The Sacred Vocation Program: Nurturing the Healers
Moderator -
Rebecca Lunstroth, J.D., Assistant Director, McGovern Center, Assistant Professor Family Medicine, UTHealth, McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics
Panelists -
Sylvia Villarreal MPH, MEd, Program Manager, McGovern Center, UT Health
Chick Deegan, MA, BSN Mngr, Staff Spiritual Support Faith in Action Initiatives Office of Mission and Ministry, Baylor Scott & White Health
Sr. Susan Evelyn, RSM Divisional Senior VP Mission
Denice S. Foose, BCC, MBA Director Mission Integration For Acute Care, Catholic Health Charities
The practice of medicine is increasingly impacted by the proliferation of biotechnology and economic pressures on healthcare systems and providers to see and treat greater numbers of patients with increasingly complex diseases. These factors contribute to a diminution of the role of the provider as a caring and compassionate “healer” and can lead to medical care that feels hurried and impersonal to both patients and providers. The Sacred Vocation Program provides participants with the opportunity to step back and reconnect with healthcare as a “calling,” while affirming their work as a sacred vocation.
Created in 2001, the Sacred Vocation Program© (SVP) begins with the premise that effective healing starts with nurturing the spirit of the healthcare worker. The SVP is a unique vehicle for self-reflection and personal and professional growth. It operates as a literal “time-out” in the lives of busy healthcare workers (physicians, residents, nurses, administrators, LVNs, etc.), as they share the life experiences that brought them to medicine.
During this panel participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the SVP’s guiding principles and will be provided an overview of each of the sessions that cover:
• Discovering what gives meaning to our lives
• Recognizing the power to heal body, mind, and spirit
• Acknowledging the potential to do harm
• Developing specific coping tips for everyday situations
• Renewing the commitment to the medical profession
Assessment of the SVP with UTHealth's medical residents has shown a reduction in stress, enhanced empathy, and strengthened collegial bonds.
After learning about the program, participants will hear how Baylor Scott & White has successfully integrated the SVP into their corporate culture through their Faith in Action department. Baylor Scott and White and the SVP are entering their 11th year.
Next, participants will learn how Catholic Health Initiatives is planning on launching the SVP as an extension of their Mission's department. In contrast to Baylor, they will reflect on what they hope the SVP will accomplish and how they will tailor it to meet their own unique needs.
We will conclude the panel with a robust conversation with and between the panelist and audience on the SVP’s benefits, limitations and future.
Rebecca Lunstroth, J.D., Assistant Director, McGovern Center, Assistant Professor Family Medicine, UTHealth, McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics
Panelists -
Sylvia Villarreal MPH, MEd, Program Manager, McGovern Center, UT Health
Chick Deegan, MA, BSN Mngr, Staff Spiritual Support Faith in Action Initiatives Office of Mission and Ministry, Baylor Scott & White Health
Sr. Susan Evelyn, RSM Divisional Senior VP Mission
Denice S. Foose, BCC, MBA Director Mission Integration For Acute Care, Catholic Health Charities
The practice of medicine is increasingly impacted by the proliferation of biotechnology and economic pressures on healthcare systems and providers to see and treat greater numbers of patients with increasingly complex diseases. These factors contribute to a diminution of the role of the provider as a caring and compassionate “healer” and can lead to medical care that feels hurried and impersonal to both patients and providers. The Sacred Vocation Program provides participants with the opportunity to step back and reconnect with healthcare as a “calling,” while affirming their work as a sacred vocation.
Created in 2001, the Sacred Vocation Program© (SVP) begins with the premise that effective healing starts with nurturing the spirit of the healthcare worker. The SVP is a unique vehicle for self-reflection and personal and professional growth. It operates as a literal “time-out” in the lives of busy healthcare workers (physicians, residents, nurses, administrators, LVNs, etc.), as they share the life experiences that brought them to medicine.
During this panel participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the SVP’s guiding principles and will be provided an overview of each of the sessions that cover:
• Discovering what gives meaning to our lives
• Recognizing the power to heal body, mind, and spirit
• Acknowledging the potential to do harm
• Developing specific coping tips for everyday situations
• Renewing the commitment to the medical profession
Assessment of the SVP with UTHealth's medical residents has shown a reduction in stress, enhanced empathy, and strengthened collegial bonds.
After learning about the program, participants will hear how Baylor Scott & White has successfully integrated the SVP into their corporate culture through their Faith in Action department. Baylor Scott and White and the SVP are entering their 11th year.
Next, participants will learn how Catholic Health Initiatives is planning on launching the SVP as an extension of their Mission's department. In contrast to Baylor, they will reflect on what they hope the SVP will accomplish and how they will tailor it to meet their own unique needs.
We will conclude the panel with a robust conversation with and between the panelist and audience on the SVP’s benefits, limitations and future.