OK, so let's talk specifics. Where are we going and how will we get there:

1. We are at 38 active sites around the US and Canada as of this weekend. We will achieve 50 by Dec. 31st, 2011; 125 by the end of 2012; and 250 by the close of 2013. For many reasons that fall outside this discussion; these are conservative estimates.

2. Additional walk sites will begin with negligible to zero start up costs and unlimited support. That is the way we have been and will continue to be. 

3. We will not charge our participants - ever. 

4. We will continue to form meaningful relationships with like-minded organizations. 

5. We will have three Bornean white-bearded Gibbons that will have free roam of WWAD HQ. Their names will be Danson, Mr. Winkles, and Lola. Danson's name will be based on his uncanny resemblance to Cheer's character Sam Malone, the ex-Red Sox bartender portrayed by Ted Danson in the popular 80's TV sitcom 

Mr. Winkles name origin will remain private.  

Lola will have the personality of a sweet, elderly, moderately obese, somewhat hirsute owner of a small Italian restaurant (trattoria). She will wear a monkey-sized apron with a sharp floral print (many small red flowers). Mr. Winkles will wear a suit. Danson will be au natural.

6. We will never have patient visits (history and physicals) in our Walk office. But, if we did, the monkeys would only be allowed in the exam room under two conditions. (1)The patient agrees; AND (2) they (Danson, Mr. Winkles, or Lola) sign the HIPAA form. The first time a monkey signs the form and we later hear them discussing a patient inappropriately NO monkeys will be permitted in the examining room under any circumstances. If a patient initially agrees to have a monkey in the room, but then becomes distracted by the monkey's behavior, we will start addressing the monkey as Dr. Winkles (independent of which of the three is in the room). A white lie? Maybe, but we project it will help keep the patient at ease.

7. The walk will remain "non-denominational". In the Land of Walk with a Doc, all doctors and hospital systems want the exact same things for our patients. We will certainly encourage friendly contests (e.g. who can bring out the most participants) but that is where the competition ends. That's the beauty of WWAD.    

8. We will have a self-sustaining herb garden and unlimited Chai lattes for our entire staff, including the monkeys.  

9. We will continue to nurture an incubating workplace program (codename - AWOL) that we are proud of. Specific details will be released in an upcoming newsletter. 

10. We will continue to receive an increasing amount of positive daily feedback from doctors around the country that say starting WWAD was the best decision they ever made. 

11. We will have pretzel M&M's.  

Make no mistake, we are dreamers, in every sense of the word. That understood, we are very confident we will continue to achieve and surpass the majority of these 11 objectives we have set.

Lucy Rickard
September 14, 2011 - 9:40AM

It's something we've all heard before but now researchers have proven laughter really is the best medicine.

Research released today found by watching just 15 minutes of comedy with other people increased a person's pain threshold by an average of 10 per cent.

A decade-long study led by Oxford University found that a full-belly laugh - as opposed to a polite titter - left a person exhausted and triggered the release of endorphins, which managed pain and promoted feelings of well-being.

But it's important not to fake the laughter, with the study making an important distinction between the polite giggle.

Television shows like Mr Bean and Friends were viewed by participants and contrasted with some less-than-humorous clips including factual programs and instructional golf shows.

Ice-cold sleeves, a tight blood pressure cuff and a strenuous workout of the quadriceps were used as a measure of the pain threshold in participants.

To further demonstrate the effect outside a controlled environment participants watched live performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and also staged dramas.

The live performance results reflected those carried out in a laboratory.

Lead author Professor Robin Dunbar, Head of the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oxford said he believed the bonding effects of the endorphin rush explained why laughter played such an important role in our social lives.

"Very little research has been done into why we laugh and what role it plays in society," he said.

"Using microphones, we were able to record each of the participants and found that in a comedy show, they laughed for about a third of the time and their pain tolerance rose as a consequence."

Professor Dunbar's paper, Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B on Wednesday.