Hi 👋 there! I haven’t introduced myself in a bit, so to welcome all the new faces. Let’s do a quick meet-and-greet so we get to know each other better.
A bit about me: I’m a Biology Professor at a local community college. I’m a marine biologist specializing in marine mammals-I love my dolphins! In 2006, I had a brain tumor removed, but complications led to a stroke and kept me in the hospital for 9 months and rehabbing forever. I’ve learned so much about myself through this experience, including how patients are treated by medical professionals. Some were kind, thoughtful and empathetic, while others were—not.
After I came home from the hospital and recovered enough to return to the career I loved, I decided to use my voice and skill to help medical professionals instantly connect to their patients and always show empathy. Through the nonprofit Lifetime of Impact, I present regularly to Allied Health students at several colleges in my area. I’ve also presented virtually to medical groups throughout the country. Now, through Impact of Empathy, my goal is to institutionalize empathy by being a key part of onboarding training for new employees. While this program was designed with healthcare providers in mind, who thinks that other customer-service industries such as airlines or large event venues could use a little empathy training? I love giving these presentations. It makes my whole brain tumor experience mean something and gives me an outlet to contribute to the world’s kindness.
Aside from work (which includes whale watching and going to the beach), I’m a huge Warriors (basketball) and 49ers (football) fan!
