Breaking Whole: COVID-19
Spiritual Dimensions of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Wednesday, March 31 | 6:00-7:30pm
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of us like no other disease or condition that we have faced in our lifetimes. A physical virus that cannot be seen has transformed us psychologically, socially, and spiritually. Healthcare workers have faced the disease head on. As a society, we have faced it from many angles. We are all in this, but not always together. We have felt both solidarity and division, and we have been challenged to determine where and how we place our trust - in science, media, government, and one another.
The loss has been profound. Birthdays, weddings, and graduations have been missed. Loved ones have been lost. The disruption of our lives has taken so much, and it has also offered the opportunity to reevaluate what we truly want, need, and believe.
Join us to hear clinical and personal perspectives on the spiritual dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speakers:
Dr. Sonya Sloan
Sonya M. Sloan, M.D., aka #OrthoDoc, has faced COVID19 from many angles, serving as a physician here in Texas and to a Native American tribe in northern Arizona, and as first lady of The Luke Church, a large church in Humble, TX that serves a primarily African-American congregation. She has thus confronted in multiple communities the disparities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, and has personal and professional experience navigating the pivotal relationship of science and faith.
Dr. Sloan received her B.S. from Texas Tech, earned her M.D. at UTMB, and completed residency at Baylor College of Medicine, where she made history as both the first African-American female Intern in General Surgery and the first African-American female Orthopedic Surgery resident. She has achieved countless accolades as a physician and community leader, and serves on the Board of Trustees for ISH. She recently published the Amazon bestseller, The Rules of Medicine: A Medical Professional’s Guide For Success.
Constance White
Constance White was one of the first Covid19 positive cases to be reported in the Houston area. The evening she received her physician’s call, a local news station mentioned fewer than 50 cases. In disbelief, and feeling somewhat afraid of the diagnosis, she remembers thinking “I am one of a few in this city of thousands”. She was supported remotely by her family and close friendships during the lonely three-week quarantine that followed. A month later Constance became a participant in Houston Methodist’s convalescent serum therapy research program where she successfully donated her plasma multiple times to treat hospitalized Covid19 patients. “The doctors say we helped saved lives. My journey of spiritual growth is a tribute to the team at Methodist dedicated to Covid19 research, and certainly to my family and friends for their gifts of love during this personal experience,” stated Constance
Dr. Ladislao Robinson
Dr. Ladislao “Laddie” Robinson, a native of the island of Old Providence, Colombia, is an ordained Baptist pastor and since 2003 has served as chaplain at Ben Taub General Hospital. He is also the founder and pastor of Iglesia Bautista Lindale. His bilingual ability is significantly important especially for the kind of service to which he is committed: pastoral ministry both congregationally as well as clinically. He will share his experience of ministering to his patients and his faith community during this unprecedented time.
Ladislao earned his Bachelor of Arts with Theology emphasis from the International Baptist Theological Seminary, Cali, Colombia (1984). He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education (1987) and Master of Education (1991), from St. Buenaventura University, Cali, Colombia. Having moved to Houston, he completed his CPE Residency at the Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX (2000), and later earned his doctorate specializing in Chaplaincy from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX.
Cyrus Wirls
Cyrus Wirls serves as ISH’s Director of Programs. In this role, Cyrus interfaces with clinicians, faith leaders, scholars, practitioners, and spiritual seekers to design educational and experiential programs around the many intersections of spirituality and health.
Cyrus has always been drawn to the “big questions:” ‘Who am I? What is most important? Where are we going, and why?’ Cyrus will reflect on the ways the pandemic may have brought up these questions for us as individuals and as a society.
Cyrus earned his BA in Cognitive Sciences and Mathematics from Rice University. He began his career at ISH as an intern, organizing a symposium titled "Harmony: Spiritual and Cognitive Communion Through Music,” and has served as program director or manager since 2014. In addition to organization of public programs, he coordinates the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative, a community-wide trauma relief program initiated after Hurricane Harvey. He has also served as a medical assistant in the Texas Voice Center, and as executive director of Compassionate Houston, where he remains a board member.