FALL RISK – A Day of Interactive Events for Leaders, Staff, Patients and Families

Sean Kavanagh and Kenny Raskin, two interpersonal communications experts (and also engaging story-tellers and clowns) will deliver three presentations based on the notion of FALL RISK – How our falls, and what we learn from them make us who we are. And how both healing and teaching often require us to Risk Falling: encouraging our patients to try something new and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones.

Kenny Raskin

Kenny is a certified Presence facilitator, professional clown and artistic director of Hearts and Noses, a Hospital Clown Troupe specially trained to engage, empower and give choices to children in a medical environment. As a member of Hearts and Noses, Kenny has received extensive professional training in the delicate art of engaging children in the hospital. In contrast to the stress of dealing with medical care, this type of clowning helps the child feel constantly engaged, thereby opening the door to fun and well-being.

 Morning Keynote – FALL RISK

 Sean Kavanagh will tell the story of his bike accident, his recovery and the lessons he learned. The story will be told with humor and anecdote and aimed at involving the audience and empathizing with the shared experience of life interrupted by medical issues.

  • Healing and Leading are the same thing. Both involve helping people to improve. And to be effective at either, you need to be empathetic and inspiring.

  • Trauma can define us positively or negatively. It can be a choice. With perspective and reflection, PTSD can become Post Traumatic Self Discovery.

  • Labels are limiting. Accepting the Fall Risk label would certainly have kept him safe from harm, but it would have limited his horizons, and stopped him from fully living.

  • Life is one big Fall Risk. Our job as parents, teachers, managers, doctors, coaches and friends is to encourage growth and leaning. Which means trying new things. Getting out of our comfort zones. Risking Falling. Anything else is being a spectator in life, not a participant.

 Afternoon Presentation - Improv and Storytelling for Healthcare Professionals

 Using interactive techniques from the worlds of Theater and Improv, this highly engaging 3 hour event will help you motivate your teams, build better patient relationships, and learn skills that help improve clinical outcomes, including:

  • Effective communication between clinical staff that improves results, reduces error and increases patient satisfaction scores.

  • Authentic communication with patients—simple things like listening and empathy—that positively impacts patient attitudes and increases adherence to recommended treatment.

 “Communication is a fundamental clinical skill that facilitates the establishment of a relationship of trust between the medical staff and the patient-customer, a truly therapeutic alliance.”

NIH - Journal of Medicine and Life April – June 2018

Evening Patient/Family Event

The patient/family activity will start with an interview of Sean, conducted by the hilariously funny Dr. Mensch, a clown character played by Kenny Raskin. It will then develop into audience activities designed to increase engagement, fun and learning (expressive communication).