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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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Many of the anti-vaccine messages aim to bring forth emotion in the public, especially fear. Remain calm when talking with patients, friends, family, and neighbors.

May 26, 2021 | 1 min read

Talking with those opposed to vaccines (archives, 2021)

By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When speaking with people who respond to scientific information in a challenging manner, the most critical thing to remember is to stay calm. Refrain from simply "talking over" those with whom you're in conversation.

December 16, 2024 | 2 min read

Navigating vaccine discussions  

By Erica Prochaska, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

By understanding and addressing patients' concerns about vaccination, healthcare professionals can foster trust and promote informed decision-making. Every conversation is a chance to educate and empower. 

August 24, 2022 | 2 min read

Conversations With Those Who Are Vaccine-Hesitant

By Joan Park, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Talking about vaccines with patients can sometimes feel challenging. Extending empathy, sharing your own story, and being honest about potential side effects can be helpful. 

August 5, 2021 | 2 min read

Talking With People About COVID Vaccination

By Daniel Brotman, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When discussing COVID vaccinations, I show appreciation to those who have been vaccinated and explain to them that they performed a vital civic duty.

May 13, 2021 | 3 min read

Combatting Vaccine Hesitancy

By Jade Cobern, MD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

We must listen without judgment to patients who are vaccine-hesitant. We need to hear their worries and concerns to address them appropriately.

October 21, 2021 | 2 min read

Be a Team Player: Get Vaccinated

By Alexis Coslick, DO, MS, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Be a teammate to everyone in your community. Get vaccinated and encourage others to do so.

February 20, 2023 | 2 min read

Responding to Rejection

By Joseph Carrese, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ultimately, patients with adequate decision-making capacity decide about their course of treatment. When patients choose not to follow our recommendations, find the best possible “plan B” together. 

March 15, 2021 | 1 min read

How to talk with patients who are vaccine-hesitant (archives, 2021)

By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When speaking with patients reluctant to get vaccinated, listen to their concerns, and convey respect and empathy.

3d illustration of a simulation of the coronavirus virus floating in a prison

September 20, 2021 | 3 min read

Moving Beyond Tuskegee

By Imani McElroy, MD, MPH, Mass General

I was able to help my incarcerated brother understand the benefits of COVID vaccination. He appreciated my input and became an advocate to convince other inmates. Much was learned about interacting with those who are vaccine hesitant—read the piece for my pearls.

August 16, 2022 | 2 min read

Outbreaks as Opportunities

By Jade Cobern, MD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Talking about monkeypox and the return of polio can remind caregivers that vaccinating young children against other illnesses is essential.

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.

February 29, 2024 | 1 min read

“It could happen to you”

By Hayley Sparks, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When talking with vaccine-hesitant patients, I bring up the recent measles outbreaks. It can be effective to use current events to motivate better compliance with immunization guidelines. 

August 25, 2021 | 2 min read

‘Stay calm and carry on’

By Nicole Cifra, MD, MPH, University of Rochester

Educating people about the value of vaccinations is our duty. If you encounter resistance or hostility, don’t take it personally, and reach out to colleagues for support.

May 16, 2023 | 4 min read

Mitigating pharmacist burnout

By Heather Folz, PharmD, Notre Dame of Maryland University

Many pharmacists are trained in and rejuvenated by giving patient-centered care. The support of other healthcare professionals in our mission can help prevent pharmacist burnout.

June 9, 2021 | 2 min read

How to Support Patients When Transitioning Back to “Normal”

By Laura Hanyok, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

As we move through phases of the pandemic, understanding patients’ goals and asking about their worries is paramount.

May 15, 2019 | 3 min read

Prescribing Less Screen Time

By Mark Lewis, MD, Intermountain Medical Oncology, Murray, Utah

We need to turn our attention away from our screens and toward the people we serve.

October 11, 2023 | 3 min read

Sharing Decisions

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

The term “shared decision making” is often misunderstood and misused. What this phrase really means is respecting the autonomy of patients to make their decisions based on the information and counsel their clinicians provide. 

April 5, 2022 | 1 min read

Playing “Out of Book”

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine

Unexpected statements from patients can force clinicians to improvise. As in chess, it helps to view these as challenges with potential rewards.   

May 7, 2020 | 5 min read

Captivity and COVID-19

By Cesar Lopez, MD-PhD student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Zackary Berger, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Severely ill incarcerated individuals will be hospitalized at disproportionately high rates during this pandemic. As always, healthcare professionals should treat them with dignity and respect. Better care of those who are imprisoned may help with our public health efforts and response.

February 3, 2022 | 2 min read

Perspective Matters

By Souvik Chatterjee, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

As the pandemic continues, I remind myself that my job is to give selflessly to those who are sick. It’s helpful to lean on my team when situations feel especially challenging.

November 28, 2022 | 2 min read

What to Know About RSV

By Shannon Scott-Vernaglia, MD, Mass General

Let caregivers know that if symptoms are mild, they can watch children at home and encourage fluid intake. If having trouble breathing, the child should be seen right away. 

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. 

November 23, 2021 | 3 min read

Preventive Care And COVID

By Aline Charabaty, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

As a gastroenterologist, I’ve been encouraging people to continue with colon cancer screening through the pandemic. A delay may have serious health consequences.

January 26, 2021 | 2 min read

How to Talk With Patients About Misinformation

By Stephanie McGann Jantzen, Strategic & Crisis Communications Professional

Educating yourself about misinformation circulating on social media will help you talk with your patients about false claims. This may prevent dangerous behaviors and promote health.

May 4, 2023 | 2 min read

The Power of Stories

By Flora Kisuule, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

A recent grand rounds by Dr. Kimberly Manning illuminated how stories give meaning to why we do what we do.

October 24, 2022 | 1 min read

Wayfinding

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine, William Cohen, medical student, Penn Medicine

When a clinical visit begins to feel like being lost at sea, a simple inquiry about what a patient would most like to accomplish during their visit may help guide the encounter. 

November 24, 2021 | 4 min read

What I Learned When I Deleted my Social Media

By Tyler Mains, MD, University of California, San Francisco

When I stopped checking Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, I created a boundary between myself and the never-ending stream of noise and emotion. I now have more bandwidth to empathize with my patients’ feelings.

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.

Audrey Hepburn. Photo by Bud Fraker, 1956. Public Domain.

August 24, 2020 | 4 min read

A Calling to Medicine From Hollywood

By Jade Cobern, MD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Who ever thought watching Turner Classics could inspire a career in medicine? Reflecting on what drew you to healthcare may restore your sense of purpose.

May 14, 2020 | 3 min read

Stay at Home When Possible as Restrictions Ease

By Nina Shapiro, MD, University of California Los Angeles

It’s important to remind patients and loved ones that avoiding unnecessary socialization and travel can save lives.

June 29, 2020 | 2 min read

Lessons From the AIDS Epidemic

By Melinda Kantsiper, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In times of crisis, it can be helpful to listen and learn from the stories of those who have come before us.

February 5, 2020 | 2 min read

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

By Rafael Llinas, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The clinically excellent physician knows that sometimes talking isn't enough. When possible, sharing information with patients visually can enhance their understanding.

April 14, 2021 | 2 min read

Helping Parents Navigate The Return to School

By Kate Connor, MD, MSPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Megan Collins, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Sara Johnson, PhD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

As children transition back to in-person learning, encourage parents to monitor their children’s well-being and behaviors to determine if they need more support.

February 26, 2018 | 3 min read

Creating a welcoming experience for LGBTQ patients and families

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

Doing what has been done before will only lead to more of the same for patients who have been discriminated against in society and in healthcare. Be prepared to enter uncharted territory, seek to educate yourself about the unique healthcare needs of your patients.

March 8, 2021 | 3 min read

How to Talk With The Media

By Stephanie McGann Jantzen, Strategic & Crisis Communications Professional

When speaking with the media about healthcare topics, provide up-to-date information, stick to the facts, and avoid medical jargon.

May 29, 2024 | 1 min read

Unstable housing, unstable health

By Stasia Reynolds, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Routinely asking patients about housing insecurity can help identify those who are at-risk of poor health outcomes. Understanding a patient's living situation can help you provide realistic guidance.  

May 3, 2018 | 5 min read

Challenges, Choices, and Changes

By Catherine Parrish, MD, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

CHALLENGE yourself to be a lifelong learner—make CHOICES in your career that make you HAPPY, and use the CHANGES in your personal life to inform and enrich your work.

April 1, 2024 | 7 min read

Osler’s visit  

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine

“Every patient you see is a lesson in much more than the malady from which he suffers.”—Dr. William Osler 

A safe takeout meal for residents and fellows to pick up.

January 13, 2021 | 1 min read

How to Support Your Learners During a Pandemic

By Laura Hanyok, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Listening to your trainees is always the first step in prioritizing their well-being and mitigating burnout. This is especially important during challenging times.

January 9, 2024 | 3 min read

Dust and distrust

By Matthew Kelly, PhD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Infection-related epidemics, like AIDS and COVID, teach us much about caring. To provide humanistic care, clinicians must continuously endeavor to assess and build trust with patients. 

October 5, 2023 | 2 min read

When Medication is an Empty Promise (Sudafed) 

By Charles Flexner, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Communicating uncertainty effectively is part of being an excellent physician. This is especially true when it comes to the medications we recommend to patients. 

February 16, 2024 | 1 min read

Patients and politics

By Mike Fingerhood, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Patient-initiated political statements may make healthcare professionals feel uncomfortable. Thoughtful strategies, like redirection, can keep the focus on patient care.

August 8, 2023 | 2 min read

Advocating For Gun Safety

By Ankita Sagar, MD, Brooklyn, New York

As healthcare professionals, we’ve chosen to make healing and preventative care our life’s work. Working to mitigate firearm injuries and deaths will create safer communities and is part of our professional commitment. 

July 26, 2023 | 3 min read

Small Change = Big Impact

By Jennifer Katzenstein, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ideally, healthcare professionals model healthy habits. In doing so, they can inspire others and influence the health of communities.

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