Tulane's Professionalism Program provides educational opportunities for all members of our community. See below for resources that support the pursuit of professionalism and facilitate the creation and maintenance of a work/learning environment that is respectful and inclusive.
Gerald B. Hickson, MD is the Joseph C. Ross Chair of Medical Education and Administration, Professor of Pediatrics, and Founding Director of the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy (CPPA) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Since 1990, Dr. Hickson’s research has focused on why certain physicians attract a disproportionate share of malpractice claims, how disrespect impacts team performance and outcomes of care and how to identify and support high-risk clinicians. Dr. Hickson serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). He also serves on the Board of Directors of the University of Southern California (USC) Health System and is a member of the International Regulatory Expert Advisory Group to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Dr. Hickson previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF). Dr. Hickson received a BS from the University of Georgia and MD from Tulane University School of Medicine.
Jo Shapiro, MD, FACS, is an associate professor of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School. She is Principle Faculty for the Center for Medical Simulation in Boston and a Consultant for the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Anesthesia, Pain and Critical Care. In 2008, she founded the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Center for Professionalism and Peer Support where she served as the director for over 10 years. During that time the Center became a model for national and international institutions seeking methods to enhance a culture of trust and respect and improve clinician wellbeing and patient care. She continues to educate and assist organizations in developing specific programmatic and educational approaches such as peer support, disclosure and apology, wellbeing programs, professionalism initiatives, and conflict management. She served as chair of the Ethics and Professionalism Committee of the American Board of Medical Specialties and has held multiple educational leadership roles including: senior associate director of Graduate Medical Education and president of the Society of University Otolaryngologists. Her work for the American College of Surgeons (ACS) includes having serving two terms on the Board of Governors as the Society for University Otolaryngologists representative. She was Vice-Chair of the BOG Physician Health and Competency working group. When this position ended as her BOG terms were completed in 2021, she was invited to stay on as a consultant for that working group.. She served on the ACS BOG Nominating Committee for several years as well. She is currently collaborating with ACS leadership to develop a peer support program for surgeons. In addition, she continues to serve on ACS Clinical Congress panels addressing professionalism and psychological safety. She was one of BWH’s first woman division chiefs. She serves on the faculty of the Harvard Leadership Development for Physicians and Scientists and the HSPH Program for Chairs of Clinical Services, as well as co-director of the HSPH course on Conflict and Negotiation. She was a faculty member of the Department of Surgery at BWH for over 35 years; her surgical expertise was in treating adults with oropharyngeal dysphagia. She was named as a finalist for the Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver Award. In 2019, Harvard Medical School gave her the Shirley Driscoll Dean’s Award for the Enhancement of Women’s Careers.
| TARGET AUDIENCE | SPEAKER | DATE |
| T-1 Orientation | Mary Killackey, MD | August 2, 2024 |
| BMS Students | Jennifer Gibson, PhD Bethany Branson | August 16, 2024 |
| New Faculty Orientation | Mary Killackey, MD | August 23, 2024 |
| Deming Dept of Medicine | Mary Killackey, MD | October 28, 2024 |
| Biochemistry | Mary Killackey, MD | November 26, 2024 |
| Cardiology | Mary Killackey, MD | December 4, 2024 |
| Peer Messengers | Gerald Hickson, MD | January 29, 2025 |
| Pathology | Mary Killackey, MD | March 21, 2025 |
