Monday, July 22 - Friday, September 13, Helix Gallery, Hamilton Building, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,  from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m..

Service dogs can provide a lifeline back to the world for veterans experiencing PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other mental health struggles. Developed from a Scholarly Inquiry Humanities project at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, medical student Carly Onofrio-Kane interviewed and took photo portraits of nine veterans with their service dogs in analog and digital film, discussing their relationship in the context of healing. The narratives express the life-saving impact of service dogs on veterans’ lives, demonstrating an opportunity to explore their companionship as a supplement to traditional medical care. Given the high rates of PTSD and suicide in veterans, the project encourages a sense of urgency in increasing access to service dogs for veterans. 

Carly Onofrio-Kane is a third-year medical student at SKMC. As a former hairstylist, she loved hearing the stories of her clients, and is grateful to hear new stories in the patients she meets at Jefferson. She graduated from Temple University with a BA in Psychology in 2020. She started practicing amateur photography in her early teens and enjoys experimenting with various analog films. She is a recipient of the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program and will continue in her story collection and advocacy for service dogs and veteran healthcare.

Phoebe Warren (Curator) is a third-year medical student at SKMC. Before beginning her medical education, Phoebe received a BA in Art History from Princeton University in 2021. Her Senior Thesis research addressed the ways in which images shape our understanding of disease pandemics. She served as an Education Fellow for the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 2022. 

Saturday, August 3, 12-1PM, Helix Gallery. Refreshments provided.

Join us for an open house and reception with photographer Carly Onofrio-Kane and curator Phoebe Warren about the exhibit Canines as Healers: Veterans & Service Dogs.

Thursday, August 8, 12-1PM, Curtis 218. Lunch provided.

The left and right brain are not two separate anatomical entities, but two different ways of engaging the world, metaphors for a close-up and wide-angle view that are equally necessary for the human experience. They are also fundamental for a practice of medicine that can be both wise and technically skilled. Yet, medical education fosters the left brain while ignoring -- if not altogether stifling -- the right brain. This lopsidedness may explain some of the paradoxes in today’s medicine, and will need redressing in order to prepare healers rather than technicians.

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able:

• To identify the differentiating features of the right and left-brain modes of engagement
• To learn how to rekindle a right-brain worldview
• To understand why a right-brain worldview is important for a physician
• To see how many physical findings were first observed by artists

Presenter:

SALVATORE MANGIONE, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the SKMC of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where he also directs the Humanities and History of Medicine courses. He is a clinician-educator with a long interest in physical diagnosis, medical history, community service and the role of the humanities in medicine. His innovative programs and engaging teaching style have been recognized by multiple teaching awards, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, CNN, NPR, and Forbes. Dr. Mangione has also been involved in asthma education, creating (and directing for six years) The AsthmaBUS™, a red doubledecker he bought in London in 1999, shipped to Philadelphia, and eventually outfitted so to provide asthma education and screening for 15,000 middle-school children. For this he received the 2001 American Institute of Architects Award for most innovative exhibit, the 2003 World Asthma Day community service award from Philadelphia, and the 2004 Governors Community Service Award by the Chest Foundation of the American College of Chest Physicians. Dr. Mangione has been an invited speaker at many national and international meetings, especially in regard to the use of visual arts for the teaching of observation. He's the author of the book Secrets in Physical Diagnosisand the recipient of the 2022 Nicholas E. Davies Memorial Scholar Award of the American College of Physicians for Scholarly Activities in History of Medicine and the Humanities.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Wednesday, August 21, Hamilton 505, 5-7PM.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Dominic Finan, SKMC '27, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

This lecture is a "crash course" on communicating with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the United States. You will learn about Deaf culture and American Sign Language (ASL), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other relevant laws, communication tips and strategies (including how you can use the technology you already have at your fingertips to better communicate), as well as how to work with a sign language interpreter.

Presenters: Tanya Sturgis (Education Manager, DHCC) and Neil McDevitt (Executive Director, DHCC)

Tanya Sturgis is the Education Manager for the Deaf-Hearing Communication Centre (DHCC) in Swarthmore, PA. Tanya is responsible for coordinating ASL classes, sensitivity training programs, and other educational ventures. Before joining DHCC, Tanya worked for Gallaudet University as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor. She currently lives in the King of Prussia area with her partner, 2 dogs, and 6 cats.

Neil McDevitt is the Executive Director for the Deaf-Hearing Communication Centre in Swarthmore, PA. DHCC is the largest provider of interpreting services in the Philadelphia region and is also a key provider of advocacy services for communication access for the deaf community in the area as well. Neil joins DHCC after assignments at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Telecommunications for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Inc (TDI), and The Leadership Foundry.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Tuesday, August 27, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided.

Bring your notes and ideas about the Humanities programs you have attended so far during this academic year. Leave with fresh ideas about how you might turn your impressions into thoughtful, creative reflections as you complete your Asano portfolio. We will focus mostly on written reflections, but will also touch on other forms of creative response to the events, topics, and experiences you have been collecting as an Asano candidate. You will leave this workshop with examples of concise essays and poems that might inspire your own reflections. We will also discuss how a reflective practice could help you grow and thrive throughout your career as a healthcare professional.

Led by Shawn Gonzalez, PhD, Assistant Director for Writing Services, Office of Academic & Career Success. Lunch provided.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, September 9, Hamilton 210/211, 5-6:30PM. Dinner provided.

Grounding and Centering

In the first workshop of this series, we will focus on grounding and centering skills. The group will utilize art, music and movement and each participant will leave with a set of tools and skills that can be applied as needed throughout the school year.

Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC and Sondra Rosenberg, ATR-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is in-person and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanites Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Wednesday, September 11, 5-7 PM, BLSB 105.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Dominic Finan, SKMC '27, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

This lecture will cover important and helpful terms to know in regard to using American Sign Language (ASL) in the medical setting. You will learn how to better communicate with Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in a medical setting, as well as other tools at your disposal beyond ASL.

Presenter Karen Kennedy has been teaching ASL and Deaf culture for DHCC for 37 years, and she also works as a Deaf interpreter. She used to be a staff accountant for PECO/Exelon/Constellation before retiring. She also volunteers frequently for DHCC and other non-profits. She has three children (hearing, called Child of Deaf Adults, CODAs), one granddaughter who is 3 years old, and another grandchild on the way.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Friday, September 13, 12-1PM, BLSB 105. 

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Dominic Finan, SKMC '27, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

Facilitated by SKMC student liaison for DEAFMed Dominic Finan, Class of 2027 

 Join us for an informal signing session where we will be practicing basic signs that you can use when communicating with DHH individuals in medical and non-medical settings.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, September 16, 5-6:30PM, JAH 207. Dinner provided.

Every person has a story. In this candid conversation series, we’ll talk with community members about their real experiences at the intersection of healthcare, wellbeing and identity. Each guest brings unique insights and expertise into problems of health that span social and clinical dimensions, and engage questions of access, equity and justice. Sessions will be led by an interprofessional team of Jefferson student moderators and include interactive Q&A with attendees. 

Special guest: Eddie Dunn 

In 2014, while experiencing homelessness and using drugs in Philadelphia, Eddie Dunn met artist Willie Baronet and was featured in Baronet’s documentary film, Signs of Humanity. Months later, while in recovery, Dunn reconnected with Baronet and shared how his life had changed, ultimately joining Baronet for a series of public events geared toward fighting stigma around homelessness and opioid use disorder. In 2017, the pair teamed up with Jefferson professor of Population Health Rosie Frasso and have worked together on several arts-informed projects designed to shed light on the challenges faced by people in need. 

Community Voices is presented by the Jefferson College of Population Health, the Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education, and Jefferson Humanities & Health. 

Questions? Please contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, Office of Student Affairs, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Tuesday, September 17, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided.

Reading/Listening:

‘Henrietta Lacks’: A Donor’s Immortal Legacy, interview with Rebecca Skloot on Fresh Air here(2010) (audio: 37min)

Ta-Nehisi Coates, “Henrietta Lacks And Race,” The Atlantic, February 2010.

Time: 40 min of reading and listening

The Health Humanities Reading Group explores the life and legacy of Henrietta Lacks, whose cervical cells, taken and used without her knowledge, have played a role in modernity as we know it: from vaccines to medicine to space travel. Lacks’ story is unique but also representative of the pervasive mistreatment of Black people by institutions of medicine, science, education, and healthcare.

Special guest discussant: Ana Mari­a Lopez, MD, MPH, MACP, Professor and Vice Chair, Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Chief of Cancer Services, Jefferson Health New Jersey, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center

About HHRG

The Health Humanities Reading Group (HHRG) gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Wednesday, September 25, 5-7PM, BLSB 105.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Dominic Finan, SKMC '27, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

This lecture will cover the important milestones in Deaf history, from the 19th century to present (plus a few tidbits going as far back as Ancient Greece). You will learn about how politics, education, community, and other factors contributed to the current state of Deaf culture and community in the United States. Additionally, you will learn more about Deaf people in the arts from the 20th century to present. We will be covering various Deaf experience as expressed through the arts.

 Presenter Charles McGowan grew up in Havertown in a Deaf family, and is currently a professor at West Chester University in the Deaf Studies & American Sign Language (ASL) department within the Language & Cultures department. He considers himself a Deaf history and ASL aficionado, and that is where his area of expertise lies - he double-majored in Deaf Studies & History.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Tuesday, September 24, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided.

Join us for a discussion with Dr. Ricardo Nuila on his book, The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine.

“Is expensive healthcare better or is it just more expensive? Can we trust public hospitals in America? Why can’t people access healthcare when America has so many entitlement programs?” These are some of the questions Ricardo Nuila poses in his book The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in AmericanMedicine. Nuila takes us inside the Harris Health System and Ben Taub Hospital, where he has practiced for more than a decade, and challenges the established idea that the only way to receive good healthcare is with good insurance. In this small group discussion with Dr. Nuila, we will discuss the introduction of his book, “Histories.” Participants are also invited to read an optional, supplemental reading assignment, “The Doctor,” a short story by writer and doctor Anton Chekhov, whose stories and letters inspired Nuila’s own writing.

Ricardo Nuila is a writer and an associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. For the past thirteen years, he has worked as a hospitalist and attending at Houston's largest safety net facility, Ben Taub Hospital. His first book, The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine, was selected as one of the Best Books of 2023 by Amazon, Kirkus Review, and Washington Post, and was featured on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross. He is the director of the Humanities Expression and Arts Lab (HEAL) at Baylor, which integrates arts and humanities into medical education and has received an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) grant supporting its work. His essays and stories have been featured in The New Yorker, Texas Monthly, VQR, The New England Journal of Medicine, New England Review, and Best American Short Stories.

Access the reading here.

Time to read Histories: approximately 25 minutes

Time to read The Doctor (optional): approximately 10 minutes

Copies of The People’s Hospital will be available for students after the discussion. 

Facilitator: Katherine Hubbard, MA, Teaching Instructor, JeffMD Humanities Selectives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

About the Health Humanities Reading Group:

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Tuesday, September 24, 5:30-7PM, JAH Atrium, 1020 Locust Street. Refreshments provided. Doors open at 5PM. Free and open to all. Registration link to come.

Where does an uninsured person go when turned away by hospitals, clinics, and doctors? Ricardo Nuila's book The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine takes us inside the Harris Health System and Ben Taub Hospital, where he has practiced for more than a decade. In this talk, Dr. Nuila will read portions from the book that detail the broken system's effects on his own patients, and how the public healthcare system, which emphasizes people over payments, might light the path forward.

Ricardo Nuila is a writer and an associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. For the past thirteen years, he has worked as a hospitalist and attending at Houston's largest safety net facility, Ben Taub Hospital. His first book, The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine, was selected as one of the Best Books of 2023 by Amazon, Kirkus Review, and Washington Post, and was featured on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross. He is the director of the Humanities Expression and Arts Lab (HEAL) at Baylor, which integrates arts and humanities into medical education and has received an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) grant supporting its work. His essays and stories have been featured in The New Yorker, Texas Monthly, VQR, The New England Journal of Medicine, New England Review, and Best American Short Stories.

Moderator: Keith Leaphart, DO, MBA, Enterprise Executive Vice President and Humana Chief Health Equity and Community Impact Officer, Jefferson Health

During 2024-2025, the Jefferson Humanities Forum hosts multidisciplinary scholars and thinkers to investigate the theme of Access.

Ricardo Nuila’s visit is presented as part of the Jefferson Humanities & Health program Convalescence, an immersive art installation by artist Pepón Osorio highlighting systemic health and health care inequities in the U.S.  

Wednesday, September 25, 5-7PM, BLSB 105.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Dominic Finan, SKMC '27, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

This lecture will cover the important milestones in Deaf history, from the 19th century to present (plus a few tidbits going as far back as Ancient Greece). You will learn about how politics, education, community, and other factors contributed to the current state of Deaf culture and community in the United States. Additionally, you will learn more about Deaf people in the arts from the 20th century to present. We will be covering various Deaf experience as expressed through the arts.

 Presenter Charles McGowan grew up in Havertown in a Deaf family, and is currently a professor at West Chester University in the Deaf Studies & American Sign Language (ASL) department within the Language & Cultures department. He considers himself a Deaf history and ASL aficionado, and that is where his area of expertise lies - he double-majored in Deaf Studies & History.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Thursday, September 26, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided.

Bring your notes and ideas about the Humanities programs you have attended so far during this academic year. Leave with fresh ideas about how you might turn your impressions into thoughtful, creative reflections as you complete your Asano portfolio. We will focus mostly on written reflections, but will also touch on other forms of creative response to the events, topics, and experiences you have been collecting as an Asano candidate. You will leave this workshop with examples of concise essays and poems that might inspire your own reflections. We will also discuss how a reflective practice could help you grow and thrive throughout your career as a healthcare professional.

Led by Shawn Gonzalez, PhD, Assistant Director for Writing Services, Office of Academic & Career Success. Lunch provided.

Students who have already taken the August 27th session of this class are not eligible to receive Asano Humanities & Health Certificate credit for this class.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Tuesday, October 1, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided.

Join the Health Humanities Reading Group for a discussion of chapter 2, ("Breast Cancer: A Black Lesbian Feminist Experience") or chapter 3 ("Breast Cancer: Power vs Prosthesis) from Audre Lorde's The Cancer Journals. Participants can choose to read either or both of the chapters.

Access the Reading on the Jefferson Humanities & Health Canvas.

Published over forty years ago, this is a powerful account of Audre Lorde's experience with breast cancer and a masectomy. Lorde questions the rules of conformity for women's body images and supported the need to confront physical loss bit hidden by prosthesis. The Cancer Journals presents Lorde healing and reenvisioning herself on her own terms while offering her voice, grief, resistance and courage to those dealing with their own diagnosis.

Special guest discussant: Ana Mari­a Lopez, MD, MPH, MACP, Professor and Vice Chair, Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Chief of Cancer Services, Jefferson Health New Jersey, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.

Copies of The Cancer Journals will be provided at the session. Lunch provided.

About HHRG

The Health Humanities Reading Group (HHRG) gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Monday, October 7, BLSB 107, 5-6:30PM. Dinner provided.

Nature-Based Wellness

In this in-person workshop, participants will use art, sound, movement, and mindfulness practices to anchor in our connection to the natural world. Participants are asked to please bring a photo of or an actual item from nature that you are drawn to or connect with, and paper/something with which to write. Weather permitting, we may do some of these exercises outdoors.

Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC and Sondra Rosenberg, ATR-BC

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is in-person and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. Students who register and don't show up may not be able to register for future Jefferson Humanities & Health events.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC).

Wednesday, October 9, 5-7PM, BLSB 107.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Dominic Finan, SKMC '27, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

In this session, attendees will have the opportunity to step into the shoes of DHH patients or clinicians serving DHH patients. This immersive event will provide a safe and supportive environment for participants to experience firsthand the challenges and triumphs of communication in the DHH community. Through engaging role play exercises, attendees will gain invaluable insights into Deaf culture, American Sign Language (ASL), and effective strategies for providing healthcare to Deaf individuals.

Presenters: Karen Kennedy, experienced Deaf interpreter in medical settings & Charles McGowan (Historian: Bachelor’s in History and Deaf Studies, Masters in Deaf Education)

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, October 14, 12-1PM, JAH 207. Lunch provided.

A microaggression is an unintentional and unconscious action that can negatively affect our day-to-day human interactions. They cause real harm to individuals. There is a large amount of evidence that it can be a major factor in the creation of disparities in the healthcare environment that can ultimately lead to patient-care disparities. In this session, we will define microaggressions, its documented effects in medicine, the concept of silent collusion, and the steps one can take to disarm the effects of microaggression.

At the end of the session, the attendees will be able to

• Define microaggressions.

• Give two examples of how microaggressions affect the patient care environment.

• Define “silent collusion.”

• Name at least three techniques to address a witnessed microaggression.

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, October 27, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided.

Join us for a discussion of an excerpt from A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung.

In this country, unless you attain extraordinary wealth, you will likely be unable to help your loved ones in all the ways you’d hoped. You will learn to live with the specific, hollow guilt of those who leave hardship behind, yet are unable to bring anyone else with them.

Nicole Chung couldn’t hightail it out of her overwhelmingly white Oregon hometown fast enough. As a scholarship student at a private university on the East Coast, no longer the only Korean she knew, she found community and a path to the life she'd long wanted. But the middle class world she begins to raise a family in – where there are big homes, college funds, nice vacations – looks very different from the middle class world she thought she grew up in, where paychecks have to stretch to the end of the week, health insurance is often lacking, and there are no safety nets.

When her father dies at only sixty-seven, killed by diabetes and kidney disease, Nicole feels deep grief as well as rage, knowing that years of precarity and lack of access to healthcare contributed to his early death. And then the unthinkable happens – less than a year later, her beloved mother is diagnosed with cancer, and the physical distance between them becomes insurmountable as COVID-19 descends upon the world.

Exploring the enduring strength of family bonds in the face of hardship and tragedy, A Living Remedyexamines what it takes to reconcile the distance between one life, one home, and another – and sheds needed light on some of the most persistent and grievous inequalities in American society.

Copies of A Living Remedy will be available for students after the discussion. 

*Participants will be notified in advance when the reading is available.

Facilitator: Katherine Hubbard, MA, Teaching Instructor, JeffMD Humanities Selectives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

About the Health Humanities Reading Group:

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Monday, November 4, Online via Zoom, 5-6PM. 

Mindfulness

Participants will be guided through a series of practices designed to bring peace and calm by connecting with the breath, body and creative spirit. Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop will take place online and is open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. If you register and cannot attend, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance to make room for another participant. Thank you!

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC).

Participants will receive Zoom link when they register on Eventbrite.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanites Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, November 11, 12-1PM, JAH 307. Lunch provided.

The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) play a significant role in individual and population health outcomes. SDOH is affected by many factors. One factor is racism as it affects all aspects of SDOH. In this session, we’ll define racism, examine its history as it relates to the social determinants of health, and examine the city of Philadelphia’s health outcomes by neighborhood. 

Objectives – at the end of the session, learners will be able to: 

Define the institution of racism and its many forms, including structural racism 

List 5 components of the Social Determinants of Health 

Discuss the importance of structural competency 

Discuss examples of structural racism’s effects as a barrier to health equity 

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Wednesday, November 13, 5-7PM, BLSB 105.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Dominic Finan, SKMC '27, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

During this session, you will be able to further develop your communication skills with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, enhance your cultural competence, and refine your ability to collaborate with sign language interpreters. This skills reinforcement session aims to solidify attendees’ understanding and confidence in effectively navigating healthcare interactions with the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Presenters: Karen Kennedy, experienced Deaf interpreter in medical settings & Charles McGowan (Historian: Bachelor’s in History and Deaf Studies, Masters in Deaf Education)

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Tuesday, November 19, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided.

Join us for a discussion of an excerpt from Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir by Walela Nehanda.

When Walela is diagnosed at twenty-three with advanced stage blood cancer, they’re suddenly thrust into the unsympathetic world of tubes and pills, doctors who don’t use their correct pronouns, and hordes of “well-meaning” but patronizing people offering unsolicited advice as they navigate rocky personal relationships and share their story online.

But this experience also deepens their relationship to their ancestors, providing added support from another realm. Walela’s diagnosis becomes a catalyst for their self-realization. As they fill out forms in the insurance office in downtown Los Angeles or travel to therapy in wealthier neighborhoods, they begin to understand that cancer is where all forms of their oppression intersect: Disabled. Fat. Black. Queer. Nonbinary.

Bless the Blood is Nehanda's account of their survival in spite of the U.S. medical system and their struggle to face death unafraid.

Copies of Bless the Blood will be available for students after the discussion. 

*Participants will be notified in advance when the reading is available.

Facilitator: Katherine Hubbard, MA, Teaching Instructor, JeffMD Humanities Selectives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

About the Health Humanities Reading Group:

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Thursday, November 21, BLSB 105, 5-6:30PM. Dinner provided.

Be honest with yourself. Do you emulate a deer caught in headlights every time you're asked to present in front of your peers or professors? Do your class presentations induce sleepiness amongst your classmates and nerves amongst your stomach biome? Does panel facilitation risk you contracting a case of “foot-in-mouth-itis?”

In this interactive workshop, you’ll be guided through a series of public speaking tasks and writing exercises that will have you stepping bravely out of your comfort zone. You'll learn simple useful tricks to command attention, speak with confidence, and connect with your audience on an effective, authentic level.

At the end of this session, you will be able to:

- Identify common internal experiences that hold back effective communication

- Gain awareness of what non-verbal and language cues distract or reduce clarity in public speech

- Name at least three techniques to adjust non-verbal and language cues to produce clear communication and connection to an audience

- Review and utilize a 5 step structure for simple and empowered storytelling

If you're ready to de-emphasize the nerves, banish the jitters, and become a public speaking powerhouse (or at least a more comfortable speaker of words), mark your calendars for "Actually Effective Public Speaking for Professional Humans.”

Facilitator: Emme Kennedy, MFA in Devised Performance from University of the Arts/Pig Iron Theatre Company. Former Experience Consulting Creative Producer at Museum Hack. Current SKMC Phase 1 Year 2 Education Programs Administrator.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, December 2, Online via Zoom, 5-6PM.

Self-Care Medley [Art Edition]

In order to effectively care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This virtual workshop will introduce you to a variety of art-based experiences designed to promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Facilitated by Sondra Rosenberg, ATR-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop will take place online and is open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. If you register and cannot attend, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance to make room for another participant. Thank you!

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC).

Participants will receive a Zoom link in their confirmation after they register on Eventbrite.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanites Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Tuesday, December 3, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided.

Join us for a discussion of an excerpt from the play Mary Jane by Amy Herzog.

Armed with medicines, feeding tubes, and various medical equipment, Mary Jane is a single mother and indefatigable force when it comes to caring for her young, sick child, Alex. As she navigates both the mundane and the unfathomable realities of caring for Alex, she finds herself building a community of care consisting of women from many walks of life.

Copies of Mary Jane will be available for students after the discussion. 

*Participants will be notified in advance when the reading is available.

Facilitator: Katherine Hubbard, MA, Teaching Instructor, JeffMD Humanities Selectives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

About the Health Humanities Reading Group:

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Thursday, January 9, 12-1PM, Hamilton 224/225. Lunch provided.

Bring your notes and ideas about the Humanities programs you have attended so far during this academic year. Leave with fresh ideas about how you might turn your impressions into thoughtful, creative reflections as you complete your Asano portfolio. We will focus mostly on written reflections, but will also touch on other forms of creative response to the events, topics, and experiences you have been collecting as an Asano candidate. You will leave this workshop with examples of concise essays and poems that might inspire your own reflections. We will also discuss how a reflective practice could help you grow and thrive throughout your career as a healthcare professional.

Led by Shawn Gonzalez, PhD, Assistant Director for Writing Services, Office of Academic & Career Success. 

Students who have already taken the August 27th session or the September 26, 2024 of this class are not eligible to receive Asano Humanities & Health Certificate credit for this class.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Wednesday, January 22, BLSB 105, 12-1PM. Lunch provided.

A microaggression is an unintentional and unconscious action that can negatively affect our day-to-day human interactions. They cause real harm to individuals. There is a large amount of evidence that it can be a major factor in the creation of disparities in the healthcare environment that can ultimately lead to patient-care disparities. In this session, we will define microaggressions, its documented effects in medicine, the concept of silent collusion, and the steps one can take to disarm the effects of microaggression.

At the end of the session, the attendees will be able to

• Define microaggressions.

• Give two examples of how microaggressions affect the patient care environment.

• Define “silent collusion.”

• Name at least three techniques to address a witnessed microaggression.

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Participants who have already attended the session on October 14, 2024 will not be eligible to count this session towards the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate or the Anti-Racism in Health Focus twice.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, January 27, Hamilton 210/211, 5-6:30PM. Dinner provided.

Reconnecting

Research has shown that our relationships with ourselves, others, and nature have a profound impact on physical health and psychological well-being. In this in-person workshop, we will use the arts to explore ways of building and maintaining this all-important sense of connection. Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC and Sondra Rosenberg, ATR-BC. A light dinner will be served.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanites Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Wednesday, February 12, BLSB 15, 5-6:30PM. Dinner provided.

How do you know when someone is confused by what you've just said? How do you tell when someone is angry? How do you know when YOU are confused or angry? Albert Mehrabian, a researcher of body language, first broke down the components of a face-to-face conversation and found that communication is 55% nonverbal, 38% vocal, and 7% words only. Over 90% of how you communicate has nothing to do with what you say.

In current cultures we tend to focus a lot on the words that we say, the facts we know, the arguments we've cultivated. This workshop harnesses our attention to address the other 90% -- how can you know more about the non-intellectual, qualitative impact you're having on someone else, and how can you make adjustments to the ways you communicate non-verbally to deepen trust, foster confidence, invite more disclosure, and even enjoy connecting with others, even over a brief time.

At the end of the session, the attendees will be able to

• Identify common emotional states and how they appear on various bodies.

• Witness and analyze various non-verbal signals (including posture, gesture, vocal tension) to determine what stories they may tell

• Gain awareness of what emotional states may exist in their bodies and how to name and identify them

• Name at least three techniques to adjust non-verbal communication to increase desired outcomes.

Facilitator: Emme Kennedy, MFA, Education Programs Administrator at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, MFA from University of the Arts'/Pig Iron Theatre Company in Devised Performance, former Experience Consulting Creative Producer at Museum Hack.

Questions? Please contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, Office of Student Affairs, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, February 24, Hamilton 210/211. 5-6:30PM. Dinner provided.

Restoring Balance

It’s so easy to feel off-balance - to feel torn between polarities of work-rest, doing-being, dark-light, joy-sorrow…and to be knocked off-center by unexpected events or changes. In this workshop we will explore and engage in creative practices that promote an awareness of what balance/imbalance feels, sounds and looks like, and what helps us restore and return to a sense of balance.

Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC and Sondra Rosenberg, ATR-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is in-person and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanites Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, March 24, Online via Zoom. 5-6PM

Coping with Stress

In this virtual, art-based workshop, participants will engage in a variety of practices designed to reduce stress. Learn how to identify the physical and emotional symptoms of stress and how to move through them to a more grounded and relaxed state. Facilitated by Sondra Rosenberg, ATR-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is virtual and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. A Zoom link will be provided in the Eventbrite order confirmation and the event reminder from Eventbrite, which will be emailed 48 hours before the event. If you do not receive the Zoom link, please contact Kirsten Bowen at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanites Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Monday, April 7, Online via Zoom, 5-6PM.

Self-Care Medley [Music & Writing Edition]

In order to effectively care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This virtual workshop will introduce you to a variety of music-based experiences designed to promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is virtual and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. A Zoom link will be provided in the Eventbrite order confirmation and the event reminder from Eventbrite, which will be emailed 48 hours before the event. If you do not receive the Zoom link, please contact Kirsten Bowen at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanites Program Coordinator, at kirsten.bowen@jefferson.edu.