Cooperation With The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA). Each Chapter Is Revised And Updated By Contributors From The Best-Selling Fifth Edition, As Well As New Thought Leaders From The Field Of Holistic Nursing. Chapters Begin With Nurse Healer Objectives That Are Divided Into Theoretical, Clinical, And Personal Subject Areas, And Then Conclude With Directions For Future Research And Nurse Healer Reflections To Encourage Readers To Delve Deeper Into The Material And Reflect On What They Have Learned In Each Chapter. This Text Is Organized By The Five Core Values Contained Within The Standards Of Holistic Nursing Practice: Core Value 1: Holistic Philosophy, Theories, And Ethics Core Value 2: Holistic Caring Process Core Value 3: Holistic Communication, Therapeutic Environment, And Cultural Diversity Core Value 4: Holistic Education And Research Core Value 5: Holistic Nurse Self-Care A Full Suite Of Online Learning Tools, Including Case Studies, Authors' Podcasts, Nurse Healer Reflections, And Much More, Is Available On The Companion Website.

Book Book Alone

    Book Details:
  • Author : Barbara Montgomery Dossey
  • Publisher : Jones & Bartlett Publishers
  • Release : 2012-03-08
  • ISBN : 144964564X
  • Pages : 913 pages

Download or read book Book Alone written by Barbara Montgomery Dossey and published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers. This book was released on 2012-03-08 with total page 913 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Important Notice: The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images or content found in the physical edition. This market-leading resource in holistic nursing is published in cooperation with the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA). Each chapter is revised and updated by contributors from the best-selling Fifth Edition, as well as new thought leaders from the field of holistic nursing. Chapters begin with Nurse Healer Objectives that are divided into theoretical, clinical, and personal subject areas, and then conclude with Directions for Future Research and Nurse Healer Reflections to encourage readers to delve deeper into the material and reflect on what they have learned in each chapter. This text is organized by the five core values contained within the Standards of Holistic Nursing Practice: Core Value 1: Holistic Philosophy, Theories, and Ethics Core Value 2: Holistic Caring Process Core Value 3: Holistic Communication, Therapeutic Environment, a

Book The Learning Healthcare System

Download or read book The Learning Healthcare System written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2007-06-01 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As our nation enters a new era of medical science that offers the real prospect of personalized health care, we will be confronted by an increasingly complex array of health care options and decisions. The Learning Healthcare System considers how health care is structured to develop and to apply evidence-from health profession training and infrastructure development to advances in research methodology, patient engagement, payment schemes, and measurement-and highlights opportunities for the creation of a sustainable learning health care system that gets the right care to people when they need it and then captures the results for improvement. This book will be of primary interest to hospital and insurance industry administrators, health care providers, those who train and educate health workers, researchers, and policymakers. The Learning Healthcare System is the first in a series that will focus on issues important to improving the development and application of evidence in health care decision making. The Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine serves as a neutral venue for cooperative work among key stakeholders on several dimensions: to help transform the availability and use of the best evidence for the collaborative health care choices of each patient and provider; to drive the process of discovery as a natural outgrowth of patient care; and, ultimately, to ensure innovation, quality, safety, and value in health care.

Book Lean Hospitals

    Book Details:
  • Author : Mark Graban
  • Publisher : CRC Press
  • Release : 2016-06-30
  • ISBN : 1138031585
  • Pages : 383 pages

Download or read book Lean Hospitals written by Mark Graban and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-06-30 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Organizations around the world are using Lean to redesign care and improve processes in a way that achieves and sustains meaningful results for patients, staff, physicians, and health systems. Lean Hospitals, Third Edition explains how to use the Lean methodology and mindsets to improve safety, quality, access, and morale while reducing costs, increasing capacity, and strengthening the long-term bottom line. This updated edition of a Shingo Research Award recipient begins with an overview of Lean methods. It explains how Lean practices can help reduce various frustrations for caregivers, prevent delays and harm for patients, and improve the long-term health of your organization. The second edition of this book presented new material on identifying waste, A3 problem solving, engaging employees in continuous improvement, and strategy deployment. This third edition adds new sections on structured Lean problem solving methods (including Toyota Kata), Lean Design, and other topics. Additional examples, case studies, and explanations are also included throughout the book. Mark Graban is also the co-author, with Joe Swartz, of the book Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Frontline Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements, which is also a Shingo Research Award recipient. Mark and Joe also wrote The Executive’s Guide to Healthcare Kaizen.

Book MoneyBall Medicine

Download or read book MoneyBall Medicine written by Harry Glorikian and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2017-11-20 with total page 591 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can a smartwatch help patients with diabetes manage their disease? Why can’t patients find out prices for surgeries and other procedures before they happen? How can researchers speed up the decade-long process of drug development? How will "Precision Medicine" impact patient care outside of cancer? What can doctors, hospitals, and health systems do to ensure they are maximizing high-value care? How can healthcare entrepreneurs find success in this data-driven market? A revolution is transforming the $10 trillion healthcare landscape, promising greater transparency, improved efficiency, and new ways of delivering care. This new landscape presents tremendous opportunity for those who are ready to embrace the data-driven reality. Having the right data and knowing how to use it will be the key to success in the healthcare market in the future. We are already starting to see the impacts in drug development, precision medicine, and how patients with rare diseases are diagnosed and treated. Startups are launched every week to fill an unmet need and address the current problems in the healthcare system. Digital devices and artificial intelligence are helping doctors do their jobs faster and with more accuracy. MoneyBall Medicine: Thriving in the New Data-Driven Healthcare Market, which includes interviews with dozens of healthcare leaders, describes the business challenges and opportunities arising for those working in one of the most vibrant sectors of the world’s economy. Doctors, hospital administrators, health information technology directors, and entrepreneurs need to adapt to the changes effecting healthcare today in order to succeed in the new, cost-conscious and value-based environment of the future. The authors map out many of the changes taking place, describe how they are impacting everyone from patients to researchers to insurers, and outline some predictions for the healthcare industry in the years to come.

Book The Tipping Point

    Book Details:
  • Author : Malcolm Gladwell
  • Publisher : Little, Brown
  • Release : 2006-11-01
  • ISBN : 0759574731
  • Pages : 202 pages

Download or read book The Tipping Point written by Malcolm Gladwell and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2006-11-01 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the bestselling author of The Bomber Mafia: discover Malcolm Gladwell's breakthrough debut and explore the science behind viral trends in business, marketing, and human behavior. The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas. “A wonderful page-turner about a fascinating idea that should affect the way every thinking person looks at the world.” —Michael Lewis

Book The Physician Assistant Student   s Guide to the Clinical Year Seven Volume Set

Download or read book The Physician Assistant Student s Guide to the Clinical Year Seven Volume Set written by Maureen A. Knechtel, MPAS, PA-C and published by Springer Publishing Company. This book was released on 2019-10-15 with total page 1879 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A lifesaver – not just for PA students, but for faculty and administrators trying our best to prepare them. Perfect for students to read and use on rotation.” – James Van Rhee, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA, Program Director, Yale Physician Assistant Online Program Everything you’ll need for your clinical rotations in one handy and affordable set! Hit the ground running as you undertake your required clinical rotations with the quick-access, 7-volume pocket-sized set, The Physician Assistant Student’s Guide to the Clinical Year. Written by PA educators experienced in these specialty areas, this first-of-its-kind series covers all 7 clinical rotations including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Behavioral Health. Brimming with pithy information on the precise knowledge and duties required of a physician assistant, you will learn about practice settings, equipment, exam techniques, frequently encountered disease entities, commonly ordered studies and medications, procedures, and more! Small enough to fit in your lab coat pocket for on-the-spot reference, each consistently organized guide delivers brief bulleted content with handy tables and figures to promote quick learning and retention. You’ll also find useful examples of pertinent documentation for each specialty along with clinical pearls that deliver savvy pointers from the experts. Key Features: Delivers a pocket-size overview of the precise knowledge and duties required for each clinical rotation Offers consistently organized, quick-access, bulleted content for all seven rotations Describes common clinical presentations, disease entities, and procedures Presents key diagnostic studies and their indications Reflects the 2019 NCCPA PANCE blueprint Includes bonus digital chapters with guided case studies to help reinforce clinical reasoning and rotation exam-style questions with remediating rationales Set includes: The Physician Assistant Student’s Guide to the Clinical Year: Family Medicine Internal Medicine Emergency Medicine Pediatrics Surgery OB/GYN Behavioral Medicine

Book Functional Somatic Symptoms in Children and Adolescents

Download or read book Functional Somatic Symptoms in Children and Adolescents written by Kasia Kozlowska and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-09-30 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book sets out the stress-system model for functional somatic symptoms in children and adolescents. The book begins by exploring the initial encounter between the paediatrician, child, and family, moves through the assessment process, including the formulation and the treatment contract, and then describes the various forms of treatment that are designed to settle the child’s dysregulated stress system. This approach both provides a new understanding of how such symptoms emerge – typically, through a history of recurrent or chronic stress, either physical or psychological – and points the way to effective assessment, management, and treatment that put the child (and family) back on the road to health and well-being.

Book Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation

Download or read book Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2006-10-13 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clinical practice related to sleep problems and sleep disorders has been expanding rapidly in the last few years, but scientific research is not keeping pace. Sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless legs syndrome are three examples of very common disorders for which we have little biological information. This new book cuts across a variety of medical disciplines such as neurology, pulmonology, pediatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, psychology, otolaryngology, and nursing, as well as other medical practices with an interest in the management of sleep pathology. This area of research is not limited to very young and old patientsâ€"sleep disorders reach across all ages and ethnicities. Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation presents a structured analysis that explores the following: Improving awareness among the general public and health care professionals. Increasing investment in interdisciplinary somnology and sleep medicine research training and mentoring activities. Validating and developing new and existing technologies for diagnosis and treatment. This book will be of interest to those looking to learn more about the enormous public health burden of sleep disorders and sleep deprivation and the strikingly limited capacity of the health care enterprise to identify and treat the majority of individuals suffering from sleep problems.

Book A Secure Base

    Book Details:
  • Author : John Bowlby
  • Publisher : Routledge
  • Release : 2012-11-12
  • ISBN : 1135070857
  • Pages : 226 pages

Download or read book A Secure Base written by John Bowlby and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-11-12 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Bowlby himself points out in his introduction to this seminal childcare book, to be a successful parent means a lot of very hard work. Giving time and attention to children means sacrificing other interests and activities, but for many people today these are unwelcome truths. Bowlby’s work showed that the early interactions between infant and caregiver have a profound impact on an infant's social, emotional, and intellectual growth. Controversial yet powerfully influential to this day, this classic collection of Bowlby’s lectures offers important guidelines for child rearing based on the crucial role of early relationships.

Book The Poisonwood Bible

    Book Details:
  • Author : Barbara Kingsolver
  • Publisher : Harper Collins
  • Release : 2009-10-13
  • ISBN : 0061804819
  • Pages : 578 pages

Download or read book The Poisonwood Bible written by Barbara Kingsolver and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times Bestseller • Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize • An Oprah's Book Club Selection “Powerful . . . [Kingsolver] has with infinitely steady hands worked the prickly threads of religion, politics, race, sin and redemption into a thing of terrible beauty.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review The Poisonwood Bible, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, established Barbara Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, it is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in Africa. The story is told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters—the teenaged Rachel; adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility.