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Notes from the Waiting Room 
citizen readers say:
Motivational I finished this superb book with tears in my eyes, a smile on my lips, and a grand thank you for what Bart Windrum has given us. Every chapter begins with an overview and ends in action steps. Windrum provide suggestions, solutions and proposals for moving forward. Calling the medical profession on its lapses in fulfilling its promises and duty, Notes balances criticism by understanding providers’ huge problems and with praise for what they do right. I hope others will have the same good learning experience as I had from Bart’s generosity. Notes from the Waiting Room has motivated me to finally attend to our end-of-life responsibilities so my survivors’ load can be as light as possible when I pass on. What better result from any book? — Carol Sheer
Inspiring Notes from the Waiting Room is an excellent resource for those with aging relatives and an inspiring motivation for all of us to realize that it’s never too early to think about our own health care delivery choices. Bart Windrum’s personal experiences and clearly-stated stories and examples remind us that the most opportune time to address these issues is well in advance. This book can be utilized as a gentle way to broach end-of-life decisions with loved ones and ensures that the reader won’t overlook any important subjects. That Windrum has lived through these experiences with both of his parents gives him credibility and authority and the time and effort he has devoted to researching his subject matter is evident. Notes is easy to read and is written in a way that the average person will easily comprehend. This author has done us all a great service by sharing his experiences and his expertise with the goal of making our inevitable journey down this path much easier. — Calinative (Amazon reader)
Doctors, ethicists, advocates, and policy makers say:
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New Discourse About Medical Care Notes from the Waiting Room distinguishes Bart Windrum as a thought-provoking author who has opened new discourse about end-stage medical care. His balanced presentation and practical analysis lays a foundation for finding direction at the most difficult moments. As a Boomer with aging parents, Notes from the Waiting Room provides me with perspectives to stimulate fresh conversations with my parents and family. Having read Notes, I now plan to keep it with me whenever I find myself in the waiting room. — Jane Mountain, MD
A practical, wise, and timely exploration of an inescapable universal event. This book speaks to us all. — Richard D. Lamm, former three-term Colorado Governor, Co-Director of the University of Denver Institute for Public Policy Studies
One of the best books out there! I was really blown away when I read it. Every potential hospital patient (and that is all of us) should read Notes from the Waiting Room. — Helen Haskell, MAME/Moms Against Medical Error, South Carolina USA
A poignant and elegant examination of tensions interfering with the peaceful demise most Americans say they want. Constructive, engaging, and challenging, Notes from the Waiting Room critiques the institutionalized confusion around end-of-life goals, whereby well-intentioned people end up conflicted between deeply held values and biotechnology’s siren song. A must-read for laypersons and professionals who champion common sense, good stewardship, and humane caring. — Diann Uustal, RN, MS, EdD; Clinical Ethicist, Palliative Care and End-of-Life Consultant, President, Educational Resources in HealthCare, Inc.
Making difficult medical and ethical choices can be stressful and frightening. Perhaps rightfully, Notes from the Waiting Room paints hospitals in a questionable light. The Option to Die in PEACE (Patient Ethical Alternative Care Elective) is of great benefit to patients and families everywhere, providing a practical framework to master the maze of conflicting options and opinions. Do as Bart Windrum suggests: take your favorite hospital chaplain to lunch and learn what is going on. — Robert Eaton, Director of Mission and Spiritual Care, Office of Mission and Ministry, St. Anthony Central Hospital, Denver, Colorado
Seeking Care Amidst Chaos Published studies have demonstrated marked shortcomings in end-of-life care in the hospital including untreated pain, insufficient communication and support around difficult medical decisions, and high financial burden for families. Notes from the Waiting Room is a powerful and important book. It eloquently personalizes one family’s repeated journey through the all-too-common chaos and distress associated with end-of-life hospitalizations. Notes provides both practical suggestions for patients and families. Equally important, it challenges the medical profession to find better ways of ensuring “care” when “cure” is no longer possible, and highlights the importance of the emerging field of palliative care. — Daniel Johnson, MD, Palliative Medicine Physician, Director, Life Quality Institute
The Unflinching Truth Notes from the Waiting Room provides an unflinching view of death in a hospital. Having experienced “almost death” at and by many hospitals, it is a wake-up call for baby boomers about what they face in years to come. The most compelling sections for me dealt with the act of dying and the poor treatment of both family and patient by hospital institutions and providers. Bart provides new language to use when describing the hospital team, the services they do and don’t provide as well as a goal: dying on our own terms. I learned from Notes from the Waiting Room and, as a result, will hopefully be better prepared when I face the inevitable with my family. — Jari Holland Buck, Patient advocate
Are you prepared to navigate complex medical and legal systems for your loved one? Notes from the Waiting Room will prepare you for this journey and equip you to be an effective patient advocate through some of life’s most challenging circumstances. Notes provides essential summaries for those in crisis and useful detail for decision makers; helpful questions to ask healthcare professionals plus a guide to who can answer them. By sharing his own experiences, interviewing healthcare providers, and summarizing current literature, Mr. Windrum has provided a compass for you to expect the unexpected and become an effective advocate for those you love most. — Cordt T. Kassner, PhD; CEO Colorado Center for Hospice and Palliative Care
Value from How To Efficiently Settle the Family Estate
These days, in our hurry-up, “just give me the facts” world, we may not expect much from how-to books beyond topicality and organization. We have forgotten how good the best helpful compendiums can be. I know: I edit them, and was pleasantly surprised to read and help edit How to Efficiently Settle the Family Estate. Bart Windrum brings a personal touch and humanity to this somber and often technical topic. His humor and evident caring lighten the informational load. Given that estate settlement often follows on the heels of losing a loved one, Efficiently Settle is an excellent and apt companion to Notes from the Waiting Room. — Barbara Munson, Munson Communications
How to Efficiently Settle the Family Estate offers lay people easy-to-read, practical, time-saving information, touching on every aspect of the estate settling process. Even though I work in banking I could have used Estate myself when dealing with my own parents’ estate. This book is really good! — RN, Credit Union Loan Officer, Canada
Notes from the Waiting Room Awards
• 2009 Colorado Book Awards / Health and Well-Being
• 2009 Forward Magazine / Health
• 2009 Independent Publisher IPPY / Aging, Death & Dying
• 2008 Best Books / How-To
• 2008 Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY / How-To
• 2008 Indie Books Next Gen / How-To
• 2008 New York Book Festival / Health
