FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015
Contact: Leah Payne, Director of Public Affairs, Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, 304-691-1713

Marshall and WVU Schools of Medicine team up to host second annual Gold Humanism Educational Summit

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – For the second consecutive year, in a collaborative effort to spotlight compassionate and respectful health care, students with the Marshall University and West Virginia University Schools of Medicine are hosting the Gold Humanism Educational Summit at the Culture Center in Charleston beginning at 1 p.m., Friday, Feb. 13.

The event will kick off a week-long observance of Gold Humanism Week to be recognized by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin by proclamation.

Event organizers say the educational summit allows medical, nursing, physical therapy and pharmacy students and others to learn the essentials of delivering compassionate and patient-centered care from practicing health professionals.

“I’m so excited to be working with both schools on this summit,” said Andrew S. Martin, fourth-year medical student and GHHS president at Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.  “I really believe it will help improve patient care throughout the state and it enhances the medical education experience.”

Samantha Cappetto, fourth-year medical student and GHHS vice-president at WVU, said working together has been a fantastic and humbling experience.

“It’s always rewarding to see groups of people come together with the same end goal in mind and realize how much their potential multiplies, especially when the goal is to keep the care in health care,” Cappetto said.

This year’s events include a religious panel featuring clergy from several different world religions who will discuss research which shows addressing patients’ spiritual beliefs is important in delivering high-quality, holistic medical care.  Additionally, the following faculty members will present lectures:

• James M. Mears, M.D., West Virginia University-Charleston Division
  Assistant Professor of Family Medicine 
• Chibuzo C. O’Suoji, M.D., Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
  West Virginia University Physicians of Charleston
• Charles Clements, M.D., Professor, Department of Family Medicine
  Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine

To register for the event, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gold-humanism-educational-summit-registration-15620521400. Continuing medical education units are also available.Information is available at https://securehosting.citynet.net/camc/classes.cfm?func=viewclass&classid=10723&dateid=51316. 

Medical students at WVU and Marshall are selected for inclusion in GHHS based on practicing patient-centered medical care by modeling the qualities of integrity, excellence, compassion, altruism, respect, and empathy. Medical residents, faculty and administrators may also be recognized.

GHHS is an international initiative of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which works to improve healing and healthcare outcomes by restoring the balance between the cutting-edge science of medicine and compassionate, patient-centered care.

Marshall’s GHHS faculty advisor is Darshana Shah, Ph.D, who is associate dean of faculty affairs and professional development, professor  for the department of pathology, and the founding advisor for GHHS.WVU’s GHHS faculty advisor is Norman D. Ferrari, III, M.D., who is vice dean for education and academic affairs, professor and chair of the WVU department of medical education, and founding faculty member of the GHHS chapter at West Virginia.  

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Date Posted: Wednesday, February 11, 2015