A Conversation About Death: Learning From Our ExperiencesA 2-day CME/BRN/CEU workshop with Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. October 22 & 23, 2010 Workshop DescriptionWho should attend:physicians, oncologists, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, oncology social workers, hospital chaplains, and hospice professionals. This workshop is designed for health professionals who work hands-on with death. Medical students are welcome. Death is an aspect of medicine rarely discussed between colleagues. Many professionals who are competent in the management of the dying may never have reflected on the nature of death itself, yet it has the power to transform the lives of everyone it touches, including health professionals. Our experiences have led us to define death in different ways. Each of us has unanswered questions and specific memories that have shaped our attitudes, our beliefs and our understandings. Often these are neither shared nor examined. Yet our thinking about death profoundly influences the way we formulate our task as health professionals. This workshop offers participants the opportunity to verbalize their beliefs about death and re-examine their experiences in the company of other health professionals. We will explore the conscious and unconscious attitudes we have inherited from our families and learned through our professional training, sharing the stories on which they are based. Each participant will be encouraged to evolve their own definition of death and expand their service role by examining cross-cultural beliefs about death and reflecting on the collective human wisdom in poetry, literature, philosophy and theology. Lastly, there is a unique learning embedded in every death. Together we will explore and share these learnings as a dynamic process and be enabled to find authentic meaning in losses that have touched us. A Conversation about Death is an invitation to wonder together with other health professionals about the mystery that awaits us all at the end of life. Educational GoalsParticipants will have the opportunity to: Educational ObjectivesParticipants will be able to:
About Rachel Naomi Remen, MD: Rachel Naomi Remen is one of the earliest pioneers of holistic and integrative medicine. She is the Founder and Director of The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) at Commonweal, a professor of clinical medicine at UCSF School of Medicine, and her bestselling books Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings have been translated into 18 languages. She has been a therapist to people with cancer, their families and their hospice professionals for more than 25 years. Her presentations, writings and workshop programs have enabled health professionals to remember their calling and revitalize their work. The innovative approaches in this workshop have proved helpful to many thousands of health professionals and professional students
The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal designated this educational activity for a maximum of 12 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™ Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This credit may also be applied to the CMA Certification in Continuing Medical Education. CE contact hour credit for nurses: Credit for 12 CE contact hours for nurses is available. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 10064. 12 CE contact hours is available for licensed California nurses. CEU credit for other health professionals: This is an activity offered by the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal. Disclosure policy: The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness has implemented a process where everyone who is in a position to control the content of any educational activity must disclose any relevant financial relationship with a commercial interest. Disclosure Information: The speakers, presenters and planning committee members for this educational activity disclose no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. Workshop LogisticsLocation: Acqua Hotel, 555 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, California Registration & payment: Pre-registration is required. To register online with a credit card, click here or to download a registration form you can mail in with a check, click here. Note: To ensure prompt processing of your registration, please be sure to send your check with a completed registration form to the correct address listed on the form (complete information is on the downloadable form linked above). If you have questions or problems, please contact Corrie at or call 707-575-6801. Refunds: Due to the constraints of budget planning and administration, no refunds will be issued after September 22. However, you may reassign or transfer your registration at no charge. Cancellation Policy: A full refund (less processing fee of $25) will be issued for cancellations BEFORE September 22. Work exchange & scholarships: This workshop is a fundraising effort for the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) at Commonweal, a nonprofit organization. We regret that we are unable to offer work exchange or scholarships for this event. Lodging: A special discounted room rate has been negotiated for workshop attendees at the Acqua Hotel in Mill Valley, California, the workshop site. You can reserve these rooms (with special room rate) online, by following this link: To confirm reservation, follow search prompts for date availability, rates & room choice. Based on availability at the time of request, guests can then select their preferred reservation date and room type. Rate changes may occur during a guest stay, based on day and length of stay. Daily rate details will be noted on each hotel confirmation notice. All reservations are accepted based on space availability. A two-night minimum may be in effect on selected weekends. Lodging note: If you want to stay at the Acqua Hotel, please know that there are many other events going on in the area during this weekend, and it is crucial to make reservations well in advance. Book your hotel room as soon as possible, so as not to be disappointed! Transportation to site: Many participants fly in from all over the country to attend our workshops. If you are arriving by plane and will be renting a car, either the San Francisco or Oakland airport are recommended. The SF airport is approximately an hour south of the Acqua Hotel; the Oakland airport is around 90 minutes—it depends on the time you fly in and traffic, which can be quite heavy during morning and evening rush hours. We suggest participants fly in the evening before a workshop, and leaving the morning after it's over - and leave plenty of time to get to either airport. If you don't plan to rent a car, we recommend flying into San Francisco International and taking the Marin Airporter shuttle service that has a stop very near the Acqua Hotel (Seminary Dr/Mill Valley). Additional lodging: We can provide names of alternative accommodations in a range of prices in the immediate vicinity of the event. Click here for this list. Meals: There will be 90 minutes available to eat lunch each day, from approximately noon to 1:30 pm. You may choose to either pre-order (when you register) a catered box lunch that will be served onsite during the workshop, or opt to eat out at one of the many restaurants in the immediate area (in which case, you will need a car as there is no easily accessible public transportation). The box lunches cost $17.00 (inc. tax) per person, per day, and must be pre-paid. They will vary each day, and you may choose either vegetarian or regular (meat) lunch. For example: Box Lunch #1: Grilled chicken focaccia sandwich, pesto pasta salad, biscotti Note: If you are on a special diet or cannot eat carbs, we recommend that you eat lunch at a restaurant where you can be sure to have your needs met. To pre-order a lunch online, please go to the online registration form. If you are registering by mail, be sure to checkmark the desired lunch(es) when you send in the form and include payment with the form. The Acqua Hotel does not have its own restaurant; however they do offer a very good continental breakfast for hotel guests staying with them. There are only a couple of restaurants within walking distance for lunch or dinner. We offer the option of ordering a box lunch each day of the workshop. However, if you are not local and arrive via airport shuttle, you may need to call a cab to get to restaurants for dinner. In the past, many participants have opted to go out to eat together, making impromptu plans during the workshop. A list of local restaurants is available, click here. Map: Area map and directions are available, click here.
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CME credit for physicians: The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal is accredited by the Institute for Medical Quality/California Medical Association (IMQ/CMA) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal takes responsibility for the content, quality and scientific integrity of this CME activity.