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Moving Us Closer To Osler
A Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence Initiative
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Creative Arts in Medicine
Connecting with Patients
Passion in the Medical Profession
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence
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October 21, 2019 | 4 min read

Stepping Up to Climate Change

By Evans Brown, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The climate crisis is directly relevant to our work in healthcare. Healthcare professionals must step up and get involved.

April 14, 2022 | 4 min read

Talking About Climate Change With Patients

By Dean Chien, CLOSLER team, Baltimore, Maryland

Climate change affects the health of everyone. When talking with patients about climate change, meet them where they are and listen nonjudgmentally. 

July 12, 2023 | 3 min read

Act now: save the planet

By Evans Brown, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Climate change is a public health emergency. As healthcare professionals, we have a responsibility to advocate for reducing carbon emissions to ensure everyone’s health. 

September 12, 2019 | 3 min read

Connecting climate change to patient care (archives, 2019)

Healthcare professionals must confront the health threats posed by climate change. To safeguard the health of all humanity, we should take a leadership role in addressing this critical issue.

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. 

October 24, 2024 | 2 min read

The heat is on: How to keep patients cool and safe 

Rising temperatures due to climate change affect patients of all ages, particularly those with chronic health conditions. Counsel patients on strategies to prevent heat-related medical complications. 

January 27, 2025 | 2 min read

The green hospital 

By Nick Dalesio, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Recognize the significant environmental impact of your healthcare practices. Advocate for and implement sustainable solutions, such as optimizing workflow to reduce waste and improve resource utilization. 

July 11, 2024 | 2 min read

Protecting the most vulnerable from heat-related illnesses 

By Joanna Cohen, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When caring for patients during heat waves, healthcare professionals should be aware of social determinants of health—like no air conditioning at home. Clinicians should know the available resources to recommend, such as cooling centers within the communities they serve. 

June 14, 2023 | 1 min read

Is it safe to breathe?

By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Wildfires are worsening in intensity and frequency due to global warming. When the air quality is poor, encourage those with underlying cardiopulmonary conditions to stay inside if possible, and to wear a well-fitted mask outdoors. 

October 7, 2021 | 1 min read

Wildfires and public health

By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Healthcare professionals must work with the community they serve, focusing on open dialogues and communication. This will help citizens deal with unforeseen challenges.

September 10, 2024 | 4 min read

Our patients, our planet, ourselves

By Christopher Lemon, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

By understanding the environmental determinants of health, clinicians can contribute to the well-being of both patients and the planet.

Sketch of Carl Rogers, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

June 27, 2019 | 5 min read

Lessons From “Empathic: An Underappreciated Way of Being”

By Leslie Ordal, MSc, CGC

Reading Carl Rogers' 1975 essay can help you cultivate the skill of listening without judgement.

Photo by David Kopacz.

March 9, 2022 | 6 min read

Being a naturalist to improve the health of all

By David Kopacz, MD, University of Washington

Listening and closely observing patients, in the way we appreciate and notice nature, can promote humanistic care and clinician well-being.

October 26, 2020 | 1 min read

8 Ways to Manage Election Stress

By Neda Gould, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Mindfulness strategies can help clinicians and patients alike to ease election-related anxiety and promote positive mental health.

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.

May 30, 2018 | 2 min read

Staying Engaged

By David Feller-Kopman, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The opposite of burnout is engagement—here are three things you can do to stay engaged.

June 11, 2019 | 2 min read

Burnt out on Burnout: how to understand what burnout means to you

By Hannah Wilson, MBBS, Harvard Medical School

In order to truly understand and prevent burnout, we must first define what it is that burnout means to each of us.

untitled, by David Kopacz

July 21, 2022 | 7 min read

Building Cultures of Caring

By David Kopacz, MD, University of Washington

We must care for ourselves to care for others. One great place to start is practicing self-compassion.

September 1, 2021 | 2 min read

What’s The Problem?

By Ben Roberts, CRNP, AGACNP-BC, ACHPN, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Systematically formulating a clear statement of the patient’s problem can be incredibly helpful. This may improve your diagnostic reasoning and ability to formulate more effective therapeutic plans.

January 28, 2020 | 3 min read

Racism From Patients—an Ethical Dilemma

By Sonal Gandhi, MBBS, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

A cornerstone of clinical excellence is treating all patients with respect and dignity. This is true even when treating those patients who are not respectful to you.

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.

"Enlightenment," by David Kopacz, 2020.

December 28, 2020 | 6 min read

Medical Activism: A Foundation of Professionalism

By David Kopacz, MD, University of Washington

Clinicians should expand their definition of professionalism to include working for societal change to improve the health of all.

July 19, 2023 | 2 min read

Sacred Spaces

By Eric Last, DO, Northwell Health, Wantagh, New York

Patients often experience the most vulnerable moments of their lives with clinicians. These shared intimacies refuel my passion for caregiving and are a fulfilling part of medical practice.  

March 20, 2023 | 5 min read

Lazy gardening (archives, 2023)

By Ken Koon Wong, MD, Cleveland Clinic, Naomi Tyree, MD, Summa Health, Ohio

Talking about shared interests, such as gardening, is a wonderful way to deepen relationships with patients. 

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. 

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