Cindy Wool had a saying for all things negative: "Don't give it a life."
The Tucson native applied that philosophy as she helped at her husband Steven's internal medicine practice, raised their three daughters, volunteered in the community and nurtured an extensive network of family and friends.
The people inspired by Cindy Wool's actions and attitude are building on her legacy after losing her at age 54 to acute lymphocytic leukemia in November 2008.
"Cindy basically realized that in all faces of tragedy, there can be a positive light," said her husband, Dr. Steven Wool. "We would like to create a positive difference in the medical field and in the community."
Steven Wool hopes to reach physicians, nurses, other health care practitioners and, ultimately, the entire community through the Cindy Wool Memorial Seminar and Dinner on Humanism in Medicine. The event will be Jan. 21 at the Tucson Marriott University Park, 880 E. Second St.
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Humanism in medicine promotes compassionate and empathic relationships between patients and their caregivers and espouses sensitivity to the autonomy, values and cultural and ethnic backgrounds of others.
The Wools embraced these principles through their Jewish faith, through Steven Wool's medical practice and through involvement in the Maimonides Society of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, a fellowship of physicians and dentists dedicated to educational, social and philanthropic activities.
Their support included several missions to Israel to visit hospitals and clinics. "Ultimately, in Judaism if you can heal or make people better, you improve the world for all people because those you heal go out and do good deeds as well," Wool said.
Though Cindy Wool wasn't a health-care professional, Steven Wool said, she had an ongoing commitment to helping others in need and realized the practice of good medicine involves more than clinical skills and includes a responsibility to deal with feelings of fear, grief and stress that patients and caregivers feel during illness.
"Cindy understood how important humanism was and how important it is to have a combination of spiritual and intellectual sense to practice medicine," he said.
Event chair Dr. Hillel Baldwin, co-president of the Maimonides Society with Steven Wool, said he began thinking about a seminar to raise physicians' awareness about how to become more humanistic several years ago after hearing about various colleagues' experiences as patients.
"Physicians as a group are quite good in the Tucson medical community as clinicians. The quality of the medical community here is excellent, but one of the things lacking in many instances is the simple human touch," Baldwin said.
He felt that Cindy Wool, a Tucson native and Rincon High School graduate who volunteered for years with the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, had forged compassionate connections that would resonate with the community and suggested implementing the seminar in her memory.
The upcoming event is open to both healthcare professionals and the public, and will include discussion groups with facilitators designed to address physician-patient relationships and provide possible solutions to overcoming barriers to humanistic care.
Event proceeds will fund an endowment for future seminars and programs in humanism in medicine. Steven Wool said he believes it is a fitting tribute to someone who made an art of compassion and kindness with family, friends and strangers throughout her life.
"Ultimately, on the other end of the phone you need a doctor who will say, 'Hey, I care and we are working on this together.' What we did was create a seminar that will be instructive and raise the sensitivity of the medical community to the need for humanistic practices in the quality of medicine," he said.
"If we can change even one person or make even one doctor better each year, then we have done what we set out to do."
If you go
• What: The Cindy Wool Memorial Seminar and Dinner on Humanism in Medicine, sponsored by the Maimonides Society of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona in conjunction with the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
• When: 6:30 p.m. registration; 7 p.m. dinner Jan. 21.
• Where: Tucson Marriott University Park, 880 E. Second St.
• Cost: $125 per person ($75 tax-deductible).
• Information: To make a reservation or for more information call 577-9393.
The event is open to health-care professionals and the public. The seminar will include discussion groups with facilitators designed to address physician-patient relationships and promote humanistic care.
Featured keynote speakers are Dr. Arnold Gold and Sandra Gold, co-founders of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.
The evening qualifies for one credit in continuing medical education through the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Title sponsors include Carondelet Health Network, Radiology Limited and Dr. Steven Wool. Event proceeds will fund an endowment for future programs in humanism in medicine.
Contact Loni Nannini at ninch2@comcast.net
