Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff

Join Iris Brown for a workshop to create alcoholado. Alcoholado is a traditional Puerto Rican remedy made from the Malagueta tree and alcohol, used to relieve fever, muscle aches, insect bites, and more. Attendees will learn the art of using nature’s finest ingredients to create powerful homemade remedies and take their alcoholados home. A traditional vegan-friendly Puerto Rican meal will also be served at the event.

Iris Brown is dedicated to the rich exchange of culture, agriculture, and food, amplifying this diasporic connection between her Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia and her hometown of Loíza. In the early 1980s, Iris Brown co-founded Grupo Motivos, bringing together Puerto Rican women from different parts of Puerto Rico, united by the desire to use their surroundings to create beautiful spaces for their children and neighbors, ultimately converting abandoned lots into award-winning gardens and ancestral education sites. She is the visionary force behind the Norris Square Neighborhood Project gardens; El Batey, Las Parcelas, the Butterfly Garden, Raíces, and Villa Africana Colobó.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

The alcoholado workshop is organized in conjunction with Convalescence, an immersive art installation by artist Pepón Osorio at Thomas Jefferson University.

Monday, November 4, Online via Zoom, 5-6PM. Open to Jefferson students.

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 [email protected].

Wednesday, November 6, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Listening:

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

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.

Thursday, November 7, 12-1PM, Room 505, Dorrance H. Hamilton Building, 1001 Locust Street. Free and open to all. Lunch provided.

Hadley Vlahos started documenting her experiences as a hospice nurse and stories of her patients on TikTok and now reaches over 1.5 million followers (June 2023) as “Nurse Hadley.” In her New York Times-bestselling memoir The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments, Vlahos shares new stories of the most impactful experiences she has had with her patients—from the woman who never once questioned her faith until she was close to death, to the older man seeing visions of his late daughter, to the young patient who laments that she spent too much of her short life worrying about what others thought of her.

Hadley Vlahos’ childhood dream was to become a writer and when she started college, a career in nursing never crossed her mind. While in many families death is a taboo topic, in Vlahos’ family death was literally a part of life. Her grandparents were licensed embalmers and funeral directors and topics around dying were naturally part of dinnertime conversations. After high school Vlahos attended Florida State University and at nineteen she became a single mom. Her life was setting off on a different trajectory and she enrolled in nursing school to be able to support herself and her baby. After graduation Vlahos worked in immediate care and a nursing home, but it wasn’t until she started working in hospice care that she realized she was doing exactly what she was meant to do.

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

Co-presented by Jefferson Humanities & Health and the Jefferson College of Nursing.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

Monday, November 11, 12-1PM, JAH 307. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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 [email protected].

Monday, November 11, 6:30-7:30PM, Conrady Lobby, Hamilton Building. Light refreshments provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Jefferson Humanities & Health Artists in Residence Trapeta B. Mayson and Yolanda Wisher host an evening of poetry readings by Jefferson students. 

Join us for a celebration of the healing effects of poetry! Exploring emotions, engaging in the senses, and expressing core feelings in writing leads to improvements in a wide range of health outcomes, including relieving stress and supporting overall mental wellness.  

Led by Trapeta B. Mayson and Yolanda Wisher, both former Philadelphia Poets Laureate, this event will feature participants from Writing Wellness: A Healing Verse Poetry Workshop, a Fall 2024 medical humanities course for Jefferson students that centers poetry as a tool to support healing. Participants have been encouraged to access their inner voices, experiences, and memories to write poems and to cultivate ways to process, reflect on, and reframe their experiences as health care practitioners. 

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, Office of Student Affairs [email protected].

Tuesday, November 12, 12-1PM, Hamilton 208/209. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

We all have a soundtrack that marks the many chapters of our lives. Teaching artist Josh Robinson will facilitate a reflection through your musical past, your stories, and the role music has played throughout your life. The workshop uses music as a vehicle to help participants connect to others and reconnect to themselves. Participants will be guided to reflect on the meaning of various songs in their lives and how music has helped them through both positive and negative experiences.

About the facilitator

Josh Robinson is a professional percussionist, teaching artist, and drum facilitator. He has been a visiting instructor in the Humanities at Thomas Jefferson University for the past four years and is in his second year as the Humanities artist-in-residence. For the past 19 years, Josh has used his skills, expertise, and life experience to share drumming and the many gifts it brings with thousands of people each year around the country. Learn more about Josh at joshrobinsondrums.com.

This program is open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff of all colleges and programs.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at [email protected]

Tuesday, 5-6PM, College Building, Room 213.

At this event, we will be joined by Dr. Daphne Owens about the community based work of Puentes de Salud, addressing healthcare disparities within the Philadelphia community. This event will examine the systemic challenges and explore actionable solutions aimed at improving health equity for Spanish Speaking communities.

Speaker: 

Daphne Owen, MD – Puentes de Salud: Director of Medical Education and Development

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event but credit is available for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate and the Anti-Racism in Health Focus.

Wednesday, November 13, 5-7PM, BLSB 105. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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)

SKMC students taking DEAFMed as a Humanities Selective who are also enrolled in the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate are not eligible to count these sessions towards Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

Thursday, November 14, 12-1PM, Foerderer Auditorum. Lunch provided. Free and open to all.

Theater of Witness is excited to introduce Constance, Gloria, El-Shara, Jerome, Nicole, and Shamona – six Environmental Service Workers who clean in area hospitals and perform in Cleaning in the House of Healing.All of them have been cleaning since they were young. They’ve been doing the invisible but essential work that most of us don’t want to see. Some of them grew up cleaning for elderly neighbors and family, others in stadiums, on city streets, and/or in hotels. They all became Environmental Service Workers (EVS) in hospitals where they have stories of cleaning in trauma bays, patient rooms, doctor’s offices, and emergency departments. As Constance Turner has said, “I’ve seen it all and I’ve cleaned it all”.

With dignity and poetry, they share their personal life stories as well as their experiences and emotions after cleaning in a hospital setting following trauma, violence, illness and care.

Theater of Witness is a form of testimonial performance and documentary films performed by people sharing their personal and collective stories of suffering, transformation and peace. Developed more than thirty years ago by Artistic Director Teya Sepinuck, the work brings people together across divides of difference to bear witness to each other’s life experiences. Performers who have survived trauma, marginalization, oppression, and the complexity of the human experience, address some of society’s most challenging issues from a multiplicity of perspectives.

The performances weave the performers’ stories together with music, spoken word, visual imagery and film into dynamic theater that humanizes the ’other’ and cultivates compassion and empathy. The result is authentic, raw and powerful theater that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.

Lead support for Cleaning in the House of Healing is provided by the William Penn Foundation.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

Monday, November 18, 6-7:30PM. Zoom. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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: Jibri Douglas

Jibri Douglas (they/them) hails from Newark, NJ, and is currently a 3LE part-time law student at Rutgers Law School. In 2010, Jibri graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor's degree in Health Promotion and Behavior. Since graduating from UGA, Jibri has worked tirelessly in the HIV/AIDS field in many capacities, primarily with LGBT homeless youth, substance users, and formerly incarcerated women of color. In 2017, Jibri graduated with a Master of Public Health degree from Drexel University, concentrating in Health Management and Policy. Jibri started identifying as trans*/non-binary around 2012 while working at Jersey City Medical Center. Having endured discrimination during the beginning of their transition, Jibri started the Pride Promise LGBTQ Initiative at Jersey City Medical Center. Jibri is continuing their transition journey, having legally changed their name in March 2020.

Additionally, Jibri identifies as a social entrepreneur who over the years has slowly married their background in public health to entrepreneurship. Jibri started their journey in 2008 by publishing their first poetry book "Old Vs. New: The Chronicles of Growth" selling over 300 copies in undergrad. In 2015, after successfully launching the first hospital-wide LGBTQ healthcare initiative in Hudson County, NJ, Jibri founded TJD Medical Consulting, a small Diversity and Inclusion boutique consulting firm with a focus on healthcare organizations. In 2019, Jibri transitioned into real estate development. After years of working in public health and seeing the impacts of housing blight on communities, Jibri created Noire Real Estate, LLC.

This event will be on Zoom. A link will be sent through Eventbrite reminder and email closer to the date.

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 [email protected].

Wednesday, November 20, 12-1PM, Eakins Lounge. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

Jaffna is an acoustic, ethnic fusion ensemble consisting of Roger Mgrdichian (oud), Raji Malik (guitar), Branavan Ganesan (tabla) and Joseph Tayoun (dumbek). The Philadelphia-based group combines instrumentation and influences from the Middle East, India, and anywhere else that inspires them with original music both exotic and familiar. With roots in the eclectic 1990s world music scene centered around Philadelphia’s Middle East Restaurant, the group maintains its distinct style with compositions and performances that stretch the boundaries of their respective cultures.

Jaffna’s musicians have created a musical universe with oud, guitar, tabla, and dumbek, where they can all play together, eat, argue, and still stay good friends. Along with the strong Middle East and Indian flavors come unmistakable flamenco, rock, Balkan, and jazz influences, the result of jamming in and around the vibrant Philadelphia music scene for years.

Jaffna has produced 2 CDs of original music, Acoustic Allies and Mandala, and its members maintain a high level of activity in many world music projects such as Barakka, One, Hindugrass, Arehm. Atzilut, and the Mid-East Ensemble.

The Humanities Concert Series is made possible through a generous gift from Deborah L. August, MD, MPH, and Robert H. Rosenwasser, MD, FACS, FAHA

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

Wednesday, November 20, 5-6PM, College Building 202

A meet & greet event with community leaders “speed dating” style event aims to give students an opportunity to hear about how healthcare leaders experiences have shaped their approaches to healthcare and patient advocacy. Whether it's through community initiatives, global projects, or innovative clinical practices, students will engage in meaningful conversations with community leaders.

Speakers:

Ryan K. Brannon, MD – Associate Professor, Dept of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Director, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement

Deborah K. Witt, MD – Medical Director, Jefferson Collaborative for Health Equity

Sara Tabi, MD – Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Dr. Orlando Kirton, MD – Chair, Department of Surgery

Dr. Karolynn T Echols, MD – Associate Professor, Urogynecology

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event, but credit is available for Asano Humanities & Health Certificate and the Anti-Racism in Health Focus.

Wednesday, November 20, 6-7PM, Hamilton 505. 

The Health Profession Students for Chronic Illness and Disability will be hosting a patient panel of people living with medical devices (someone with an ileostomy, feeding tube, central line, and insulin pump). By attending the panel you will be able to hear firsthand lived experiences of people living with medical devices, develop an appreciation for daily living with a medical device, and improve our treatment of patients with medical devices!

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event but credit is available for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate.

Thursday, November 21, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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 [email protected].

Tuesday, November 26, 12-1PM, Hamilton 208/209. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Everyone needs some down time but not the guilt that comes when we think we are not being productive. Why not relax and be productive by joining us for some yarn work??

Spend some time with Dr. Elizabeth Spudich, Dr. Abigail Kay and Dr. Jenna Hagerty learning how to knit or crochet; or if you are already skilled come and share your talent.

Each student will get a kit including yarn, hooks or needles (depending on your chosen craft), some basic patterns, and other surprises!

Students will work on creating scarves that they can keep for themselves, gift to a loved one, or donate to JeffHope.

Facilitators:

Dr. Jenna Hagerty, Assistant Professor, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

Dr. Abigail Kay, MA, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs & Undergraduate Medical Education, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Dr. Elizabeth Spudich, PhD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Anatomy Education Division, Department of Medical Education, JeffMD Anatomy Thread Director, JeffMD Cardiopulmonary Block Co-Director, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Questions? Please contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, Office of Student Affairs, at [email protected].

Wednesday, November 27, 12-1PM, Zoom.

Please join us for our monthly Jefferson Central Region Schwartz Center Rounds! We will meet on the 4th Wednesday of each month, either on Zoom or in-person, from 12-1pm. We do not have a Rounds in December. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

About Schwartz Center Rounds: Schwartz Center Rounds are humanism in medicine events developed by the Kenneth B Schwartz Center to support and advance compassion in healthcare. Events provide space and a level playing field for hospital employees from diverse areas to discuss difficult social and emotional issues that arise in caring for patients and their families. All Jefferson students and employees are welcome.

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event but credit towards the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate is available.

Monday, December 2, Online via Zoom, 5-6PM. Open to Jefferson students.

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 [email protected].

Tuesday, December 3, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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, December 5, 12-1PM, JAH 207. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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 [email protected].

Wednesday, January 8, Connelly Auditorium, Hamilton Building. 5-6PM. Dinner provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Second-year medical student Kishan Patel shares his cancer journey in this candid lecture and conversation event. Cancer isn’t something that starts and finishes, it’s something that you live with. My message is that patients are humans, too. Treating patients like humans will make them want to be treated and come back to see you. It will help build the patient-clinician relationship that we hear about in the curriculum but aren’t really taught how to encourage. Ever since I was diagnosed and went through cancer, I’ve had a more positive outlook in life. I hope that by sharing my perspective and experience, it will encourage others to have a more positive outlook, too, especially in professional/graduate school when life is already hard.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

Thursday, January 9, 12-1PM, Hamilton 224/225. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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 [email protected].

Wednesday, January 22, BLSB 105, 12-1PM. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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 [email protected].

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

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 [email protected].

Thursday, February 6, 12-1PM, Hamilton 224/225. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

We all have a soundtrack that marks the many chapters of our lives. Teaching artist Josh Robinson will facilitate a reflection through your musical past, your stories, and the role music has played throughout your life. The workshop uses music as a vehicle to help participants connect to others and reconnect to themselves. Participants will be guided to reflect on the meaning of various songs in their lives and how music has helped them through both positive and negative experiences.

About the facilitator

Josh Robinson is a professional percussionist, teaching artist, and drum facilitator. He has been a visiting instructor in the Humanities at Thomas Jefferson University for the past four years and is in his second year as the Humanities artist-in-residence. For the past 19 years, Josh has used his skills, expertise, and life experience to share drumming and the many gifts it brings with thousands of people each year around the country. Learn more about Josh at joshrobinsondrums.com.

This program is open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff of all colleges and programs.

Students who attended the Soundtrack to Your Life session on November 12, 2024 for Asano credit are not eligible to count this event for Asano credit.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, at [email protected]

Wednesday, February 12, BLSB 15, 5-6:30PM. Dinner provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

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 [email protected].

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

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 [email protected].

Monday, March 24, Online via Zoom. 5-6PM. Open to Jefferson students.

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 [email protected].

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanites Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

Monday, April 7, Online via Zoom, 5-6PM. Open to Jefferson students.

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 [email protected].

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanites Program Coordinator, at [email protected].