Bedside Matters
A Forum for Frontline Health Care Specialists
Contact Hours Offered
About Our Program
Frontline workers deal with difficult personal and emotional issues alongside administrative constraints that may impact time spent with patients.
Bedside Matters is a safe forum to openly discuss thought-provoking topical events and the social and emotional issues that often arise in caring for patients and families. The goals of the forum are to strengthen relationships between patients and caregivers and help preserve the human connection in health care.
We begin with each session with a VUMC patient case. After review, a panel of interdisciplinary health care workers provides their unique perspectives. We then open the discussion to our audience to ask questions and share their experiences.
We ask that all participants have an open mind, share honestly and be respectful when opinions vary from their own.
Virtual events are held the third Wednesday of every month from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
We look forward to your participation!
Suggestion for Bedside Matters?
Our programs include discussion of patients and situations arising from all entities across VUMC. If you are interested in suggesting or presenting a topic and/or participating as a panel member, please email: Dr. Walter Merrill
Contact Us
Contact Hour or registration questions?
Contact Hour Accreditation Statement If Contact Hours lists TBD: |
May Bedside Matters Event
EMPOWERING PATIENTS THROUGH INTENTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
The goal of our presentation is to discuss our experiences in promoting intentional conversations around difficult to talk about topics related to end-of-life care with our patients. We hope to teach, through a case example, strategies to engage patients about their hopes, priorities, and fears and the benefits of such conversations to patients, families, and the healthcare team. Our presentation will focus on a young man diagnosed with an aggressive sarcoma that resulted in multiple hospitalizations which profoundly limited his ability to remain at home with his young boys and wife. Our participants will discuss how we were collectively able to guide him in decision-making, supporting his young children and planning the final days of his life including his burial.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
12:00 p.m.
Via TEAMS
TEAMS Registration
*Right-click on TEAMS link above and copy the hyperlink into Microsoft Edge if you are having trouble accessing the link with Google Chrome.
Need further assistance? Please reach out to Judy Ledgerwood at judy.ledgerwood@vumc.org
Panelists:
• Mohana Karlekar, MD Section Chief, Palliative Care
• Jen McNaught, APRN
• Ian Cullen, Chaplain
• Arielle Silverman, Certified Child Life Specialist
• John Christian, Executive Director, Larkspur