This presentation will be held both in-person in the 2nd Floor Education Center on the Minneapolis Campus with lunch provided while quantities last or virtually.

When you register, you will be asked to enter whether you will be attending in-person or virtually. 

As members of a pediatric health care team, our actions are in service of improving the health and well-being of the kids and families we care for every day. At times, due to differences in values or belief systems, the perspective of what is best may differ between the healthcare team and the patient’s parents or family. This is particularly distressing when the outcome for a child is tragic, and when the meaning or reason assigned for the tragedy differs widely between care team and family members. This month’s Schwartz rounds centers around a case of a child who died due to self-injury and in unraveling the details of the family dynamics, it appeared that the child’s identity as gay was in sharp contrast to the parent’s belief system, and there was the expression of a sentiment from the family that the child’s death was due to their gay identity and was a punishment from God. During our discussion we will explore more of the complex details of the case, ways the parent’s beliefs impacted the care team’s ability to express compassion and empathy and differing interpretations of the parents religious beliefs. Our panelists will reflect on the tensions involved in the case and how they navigated the complicated emotions involved.

The Schwartz Rounds program offers healthcare providers regularly scheduled time during their fast-paced work lives to openly and honestly discuss the social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients and families. The focus is on the human dimension of health care.

Following a quick multidisciplinary discussion of a topic or case, audience members have an opportunity to share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings and to support each other in best practices of caring for patients and self-care. Schwartz Rounds will be held virtually on the 3rd Thursday of every month and is open to all employees.