Community of Practice
archives
June 23, 2020
Sharing a Seat at the Table – Where do we fit in?
When a person experiences illness, the impact can be far-reaching. Indeed, when we consider that person, their caretakers, loved ones, and providers, there become a great number of people who take ‘a seat at the table’. This session will explore the complex meshwork of narratives that can emerge from a single individual’s experience of illness. How do each of us shape the story? What might we be missing? The session aims to refine our own notions of the “actors“ present in the formulation of medical stories and empower the voices of those less recognized in the traditional patient-provider narrative.
Facilitator Bio
Alec Berman, B.A., is a second-year medical student at Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine. He is eager to bring open ears and a big heart to the field of medicine and the patients he will serve. Alec is passionate about relationship-building and believes that the power to listen to and recognize the meaning of patients’ stories lies at the crux of being a good doctor. He is also passionate about social drivers of health and food insecurity in particular. When taking a break from the books, Alec likes to blow off steam working on his partner’s farm, Heart & Spade Farms, which provides affordable, organic produce to hospital patients and medical trainees. Also playing with his energetic young dog, Patti Mae.
Rebecca Harrison, M.D., believes in the power of story to express experiences in healthcare and also to heal. She is inspired by the blending of art and science to tell our stories and believes in many paths to health and healing. She is a clinician educator, hospitalist, clerkship director and section chief in the Division of Hospital Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. In these roles, she has a unique opportunity to create culture change and promote more compassionate medical care for diverse patients, providers and learners. Dr. Harrison has facilitated narrative medicine, reflection rounds and resiliency training skills within the OHSU School of Medicine. She has published a variety of articles on medical education, hospital medicine and part-time careers and has presented at local, national and international venues on a variety of medical education and faculty wellness topics.
June 16, 2020
Interrupted: When plans go sideways
Interruptions come in many forms. Some interruptions are small, like when someone speaks over you in conversation or something distracts you from a task. Some interruptions are medium sized, like a flat tire on your way to work or an electric outage at home. Some interruptions are big, like a life altering diagnosis at a routine doctor visit, or the death of a loved one. Some interruptions are global, like a pandemic that changes the fabric of your life and the lives of everyone around you. In this workshop, we will read, discuss, and write about how we experience interruptions as individuals, and as a community.
Facilitator Bio
Elizabeth Lahti, M.D. is Director of Narrative Medicine at OHSU, and President of the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative. She teaches narrative medicine and reflective practice to students, residents, and faculty. She uses narrative techniques in all areas of medical education, with a focus on professional identity formation, leadership development, and patient centered care. She is poetry editor for The Pharos, a medical humanities journal of the national Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society. Her work has been published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of General Internal Medicine, and The Intima.
May 26, 2020
Lost and Found
This pandemic has produced so many losses—some devastating, others disruptive or disappointing. This workshop will provide a space to name our losses, both large and small, and also to name and articulate what we may be finding. In the spirit of narrative medicine, we will use reading, writing, and listening to acknowledge, absorb, interpret, and act on our own and others’ stories of what we have lost and found.
Facilitator Bio
Daena Goldsmith, Ph.D., is a professor of Rhetoric & Media Studies at Lewis & Clark College, where she researches and teaches about how we enact identities and relationships through what we say and how we say it. Her work focuses on interactions from everyday life, including the conversations we have with a spouse or partner, the advice we give to friends and family, and the stories we tell face-to-face and online. Additional information is available at daenagoldsmith.com.
May 19, 2020
Interrupted: When plans go sideways
Interruptions come in many forms. Some interruptions are small, like when someone speaks over you in conversation or something distracts you from a task. Some interruptions are medium sized, like a flat tire on your way to work or an electric outage at home. Some interruptions are big, like a life altering diagnosis at a routine doctor visit, or the death of a loved one. Some interruptions are global, like a pandemic that changes the fabric of your life and the lives of everyone around you. In this workshop, we will read, discuss, and write about how we experience interruptions as individuals, and as a community.
Facilitator Bio
Elizabeth Lahti, M.D. is Director of Narrative Medicine at OHSU, and President of the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative. She teaches narrative medicine and reflective practice to students, residents, and faculty. She uses narrative techniques in all areas of medical education, with a focus on professional identity formation, leadership development, and patient centered care. She is poetry editor for The Pharos, a medical humanities journal of the national Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society. Her work has been published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of General Internal Medicine, and The Intima.
April 21, 2020
Mystery in the Mundane (Or What the Living Do)
Illness can obscure many parts of our lives: the fun, joy, independence, intimacy, curiosity, creativity, and calm. Illness assigns demanding roles to patient and caregiver alike, which can become rigid and constraining to both. Suddenly, we all find ourselves cast in a COVID-19 illness story. This evening, we'll use Narrative Medicine to listen well to ourselves and to each other. Together, we'll read, discuss, write, and have the opportunity to share. In the midst of our current uncertainties, anxieties, and fears, let's make space for the connective, the restorative, and perhaps some joy, too. Join us!
Facilitator Bio
Alexis Rehrmann is a writer and editor whose writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, PDX Parent, and Portland Monthly Magazine. She studied theater directing at N.Y.U. She is a Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative board member and is currently working towards a certificate in Narrative Medicine through Columbia University.
April 14, 2020
Pandemic as a Wicked Problem
We will visit together virtually to consider pandemics as a wicked problem through a lens of creativity and wonder. Along with several curated readings and objects, our reflections will be guided by questions such as: How do you find inspiration to be flexible and adaptable in the midst of uncertainty? Where does your vitality and hope emerge? What can we learn from other geographies and cultures to remind us we are all in this together?
First described by Rittel and Webber in 1973 at the University of California, Berkeley, a wicked problem refers to an innate complexity. Wicked problems are often difficult to define and usually have no clear resolution. In response, traditional linear, analytical approaches are often insufficient, and thus engaging wicked problems is an ever-evolving art. Through narratives, reflective discussion, and written prompts this community of practice will celebrate the ever adaptable and sustainable human imagination we have always required to thrive and survive.
Facilitator Bio
Adam Hoverman, DO MPH DTMH is a Family Medicine and Public Health Physician with Multnomah County Health Department, where he combines primary care and public health practice caring for Immigrant and Refugee populations. His research, teaching, and writing focuses on health systems strengthening via Community-Based Participatory Research and Community Health Worker training. He writes poetry in his spare time.
January 21, 2020
Emergency Poem
Which poem do you turn to at a moment of personal crisis? Bring in and share your Emergency Poem, the words you turn to in times of hardship. It might offer solace, insight, breathing space, or points the way forward. Haven't got a poem picked out? Come discover one! Participants will leave this session with a chance to write and reflect on the evening's poems, a fully stocked emergency poetry kit, and a deeper understanding of how to incorporate poetry into the practice of narrative medicine.
Facilitator Bio
Facilitator George Derk earned his PhD in English from the University of Virginia where he taught courses ranging from medieval to contemporary literature. He is currently a medical student at OHSU where he continues to seek out opportunities to teach, including an upcoming seminar on autofiction through Literary Arts.
January 9, 2020
What's in a Prompt? Objects, Art, and the Written Word
We'll spend an evening trying out different writing prompts, including objects commonly used in the medical field, a classic piece of art, and a poem. Together, we'll explore our experiences in the world of medicine, using artistic, creative and reflective techniques, using simply a pen and paper, a sense of humor, an open heart, an ample dollop of vulnerability, and a passion to dig into what moves you.
Facilitator Bio
Facilitator Mary Pan is a family medicine physician and writer with a background in global health and narrative medicine.