Solidarity Week 2017 Launches Today, Finishes with Friday Ring-of-Hands - Noon

The medical student chapters of the Gold Humanism Honor Society at the UA Colleges of Medicine in Phoenix and Tucson will stage a variety of events this week to recognize kind, compassionate patient care for Solidarity Week.

The events—culminated in Tucson by a ring-of-hands on Friday, Feb. 17, at noon, in the UAHS Plaza south of the UA College of Medicine – Tucson main entrance—promote the idea of compassionate care as the central theme of healing. For the past several years, a circle of kindness has been a hallmark of the Solidarity Day observance in Tucson.

Each year, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation honors National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Care, typically held on or near Valentine’s Day (Feb. 17 this year), by encouraging medical schools, patient-care institutions and other health care organizations around the country to show their support of the importance of kindness to patients.

Solidarity Day began at the UA College of Medicine in 2011 in the wake of the shooting involving former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. In the intervening years, Solidarity Week events have spread across medical school campuses across the country and world.

Students in the UA College of Medicine – Tucson Gold Humanism Honor Society lead the effort on the AHSC campus. The society is the Gold Foundation’s signature program, recognizing medical students, residents and faculty members who practice patient-centered care by modeling the qualities of integrity, excellence, compassion, altruism, respect and empathy.

At Friday’s event, you’ll hear the local Doc-a-pella vocal ensemble, speakers Randy Friese, MD, UA professor of surgery, Andreas Theodorou, MD, chief clinical education officer, Banner – University Medical Group, COM-T Dean Charles Cairns, MD, and Tom Dickson, CEO Banner UMC Tucson and South.

For details, look below, see #SolidarityWeek on Twitter or visit the GHHS website: http://www.gold-foundation.org/programs/ghhs/ghhs-solidarity-day/

  • Monday, Feb. 13, Noon
    Keynote Speaker: Bill Madden, MD, author ("Physician Soldier: A Moral Profession"), retired U.S. colonel and pediatrician, speaks about the importance of physician-patient relationships.
  • Tuesday, Feb. 14, Noon
    Art Aloud Poetry/Spoken Word Slam
    UAHS Health Sciences Library (AHSL) Café
  • All Week:
    Be Kind Challenge — Everyone is encouraged to record positive acts they encounter via slips of paper at nursing units that will be formed into a giant chain; also feel free to add a note to the Wall of Kindness.
  • All Week:
    Tell Me More Project — Look for posters above patient's beds about meaningful conversations with medical students to get to know their patients as people!
  • Friday, Feb. 17, Noon
    Solidarity Day 2017 Ring-of-Hands
    UAHS Plaza
    Join US!

UPDATE: Click here [PDF] or on the image at the left to view a photo gallery from this event.

Release Date: 
02/13/2017 - 9:15am