Friday, February 24th was the dedication of the Richard C. Christensen, MD Memorial as part of the Chapman Healing Gardens located at Wilmot Gardens.
Welcoming remarks were made by C. Craig Tisher, MD who introduced a number of speakers including Department of Psychiatry Chair Regina Bussing, MD; Kara Russell, Health Services Administrator of the Sulzbacher Center; and Director of the Helping Hands Clinic, Brendan Shortley.
Ana Turner, MD, President of the Board of the UF Chapman Society presented the winners of the Dr. Richard Christensen Student Service Grant. This grant was developed to honor Dr. Christensen’s memory by encouraging service in the community. Medical Students years 1 – 3 are invited to apply for a scholarship that will support them in a service project dedicated to promoting humanism in medicine.
This years winners:
Stephanie Socias – “GatorAid” Addressing the environmental difficulties faced by the elderly and chronically ill to serve as the infrastructure for an organization providing assistance to these patients in their homes where the hand of medicine often falls short.
Chu Hsiao – “The Pregnancy Experience Narratives (PEN) Project” Promoting humanism in medicine by attaching women’s stories to the barren and emotionless half-page Healthy Start (pregnancy screening) forms.
Many of Dr. Christensen’s family members were in attendance, including his wife, Kathy Christensen and son, Chris Christensen who unveiled the plaque with the quote “…the practice of medicine is a moral endeavor that is grounded in a covenant of care.” Richard C. Christensen, MD March 22, 2011.
