Methodist College Event to Focus on the Integration of Compassion and Caregiving

A new annual event hosted by Methodist College will provide continuing education opportunities for healthcare and human services professionals in Central Illinois. The inaugural Methodist College Wellness Forum focuses on how caregivers can provide compassionate care to their patients and clients, while protecting their own needs and preventing burnout. The event will be held on Wednesday, April 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the college’s campus at 7600 N. Academic Drive in Peoria. 

The 2017 Wellness Forum is titled “Compassionate Care in a Sometimes Uncompassionate World” and will feature Dr. Lobsang Tenzin Negi, a world-renowned scholar of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT), a compassion meditation program that is being taught and integrated into healthcare teaching and practice. In addition, the forum will feature more than 15 breakout sessions covering topics including teaching practices, tension release exercises, assertiveness, employee engagement, healthy workplaces, prevention of caregiver burnout, and emotional intelligence.

“We are pleased to showcase such a breadth of quality presenters at this event,” said Dr. Eileen Setti, Methodist College, Director of Continuing Education and Career Pathways. “They represent the diversity of medical providers, counseling and social work practitioners, and educators who work every day to strengthen caregiving in our communities.”

Dr. Negi will provide the morning keynote presentation and a breakout session on Cognitively-Based Compassion Training. Dr. Negi is a Professor of Practice in Emory University’s Department of Religion and is the co-founder and director of the Emory-Tibet Partnership.  Dr. Negi studied and works with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to design and implement a comprehensive modern science curriculum. 

Master Coach Heather Woody, who provides professional coaching to individuals and organizations, will provide the luncheon keynote presentation, “Creating a Healthy Workplace through Strong and Compassionate Workplace Partnerships” and a breakout session, “Managing Diverse Personalities in the Workplace.” Ms. Woody is a graduate of Coach Inc., one of the largest international training organizations for professional coaches, and holds a BA from the University of Northern Iowa in Public Relations and Communications.


Dr. Negi will also be presenting a public lecture as part of the Living Healthy Series at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. That event will be on Tuesday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Jump Simulation at 1306 N. Berkeley Avenue.

The Methodist College Wellness Forum is open to the community. Continuing education credits will be available for nurses and counselors. Methodist College has applied to other professional continuing education granting bodies for approval to offer continuing education hours credit in those disciplines.
Additional information and registration for the Wellness Forum is available at www.methodistcol.edu/wellness-forum.