The forum is from noon to 1 p.m. in the DeVos Center's Loosemore Auditorium on Grand Valley's Pew Grand Rapids Campus. The forums are free and open to the public, but participants are asked to RSVP. NOTE: MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE FORUM IS ENCOURAGED.
Koening's topic is "Spirituality and Health: What Does the Scientific Literature Say in 2005?" He will examine the historical relationship between religion and medicine, examining the origins of health care, hospitals, medicine and nursing. He will explore the research that has examined the relationship between religious involvement and mental health. He will propose a model of how religion may impact physical health and examine the relationship between religion and physical health. He will also examine what these findings mean for clinicians and how this might be applied to clinical practice in a sensitive and appropriate manner. Finally, he will discuss what the relationship between religion and medicine means for the future of health care in developed and underdeveloped countries, particularly the growing aging population and their health care needs.
Now in its fourth year, Grand Valley State University's Autumn Health Forums connect community members with health care experts for a series of talks. This year's series is focusing on spirituality and health. The forums are hosted by Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center for Health Professions and Grand Valley State University Continuing Education. They are sponsored by Saint Mary's Health Care Center and Spectrum Health.
For more information or to RSVP, visit www.gvsu.edu/ahf on the Web or call (800) 690-0314 or (616) 331-7180.
The final lecture in the series is:
Speaker: Michael Gazzaniga, Dartmouth College's David T. McLaughlin Distinguished Professor, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
Topic: The Ethical Brain and the State of Neuroscience in 2005
