#Cinderblocks2: The Partnership with Patients Continues

In September of 2012 we had our first gathering of  #Cinderblocks or The Partnership with Patients summit in Kansas City, Missouri.  There were about 70 in attendance and everyone left filled with the passion that changes hearts and minds.  Sarah Barr wrote about the event for Kaiser Health News. In the two years since, people has asked repeatedly about when do we plan to meet again.  Well, I tell you the time has come to spread the word of our next gathering.

#Cinderblocks2: The Partnership with Patients Continues will be held June 4-6, 2015 in Grantsville, MD.  

This conference will be held in the scenic beauty of the mountains of Western Maryland.  This will be a destination event and the spirit of the conference will be sort of like Burning Man meets healthcare.

Now some of you may not remember why I use the hashtag #Cinderblocks, so I thought a refresher might be in order... 

"When I was a child I went to an elementary school that had few resources.  In fifth grade, someone donated a large amount of books to our class.  We were very pleased to have them, but we had no bookshelves on which to place them.  My teacher was very enterprising though, and she contacted the local lumberyard and requested they donate some two by fours and cinderblocks so we could make shelves.  The lumberyard manger said yes, with one caveat, we would have to pick up the supplies.

That year our fifth grade class had a field trip.  

We left the school as a class with our strong backs and eager minds. We walked to the lumberyard.  Some of us grabbed the two by fours, some of us cinderblocks and some us combined the two to make a carry yoke for two students to heft.   We walked those blocks all the way back to school and up three flights of stairs.  Then we assembled those shelves and placed the books upon them.  We stood back and looked proudly at our work.  I cannot believe there was a class anywhere else in the entire nation who cherished their bookshelves as much as we did ours.

We loved those shelves because we overcame adversity and made that which we needed.  It wasn't pretty, it wasn’t perfect, but it was ours."

So the really cool thing about this event is that it isn't in the grand ballroom of a four star hotel.  It may not be perfect, but it is ours.

You can register to attend here:

How will you get to Grantsville, MD?

By Car:

The location is about 1 ½ hours by car from Pittsburg or 2 ½ hours from DC/Baltimore.

By Train:

The Amtrak train from DC has a daily stop in nearby Cumberland, which is about 20 minutes away.

By Party Bus!!!:

On June 3, 2015 the Health Data Palooza 2015 in Washington DC will finish. We have a charter bus that can pick up 55 people from that event and bring them to Cinderblocks2. The bus will take them back to DC on the afternoon of June 6^th.

Who will be there?

We expect to see a very diverse crowd at this event. There will be people who work in the government, healthcare, crowdfunding and technology.  We expect to see patients, patient advocates, activists and caregivers.  Artists, performers and dancers will be attending as well as local individuals very interested in the intersection of art, policy and health.

What is the agenda?

 For any folks who arrive on the evening of June 3^rd we will have a potluck or cook out depending upon available venues.  You are welcome socialize or to rest depending upon your personal needs.

Conference Day 1

On June 4^th we will meet at 8:00 am at Penn Alps Restaurant and Meeting Center for breakfast and our general session.  Then we will do breakout sessions until lunch.  The afternoon will also be filled with breakout sessions. The formal sessions will end at 4:00pm. Feel free to explore.

6 pm * Dinner location to be announced.

The Walking Gallery Gathers

At 7:00 pm we will gather in front of the old elementary school 116 Main Street for a group shot of The Walking Gallery and the conference attendees.   We will walk from there across the historic Casselman Bridge to the Arts Field by Spruce Artisan Village.   There we will have our evening event under the big; this portion of the conference event open to the public and does not require tickets.  This will be the 4^th large gathering of The Walking Gallery of Healthcare.  In this space we will get to hear people tell their powerful stories. We will get to hear singers and musicians who are doctors and informatics professionals and choirs that sing on the Threshold of the dying.  In honor of the Cinderblock itself, we will watch those that dance with fire. 

We will embrace the spark within ourselves and remember those we lost as we endeavor to make this world a better place.       

Conference Day 2

On June 5^th   another conference day begins!  At 8:00 am meet at Penn Alps Restaurant and Meeting Center for breakfast and our general session.  Then we will do breakout sessions until lunch.  Lunch will be served at noon-1:00. The afternoon will also be filled with breakout sessions. The formal sessions will end at 4:00pm. Feel free once again to explore.

6pm *Dinner and evening event to be announced

Conference Day 3

June 6^th at 8:00 am meet at Penn Alps Restaurant and Meeting Center for breakfast and our general session.  This day we will break into small groups to work on mentoring and individual coaching sessions.  General Conference close at noon.  The party Bus will be in the Penn Alps parking lot at 1:00pm to drive back to DC.

Where do we stay?

Meshach Browning's Cabins on the River.  These cabins are right next to Penn Alps and come in variety of styles and sizes that allow for 2-6 guests.    

The Casselman Inn This hotel is in the heart of town and in walking distance to most of our activities.  It is a historic drover's hotel and has more space in a motel addition.   

The Comfort Inn This hotel is right off 68 and is about three minutes away from town center by car.

Please let Regina Holliday know if you would rather be placed with a local host family. 

(If The Walking Gallery Center for Arts and Healing is fully funded by June there will be rooms there as well. )

So mark your calendars and register! I hope to see you there!!!!

The Walking Gallery Year 4: June 16, 2014- June 4, 2015

This is the fourth year of the Walking Gallery of Healthcare.  We now number 357 members walking around the world with patient story paintings on our backs.  There are 43 artists in the Gallery and all of them are listed at the bottom of this post. 

This "walking wall" is changing minds and opening hearts.  They are attending medical conferences where often there isn’t a patient speaker on the dais or in the audience.   They are providing a patient voice, and by doing so, are changing the conversation.

An artist or artists will interview medical professionals and lay individuals to form a patient centric narrative. The artist will then create representational imagery and paint that picture story upon the business jacket of the provider of the narrative account. The provider of the patient story aka “Walker” will wear the jacket to medical conferences and events in order to disseminate the patient story to a large group of policy minded attendees and to represent the individual patient voice in venues where they are underrepresented. Further, both artist and walker will support the spread of the story and image via social media.

As of June 2015 , 357 unique Walkers have joined the Gallery wearing 393 jackets.  The Gallery has representatives on five continents, but the majority of Walkers reside in the US. One artist creates the majority of the art, but new artists are frequently joining the movement.  The Gallery is promoted heavily on twitter, facebook and personal blogs.   Its widening appeal within the health conference community is creating a new space for patients at such events.

For more information about joining the movement please scroll to the bottom of this post.

The Walking Gallery of Healthcare from Eidolon Films on Vimeo.

Year Four:
393. "Walk to School" a jacket for Isaac Holliday

392.  "A time of showers." a jacket for Vicky Hinebaugh

391. "The Helmet" a jacket for John Hinebaugh

390. A jacket for Christopher Closson painted by Shannon Shine

389. "No Going Back to the Past" a jacket for Erina Moriarty

388. "Empathy" a jacket for Caleb Picard

387."Seeing the steps before you" and jacket for Michael Weiss

386. "Metamorphosis" a jacket for Lisa Cahill Rodriguez by artist Courtney Mazza

385. 'The Power of Scatter" a jacket for A.J. Montpetit

384. "The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side." a jacket painted and worn by Shannon Shine

383. "HIT in us and among us" a jacket for Alice Loveys

382. "I got your 1 patient here." a jacket for Casey Quinlan

381. "Thank You" a jacket painted and worn by Tony Zieger

380. "My Medicine" a jacket for Carly Medosch

379.  "Wilson" a jacket for Gabriela Wilson

378. "All That is Precious" a jacket for Jason Wolf

377."Transplant Team" a jacket painted and worn by Tony Zieger

376 "Give Back" a jacket for James Hooten by artist Jenn Toby.

375."Helping Hand" a jacket for Lynn Rippy by artist Camala Walling

374 "Confronting" a jacket for Steve Huey by artist Jordan Lanham.

373. "Chocolate Pudding to Chocolate Eyes" a jacket for Kelly K by artist Josh Miller.

372. "More Than Pride" a jacket for Robert Tinker by artist Te'j Matthews

371. "Floating" a jacket for Amy Heymans

370. "A Pause for Station Identification" a jacket for Wendy Station

369. "Shattered" a jacket for Catherine Coste

368. "Origin Story" a jacket for Jonathan Bush 

367. "MO Dairy" a jacket for Amy Throndsen

366. "My Heart" a jacket for Joanna Brogdon

365."Community" a jacket for John Sharp

364. "Tick Tock,Tick Talk" a jacket for Fernando Martin-Sanchez

363. "Reconciliation" a jacket for Vanessa Carter

362. "Helen, The Fearless" a jacket for Helen Ying

361."The Cupboard Was Bare" a jacket for Shannah Koss

360. "Butterflies" a jacket for  Mélanie Péron

359. "Rolling the Dice" a jacket for Lorre Wisham

358."Silos" a jacket for Keith Boone

357."Antibiotic Apocalypse" a jacket for Kelly Grindrod

355."Watching Them Grow" a jacket for Megan Sargent Grocki

354. "Generations" a jacket for John Mattison

353. "With This Ring" a jacket for Cherise Shockley

352. "Saving Her" a jacket for Martin Johnson

351. "Praying with You" a jacket for Kenneth Wells

350. "Another Day Before Us" a jacket for Mike Finley

349."The Legacy of a Free Lunch" a jacket for Karen DeSalvo

348. "Missed" a jacket for Meryl Bloomrosen

347. "It's a Mystery" a jacket for Annette McKinnon

346.  "Understanding Empathy" a jacket for James Spicka

345. "This Pearl of Great Price" a jacket for Clarence "Reggie" Williams

344. "We Can Do It" a jacket for Amy Lynn Smith

343. "My Diabetes Secret" a jacket for Christopher Snider

342. "Threshold" a jacket painted and worn by Julia Anderson

341. "The Golden Kidney" a jacket painted by Tamela Mack

340. "The Outside In" a jacket painted by Zoe Carr and Thomas Richardson for Zoe Carr

339. "Release" a jacket for Lauree Ostrofsky

338.  "Rainbow Road" painted by Courtney Mazza and Worn by Abdur-Rahim Rahmaan

337. "On the Other Side of the Wall" a jacket painted and worn by Rachel Fields

336.  "Sorry For Your Loss" a jacket painted and worn by Hazel F.

335.  "Donnell 2" a jacket painted and worn by Donnell Bonaparte

334.  "Decisions" a jacket painted by Olivia Dias for Michael Dias

333. "War" a jacket worn and painted by Daquane

332.  "Red Phoenix"

331. "Rainbow Phoenix" a jacket worn and painted by Nikai

300.  "Choices" a jacket for Karen Linder-Staubs

329. "The Foundation of My Life" a jacket for Kathy Nieder

The Artists of The Walking Gallery:

1. Regina Holliday 338 jackets

2. Isaac Holliday 6 yrs, 1 jacket

3. Becca Price, 1 jacket

4. Miriam Cutelis, 1 jacket

5. Ess Lipczenko, 1 jacket

6. Ben Merrion 1 jacket

7. Courtney Mazza 8 jackets

8. Michele Banks 1 jacket

9. Megan Mitchell 15 yrs 1 jacket

10. Robert J. Filley 3 jackets

11. Anita Samarth 1 jacket

12. Mary Welch Higgins 2 jackets

13. Richard Sachs 2 jackets

14. Jonah Daniel 5yrs  1 jacket

15. Fred Trotter 1 jacket

16. Leela 7yrs 1 jacket
17. Gayle Schrier Smith 1 jacket
18. Moira Simms 1 jacket
19. Joan Holliday 1 jacket

20. Adalyn 1 jacket
21. Chris Chan 1 jacket
22. Amy O'Hanlon 1 jacket
23. Vera Rulon 1 jacket

24. Jessica Nicula 2 jackets

25. Nikai 1 jacket
26. Deonm, 10years, 1 jacket

27. Daquane, 1 jacket

28. Olivia Dias, 1 jacket

29. Donnell Bonaparte, 1 jacket

30. Hazel F., 1 jacket

31. Rachel Fields, 1 jacket

32. Zoe Carr, 1 jacket

33. Thomas Richardson, 1 jacket

34. Tamela Mack, 1 jacket

35. Julia Anderson, 1 jacket
36. DJ Hamilton, 1 jacket
37. Jenn Toby. 1 jacket
38. Camala Walling, 1 jacket
39. Jordan Lanham, 1 jacket
40. Josh Miller, 1 jacket
41.  Te'j Matthews, 1 jacket
42.  Tony Zieger 239
43   Shannon Shine, 2

If you are interested in joining the Walking Gallery here is the info:

Read: http://reginaholliday.blogspot.com/2011/04/walking-gallery.html 

to understand the origin of the idea.

http://reginaholliday.blogspot.com/2011/06/walkers-oath.html to understand the sacred nature of this path

To view the jackets in year one 1-162

http://reginaholliday.blogspot.com/2011/06/welcome-to-walking-gallery.html

To view the jackets of year two 163-251

 http://reginaholliday.blogspot.com/2012/06/walking-gallery-walks-on-year-two.html

To view jackets of year three 252-328

http://reginaholliday.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-walking-gallery-year-three.html

Logistics of the Walking Gallery:  What you need to do to be a member: 

1.  Promise that you will wear this jacket to conferences and public events at least 2-3 times per year in order to spread awareness of the power of the patient voice.

2.  Send a business jacket. Please do not send jackets made of seersucker, corduroy, knit, denim, leather or stretch fabric, as they are hard to paint on.  Also this is a business jacket on purpose, we are painting on the “uniform” of the conference attendee.  Fabrics that work well are poly-blends, linen, cotton and wool. Also you might want to by a jacket a size larger than you usually do as the painting will stiffen the back and make it harder to close the buttons.  

3.  Tell me your life/patient story, your patient-centered concept that is the center of why you work in health and medicine. Please include personal details of your life so I can more fully realize your image.  You can tell me which story elements you do not wish to publically disclose in text, but it does help to know the underlying experiences and conditions which are the source of your mission. Please send via email with some pictures if possible of yourself or the people in your story.  If you don't want to provide a picture, that’s okay, I have a vivid imagination.  Also please print it out and send with jacket so I can keep track of jackets and their stories.

4.  Artists can participate by painting their own jacket or another's or both.

5.  This movement is spread and organized through social media.  You will need to use twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc. to support the mission.  I am using Twitter hash tag to link us all together so please tweet about your jacket appearances under #TheWalkingGallery

6.  You are free to use the image in your own advocacy mission; I also retain the right to reproduce the image for advocacy purposes and write about your mission in areas you are comfortable with disclosing. 

7.  Donations are welcome to offset the cost of paint and shipping, but are not required and you cannot buy a jacket painting.  You are joining a movement and this is a sacred oath to walk the walk and spread the word.

(If you like the health activism work I do and want to support it in a sustaining way you can donate to my @gittip account: https://www.gittip.com/ReginaHolliday/  but it is in no way required. )

Welcome to the Gallery.

Any questions?