Transformational Times
Words of Hope, Character & Resilience from our Virtual Community
Friday, October 22, 2021
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In This Parenting and Children Focused Issue: |
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Director's Corner
Perspective/ Opinion
Book Excerpt
Opinion from the New York Times
Poetry Corner
- Mark S. Burrows: The heart of now
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Your Turn
Announcements & Resources
- Watch the Recording of the Kern October Connection Cafe
- Submit your ideas for a name for the new School of Medicine curriculum
- Submit authorship questions to KICS
- Kern Institute Collaboration for Scholarship Journal Club
- Kern National Network News & Events
- Kern Institute Connection Café: New Curriculum: Hopes & Dreams
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Kern Grand Rounds: 414 LIFE: An Innovative Public Health Approach to Breaking the Cycle of Gun Violence in Milwaukee
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Director's Corner
"You are Going to Take Care of Me and My Children Someday Soon"
By Adina Kalet, MD, MPH
In this issue of the Transformational Times which focuses on children and parenting, Dr. Kalet recalls a time when medical education became personal and the personal become medical education …
“How long has Sara had this murmur?” our new pediatrician asks, her stethoscope still firmly planted on my perfectly healthy child’s chest.
“What murmur?” Dread rises from my toes to the top of my head.
We are in the office to have routine summer camp physical exam forms signed by the physician. Sara eagerly anticipates a month with new friends, lazing around in the woods, playing sports, and doing arts and crafts.
Five weeks from that visit, Sara will be in the operating room.
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Perspective/Opinion
Being a Parent and a Pediatrician
By Cassie Ferguson, MD
Dr. Ferguson, an emergency physician at Children’s Wisconsin and a mother, writes about the challenges of both parenting and being a physician, yet how she is continually renewed by both realms of her life …
Every weekday morning, I am confronted with my failure as a parent. Instead of filling my three kids’ lunchboxes with a colorful array of washed and cut, 100% organic, GMO-free fruits and veggies and a lean protein-packed sandwich cut into a dinosaur shape, I am typically frantically grabbing for a Dole fruit cup, an unnaturally colored yogurt tube, and a bag of Fritos. Guilt inevitably washes over me every time I shove a PB&J made with Skippy and grape jelly on white bread into their lunch boxes, and I cringe thinking about the teachers seeing what I knowingly feed my children.
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Perspective/Opinion
Masking for a Friend
By Danny Thomas, MD, MPH
Dr. Thomas, a pediatrician and public school parent, writes about the experience and necessity of speaking publicly about the COVID-19 pandemic …
I hate public speaking.
During the pandemic, where we were reusing precious PPE in clinical care, speaking to mask-less masses in a crowded room seemed downright dangerous. But, on Monday, July 27, 2020, a residency classmate of mine died from COVID-19. So, weeks later, I found myself in front of the microphone making public comments about reopening schools. The school board had convened a medical advisory panel over the summer that provided expert recommendations for reopening safely based on local data and national guidance. It would seem to be a simple proposition to “just follow doctor’s orders.” But, misinformation, local and national elections, and denial had coalesced into a rabid opposition of public health measures.
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Perspective/Opinion
Children’s Wisconsin and Rogers Behavioral Health: Integrated Healing Program for Teens with Chronic Pain
By Kim Anderson Khan, PsyD
Dr. Khan describes a transformational partnership between CW, MCW, and Rogers Behavioral Health that resulted in a new program to help teens with chronic pain and functional disorders regain their lives…
In late summer of 2019, I was invited to a “Vertical Values Stream Event” at Rogers Behavioral Health in Oconomowoc. This is Rogers-speak for brainstorming, actually taking action, and using a lot of post-it notes to keep track of it all. Leaders and clinicians from Children's Wisconsin (CW) and Rogers Behavioral Health (RBH) attended this planning event to begin the realization of a partnership to treat the physical, mental and behavioral health needs of kids and families in Wisconsin. After the week-long event two proposals were submitted and several months later our vision of creating an intensive outpatient rehabilitation program to treat the psychological and physical aspects of pain and functional disorders in teens was approved.
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Perspective/Opinion
Riding the Pandemic Rollercoaster – The Pediatric Perspective
By Jamie A. Collins, MD
Dr. Collins is a 3rd year resident in the Department of Pediatrics. She writes about the unusual surge in respiratory viruses that occurred this summer and the parallels between that surge and the COVID-19 surge in the adult hospitals…
Pediatrics is a specialty that likes its calendars. From the month to month, year to year development of our patients to the seasonality of our pathology, there is usually some level of predictability to our work.
Well, there was.
The pandemic of the past year (or, rather, two years—time flies when we’re having fun) has disrupted every level of that structure. Any semblance of normalcy in the lives of our patients was quickly put to rest when quarantine took them out of school, just as we learned about COVID-19 and its troublesome pediatric offspring, MISC (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome-Children).
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Perspective/Opinion
Two Parents' Plea to Their School Community
By Kelly Smerz, PhD and Paul Smerz, PhD
At the invitation of the Transformational Times, we are reproducing this letter which was written by two parents (both psychologists) in August 2021 as their elementary school leadership was deciding whether to start the year with universal masking. One of them read the letter out loud at a meeting to the other parents and the advisory committee that had gathered to discuss the issue. Ultimately, the school decided to start the year with universal masking ...
Today, it came to our attention that our school has not made a decision on its mask policy, and that there is a meeting tomorrow where this issue will be addressed.
To be honest, we naively assumed that our school would simply follow the COVID safety protocols of last year, which worked so well in keeping our children and our community safe. We recall how impressed we were with your efforts throughout the school year. We were so very proud to be a part of our school community.
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Book Excerpt
Catastrophic Rupture: A Memoir of Healing
By K. Jane Lee, MD, MA
The following excerpt is from the beginning of the final chapter of Catastrophic Rupture: A Memoir of Healing. It shows a parenting scene with both familiar and unfamiliar aspects, along with a realization that had been a long time coming…
One evening when Jo was in second grade, she and Jason were sitting in the kitchen going through a math worksheet that focused on subtracting three-digit numbers. She had already been practicing her subtraction facts for at least a year, so this was not a new concept.
“Okay, Jo, so we start with the ones column,” said Jason, pointing at the correct column on the first problem. “Three minus three. Is that one or zero?” he asked, holding out his hands to represent the choices.
Jo, leaning forward in her activity chair, studied Jason’s hands intently, then slowly lifted her arm off her tray and touched *one*.
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Opinion From the New York Times
Why Public Health Faces a Crisis Across the US
By Mike Baker and Danielle Ivory
An examination of hundreds of health departments around the country shows that the nation may be less prepared for the next pandemic than it was for the current one.
PORT ANGELES, Wash. — As she leaves work, Dr. Allison Berry keeps a vigilant eye on her rearview mirror, watching the vehicles around her, weighing if she needs to take a more circuitous route home. She must make sure nobody finds out where she lives.
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The heart of now
By Mark S. Burrows
This morning, I headed to
the woods as I do each morning
without a single thought of
accomplishing anything in
my mind, and why should I?
My dog, I was eager for
a walk, doesn’t ever
imagine some future delight,
but lives headlong into
unknowable possibilities
of joy with a reckless disregard
of order or propriety.
She refuses the press
of anxiety that seems to wait
for us at every crossroads,
holding her head high
to catch what the wind brings,
facing the heart of now
with a glad intention
that lightens my soul with
something like a song.
From the Christian Century
October 20, 2021
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My 11-year old niece is undergoing treatment for recently diagnosed alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. There have been many dark days, but this week, she "FaceTimed" me so that I could listen to her read a book about Michelle Obama. Hearing her thoughts and forgetting about cancer for just a few moments made me smile all week long.
—Judith Brenner, MD, Former colleague of Adina Kalet and fan of the Kern Institute
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My 2 1/2-year-old niece confirming she wants to be a blue bus for Halloween. :)
—Meaghan Hayes, Staff
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For this week's reflection prompt, please answer the following:
What is something you would love to learn how to do?
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Watch the Recording:
"You Are Fine, How Am I?!"
The recording of Kern's October Connection Café, with moderator Himanshu Agrawal, MD and panelists Sara Brady, MD; Cassie Ferguson, MD; and AODA Counselor Ms. Hilary Pick is now available to watch.
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Share Your Thoughts
Naming Contest for the new MCW School of Medicine curriculum
The Curriculum Innovation Team invites you to submit your vote for the official naming of the new MCW School of Medicine curriculum.
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Need advice about authorship? Tactics for a tricky situation? Opinions on ordering? Write to the KICS Team and see your question answered in an upcoming issue of the Transformational Times!
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KNN Discussion Series
Civic Responsibility: Healthcare and Democracy
Although it is clear factors outside practice walls significantly affect health outcomes, it is less straightforward for healthcare learners and professionals to know what role, if any, to play in civic life and policy issues. To what extent should those in healthcare get involved—and how can they balance personal, professional and organizational values when they do?
In this discussion—moderated by Gregg Margolis, PhD, of the National Academy of Medicine—Drs. Abdul El-Sayed and Jasmine Zapata will share experiences, reflections and their responses to audience questions on navigating civic responsibility.
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October 26, 2021
Live Virtual Event
4:00 - 5:00 pm CT
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This series is presented by the Kern National Network for Caring & Character in Medicine through an investment from
the Kern Family Trust and Kern Family Foundation.
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Kern Institute Collaboration for Scholarship Journal Club
The KICS Journal Club for Medical Education meets monthly on the second Wednesday of the month via Zoom, 12:15–1:00 PM Central. The next meeting will feature Lyn Van Swol, PhD, discussing teaching communication skills.
Interested individuals can join the meeting via Zoom using the link below, or email Michael Braun to be added to the meeting invite.
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Meeting ID: 921 1154 0031
Passcode: KICSJoClub
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November 10, 2021
Zoom Presentation
12:15 - 1:00 pm CT
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Please Join Us
Kern Institute Connection Café:
New Curriculum: Hopes and Dreams
Curriculum redesign is hard work. Many faculty, staff, and students have contributed to this process, which is summarized here. A curriculum, however, is more than just the sum of its parts. For the efforts of so many to be worthwhile, a new curriculum should have a positive impact on students, faculty, staff, patients, and our community. The presenters will share their vision of the potential for key elements of the curriculum design plan to transform medical education for its stakeholders, followed by an opportunity for further discussion.
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November 11, 2021
Live via Zoom
4:00 - 5:00 pm CT
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Please Join Us
Kern Institute Grand Rounds
414 LIFE: An Innovative Public Health Approach to Breaking the Cycle of Gun Violence in Milwaukee
Gun violence is a significant public health crisis in our country. The physical, psychological, and financial impact of violence on individuals, families, and communities is profound. It is a pervasive issue that has only gotten worse since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Milwaukee experienced a historic level of gun violence in 2020 and is on pace to surpass that record this year.
414 LIFE is a public health intervention to prevent and interrupt the transmission of gun violence in Milwaukee. We invite you to join us for an engaging discussion about the progress made and challenges faced by the program, and how the entire MCW community can elevate its voice and engagement in promoting violence prevention efforts on campus and throughout the region. During this session participants will learn:
- The importance of taking a public health approach to violence prevention.
- The journey of implementing a community-healthcare partnership to address gun violence.
- Progress of the program and challenges involved with this approach.
- The importance of delivering healthcare services with compassion to the patients and their families.
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November 18, 2021
Live via Zoom
2:00 - 3:00 pm CT
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The Transformational Times publishes weekly, delivering stories of hope, character and resilience to our virtual community. |
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Editorial Board: Kathlyn Fletcher, MD, Adina Kalet, MD, Wendy Peltier, MD, Erin Weileder, Nabil Attlassy, Julia Bosco, Ana Istrate, Scott Lamm, Sophia Neman, Wolf Pulsiano, Eileen Peterson, Neehal Sukla, Sarah Torres, Anna Visser, James Wu, Serena Zacharias & Emelyn Zaworski
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