Grief in Healthcare: A Leadership Perspective

Healthcare organizations are environments where grief and loss are ever-present, affecting not only patients and families, but also the professionals and systems that care for them.

This webinar will explore the many ways grief and loss show up across healthcare organizations and what that means for administrators and other leaders. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience across healthcare settings, Chris Calkins, PhD, will examine the layers of loss within healthcare and practical ways leaders can strengthen workplace culture, practices, and policies to support healthcare professionals and foster more grief-sensitive care.

Presenter:

Chris Calkins, PhD, Executive Director, MHA Programs at Penn State University

Dr. Calkins has more than 40 years of experience in healthcare organizations and education.  His perspective is informed by previous roles at Aetna, the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, and through a variety of roles in hospitals and other health care organizations (Miami Children’s Hospital, Eden Hospital Medical Center, the Hospital Council of Western Pennsylvania others).

His recent research has focused on changing priorities identified through Community Health Needs Assessments and related responses. Other research interests focus on access to care in rural communities, especially Women’s Health and Behavioral Health.

Dr. Calkins is the Executive Director of both the residential and online MHA programs at Penn State University, where he also serves as Faculty Associate to the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, and Chairs the Board of Directors for Centre Volunteers in Medicine, a free clinic serving the uninsured. He earned his BS and PhD in Health Policy and Administration at Penn State.