Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care™ is an exciting workplace program that will give people involved in the delivery of health care an opportunity to come together and reflect on their roles as health care providers through the medium of literature.  This program was developed by the Maine Humanities Council.

Participants attend a series of six monthly discussions, held at the host hospital and facilitated by a scholar, in which they explore works of fiction, poetry, drama and nonfiction that illuminate issues central to caring for people, whether they are well, sick or dying. These programs offer doctors, nurses, community health workers, policy makers, hospital trustees, and allied staff an opportunity to reflect on the complex nature of their daily work and their responsibilities to their patients and their colleagues.

The program was has been offered, with great success, in over 100 hospitals throughout the nation, including nine in Massachusetts. The impact has been significant.

Health care professionals have explored the human dimensions of their work, questioned the assumptions they bring to it, and developed connections between the scientific language of medicine and disease and the day-to-day realities of their patients` lived experiences. Participants report that the seminars have expanded their understanding of the needs and concerns of their patients and of their co-workers. The program has benefited its host institutions by giving diverse groups of health care professionals an opportunity to interact away from the often-frantic pace of work, thereby enriching working relationships and strengthening their sense of common purpose.

For a list of participating Massachusetts hospitals and syllabi click here.

For further information on plans to offer the program in Massachusetts, or to explore the possibility of bringing the program to your hospital, please contact Rose Sackey-Milligan at Mass Humanities: (413) 584-8440 x101 or rsackey-milligan@masshumanities.org.

The Balm of Books

A Closer Look at Literature & Medicine

Literature & Medicine Reading List

Literature & Medicine at Year 5: MFH Plans Program Expansion

Some Reflections on Literature & Medicine

Below an 8 1/2 x 14 poster to help publicize your Literature & Medicine program. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or above (older versions will not work). If you need the reader or need to update your reader, click on the Acrobat Reader icon to download the program.

The poster has an area in which you can put in your own details (where, when and contact info). Once you have downloaded the poster, open the file up and you will be able to type in the specifics directly from the Acrobat reader. Then simply print the poster. Or you could simply write in the details after printing.

If you have trouble, first check to see that you have Acrobat 5.0 (the fill-in form will not work on any version older than 5.0). The file is large. Download time will depend upon your connection speed. If you are unable to obtain the file contact  Anne Rogers (413-584-8440 x11-) and other arrangements can be made.