Being a change agent in healthcare requires us to embrace uncertainty, navigate complex conversations, and adapt to rapidly evolving environments. For clinicians, researchers, and students alike, this work can be both deeply meaningful and deeply demanding.
In this interactive workshop, Jessica Halem—award-winning LGBTQ health innovator and former stand-up comic trained at Second City—introduces principles from improvisational theater as practical tools for navigating challenging moments in healthcare and academic life.
Grounded in Halem’s work on the history and future of LGBTQ health—including her ground-breaking New England Journal of Medicine perspective—as well as her experience across academic medicine, start-ups, and community, this session invites participants to reflect on the pressures facing health professionals today while offering practical tools for staying present, collaborative, and creative in the face of uncertainty.
No acting experience required!
Bio:
Jessica Halem’s career has moved between movements, medicine, and innovation. She began working for Bella Abzug, went on to lead the Lesbian Community Cancer Project, and later developed new roles in LGBTQ Health at Harvard Medical School and the University of Pennsylvania. Early on, she trained at Second City and was a successful stand-up comic known for bringing candor and a fearless stage presence to audiences of all ages. Today she brings her expertise and energy to building the future of evidence-based healthcare.