Week Nine — August 18–25, 2012

Faith, Hope and Healing

More and more medical schools in the US are offering courses on Faith and Healing, not only because patients are demanding more spiritual care, but because of the medical community’s growing belief that what happens in a person’s mind (and possibly soul) can be as important as what happens on the cellular level. In this week we will explore existential questions that point to practical physical results.

Confirmed Lecturers

Monday 8/19	Tuesday 8/20	Wednesday 8/21	Thursday 8/22	Friday 8/23
Dr. Timothy Johnson	Richard B. Fratianne	Dr. Stephen M. Sagar	Christina Puchalski	Al Staggs

Monday, August 19

Dr. Timothy Johnson

Dr. Timothy Johnson is one of the nation's leading medical communicators of health care information. As former Chief Medical Editor for ABC News for 25 years, Johnson provided on-air medical analysis for “Good Morning America,” "World News," "Nightline" and "20/20." He provided commentary on medical problems and answers for viewers of ABC News' "Good Morning America" since the program's debut in 1975.

Johnson's programs and feature reports have won several awards, including an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as well as several Emmy Awards from the Boston/New England Chapter of the same organization. Among his many awards, Johnson received the Lewis Thomas Award for Communications from the American College of Physicians in 1988, and in 1987 and 1989, he won the Howard W. Blakeslee Award given by the American Heart Association. 1998 Bradford Washburn Award presented by the Museum of Science, Boston -- an honor also bestowed upon Jacques Cousteau, Walter Cronkite, Dr. Jane Goodall and Alan Alda, among others. In 1999, he earned a Gabriel Award in the best news story category for the two-part piece, "Alzheimer's: A Faded Memory."

Dr. Johnson is the founding editor of the Harvard Medical School Health Letter and co-editor of the "Harvard Medical School Health Letter Book." He is also co-editor of the book Your Good Health, co-author of Let's Talk, and author of Dr. Timothy Johnson's OnCall Guide to Men's Heath and Finding God in the Questions: A Personal Journey. Most recently he is the author of a book on health care reform titled The Truth about Getting Sick in America.

Originally headed for the ministry, he graduated from North Park Seminary in 1963, then decided two years later to enter medicine. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Augustana College, he graduated summa cum laude from Albany Medical College and holds a masters degree in public health from Harvard University. He is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and is a staff member of Massachusetts General Hospital, among other institutions.

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Tuesday, August 20

Richard B. Fratianne, M.D.

Case Western University and Metro Hospital, Cleveland

Richard B. Fratianne, MD, is Director Emeritus of the Comprehensive Burn Care Center at MetroHealth Medical Center. Dr. Frat, as he likes to be called, graduated from Western Reserve University with a BS and MD, and took his surgical and fellowship training at Cleveland City Hospital, now called MetroHealth, a teaching hospital of CWRU, where he has spent his entire career. Dr. Fratianne was the founding Medical Director of the Burn Center in 1969, a position he held until his retirement in 2001, as well as the first Medical Director of Life Flight. He joined the ABA in 1970.

Dr. Frat served on the Case Western Reserve University Senate and was Chairman of the Faculty Council. Currently Emeritus Professor of Surgery, he has 175 publications plus 10 book chapters related to the physiology of shock, tissue cultured skin equivalents, early enteral feedings, early excision and grafting, trauma care, medical ethics, and end of life issues. He has also authored a book titled From Cinders to Butterflies, a Journey to Healing which describes his philosophy of burn care. Since retirement, among many other endeavors, Dr. Frat serves as the coordinator of the Comprehensive Aftercare Program which provides winter and summer camps for burned children. He is the recipient of numerous awards.

In an article in the 2001 Winter Issue of the Case Western Reserve University Magazine titled “Miracles Happen Around Him,” Dr. Fratianne is described as a team leader who encourages his Burn T.E.A.M. (Together Each Accomplishes More) to provide a nurturing environment to promote phy physical, emotional, and spiritual rehabilitation by helping re-establish the patient’s dignity and self esteem, while they are doing the arduous, painful tasks that distinguish Burn Care Professionals from all other health care workers. His mantra is that burns occur from the “outside in,” and are an incurable disease: the “scars are forever.” Patients can be healed, however: healing occurs from the “inside out.” Some of the patients say, “Being burned was one of the best things that ever happened to me,” and some celebrate a re-birth day on the anniversary of the injury.

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Wednesday, August 21

Dr. Stephen M. Sagar

radiation oncologist, prof. of oncology, McMaster University

Dr. Stephen M. Sagar BSc (Hons), MB BS, MRCP, FRCR, FRCPC is a Radiation Oncologist and Professor of Oncology at McMaster University in Canada. He inherited his eccentricity and accent from his birth place: some small islands in the Atlantic called Great Britain. He completed his graduate boot camp medical training in London, and negotiated some institutional assault courses in Canada. One day, he was enlightened by research studies which prove that up to 80% of oncology health care professionals have developed a psychological syndrome called burnout. This syndrome partly explains the dissatisfaction with health care delivery, and it has major repercussions for patient care and health outcomes.

Dr. Sagar has taught the spiritual counsellors’ course at Wilfred Laurier University and is on the Faculty of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Washington D.C. He is Past-President of the Society for Integrative Oncology. His interests include integrating processes for patient care and health outcomes, mind-body medicine, and evidence-based complementary therapies. He acknowledges that there is a withdrawal of pragmatic religious principles from inside our institutions. In addition, the dehumanization of genuine care is causing a new and serious epidemic that is affecting beneficial health outcomes. Both health care institutions and health care professionals are suffering from an epidemic of the disease called spiritual malaise.

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Thursday, August 22

Christina Puchalski

found and dir., GW Institute for Spirituality and Health

Christina Puchalski, MD, MS, FACP, is a pioneer and leader in the movement to integrate spirituality into healthcare in both the clinical setting and in medical education. As Founder and Director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish), and Professor of Medicine at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., she continues to break new ground in the understanding and integration of spiritual care in a broad spectrum of healthcare environments. The spiritual assessment tool, FICA, which she developed, is used widely in clinical settings around the world. First and foremost a clinician, the cornerstone of her clinical practice is integrating patients’ spiritual beliefs into their care, and addressing sensitive medical issues facing seriously ill patients. Dr. Puchalski’s work in the field of spirituality and medicine encompasses the clinical, the academic, and the pastoral application of her research and insights.

Widely published in journals with work ranging from biochemistry research to issues in ethics, culture, and spirituality and healthcare, Dr. Puchalski has also authored several books: Time for Listening and Caring: Spirituality and the Care of the Seriously Ill and Dying, and Making Health Care Whole. sp; She is co-editor of the first textbook in Spirituality and Health published by Oxford University Press, 2012.

Dr. Puchalski has received numerous awards for her work, including the Outstanding Colleague Award from the National Association of Catholic Chaplains for her support of the profession of chaplaincy and her advocacy for the expertise of the board certified chaplain on the multidisciplinary care team, as well as the George Washington University Distinguished Alumni Award, given in recognition of her scholarship and leadership.

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Friday, August 23

Al Staggs

ordained minister and dramatist

Rev. Al Staggs is a character – in fact, he is many characters! A presenter of one-person performances and lectures for churches, colleges, seminaries, and conferences throughout the world, Al's performances and lectures are utilized for spiritual formation emphasis, theological lectureships, theologian-in-residencies, chapels, retreats, theology,and the arts events and peace and justice conferences. His Laughter for Life program focuses on the spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits of humor and features his numerous comedic impersonations including: Paul Lynde, Jerry Lewis, Gomer Pyle, George Burns, Jonathan Winters, Frankie Fontaine (Crazy Guggenheim), Rodney Dangerfield, Redd Foxx, Red Skelton, Robin Williams, Flip Wilson as Geraldine, Willie Nelson, Jim Varney (Ernest) as well as impressions of Bill Clinton, George H. and George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. This will be fun and meaningful climax for our Season!

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