Participants' Experience

Boston Children's Hospital / Harvard Medical School

“Thank you for this tremendous opportunity.  I found it fulfilling and also restorative!  My co-fellows were all incredible leaders in their own right.  I appreciated their generosity in sharing narratives in a vulnerable and honest way.  Thank you to our faculty leaders for their knowledge and expertise!” 

“I'm so appreciative of both Beth and Deb for leading our team with such passion and excellence.  This was a diverse team from all perspectives and all felt heard, understood and contributed to the dialogue.  We all looked forward to our meetings as a positive part of our busy and somewhat stressful days.  Thank you!”

“I totally LOVED the fellowship and felt even more empowered through discussions with an interprofessional group of peers.”   What liked most about the fellowship: “Having evidenced based resources to support my current view on the need for change in healthcare and cultures in the workplace.” 

“This program was truly a wonderful experience. Thank you to Beth and Deb for all of your efforts to make us feel welcome, safe and collaborative. I look forward to continuing to connect with the colleagues I met in this program and hopefully to work together on future projects. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and greatly appreciate every part of it!” 

Emory University School of Medicine & Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

“This program brought me closer to my colleagues and to myself through well-planned sessions, thoughtful facilitation, and an openness to be vulnerable with one another.”    – Holly Gooding, MD, MS, Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. (Grady Healthcare)

“My participation in the 2021-22 Kern Fellowship was rewarding well beyond my expectations.  My time meeting with the interdisciplinary group, under the guidance of Corrine Abraham and Bill Branch, provided an opportunity to process some of the more intense aspects of my work and life.  I truly felt some growth and emotional opening in every single session, and I felt that we as a group bonded through listening, speaking, and reflecting with each other on numerous topics of importance - such as finding meaning in life and work, and developing trust with patients and colleagues.  I highly recommend this fellowship to anyone interested in having a safe place to discuss and think about some of the most challenging aspects of what we do in healthcare.  And a piece of advice for when/if you join a future year of this fellowship: show up, participate, and trust the process - and you'll see what I mean about how valuable it is.”    – Dimitri Cassimatis, MD, Cardiologist and Chief of Medicine at Emory University Hospital Midtown

“I was honored to be selected to participate in the Kern Fellowship in Interprofessional Leadership, co-sponsored by the Woodruff Health Educators Academy and the Kern Foundation. Dr. Branch and Dr. Abraham skillfully crafted safe, inclusive spaces for self-reflection, authenticity, learning, and growth. I am grateful for this fellowship and the meaningful experiences I shared with interprofessional colleagues. The outcomes of this fellowship will continue to shape my thoughts and actions for leader development, diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, resilience, and optimal outcomes in healthcare.”   – Trina Geyer, PhD, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, Director, Nursing Leadership and Development, Emory Healthcare; Program Administrator, Emory’s Building Resilience and Compassion Enculturation (emBRACE) Peer Support Program

University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine

“The sessions on effective team dynamics and seeing things from different perspectives was really helpful. I intend to keep these concepts in mind next time there is a team conflict.”  What liked most about the fellowship: “The vulnerability and engagement of the group and getting to build relationships with our group over time.”

“The environment felt safe for learning and sharing, appreciated the input of multiple talented professionals across disciplines. I appreciated especially the appreciation and communication across teams. I'll use the exercise on differing perspectives to improve my empathetic communication with team mates.”