Humanism recognized in teachings of Hines VA doctor

Hart is an emergency medicine physician at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital and assistant professor at Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. In March 2024, she was awarded the Stritch Humanism in Medicine Award for developing and teaching a humanism-based elective course called Healer’s Art Reflection to Loyola medical students, who receive training at Hines through VA’s academic affiliation program.

“I focus on giving (students) tools and experiences that will enhance their own humanity and allow them to connect with their patients better and provide a safe space for their patients’ humanity,” she explained. “That’s something that’s really been lost in the whole medical education process.” 

For Hart, the award is a testament to the course’s impact on her students. The award is given annually to a Loyola faculty physician. This recognition comes from nominations of the student body, then a vote. The criteria are a Loyola faculty physician who exemplifies the qualities of a caring and compassionate mentor in the teaching and advising of medical students.

“When I started the teaching some years back, I was very clear to keep my intention focused on the students,” said Hart. “The intention was very focused on allowing them to bring their whole selves to their practice of medicine, to stay human, allowing them to remember why they came to medicine.”

Students say they have been impacted by those teachings and Hart herself. Dr. Emily Hagen, a former student, reflected on a session about grief where Hart shared her own story.

“She stood in front of dozens of medical students, eloquently sharing her own story of grief and loss surrounding her father's death. In doing so, she embodied her humanity, growth, and vulnerability in a way that myself and medical students rarely see among physicians,” she recalled. “I was in awe of her ability to connect with such a large classroom of students. I will forever remember her sharing her story.”

Personal connections are a constant theme in Hart’s teachings, in how she presents herself and for some students, critical in caring for patients.

“My medical school experience would not have been the same without Dr. Hart,” Hagen shared. “Dr. Hart taught my peers and I how to connect with patients and their families, using our skillsets in empathy and curiosity and willingness to be vulnerable. Through Dr. Hart’s teachings, I learned many crucial skills in communication, reflection, and self-awareness that I will carry with me throughout my career.”

Developing this class was a long journey for Hart that began when she started practicing medicine.

“I noticed there were big gaps in the things I thought I should know in order to interact with my patients, there were big gaps in the way I interacted with other staff,” she reflected. “All of my role models were focused on the technical. I never saw anyone role model good interactions.”

Hart felt she wasn’t personally connecting with her patients and staff to the appropriate degree for a physician. 

“I could tell that I didn’t know those things. I had not been taught them; I had not learned them in my personal life,” she said. “I thought, there must be some wisdom out there that will bring me down the path to being a better physician, a better healer., Perhaps, if I can learn this, I can teach it to other people.”

Hart spent years “developing, studying, learning and exploring.”

“I’ve been everywhere I could get that seemed like it could help me learn the stuff I needed to know and be able to share that with the next generation,” she explained. 

Hart began developing a program of study to explore various human-focused topics including grief and loss; mystery and awe; generous curiosity; social roles and social control; intractable problems in complex systems; and mindsight and neuroscience. 

“She is a visionary in regard to teaching medical students, and she has done a lot of innovation in developing future programs for our medical students,” said Dr. Paul Nemeth, Hart’s supervisor. “She's a great teacher for our students and our residents, and I feel very proud that she was honored in such a way.”

Physicians who receive this award are entered into the Association of American Medical Colleges Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award national competition. However, Hart remains focused on growing her course for the next generation of physicians. 

“It just fuels my interest in doing more,” Hart concluded. “Expanding it, and really staying focused on the intention to give the skills to my physician learners.”