ATSU-SOMA celebrates first National Solidarity Day
Posted: March 19, 2015
Students from ATSU’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) spearheaded their first National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Care, an initiative promoting provider-patient relationships based on care, personalization and mutual respect.
This special, annual initiative is led by the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), a program housed under the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, and celebrated by more than 20,000 members.
GHHS, one program supported by the Foundation, works with healthcare professionals in training and in practice to instill a culture of respect, dignity and compassion for patients and professionals.
Recognizing the need to further support community health centers, rural medicine and humanism in medicine, Thomas McWilliams, DO, FACOFP, and associate dean of Graduate Medical Education at ATSU-SOMA, worked to establish a Gold Humanism Honor Society chapter at the school.
“This concept is so much in sync with values at ATSU-SOMA, I was inspired to help establish a chapter,” said Dr. McWilliams. “Humanism is at the core of ATSU-SOMA and students have enthusiastically joined with others around the nation in reminding us of the values that caused us to go into a career of service.”
Part of this year’s theme, or spotlight, was the Foundation’s Tell Me More campaign, a nationwide project implemented by healthcare facilities throughout the country.
Under the leadership of Dr. McWilliams, four student leads worked determinately to share the word among peers based at various ATSU-SOMA-affiliated community health center campuses to carry out the campaign.
Using resources provided by the Foundation, students based at select health center campuses were encouraged to learn about their patients and share that knowledge with other care providers by simply asking questions and spending time with their patients. Participants displayed wall sheets over patient beds or with family members.
“Many students reported patients lit up when asked about their personal lives,” said Jeremy Berger, OMS-III, project co-chair. “Everyone who entered the room – staff to visitors – were able to see those signs and remember that each patient is a unique individual.”
Berger says the goal is to build solidarity among ATSU-SOMA students, CHC’s and healthcare staff by putting patients at the center of care.
GHHS President, Evan Morris, OMS III, encourages students to watch for information regarding peer nominations for GHHS membership to be disseminated spring 2015 to third- and fourth-year students. These nominations are the initial step towards being inducted into the ATSU-SOMA GHHS chapter. For more information, email emorris@atsu.edu.
