WHAT DOCTORS SAY
“The Institute of Medical Humanism has made a singular and valuable contribution to patient care in the world of cancer and beyond. They are unique in that they seek to build bridges between the patient's view of illness and the medical professional's approach to care. They are truly devoted to furthering understanding; negotiating perspective and promoting clear communication and good relations between the patient and medical staff.”
Lidia Schapira, M.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA
“Your work in bringing the patient's voice into the medical encounter, while at the same time supporting the physician, helps to bring back the joy and satisfaction in everyday medicine and helps both physician and patient act as partners in the healing process.”
Carol Mahon Salazar, M.D
VA Clinic/ Vermont Veterans Home
Bennington, VT
“As doctors, we tend to use medical language as an objective cloak—keeping us one step removed from our patients. By raising our awareness of how patients hear and interpret what we are saying, the medical humanist has helped us communicate with greater empathy—and in so doing, to gain deeper insight into our own experience as physicians.”
Letha Mills, MD
Medical Director
Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center
Bennington, VT
“I see the irony but also the necessity that in an age of ever- increasing medical specialization, there would be a need for someone whose specialty would be injecting humanism back into medicine. The technology has advanced so quickly that physicians have to spend all their time dealing with technical, biological and therapeutic aspects and have little time to deal with the patients as a whole person.”
H. James Wallace, Jr. MD
Institute emphases human side of medicine
Rutland Herald (VT)
AP February 9, 2003
"The addition of medical humanism to our cancer care programs has added new and welcome dimensions to the care from the perspective of both the patients and the physicians. The exploration of the meaning of our words, even our body language has enhanced the process of communication from both 'sides', allowing patients to achieve a deeper understanding of their illnesses, themselves, and their physicians. The physicians have a new resource to broaden their ability to communicate with patients, understand the patient experience, and even understand the doctor experience differently, and more deeply. “
Mark Novotny, MD, FACP
Chief of Staff Southwestern Vermont Health Care
Bennington, VT
WHAT NURSES SAY
“These are my observations about the patient-medical humanist interaction:
My imagery is of a human bridge connecting the patient to the doctor. The benefit that I could see was that the medical humanist really found out what the patient understood about her disease, treatment, and her support options. It's important work.”
Julie Bowen. RN
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
Bennington, VT
E-mail from Emergency Room Nurse
Subject: The true meaning of empathetic, compassionate patient centered care
On Tuesday, May 17th a young cancer patient presented to the ER at the time requesting life sustaining measures. Our environment is so intense, the equipment so great, and the issues so urgent, that patients need help communicating...[The medical humanist] came to see the patient and advocate for him by discussing and clarifying issues around care that the patient had previously requested. The comfort [the medical humanist] gave the patient and family was a palpable and they decided to follow his previously developed plan of care, which included comfort measures. It was wonderful as ER staff to observe first hand the support given the patient especially when he struggled with end of life decisions. It provided the ER staff with the support needed to stay patient focused and provide the level of quality care that is so important to us.
Claudia Matteson RN
Emergency Department
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
Bennington, VT
A doctors response to the nurses email:
This is just one of many examples of the Medical Humanist’s good work here at SVMC. She really helps patients clarify what they want amidst the flurry of medical choices. In this case it avoided much emotional stress for the patient and family, helped us to make ethical decisions, and save the health care system a huge cost. Her role is important to me, to our patients, and to the hospital.
Charlene Ives, MD
Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center
Bennington, VT |
