title: Optimal healers: igniting the spark and fanning the flame. Training academic medical faculty in optimal healing.
abstract: Optimal healing environments (OHEs) require optimal healers to keep them flourishing. Academic medical faculty are in a unique position, through their involvement in education, research, and leadership, to create and perpetuate OHEs. Means by which they might do so using a motivational interviewing model as a framework are discussed. A four-part process to facilitate faculty involvement is described: (1) means of assessing interest in creating OHEs; (2) methods for moving interested individuals beyond a merely intellectual interest to a deeper level of commitment; (3) ways of providing optimal healers with the tools they will need to successfully create OHEs; and (4) perpetuation of OHEs through support networks and educational methods. Resources and examples which can guide the creation of an optimal healing curriculum are provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Fitchburg, WI 53711, USA. Drakel@fammed.wisc.edu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rakel
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rindfleisch
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D017145:Models, Educational; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D013192:Staff Development / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States