PANELISTS
Brian Cunningham, MD (ret.)
Lisa M. Pezzulich, PsyD
Laura Moore
Cancer Survivor
Carol Comar Frost, NP
MODERATOR
Dr. Bernard Bandman
CCM Executive Director
INTERVIEWED FOR THE PROGRAM
Sara Ames, NP
Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Adirondack Health at Saranac Lake
Elaine Meyer, PhD
Psychologist, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Center for Bioethics
Laura Moore
Cancer Survivor
Joseph O’Donnell, MD
Emeritus Professor of Medicine (Oncology) & Dean, Dartmouth Medical School (ret.)
Ellen Ozier, MSW
University of North Carolina Medical Center Palliative Care
Jon LaPook, MD
Chief Medical Correspondent, CBS News and Founder, The Empathy Project at NYU Langone Health
Empathy As A Bridge To Improve Healthcare Communication: A Two-Way Street
On Tuesday, May 23 at 6pm, the Center for Communication in Medicine will offer another in its SpeakSooner community education series with, “Empathy As A Bridge To Improve Healthcare Communication: A Two-Way Street” on site at the Bennington Performing Arts Center and live at speaksooner.org. The program is free and open to the public.
Our program will address communication challenges from the perspectives of both patients and healthcare providers with empathy as a key component. Our panel of experts will address these and other concerns as a way to improve the healthcare experience.
Video interviews with specialists in the field will set the stage for a lively panel discussion followed by Q&A with audience members and online chat.
Program Registration
Panelists
Brian Cunningham, MD (ret.)
Brian Cunningham, MD (ret.) graduated from Yale before completing his medical degree at the U. of Pennsylvania Medical School. An instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and Asst. Professor of Medicine at U. Mass, he retired after many years of practice as Internist and Rheumatologist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.
Lisa M. Pezzulich, PsyD
Lisa M. Pezzulich, PsyD is a Clinical Psychologist who trained at the University of Denver School of Professional Psychology and completed her APA internship at the University of Texas, Austin. She is currently President of Mindful Solutions, PLLC. Dr. Pezzulich places a high priority on collaborating closely with the medical community to ensure comprehensive care for her patients.
Laura Moore
Laura Moore was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2010. Despite her prognosis, she continues to thrive. She is a native of Bennington, VT and a graduate of Williams College. She is especially proud of her granddaughter, Chloe.
Carol Comar Frost, NP
Carol Comar Frost, NP received her M.S. from Sage Graduate School and completed post graduate courses in Hematology and Oncology. She played an instrumental role at Southwestern Regional Cancer Center providing treatment education to patients struggling with difficult diagnoses. Carol currently works in Primary Care for Veterans Affairs, Bennington, VT.
Moderator
Bernard Bandman, PhD is co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Communication in Medicine (CCM). Since 2001, CCM has developed programs and tools to improve communication between patients facing serious illness, their loved ones and healthcare providers.
Interviewed for the Program
Sara Ames, NP
Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Adirondack Health at Saranac Lake
Elaine Meyer, PhD
Psychologist, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics
Laura Moore
Cancer Survivor
Joseph O’Donnell, MD
Emeritus Professor of Medicine (Oncology) & Dean, Dartmouth Medical School (ret.)
Ellen Ozier, MSW
University of North Carolina Medical Center Palliative Care
Jon LaPook, MD
Chief Medical Correspondent, CBS News and Founder, The Empathy Project at NYU Langone Health
Empathy As A Bridge To Improve Healthcare Communication: A Two-Way Street
On Tuesday, May 23 at 6pm, the Center for Communication in Medicine will offer another in its SpeakSooner community education series with, “Empathy As A Bridge To Improve Healthcare Communication: A Two-Way Street” on site at the Bennington Performing Arts Center and live at speaksooner.org. The program is free and open to the public.
Our program will address communication challenges from the perspectives of both patients and healthcare providers with empathy as a key component. Our panel of experts will address these and other concerns as a way to improve the healthcare experience.
Video interviews with specialists in the field will set the stage for a lively panel discussion followed by Q&A with audience members and online chat.
Program Registration
Panelists

Brian Cunningham, MD (ret.)
Brian Cunningham, MD (ret.) graduated from Yale before completing his medical degree at the U. of Pennsylvania Medical School. An instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and Asst. Professor of Medicine at U. Mass, he retired after many years of practice as Internist and Rheumatologist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.


Lisa M. Pezzulich, PsyD
Lisa M. Pezzulich, PsyD is a Clinical Psychologist who trained at the University of Denver School of Professional Psychology and completed her APA internship at the University of Texas, Austin. She is currently President of Mindful Solutions, PLLC. Dr. Pezzulich places a high priority on collaborating closely with the medical community to ensure comprehensive care for her patients.


Laura Moore
Laura Moore was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2010. Despite her prognosis, she continues to thrive. She is a native of Bennington, VT and a graduate of Williams College. She is especially proud of her granddaughter, Chloe.


Carol Comar Frost, NP
Carol Comar Frost, NP received her M.S. from Sage Graduate School and completed post graduate courses in Hematology and Oncology. She played an instrumental role at Southwestern Regional Cancer Center providing treatment education to patients struggling with difficult diagnoses. Carol currently works in Primary Care for Veterans Affairs, Bennington, VT.
Moderator


Bernard Bandman, PhD is co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Communication in Medicine (CCM). Since 2001, CCM has developed programs and tools to improve communication between patients facing serious illness, their loved ones and healthcare providers.