The University of Utah Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities released its fall 2026 newsletter on September 3. The announcement highlighted several upcoming events, including the hosting of a national conference and a storytelling event scheduled for February 2027.
The Center will host the annual meeting of the Health Humanities Consortium from March 10 to March 13, 2027. This marks the first time the nationally known conference, which explores the intersection of the arts and humanities with healthcare and health sciences education, will be held in the Mountain West. The call for papers for the conference is expected to be released in mid-September.
A live storytelling event titled Healthcare Stories is scheduled for February 11, 2027, at Kingsbury Hall. Co-produced with the Resiliency Center and UtahPresents, this ninth installment features the theme "GUTS!" The call for story pitches is open through September 25, 2026.
Additionally, Mark Matheson will lead his final Literature & Healthcare session on December 9, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in the Sterling Sill Center conference room. Those interested in attending the discussion are asked to RSVP by November 18, 2026.
The Center announced it is hiring another clinical ethicist to meet growing demand for its clinical ethics consultation program. Recent professional development for staff included training for Sasha Trinkaus and Shannon Gadd in clinical ethics and arts-based healthcare education.
Other upcoming lectures include a Pediatric Grand Rounds by Tyler Tate on January 14, 2027, at 8:00 AM. The Center also features the Cowan-Mayden Lecture by Patrick Smith and the David Green Memorial Lecture.
The Center continues its ongoing series, Ethics Explored, and the monthly Literature & Healthcare discussion group. The 2026 Award for Written Scholarship in Medical Ethics was recently awarded to Kamryn Welling, MD Candidate 2028, for her manuscript titled "I'd rather not."
