To celebrate the 18th anniversary of the partnership between OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center and the Keck School of Medicine, Pamela B. Schaff, MD, and second-year medical student Stacey Barnett spoke at a medical education salon held on March 22. 

Held at the home of OUR HOUSE board member Mani Zadeh, MD, the salon was an opportunity for fellow board members to learn about the partnership between OUR HOUSE and the Keck School of Medicine. Barnett shared how her experience with OUR HOUSE helped her to gain an understanding of natural grief reactions and to not be afraid to provide care and comfort to dying patients and grieving families.

“The program really did change my view on grief,” Barnett said. “Not only did it change a lot of what I want to do with my future practice, but it impacted my day-to-day life.” 

Schaff, who is the associate dean for curriculum and associate professor of clinical pediatrics and family medicine at the Keck School, spoke about the powerful impact of OUR HOUSE’s educational program and how deeply meaningful the partnership is to the students. The Keck School has integrated the required grief education into their curriculum since 1998. “The students become more aware of their own relationship with grief,” Schaff stated.

The program is creating a new generation of physicians who are able to recognize the symptoms of grief and provide compassionate care at patients’ and families’ most difficult times. The mission of the OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center is to provide the greater Los Angeles community with grief support services, education, resources, and hope.