Skip to content
C L O S L E R
  • Creative Arts in Medicine
  • Connecting with Patients
  • Passion in the Medical Profession
  • Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence
  • Topic Search
  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Contact
  • Add Your Voice
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Subscribe
C L O S L E R
Moving Us Closer To Osler
A Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence Initiative
Johns Hopkins Medicine Logo
Creative Arts in Medicine
Connecting with Patients
Passion in the Medical Profession
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence
Topic Search
September 2, 2020 | 4 min read

A Call for Advocacy in Medicine

By Sara Wallam, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Systemic racism is prevalent throughout our society. To dismantle disparities in health outcomes for minority patients, clinicians must advocate for their patients at the local level and for communities on a regional and national scale.

September 22, 2020 | 1 min read

Voting as part of clinical excellence

By Margot Kelly-Hedrick, MD, University of Washington

Voting is a way you can advocate for your patients and improve health outcomes.

May 30, 2019 | 9 min read

Confessions of a Female Doctor who Questions Gender Equity Movements Like TIME’S UP Healthcare

By Kali Cyrus, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

We have to embrace humility and first accept that we have biases, prejudices, and privileges in certain contexts. We must then do the hard work of recognizing when our biases show up in interactions, examine our past experiences that contributed to the development of our biases, and acknowledge the hurt that may be caused by our biases to ourselves and others. If we truly want to stop harassment and create equity, we have to do this emotional work every day. And we should do it to stop harassment and create equity for not just women, but for everyone.

November 2, 2020 | 4 min read

Prescription for a healthy future—vote!

By Deanna Behrens, MD, Advocate Children\'s Hospital, Elizabeth Mack, MD, Jenna Miller, MD, Katherine Hoops, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinicians have a responsibility to advocate for policies that can improve the health of all. We must take our civic responsibility seriously and make a plan to vote. 

November 13, 2023 | 2 min read

How clinicians can address housing insecurity

By Craig Pollack, MD, MHS, Johns Hopkins Medicine

For patients with housing insecurity, clinicians can connect them with a social worker and share a list of community-based resources. We must also advocate for policies that increase access to safe and affordable housing.

September 29, 2022 | 2 min read

Documenting humanity (archives, 2022)

By Jane Abernethy, MD, MBE, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinicians are in a powerful position to advocate for undocumented people, who are among the most vulnerable patients. By acknowledging the courage of this population, we can affirm their strength and resilience.

February 25, 2020 | 2 min read

5 Things Clinicians can do to Reduce Drug Prices

By Justin McArthur, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Excellent clinicians prescribe thoughtfully—pruning medication lists, advising patients on how to save money, and advocating for change.

April 4, 2023 | 1 min read

Insurance Denial Fatigue

By Justin McArthur, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

After spending hours with patients deciding what tests or treatments are most appropriate, guess how many seconds it takes for an insurance doctor to reject the claim? 

May 3, 2021 | 6 min read

Why we Must Learn About Our Patients’ Communities

By Daniel Thomas, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Make time to learn about and invest in the community you serve to deepen your connection with patients.

October 22, 2020 | 2 min read

Patient voting matters

By Patrick Hemming, MD, Duke University

Clinicians are in a position of influence and can encourage patients to vote. Expressing confidence in patients’ ability to make a difference as a voter may motivate them to take action.

September 26, 2019 | 3 min read

The Necessity of Being an Advocate

By Zackary Berger, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinical care and advocacy are intertwined. In every clinical encounter, we should think about ways that we can advocate for our patients.

July 23, 2019 | 3 min read

Engaging Care Partners in Communication

By Antonio Wolff, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Jennifer Aufill, BA, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Jennifer Wolff, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Families and friends are valuable resources. These partners in care can help clinicians improve quality of care and patient outcomes.

December 5, 2018 | <1 min read

“A CLOSLER Look,” Dr. Rosalyn Stewart

By Gretchen Miller, Managing Editor

When helping vulnerable urban populations, sometimes the biggest challenge is to understand where the patient is at. Then we have to work together with the patient on walking towards wellness, particularly focusing on lifestyle modifications.

March 14, 2018 | 2 min read

The Power of Acknowledging Feelings

By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

Recognizing and acknowledging feelings can diffuse a patient’s anxiety.

September 19, 2019 | 2 min read

The Importance of Partnering With Patients

By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

What patients and families need is a clinician advocate who is available to listen, translate complex medical language, and support both the physical and mental health of the patient.

December 26, 2018 | 1 min read

How to Ensure Patient Access During the Holidays

By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

The holidays can be a stressful time for both patients and clinicians. Here are a few ideas to ensure stress-free access to care for patients, and tips for everyone to stay healthy and rested.

September 25, 2018 | 1 min read

Teaching Maintains Clinical Excellence

By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

Engaging with learners keeps you dedicated to lifelong learning, and teaching helps to maintain clinical excellence and the joy of medicine.

June 25, 2018 | 2 min read

Trust The Diagnostic Process

By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

Clinicians use a diagnostic process to guide their actions when faced with a medical problem. Hypothesis generation provides an efficient reliable framework to focus the clinical workup and come to the correct diagnosis and treatment plan.

May 17, 2018 | 2 min read

How To Avoid Complacency in Diagnosis

By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

Top tips to avoid complacency when faced with a common clinical presentation that may have an uncommon medical diagnosis.

April 26, 2018 | 1 min read

Forming True Partnerships In Care: Listen To Your Patient

By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

Reflecting on caring for a 12-year-old with a complex neurological condition, I was humbled by the parents’ definition of clinically excellent patient care.

A crowd organized by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee sang “We Shall Overcome” in Farmville, Virginia, in 1966, after a speech by Stokely Carmichael.

January 18, 2019 | 9 min read

From Clinic to Senate

By Kali Cyrus, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Advocacy does not have to mean changing legal precedents; it can also be taking a mentee out for coffee, giving feedback about your colleague’s stereotyping of a patient, or not patronizing restaurants with unfair wage practices.

March 11, 2025 | 4 min read

When sex isn’t binary 

Providing exceptional care to intersex patients requires us to shed the outdated idea of sex as a binary. Instead, we should normalize diversity in sex presentation and encourage families to unconditionally love, support, and listen to their loved one. 

June 13, 2019 | 6 min read

How to Talk With a Vaccine Skeptic

By Dharushana Muthulingam, MD, Yale School of Medicine

You cannot treat those who challenge you with contempt. Conversations must be navigated with respect and compassion.

January 9, 2025 | 2 min read

Caution: red tape ahead  

By Katharine Russo, PharmD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Holistically caring for patients includes helping them navigate healthcare systems. Take time to support already stressed patients through the frustrating and opaque processes of insurance and prior authorizations. 

June 3, 2020 | 2 min read

COVID-19 Hospital Visitor Restrictions May Fuel Obstetric Disparities

By Alexandra Norton, MS3, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Marielle Gross, MD, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Tenisha Wilson, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinicians must ensure that visitor restrictions do not exacerbate racial disparities in health outcomes during the pandemic. Now more than ever—without family at the bedside—listening to and advocating for your patients is essential.

Dr. Carl Streed and Jacob Tobia. Photo by Dr. Carl Streed.

January 6, 2020 | 2 min read

Book Review of “Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story”

By Carl G. Streed Jr., MD, MPH, Boston Medical Center

Recognizing and validating the diversity of gender identities and expressions positively affects the health of our patients and our communities.

September 21, 2022 | 1 min read

Finding Passion, Purpose, and Meaning

By Carisa Parrish, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When experiencing burnout on the job, enjoying activities outside of work may lead to greater happiness and life satisfaction, until your passion for work returns. 

A Reversed Retrogress: Scene 1 (The Purple Shall Govern) (2013), Mary Sibande. Courtesy of the artist and Somerset House London. Photograph by Flora Smyth Zahra.

October 28, 2019 | 5 min read

September Art Museum Challenge

By Flora Smyth Zahra, MA Clin Ed, DRestDent RCS, FHEA, Kings College London, Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

By providing a creative space in which healthcare professionals can build skills integral to clinical practice, while also expressing their vulnerabilities and humanity, art museum-based education can humanize healthcare and provide an antidote to burnout.

October 20, 2021 | 3 min read

Rethinking the Routine in the Pursuit of Inclusion

Interprofessional team members bring a rich variety of perspectives about patients that can lead to better whole person care. Using first names among our team helps minimize power differentials.

October 22, 2019 | 2 min read

The Color of my Skin

By Kimberly Turner, MD, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

With mentorship, advocacy, and open-mindedness by all, it is hoped that there will be greater diversity within the healthcare workforce.

October 4, 2021 | 1 min read

Words Matter

By Leslie Miller, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When serving as an advocate for a family member, I noted judgmental language in the EHR. This reminds me as a clinician to consider how patients (and their families) will feel when they read my notes.

June 20, 2019 | 2 min read

Be Brave Enough to Start Conversations That Matter

By Manasa Ayyala, MD, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

"Between the World and Me" is a must read. At 152 pages, it's a small investment of time that leaves a large impact. I invite you to read this book with the intent to ask curious questions, to be ok feeling uncomfortable, and to continue this important dialogue.

Photograph by Sheldon H. Gottlieb, MD, (c) 2018, all rights reserved.

June 5, 2018 | 2 min read

Clinical Excellence: It Takes A Village

By William Greenough, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The key to clinical excellence in long term care rests not solely on the physician, but also with hands-on bedside caregivers—the unsung heroes of healthcare—nurses, and in this patient story, a recreational therapist.

February 25, 2021 | 2 min read

How You Can Help With Intimate Partner Violence

By Lisa Geller, MPH, Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health crisis and most deadly when a gun is involved. Clinicians should screen patients for IPV, ask about firearm possession, and refer those at risk of IPV to appropriate services.

Practicing humility can improve team-based care.

November 10, 2020 | 2 min read

Moving From Empathy to Humility

By Barret Michalec, PhD, Arizona State University

Acting with humility is granting someone else a higher status than one claims for themselves. This acknowledgement of respect is critical to being an effective healthcare professional.

October 27, 2020 | 3 min read

Beyond The CV

By Kayla Eboreime, Medical Student, University of Texas Medical Branch

There will always be both accolades and critiques that come your way. Neither define who you are. Nourishing your whole self can maintain balance so that you can flourish professionally and personally.

The author connects and celebrates with colleagues - one way to help reduce burnout!

October 2, 2018 | 3 min read

Reducing Resident Burnout

By Sanjay Desai, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

We need to understand and address the causes of resident burnout, not just the symptoms. Interventions to reduce resident burnout will increase the meaning we find in our profession, and include teaching effective teamwork, and learning the patient as a person.

March 19, 2025 | 3 min read

Lessons from caring for Syrian refugees 

By Nagina Khan, PhD, University of Kent

Seek to understand the unique cultural context of patients who have undergone trauma. This is paramount to building trust and providing effective care—especially for vulnerable populations, like refugees. 

February 6, 2025 | 2 min read

Code blue 

By Ursula Gately, medical student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Extreme heat often dominates the climate change conversation, however the dangers of extreme cold may be more perilous. Support patients, particularly those who are unhoused or with housing insecurity, by making sure they know about local warming shelters and advising them to limit exposure to the elements. 

January 8, 2025 | 2 min read

Beyond the inhaler 

By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Effective and equitable asthma management requires a holistic approach that addresses the social determinants of health, including air quality, housing conditions, and environmental factors. 

November 6, 2024 | 2 min read

Artful healing

By Sujal Manohar, medical student, Baylor College of Medicine

When I was working in an epilepsy center, I learned the value of understanding the patient’s lived experience. Art and storytelling can provide a unique window into patient concerns and dreams.

October 28, 2024 | 2 min read

Spark the change

By Sadiqua Sadaf, MBBS, Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India

To motivate patients toward change, healthcare professionals can focus on building trust and setting achievable goals.

October 14, 2024 | 2 min read

Beyond the bike lane

By Chris Tiplady, MD, Northumbria Healthcare, England

Healthcare professionals can be strong advocates for communities. This can include working to improve cycling infrastructure, affordable housing, and access to education. 

September 26, 2024 | 3 min read

Under the influencers 

By Adam Schiavi, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The social media "Black out challenge" promotes asphyxia that can result in irreversible brain damage or death. Healthcare professionals should warn patients and caregivers to be cautious about social media trends and provocations. 

September 17, 2024 | 1 min read

Navigating drug shortages

By Carmen Lopez-Arvizu, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In the face of drug shortages, clinicians must become proactive resource navigators. By staying informed, collaborating with patients, and exploring alternative solutions, clinicians can help mitigate the negative impact of shortages.

April 29, 2024 | 3 min read

A patient’s reflection on connecting with clinicians—what matters most 

By Jennifer Ball, BSJ, MA, Chicago, IL

Empathy and cultural competence are cornerstones of excellent patient care. Prioritizing these values can help each patient feel respected, empowered, and supported. 

December 12, 2023 | 2 min read

“CARE”

By Kelly Buckholdt, PhD, Veterans Health Administration, William Laurento II, MEdL

There’s no more dramatic way to understand patient-centered care than being a patient. 

April 11, 2023 | 2 min read

“Can I hold my newborn baby?”

By Carolyn Sufrin, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Giving birth while imprisoned usually occurs under inhumane conditions, with women remaining shackled and not being permitted to hold newborns. This is a reminder that every patient deserves our compassionate and nonjudgmental care. 

March 23, 2023 | 2 min read

5 questions I ask every patient 

By Lillie Shockney, RN, MS, Johns Hopkins Medicine

I talk with patients who have metastatic breast cancer about their hopes and worries at every visit. This allows me to give better, whole-person care.  

June 26, 2018 | 1 min read

Harnessing Digital Technology for Clinical Excellence

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Digital technology can be leveraged for the greater good of clinically excellent patient care. Social media tools like Twitter enable you to connect with healthcare stakeholders from around the world.

Our Mission

Stimulating healthcare professionals and trainees to reflect on giving exceptional care to every patient.

C L O S L E R
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Creative Arts in Medicine
  • Connecting with Patients
  • Passion in the Medical Profession
  • Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence
  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Contact
  • Add Your Voice
  • Subscribe
  • Donate

©2025 Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence,  Johns Hopkins Medicine.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy