Course Links

Resources

There are many resources that are cited throughout the program content. Every effort is made to provide learners with quality, diverse, and highly trained educational professionals that contribute concepts, ideas, and strategies that are practical. Besides the authors and organizations cited at the conclusion of education content and the url links listed on that tab, a list of educational contributors are as follows:

Dr. Michael S. Woods MD

Dr. Michael S. Woods is a practicing surgeon at St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is the founder and president of the Center for Physician Leadership, whose mission is to enable individuals and organizations to achieve patient-centered excellence through physician personal leadership. He is also the author of Healing Words: The Power of Apology in Medicine, The DEPO Principle: Applying Personal Leadership Principles to Healthcare, and co-author with Geri Ann Galanti, PhD, of Cultural Sensitivity: A Guidebook for Physicians & Healthcare Professionals. He served as a resource for a segment on apology in healthcare on NPR's This American Life and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Sorry Works! Coalition. Dr. Woods developed the DUN factor as it relates to communication, which is his mnemonic for "Dynamic, Unpredictable, and Non-linear," as is much of the case in health care. Dr. Woods states that the DUN Factor is responsible for the majority of patient safety breaches and accounts for the terrible medical malpractice environment. Dr. Woods may be contacted at mwoods@doctorslead.com.

Vanessa K. Harvey RN, MSN

Vanessa is the brainchild behind the Communications in the Heath Care Setting: “Talk is Cheap” course. This course was developed while completing her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2006. Vanessa has taken the time and effort to research communication strategies extensively and has logged over 1000 hours of research in the development of this course. A strong foundation and understanding of communication was developed when Vanessa obtained her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Louisville in 1986. Through the years, Vanessa has collected data and observed how people communicate in different aspects of life. At the completion of her master’s degree, Vanessa felt it was time to assist health care professionals to become more effective communicators with the ultimate goal of improved patient outcomes. Vanessa also served in the United States Army for 3 years where she served in a communications role. She has also taught nursing students in the clinical setting. Vanessa has over 14 years of nursing experience and is working as a house manager at a primary health care facility. Education and teaching remain a primary focus. The growth and professional development of all health care disciplines is a primary goal she strives to achieve.

Judy Vetovitz MS Ed.

Judy is a technical writer, trainer, and instructional designer with over 20 years of experience in the field. She has expertise in writing training procedures, operational manuals, process and procedure documentation, interviewing subject matter experts, and conducting needs analysis. She excels in organizing complex information and creating formats that promote readability and comprehension. In addition to these areas, her specialties include conducting classroom training/facilitation, training 1:1 or small groups, designing instructional and performance-based materials, interviewing subject matter experts and working on team projects. Judy is comfortable in diverse settings, and has worked with a variety of organizational types including fast-food, health care, banking, insurance, manufacturing, non-profit, and sales.