As she led efforts to organize this year’s WMed Well-Being Promotion/Suicide Prevention Symposium, Karen Horneffer-Ginter, PhD, said she sought input from members of the medical school community, as well as physician and staff leaders from Ascension Borgess and Bronson Healthcare.
That input, said Dr. Horneffer-Ginter, the medical school’s chief wellness officer and associate dean for Culture, cultivated a “programmatic collaboration” and brought about an event where attendees will be able to pause and connect as they discuss – and focus on – two very important topics.
“This year, we’re really working to create enduring materials from our keynote speakers and breakout sessions, for those who will be in attendance and those who won’t be able to join us in-person,” Dr. Horneffer-Ginter said.
The symposium, which is now in its second year, will be held Friday, September 15, 2023, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus. The event aims to raise awareness, provide education, and encourage conversation about the importance of mental health and well-being in the health care and medical school community.
The symposium is held in memory of Rebekah Sharp, MD, a beloved faculty member at WMed, who passed away on August 29, 2021.
The event is free and open to the public and registration is now open. If you plan to attend, please register via the WMed Continuing Education Portal. Registration will remain open until September 8, 2023, or until all seats have been reserved. For anyone who isn’t able to attend in-person, the morning and afternoon keynote sessions will be available via livestream.
Dr. Horneffer-Ginter said she is hopeful that the symposium will build upon the success of last year’s inaugural event as members of the WMed community and the broader community gather to learn more about the importance of promoting well-being and working to prevent suicide.
The event will kick off on September 15 with breakfast and welcome remarks from Dr. Horneffer-Ginter. Attendees will also hear noontime remarks from WMed Dean Paula Termuhlen, MD. The symposium will feature two breakout sessions in the morning, which will be composed of a total of seven workshop options. Two more breakout sessions will be available in the afternoon with six workshop options for attendees.
Dr. Horneffer-Ginter said she is especially excited for attendees to hear from the three main speakers who will present at this year’s symposium. In the morning, after Dr. Horneffer-Ginter’s opening remarks, Valarie Cunningham, MSW, LMSW, CEO and founder of the Synergy Health Center and a 2023 recipient of the WMed MLK Day Community Service Award, will present “The Importance of De-stigmatization for Black Mental Health.”
She will be followed by Alison Arnold, EdD, director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Community Health & Wellness at Central Michigan University, who will present “Revisiting Trauma, Toxic Stress, and the Roots of Well-being: Shifting Mindsets to Regenerative Growth for Ourselves, Systems and Community Care.” And the noontime keynote speaker will be Stefanie Simmons, MD, FACEP, chief medical officer at the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, who will present “Stabilizing and Healing a Wounded Workforce: Holding Pressure, then Addressing the Source of the Bleeding.”
The symposium will wrap up with Eric Achtyes, MD, MS, DFAPA, chair of the medical school’s Department of Psychiatry, who will share remarks and discuss the resources available in the community and at WMed.
“There really was an intentionality in the variety of topics offered in our breakout sessions and with our keynote speakers,” Dr. Horneffer-Ginter said. “We’re covering a continuum of interests for attendees on the end of well-being promotion and on the end of suicide prevention for those wanting more concrete skills to intervene and prevent suicide. And I think our three invited speakers will highlight important topics that might be new to many people.”