By Melissa Varnavas

In my family, July 4 usually comes with birthday-type celebrations due to the close proximity of my sister’s birthday on July 3 and husband’s nephew’s birthday on July 2. For the longest time, my sister had her children convinced that their city’s fireworks display was really in honor of her special day.

Historians no doubt have a nuanced awareness of how America came to be, understanding that true “independence” came after hard-fought battles and that such freedoms as spelled out in the Declaration of Independence must continue to be defended in an unending pursuit of those unalienable rights—life, liberty, happiness—that our forefathers deemed self-evident.

For such lofty ideals to calcify, we need only bear them out in our daily practices, being mindful of how our actions, small as they may seem, can help ensure their protection. For example, every medical record that accurately reflects the patient’s care helps preserve their continued health, ensure the physician’s public profile and professional pursuits, and allows a hospital to continue to provide care for its community.