October 2026 | The Impact of Community-Based Poetic Medicine for Grief and Loneliness | The MERI Center at UCSF

Part of the Poetic Medicine Summit 2026 year-long series

The Expressive Art of Poetry

The Impact of Community-Based Poetic Medicine for Grief and Loneliness: A Study by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) MERI Center for Humanity in Healthcare; Because Every Story Matters

Thursday, October 15

1:00 - 2:00 pm Pacific Time

Registration for the full series of events, including recordings of all previous events is here: https://givebutter.com/Summit2026April

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What happens when poem-making becomes a sustained, community-based response to grief and loneliness?

Drawing on more than five years of developing Poetic Medicine programs in both online and in-person settings, this session shares insights from the UCSF MERI Center’s work in healthcare and community spaces. Together, we’ll reflect on what has been learned about facilitator preparation, thoughtful program design, and adapting offerings for diverse communities — including racial affinity groups.

Blending a brief presentation, poetry, and conversation, this gathering explores how creative expression can be sustained as a practice of healing and connection across different settings. Unlike our traditional Poetry Circles, this session centers on shared learning and dialogue rather than generative writing.

Designed for those interested in bringing community-based Poetic Medicine into their own organizations or spaces.

Michael W. Rabow, MD

Founding Director of the MERI Center  

Michael Rabow, MD is the Director of the Symptom Management Service and Medical Director of Palliative Care at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Professor of Clinical Medicine and Urology at UCSF, he serves as the Associate Chief of Education & Mentoring in the Division of Palliative Medicine and holds the Helen Diller Family Chair in Palliative Care. He is also a Poet!

Redwing Keyssar, RN

Director of Advisory Board at the MERI Center

Redwing Keyssar, RN is a nurse, author, educator, Poet and "midwife" to the dying. She presents nationally on issues related to Palliative and End of Life Care, founded the Poetic Medicine in Community program at the MERI Center, and was a recipient of the prestigious Humanities Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Danielle M. Chammas, MD

Director of Education and Clinical Innovation

Danielle Chammas, MD is a palliative care physician, writer, Poet, and psychiatrist who works in the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Symptom Management Clinic. In addition to providing clinical care, her professional and scholarly interests include the intersection of psychiatry and palliative care, the psychological dimensions of life-limiting illness, therapeutic communication, medical education, clinician wellness, and medical humanities. She runs the MERI Center Poetic Medicine in Community program and also received the Humanities Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Gayle Kojimoto, BA

Program Manager

Gayle Kojimoto has worked at UCSF since 2003 in various administrative roles from surgery scheduler to practice coordinator to her current position as program manager in the Division of Palliative Medicine. At the MERI Center, Gayle’s passion for palliative care has only grown and she has learned that palliative care offers more than just medication to treat patients. As a co-facilitator for the MERI Center’s Poetic Medicine in Community workshops, she has blossomed into a lover of poetry and has become a poet herself.

Poetic Medicine Summit 2026

To learn more about the full Summit 2026 series of events visit: https://www.poeticmedicine.org/summit2026

We would love to have you be in the circle with us. Come on your own or bring a friend! Sponsorship opportunities are available.

We hope that you will be able to join us for one or more of these upcoming events!