We Didn't Start the Fire

I was not expecting to start off this podcast talking about palliative care.

While I’ve been learning more about this field through my own studying and research, it’s not really a world I have firsthand knowledge about. I assumed I’d focus on a topic a bit “safer” in terms of personal understanding/experience and then branch out from there.

But when my good friend Shannon, who’s a social worker at Texas Children’s Hospital, said that she and members of her team would be interested in speaking to me about their experience, I knew it was the right place to start the conversation. And Dr. Jared Rubenstein was the perfect first guest–knowledgeable, personable, and enthusiastic–not only for the work he’s doing with his patients, but also in his efforts to educate the community beyond the hospital walls about this work.

Jared’s series of YouTube videos touch upon some of the common topics/conversations that come up in his practice, and help to dispel some of the fears and misconceptions that surround the services his team offers. These short interactions help to make a topic that might feel daunting more accessible, and highlight the benefits of palliative care for a patient and their family.

Being able to make compassionate care seem effortless is no small feat, especially in this field, but Jared and the rest of the team blew me away with how natural they were in being able to do this. But as we discussed during our conversation, coming across as a “natural” in this capacity is the byproduct of a lot of hard work.

Some things have changed since Jared and I recorded our episode back in the late spring, specifically how COVID-19 has affected his hospital and the city of Houston, but through our correspondences since then, one thing certainly has remain unchanged: the team’s unwavering dedication to helping honor their patients’ needs and wishes throughout their journey.

I’m honored that the team was willing to speak with me and excited to share our conversations with the world. Check out our “Episodes” tab to listen to my conversation with Jared and keep coming back every Tuesday to hear what the rest of the group has to say!