PROGRAM Highlights
November 15, 2024
The HEAL Program is excited to spotlight one of our program partners, Our House Grief Support Center. One of the top grief education providers in Southern California, Our House provides support services to grieving families, and educates students at the Keck School of Medicine about speaking with families who have lost a loved one.
The partnership between Our House and the Heal Program started over 20 years ago. HEAL Program Director, Dr. Pamela Schaff, was the director of the Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) Program at the time and had heard of Our House’s important work through an ICM instructor whose patient had been receiving grief support services. She recognized that the importance of including grief education in the curriculum. Through the partnership, Our House has provided medical students with an orientation to the Center’s work in the community, facilitated role-plays to assist students with talking about grief and loss with patients, and introduced students to Our House alumni and volunteers who share their own experiences navigating their grief at Our House.
The Our House experience is a required part of the core clinical skills curriculum at Keck. During the pandemic, the experience continued online, and with the recent curriculum revision, it is now delivered (in-person) as a large group session during the clinical year Intersession course. It remains a much-appreciated part of the medical school curriculum.
The HEAL Program is extremely grateful for Our House’s contributions to the education of our students. Rachel Brenner, MSW, ASW, the Clinical & Community Education Coordinator at Our House has been a key liaison between HEAL and Our House. Grief education has allowed our students to learn about the universality of death and grief within our society, grief reactions, and providing compassionate support to patients. Our House’s mission to provide grief education also extends to workshops and seminars for mental health and medical professionals, clergy, educators, and other members of the community who interact with bereaved families. This weekend, on November 16th Our House will be hosting their House of Hope Gala, celebrating over 30 years of grief support and raising funds to continue providing grief support education.
The Menopause Art Project Event Recap
On November 14th, the HEAL hosted an Art and Medicine event featuring Artist Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja’s “Menopause Art Project”. A passionate advocate for raising awareness about menopause, Adeola is a multidisciplinary artist dedicated to amplifying conversations around menopausal health. Through the Menopause Art Project, she aims to explore and share the diverse experiences of menopause, encouraging dialogue and supporting those navigating this journey. Her artwork serves as a powerful platform to highlight the urgent need for education, open dialogue, and equitable health resources for women navigating this important life transition.
M.S. in Narrative Medicine
Learn more about the Narrative Medicine program today! Narrative Medicine is a clinical practice, a method, and an academic field of study that centers individual and community stories in the service of health and social justice. Narrative Medicine works in a range of settings as a tool for building community, developing a practice of self-reflection, and becoming open to other points of view. Join us for an information session!
Upcoming Events
Art and Medicine: Sudden Cardiac Arrest
01/15/2025 | 12pm | Mayer Auditorium