- Listen to Ron's Interview with Stephen G. Post -
Can We Promote ‘Compassionate Care in Our Health Care System?
Episode description:
In an age when health care is driven by specialization and technology, Dr. Stephen Post is a rare and remarkable blend of scientist and humanist, a best-selling author and transformative speaker who has inspired thousands of people with his acclaimed work on “the human side of medicine.” In today’s episode, Dr. Post, who is Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York, will talk about how we can educate our medical students and professionals to foster an approach of “compassionate flourishing”—supporting the healing and well-being of patients by uplifting “the full measure of their being, including their life meaning and social roles.” From the start, there has been a spiritual side to Stephen’s work in caregiving, a continuous exploration of positive psychology, altruism, love, happiness, and the mystery of the human mind. He’ll talk about his ground-breaking research into the dynamics of compassionate care of persons with dementia and their caregivers, as well as the striking phenomenon of unexpected lucidity of “deeply forgetful” people. And broadening the issue of bioethics, Stephen will tackle the troubling issue of the widespread lack of public trust in medicine as well as other sectors and institutions in society.
Guest description:
Stephen G. Post, Ph.D. is the founder and current director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York, where he also serves as Professor of Family, Population, and Preventative Medicine and Head of the Division of Medicine in Society. A graduate of the University of Chicago with training in psychology, world religions, and ethics, he is renowned for his work on compassionate care at the interface of science, ethics, spiritual thought, and behavioral medicine. Dr. Post is internationally recognized for his work with deeply forgetful people, their families, and allied organizations. His book, The Moral Challenge of Alzheimer’s Disease: Ethical Issues from Diagnosis to Dying (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000), was designated a “medical classic of the century” by the British Medical Journal. His research on the dynamics of compassionate care in the lives of persons with dementia and their caregivers resulted in his being elected a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board of Alzheimer's Disease International. He has published widely on dignity, ethics, and spirituality of caregiving, has been quoted in more than 3,000 international newspapers and magazines and is the author of 300 articles in premier scientific and medical journals. Dr. Post is also the author of several books, including the best-selling “Why Good Things Happen to Good People” and most recently, “Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer's Disease.”
Contact: stephengpost@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephen.post.372
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-g-post-506a3310/
Twitter: @stephengpost
Websites: www.stephengpost.com
