Cathren is a community collaborative artist who has been working with the Community Libraries of Providence and other non-profits since 2012, developing arts and literacy programs and creating public art installations. She has been an artist in residence at Hattie Ide Chaffee Home since 2023, implementing visual arts and health programs with seniors and dementia patients. Website: ArtHouseRI.com
Change does not come easily to the medical community. In 1847, after witnessing countless post childbirth and surgical deaths, Dr. Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis did some experiments and realized that if physicians washed their hands, it could prevent most incidents of “childbed fever,” along with the infections that invariably occurred after surgeries. His absurd notion made […]
Dear C and Dr. B; I was assigned to a year-long product development project in partnership with the head of our company, Larry. He was responsible for half of the tasks involved. The project was very complex and involved gathering information and developing models over many months. Everything was going well — then Larry’s wife […]
Dear C and Dr. B; I read your post on “Free the Nipple,” the movement that says that for true gender equality, wherever its appropriate for a man to be topless, it should be for a woman too. I looked it up, and found that there are between 10 and 33 states that allow for toplessness […]
There are two lessons that are burned into every American’s brain as we live and grow. Want a refresher course? All you have to do is watch one hour of television to hear them all over again: Symptoms don’t mean anything. They are just annoying pests that get in our way, and there’s no reason […]
Dear C and Dr. B It’s the first week of my daughters high school freshman year. She is a good kid and has always been a good student. She is well adjusted and has lots of friends. She is also fashion conscious and well up on the current styles in social media pop culture. She […]
They look like USB drives, but they are a delivery system of a very different kind. “Pod Mods” are a new product class of e cigarettes that are quickly gaining ground in what doctors are seeing as the next emerging public health concern. Their apprehension is well-grounded. In 2011, less than 2% of US high […]
I recently signed up for a guided foraging walk with a group, but when I arrived at the appointed spot, there was neither guide nor group. Fortunately, I ran into my friend David Gracer, not only a recognized expert on edible insects, but someone with an impressive knowledge of plants. We decided to go on our […]
Dear C and Dr. B; I know that anxiety is considered a psychiatric condition these days, but I remember a time in my life when I had no anxiety at all. I was married to someone who paid the bills, I had health insurance, I lived in a nice home. I could have done just […]
AS220 has always been a home for artists, and their annual Foo Fest not only offers a walk on the wild side, but a walk on the creative side. This year, attendees can take part in a slew of exciting maker’s activities that will capture the imagination of creative explorers of all ages. Foo Fest […]
Behind the changing face of medicine in our increasingly digital world, frustration is making the rounds among physicians. This phenomena is referred to as “physician burnout.” Here is an uncensored take on the subject, from Dr. H, a doctor of internal medicine who would, understandably, prefer to remain anonymous: Cathren Housley: So, why have these recent […]