Plenary Session #2

"Narrative Humility in Medical Education, Research, & Healthcare Delivery"
Chase Crossno, MPH, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas

This talk underscores the pivotal role of storytelling and active listening in fostering compassionate care for both patients and healthcare providers. This approach encourages individuals to cultivate essential skills such as self-awareness, reflection, imagination, empathy, curiosity, and emotional self-regulation. By drawing parallels with activities like reading, theater, music, and art, this approach prompts a deeper appreciation for the diverse narratives and perspectives encountered in healthcare. Additionally, emphasizing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) within this framework underscores the importance of recognizing and valuing the richness of human experiences. Medical librarians and other healthcare researchers might be inspired to enhance their search, analysis, and provision of critical information for patient care and physician well-being by incorporating such humanities-based approaches.

About the Speaker

Chase Crossno is an actor, activist, and advocate passionate about sparking tough conversations that empower individuals and communities. Currently, she is the Assistant Director of Interventions & Training at the TCU Institute of Behavioral Research. There, she uses humanities-based approaches to create public health interventions with a strong social justice angle. She is also a consultant for the Center for Compassionate Communication at UC San Diego’s Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion where she works closely with the team to emphasize justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in their clinical fellowship curricula.

Originally, Chase double-majored in Theatre and Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. After graduating, she spent two years in rural Namibia teaching high schoolers and local communities about sexual health and HIV prevention. Upon returning stateside, Chase worked for the largest AIDS service organization in central Texas and was instrumental in the successful development of the off-site HIV testing program. She earned her MPH from Boston University in 2015 and found herself at the familiar intersection of theater and public health. She teamed up with clinical researchers to make their findings more accessible to the public at the BU Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the BU School of Public Health. She also designed and led workshops on social justice, diversity & inclusion, and leadership at Boston University, Harvard University, John Snow Inc., and Kindred Healthcare. Her journey took her to the TCU Burnett School of Medicine, where she helped shape the curriculum on medical humanities and compassionate communication for future doctors.

HLIS Luncheon

"Hospital Libraries: Promote Big. Advocate Big. Dream Big"
Lindsay Blake, EdD, MLIS, AHIP, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas ◆ Linné Girouard, MLIS, AHIP, FMLA, Houston Methodist Hospital System, Houston, Texas ◆ Adela Justice, MSLS, AHIP, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas ◆ Veronica Singleton, Vice President of Operations, Children's Health, Dallas, Texas

This year's luncheon will include a panel discussion, including hospital and clinical librarians, as well as a hospital administrator. The panel discussion will include topics such as how to assess your library's return on investment, successful programming ideas, how to market your library, and how to demonstrate the library's value to your administration. The panel discussion will be followed by the HLIS business meeting.

About the Speakers

Lindsay Blake is the Clinical Services Coordinator for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). In this capacity she directs the clinical librarian services and acts as a clinical librarian attending patient rounds with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and working with other departments on campus as needed to educate residents and faculty on library resources and services, evidence-based practice, and presentation and publication skills. Lindsay is a distinguished member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) and actively involved in both regional and national library associations.

Linné Girouard – a native of Houston, Texas – has been a hospital librarian at the Houston Methodist Hospital System for 38 years. When she started in 1986, The Methodist Hospital was a single hospital in the Texas Medical Center, which has grown into an 8-hopsital (soon to be a 9-hospital) system. She is an active member of the South Central Chapter as well as the Medical Library Association. Linné is a distinguished AHIP member and a recently selected MLA Fellow.

Adela V. Justice is a Senior Librarian at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She has worked in the hospital's patient education and consumer health library, The Learning Center, since 2015. Her previous work experience includes stints at academic medical libraries, public libraries, the Network of the National Libraries of Medicine, and a veterinary technician school library.

Veronica Singleton is a dedicated Healthcare and Human Resources Professional with over 20 years of leadership experience in the health and hospitality sectors. Her career includes roles at notable organizations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of New York, United Surgical Partners International/Tenet, and USMD. Currently, she serves as the Vice President of Operations at Children's Health Systems of Texas, where she has been a vital member of the team for nearly 11 years. Initially starting as an ambulatory administrator, Veronica transitioned into hospital operations, significantly impacting the organization through her involvement in various system-wide projects. One of her most rewarding accomplishments was during the onset of the 2020 pandemic when she successfully led the initiative to open the first-ever hospital-based 7-Eleven store, providing essential services for healthcare workers and patient families. Additionally, she played a crucial role in the development of a digital patient guidebook, enhancing the experience for patients and their families. Veronica is a proud alumna of Texas Woman's University, where she earned both her Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management and her MBA. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys traveling to exotic destinations, exploring both local and distant locales.