Spiritual Care for Patients, Families and Providers in the Era of COVID-19

Dr. Maren Monsen is a physician, filmmaker, and clinical ethicist who uses film to share patient stories and shine light on challenging issues in public health and medicine. She founded the Program in Bioethics and Film at the Stanford University Center for Biomedical Ethics which she ran for 21 years, and produced multiple internationally acclaimed documentary films. She Co-Directed Emmy-nominated The Revolutionary Optimists, about kids in Kolkata India making grassroots change to improve global health in the slums and brickfields where they live. Previous films include Worlds Apart and Hold Your Breath, a large-scale project on racial and ethnic health disparities, which was broadcast on national public television and has been used in the majority of US medical schools. Past films are Rare, the story of one extraordinary mother's race against time to find a cure for her daughter's rare genetic disease, and The Vanishing Line, a chronicle of her journey toward understanding the art and issues of dying. She has worked clinically seeing patients as an emergency physician, palliative care physician and clinical ethicist, and taught clinical and research ethics. 

The Reverend Dr. Gale Francine Kennebrew is a native of Chicago, Illinois. She is Director of Spiritual Care and Education at The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia College Chicago and worked in radio and television. She is a pioneer in spiritual care and education, earning a Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary. Her love for spiritual care began as a chaplain trainee at the University of Chicago Hospitals. She has served in health care settings for over twenty eight years. She is a Board-Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains, a Certified Educator with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., and a United Church of Christ clergywoman. She teaches spiritual care skills, and lectures on spirituality and healthcare nationally and internationally. She is the proud mother of two sons and one daughter, and enjoys spending time virtually with her seven grandchildren.