Rachel Balaban | ASaP co-founder
It was a fast and furious few days in Omaha, much like the Design Thinking workshop I led in Weber Art Gallery for 75 enthusiastic students in under an hour. That workshop was a good metaphor for my time at University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO).
Students conducting empathy interviews as part of their Design Thinking workshop in Weber Art Gallery
The brainstorming phase
How did I land in Omaha, far from Providence? I met Steve Langan at the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities Conference in Pittsburgh in October. Minutes after we met, he invited me to go to UNO and present on ASaP.
Steve is a force and I’m so happy our paths crossed back in Pittsburgh. He is a catalyst, a people and idea person, and a great asset to UNO. His signature program, Seven Doctors Project was formed at the UNO Medical Center in 2008 and has won him high praise and recognition from the medical humanities world. Seven Doctors Project, in partnership with Kaneko Galleries, provides community outreach and mentoring in a creative writing workshop format. Its mission is to provide ongoing writing workshops and other activities to assist physicians, healthcare workers, staff, patients and community members in the exploration of the creative process through study and practice of creative writing.
Additionally, Steve is the Director of the new Medical Humanities program at UNO, now in its third year and growing rapidly. The Medical Humanities UNO and University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) have joined forces to provide an amazing step forward in health care by offering a Medical Humanities major that will strengthen health care in Nebraska and globally. The collaborative energy around this initiative is palpable, and I had the pleasure of experiencing it firsthand.
Bruce Chase’s neurobiology class
In three days, I presented to a neurobiology class and a medical humanities class with guests from theatre and music; I facilitated a Design Thinking workshop for a theatre class and others within the UNO community including several faculty; I co-led a Community Dance for PD class at the Omaha Academy of Ballet with the wonderful Danielle Laurion; and I met with numerous faculty including Michael Hilt, the dean of the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media, and David Boocker, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Danielle Laurion and I teaching the Community Dance for PD class at Omaha Academy of Ballet
It was a delight to meet Dr. Dele Davies, the senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean for graduate studies at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). Dr. Davies is a driving force behind this program, and during our conversation he showed a keen interest in ASaP’s work with Design Thinking and our focus on community art and health. We even discussed the possibility of a trip to Rwanda to collaborate with the University of Global Health Equity. UGHE, envisioned by Partners In Health, is a university that advances global health delivery by training a new generation of global health equipped in not just building, but sustaining effective and equitable health systems.
Fred and Pamela Buffet Cancer Center
“Healing” in several languages
My last UNO presentation of the week was with Michele Desmarais’ Introduction to Medical Humanities class. She was the founding director of the interdisciplinary Medical Humanities minor at UNO and is on the executive committee of the newly established Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Center for Human Rights. Dr. Desmarais is also co-founder and Director of SPHRS (Spirituality, Public Health, Religious Studies).
Later that evening, I received this email:
The hospital is filled with beautiful photos, sculpture and paintings.
Thank you very much for visiting…! As you know, much of Medical Humanities, especially in the past and even in current publications, is dominated by scientists/physicians who extend themselves into the arts. Having my class, made up primarily of science students, hear from an artist researcher-practitioner broadened their scope and, through your inspiring words, videos and example, legitimized the contributions of the Art side of ArtScience. It is one thing for the students to read about such possibilities. You provided them with a living, breathing, joyful example. I can’t thank you enough for what you did, and what you do. I too hope there is a way to continue on in relationship.
Mitakuye oyasin
Michele
This speaks to the appreciation I felt throughout my week at UNO, as well as the work yet to be done. It was a blessing to be immersed in such an open, engaged and friendly community with genuine interest in the possibilities at the intersection of art and healing. I came away with a clear sense of the dedication of a large number of faculty members to making the burgeoning Medical Humanities program a success. I was humbled by their interest in the work of ASaP and, in the end, optimistic that this work will continue to grow at UNO.