Become a narrative medicine leader.
Join the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative and OHSU Division of Hospital Medicine for a personalized, interactive narrative medicine workshop. You will participate in large and small group activities designed to teach practical skills, and support collaboration and innovation among learners from diverse healthcare experiences. We welcome all healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and artists who are advocates for telling and receiving “undertold” stories of illness and health in our communities. At this workshop you will learn about and practice narrative competence, consult with humanities experts, and create original narrative medicine workshops to implement in your own communities.

Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative is committed to training and supporting narrative medicine facilitators from diverse communities. We extend an invitation and warm welcome to participants from communities of color, LGBTQ+ folks, persons living with disability, and individuals living in rural communities. Please join us.

This workshop is limited to 40 participants. Narrative Medicine Facilitator Training was originally planned as an in-person weekend event, but has been reimagined as a unique online experience. Once registered, participants will have access to digital materials and support.
Thank you for your interest. This training is SOLD OUT
REGISTRATION
General Registration $150
General Registration + Continuing Professional Development Credit $300
If you have already registered for this event, you will receive an email with important event information including a detailed daily schedule, access to the curriculum platform, and small group assignments. We look forward to meeting you in January 2021.
Sliding fee scale available for a limited number of participants. Please contact [email protected] to inquire. 
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of OHSU School of Medicine and Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative. The OHSU School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit: Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 16.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Location
A Virtual Event
synchronous and asynchronous
Date & Time
January 9-30, 2021
*see schedule below for dates & times

What
Narrative medicine is a practice in which we recognize, absorb, metabolize, and allow ourselves to be moved by stories of illness. It recognizes, respects, and nourishes those affected by illness—patients and caregivers of all kind.
Why
We believe Narrative Medicine is one way to awaken the shared humanity of all people navigating illness and the healthcare system; and that doing this in community strengthens us individually. NWNMC has a deep interest in bringing the humanities into conversations around health and healing, and to partner with people from communities whose illness experiences are often undertold. 
How
Narrative Medicine Facilitator Training teaches the challenging skills of listening, observing, connecting, and leading. Our workshop creates space to practice, strengthen, and renew our empathy and curiosity, which are vital to care and healing. We model our training on "learn one, do one, teach one" by giving attendees experiential learning, collaboration with experts, and supported creative space. After the workshop, participants will receive ongoing support from faculty to implement narrative medicine experiences in their own communities. 
Who
We welcome individuals and teams who are interested in learning narrative medicine skills, and who want to put those skills to use by creating and leading narrative medicine experiences in their own environments. We invite individuals who want to lift stories that are often overlooked, recognizing that diverse perspectives strengthen any system. 
Questions?
For more information about the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative visit our website www.nwnmcollaborative.org
If you have questions about the training, please email [email protected] 
Goals
The goal of the NWNMC Facilitator Training is to develop and support a network of narrative medicine facilitators throughout the Pacific Northwest; a group of individuals who come from diverse professional and personal backgrounds, work in a variety of health settings, and are members of communities whose stories are not always represented in dominant health narratives; a group who will put the training into practice in their own communities and be committed to collaborating with others.
Objectives
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to
  • Describe narrative medicine and narrative competence
  • Recognize a wide breadth of health narratives including those from underrepresented individuals and communities
  • Participate effectively in workshops with peers from multiple different roles in health care
  • Explain how narrative medicine can engage all members of a healthcare team, including patients, family members, caregivers, health professionals, and students
  • Develop and lead a 90-minute narrative medicine workshop
  • Recognize and develop narrative competence in themselves and others
  • Design safe, inclusive, equitable, representative spaces for humane and humanizing interactions
  • Recognize that narrative medicine is an iterative process with co-creation at its core
  • Identify interprofessional peers, resources, and support for ongoing collaboration in the Pacific Northwest region
Schedule
*If you have registered for this event, you will receive a detailed daily schedule closer to the start date. 
Saturday, January 9th
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Plenary
Welcome & Setting the Stage for Narrative Competence
Elizabeth Lahti		Zoom
9:35 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.Workshop #1a
Generous Listening
Small Group Facilitators		WebEx
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.BREAK 
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.Plenary
Attention, Representation, Affiliation
Elizabeth Lahti		Zoom
 
12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.Trio Share #1
12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.Introduction to Inward Exploration
Lisa Schimmel
12:30 p.m.—12:45 p.m.BREAK 
12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.Workshop #1b
Debrief, Reflect, Apply
Small Group Facilitators		WebEx
Tuesday, January 12th
6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.Plenary
Collective Knowledge in Health Narratives
Mollie Marr		Zoom
6:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.BREAK 
6:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.Workshop #2
Recognizing & Developing Narrative Competence
Small Group Facilitators		WebEx
Thursday, January 14th
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.Inward Exploration (optional)
Lisa Schimmel		Zoom
6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.*Humanities Gallery--Patterns & Connections
Lisa Abia-Smith & Grace Haynes		Zoom
6:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.BREAK 
7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.*Humanities Gallery--Uncertainty
Jennifer Aengst & Jenny Blenk		Zoom
Tuesday, January 19th
6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.Plenary
Creating a Narrative Medicine Experience
Alexis Rehrmann		Zoom
6:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.BREAK 
6:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.Workshop #3
Representation in Illness Narratives
Small Group Facilitators		WebEx
Thursday, January 21st 
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.Inward Exploration (optional)
Lisa Schimmel & Adrian Larsen-Sanchez		Zoom
5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.*Humanities Gallery--Masks
Efraín Diaz-Horna & Nitza Hernandez		Zoom
5:45 p.m. --6:00 p.m.BREAK 
6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.*Humanities Gallery--Joie du Vivre
Lisa Abia-Smith & Grace Haynes		Zoom
6:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.BREAK 
7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.*Humanities Gallery--Mistakes
Michael Szporluk & Stacy Brewster		Zoom
Tuesday, January 26th 
6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.Plenary
The Third Object
Molly Osborne		Zoom
6:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.BREAK 
6:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.Workshop #4
Creating YOUR Narrative Medicine Experience
Small Group Facilitators		WebEx
Thursday, January 28th
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.Inward Exploration (optional)
Lisa Schimmel & Adrian Larsen-Sanchez		Zoom
4:30 p.m. -- 5:00 p.m.BREAK
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.Trio Share #2
5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.Trio Share #3
Saturday, January 30th
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Plenary
Leading a Narrative Medicine Workshop
Adam Hoverman		Zoom
9:35 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.Workshop #5a
Leading YOUR Narrative Medicine Workshop
Selected Participants		WebEx
11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.BREAK
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.Workshop #5b
Debrief, Reflect, Apply
Small Group Facilitators
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.BREAK 
12:30 p.m. --1:15 p.m.Holding Space as a Facilitator
Lisa Schimmel		Zoom
 
1:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.Plenary
Close & Moving Forward
Elizabeth Lahti
1:45 p.m. –2:30 p.m.Connect & Collaborate (optional)
Hosted breakout rooms
*Humanities Gallery Modules 
Patterns & Connections
Uncertainty
Masks
Joie de Vivre
Mistakes
Participants are required to watch a 30-minute pre-recorded Humanities Gallery module prior to attending the corresponding live Humanities Gallery sessions on Thursday, January 14th and 21st. Participants are encouraged to attend at least 2 galleries, and may attend a maximum of 3.   
Our Team
Chrys Buckley
Chrys has been writing for as long as she can remember, and loves the way a pen feels in her hand. She sees words as colors, making writing a true artistic experience. Her work includes seven years at the Portland State University Learning Center where she spent her time as a coordinator, tutor, and supervisor. As a medical student, Chrys rocked her narrative medicine courses and is excited to be a part of the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative team. 
George Derk
George is currently an OHSU medical student. He completed his PhD in English and taught courses on modern and contemporary literature at the University of Virginia. Discovering narrative medicine inspired him to switch careers and go to medical school. He has been a participant in and facilitator for Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative’s Community of Practice and volunteers with Write Around Portland, a nonprofit that empowers marginalized communities through creative writing workshops. He believes the humanities and medicine are stronger together and sees narrative medicine as the bridge between them.
Rebecca Harrison
Rebecca believes in the power of story to express experiences in healthcare and also to heal. She is inspired by the blending of art and science to tell our stories and believes in many paths to health and healing. She is a clinician educator, clerkship director, and section chief in the Division of Hospital Medicine. In these roles, she promotes more compassionate medical care for diverse patients, providers and learners. She has facilitated narrative medicine workshops, reflection rounds and resiliency training skills. She has published articles on medical education, health humanities, hospital medicine, and part-time careers.
Adam Hoverman
Adam is a family medicine and public health physician. Motivated by the WHO’s mandate of health for all, Adam was drawn to osteopathic medicine and public health by Dr. Still’s pithy phrase, “the objective of the physician is to find health; anyone can find disease.” A champion for cultural safety, geo-spatial histories, and design thinking to achieve this goal, Adam’s research and writing focuses on the social determinants of population health. He is a clinical faculty member at the University of Washington School of Public Health and board member of the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative. Adam facilitates narrative medicine small groups for health professional students and health workers and honors the narrative muse at the intersection of songwriting and poetry.
Zac Jacobs
Zac is a clinical and teaching hospitalist who believes that compassionate care and patient-centered medicine are enhanced by a familiarity with narrative. During residency training he enrolled in the Global Health & Underserved Populations Track, affording him the opportunity to work with underserved populations in the Navajo Nation and Malawi, Africa. At the University of California, San Francisco he incorporated a narrative medicine curriculum into global scholars field work. He teaches reflective practice to medical trainees as a means of fostering well-being, empathy, and personal growth. His writing has been published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Annals of Global Health, Hektoen International, Blood & Thunder, and the Journal of the SF Marin Medical Society.
Grace Judd
Grace is a fourth-year medical student at OHSU who plans to pursue a career in internal medicine and practice primary care. After growing up in Portland, Grace attended Oregon State University where she received her honors undergraduate degree in biochemistry and biophysics. Following this she worked for several years at a free clinic where she had the privilege to hear patients’ stories, and how their stories shaped and intertwined with their health. Coming to OHSU with this appreciation for storytelling Grace believes that narrative medicine allows us to holistically view one another and evoke empathy in a science-based culture.
Elizabeth Lahti
Elizabeth is Director of Narrative Medicine at OHSU, and President of the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative. She teaches narrative medicine and reflective practice to students, residents, and faculty locally and throughout the Pacific Northwest. She uses narrative techniques in all areas of medical education, with a focus on professional identity formation, leadership development, and patient centered care. She has even been known to write poetry on hospital rounds with patients. She is poetry editor for The Pharos, a medical humanities journal of the national Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society. Her work has been published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of General Internal Medicine, and The Intima: a Journal of Narrative Medicine.
Asma Lofti
Asma is a current OHSU medical student, aiming to pursue a career in pediatrics. She and her family immigrated from Iran as refugees when she was 14 years old. She completed high school in Eugene, Oregon and received her undergraduate degree in biology and human physiology with a summa cum laude from the University of Oregon. As a first-generation college graduate from Iran, Asma is passionate about giving a voice to the underserved. In her pursuit of listening to others’ stories, she has become a student facilitator of Narrative Medicine sessions and hopes to continue the practice of reflective medicine as she advances in her career.
Pamela Pierce
Pam is the Digital Scholarship and Repository Librarian at OHSU. Her previous experience includes serving as the Digital Library Coordinator and Archivist for the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University in North Dakota and as an Art Cataloger for the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction. Her scholarship and research focuses on the history of women within the Health Sciences and the role that images play in creating the mythology of the U.S. West. She believes in Narrative Medicine as an essential means of emphasizing empathy and understanding through stories.
Humanities Gallery Hosts
Each of our gallery co-hosts worked together to curate an array of "third objects" that participants may choose to use when they create and lead their own narrative medicine workshops. The hosts come from diverse backgrounds, are experts in their chosen fields, and have an interest in lifting the undertold stories of health and illness.

Our galleries are curated around five themes

Masks Efrain Diaz-Horna & Nitza Hernandez
Joie de Vivre Lisa Abia-Smith & Grace Haynes
Mistakes Stacy Brewster & Michael Szporluk
Patterns & Connections Lisa Abia Smith & Gracy Haynes
Uncertainty Jennifer Aengst & Jenny Blenk
Lisa Abia-Smith
Lisa is a Senior Instructor with the University of Oregon School of Planning, Public Policy and Management. She is Director of Educational Outreach at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in Eugene, where she teaches courses in arts and healthcare, arts management, museum studies, and accessible arts curriculum development. She is nationally recognized for her research and teaching on arts in healthcare. She is author of “Preparing the Mind and Learning to See: Art Museums as Training Grounds for Medical Students,” published by Routledge Press. She presents nationally and internationally at conferences on arts, healthcare, and marginalized communities.
Jennifer Aengst
Jennifer is a medical anthropologist who teaches at Portland State University and conducts research at Oregon Health & Science University. Her scholarship focuses on reproduction, health technologies, and decision-making. While her research has taken her to diverse sites—e.g., health clinics, comic book stores, and fire stations—Jennifer has used qualitative research to better understand themes of trust and communication in healthcare. Her interest in illness narratives and patient/provider communication led her to start a graphic medicine group in Portland, which brings together illustrators, doctors, and advocates who share their work in an accessible graphic format.
Jenny Blenk
Jenny (she/her) is an independent comics scholar whose work centers on queer and disability representation. Her work has appeared in "inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society" and "With Great Power Comes Great Pedagogy" (UP Mississippi, 2020), and she works as an assistant editor at Dark Horse Comics. Jenny currently lives near Portland, Oregon with too many houseplants, a typewriter, and a little black rabbit named Bernadette.
Stacy Brewster
Stacy is a Portland-based fiction writer, poet, and screenwriter. He was the 2019 Oregon Literary Arts Fellow in Drama for “Gargoyles & Dandelions,” an original one-hour drama series about queer subcultures in late 1940s Los Angeles. Since 2008, he has run writing workshops for Write Around Portland, a nonprofit that provides free workshops for those who would otherwise not have access to writing in community with others due to income, disability, or other barriers. Stacy has worked with the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative previously as an event organizer, a workshop trainer, and featured speaker on the intersection of creative practice and disability.
Efrain Diaz-Horna
Efraín was born and raised in Peru. He was awarded a full scholarship to study at Mt. Angel College in Oregon, where he
received his bachelor's degree in Sociology. He returned to Peru where he worked in the land
reform program, and then came back to the U.S. to complete two graduate degrees at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He worked for the State of Oregon and Multnomah County before retiring in 2001. He was described as "a legend in our midst: Philosopher, teacher, artist, poet, director---a true Renaissance Man." Efraín has been drawing, painting, and writing since he was a child. He has exhibited his art in Oregon, Mexico, Russia, and Peru, and has authored several books of poetry.
Grace Haynes
Grace is a family practice physician with a distinctly integrated approach to healing through medicine, art, and ministry to provide compassionate patient care. She is the current Medical Director and lead physician for Verve Wellness Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Her long-standing dedication to treating the whole person has earned her numerous prestigious awards including the East Valley Tribune’s Best Doctor – General Practice Award. She is a dedicated servant leader, giving generously of her time locally and globally. She has worked with the University of Oregon Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in their arts and medicine program. She is the founder of Grace’s Song HMAM, a Phoenix-based non-profit, and has served as a medical missionary in Gambia, Liberia, and Malawi. 
Nitza Hernandez
Nitza moved to Salem, Oregon after retiring as a professor from the University of Puerto Rico. She has a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master’s degree in Sociology from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) in Chile, and a Master’s in Educational Media from Temple University in Philadelphia.
Nitza's work has been in art shows and galleries in Salem and Independence, and her bilingual poetry has been published in Antología de Poesía Oregoniana, (2017, 2019) and Terra Incognita, Oregon Poets Write for Ecological, Social, Political, and Economic Justice (Bob Hill Publishing, 2019). She practices yoga and meditation and  volunteers with the Alzheimer’s Association. She values her Puerto Rican heritage, and her Latinx and multicultural identity.
Michael Szporluk
Michael has worked in international development for twenty years and has focused on raising awareness about and advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities since 2008. Over the past seven years, he has been an independent consultant for clients that include the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the UNDP Independent Evaluation Office, UNICEF, International Labor Organization (ILO), the UK’s Independent Commission for Aid Impact, Mercy Corps, City of Portland, and others. He is also an accomplished poet, and in November led a NWNMC Community of Practice called What is Disability? The Social and Human Rights Model. Michael is based in Portland and self-identifies as a person with a disability.
 Join us in January 2021 
Become a narrative medicine leader in your community
Lift the undertold stories around you
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