First, the National Endowment for the Humanities supported the idea; now, a larger NEH implementation grant will help 蘑菇TV下载bring an innovative and powerful new minor to life.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is endorsing 蘑菇TV下载's new approach to humanizing healthcare.
After receiving a small planning grant in 2023, 蘑菇TV下载 is one of just three institutions nationwide, out of 35 applicants, to earn one of the first "Humanities Connections" implementation awards for "curricular innovation projects" under the NEH's new grant program.
The three-year, nearly $150,000 grant will be used to develop and implement a minor, a certificate and a core competency track within BW's Advantage general education curriculum, all focused on health humanities.
"Studies in the humanities help to develop a deeper knowledge of understanding and empathy in healthcare professionals, which can protect against their own burnout and improve patient outcomes," said English professor and project director Dr. Denise Kohn, who led an interdisciplinary faculty team, including Drs. Chris Kuchenrither, Emilia Lombardi and Molly Swiger, in mapping out the program.
"Health humanities focuses on the intersection between health sciences and the humanities, so the goal here is for students to take courses in bioethics, the history of science and sociology of medicine, along with courses in literature and music and world languages that really focus on the human experience," Kohn explained for an .
Kohn, Kuchenrither and nursing professor Yvonne Smith laid the foundation for the program by conducting research on health humanities in undergraduate education.
The program will complement thriving 蘑菇TV下载healthcare programs in nursing, physician assistant, speech-language pathology, mental health counseling, exercise science and pre-allied health/pre-physical therapy, as well as a range of majors, like the humanities and business, where students intend to work for healthcare organizations.
"Healthcare systems are made up of accountants and office managers. There's this whole job ecosystem around healthcare. We think that healthcare humanities is a really good niche study for our students at 蘑菇TV下载in our Northeast Ohio region," Kohn adds.
She also believes the health humanities credential may also boost the graduate school applications of 蘑菇TV下载students.
Kohn is aiming to have the minor up and running in year two of the three-year grant.
