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In This Issue:
BWH Faculty Lend Support for Meningioma Awareness Day
Hundreds of patients with meningioma, the most common type of primary brain tumor, had the opportunity to meet experts studying and treating the disease from BWH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Children’s Hospital Boston and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.
Hosted by the Brain Science Foundation, Meningioma Awareness Day featured multiple panel discussions and presentations for patients and their family members. Informative sessions, such as “One-on-One: Your Questions Answered,” enabled patients to ask questions and discuss their conditions with 15 medical experts in a comfortable, welcoming environment. The session was followed with a talk about how to succeed in the face of adversity by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.
About 200 patients, their families and friends attended sessions on topics ranging from demystifying diagnostic imaging tools to breakthroughs in chemotherapy. BWH neurosurgeon Elizabeth Claus, MD, PhD, gave an update on current statistics and research findings, while David Silbersweig, MD, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Neurosciences, talked about the psychological impact of brain surgery.
Jackie Somerville, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer and senior vice president for Patient Care Services, led a panel discussion on specific patient care issues relevant to integrative therapies and the health care system.
The well-being of those caring for loved ones with meningioma was also addressed in a session moderated by Kathleen Gallivan, SND, PhD, director of Chaplaincy Services, and Jeffrey Robbins, MSW, LICSW, of Neurology. The session delved into strategies that caregivers can use in the unique challenges they face, as well as strategies for talking to children about illness.
Other BWH faculty who participated in Meningioma Awareness Day included Mark Johnson, MD, PhD, Alexandra Golby, MD, Ossama Al-Mefty, MD, Sandro Santagata, MD, PhD, Shaun Golden, MSN, RN, Patricia Reilly, MSN, RN, Katherine McManus, RD, Andrea Scanlon, AD, RN, and Ellen Golden, MSW, LICSW.