The project is being carried out in cooperation with Mercy High School in Baltimore's Women in Medicine program, a partnership with Mercy Medical Center designed to expose students, freshmen through seniors, to leaders in healthcare, broaden their knowledge of medical fields, and help them develop the skills needed in healthcare careers. The program, open to qualified Mercy High School ninth-graders, is the only one of its kind in Baltimore.
Following each Meeting of Medical Minds performance, a question-and-answer period follows, wherein Mercy High School students had the opportunity to pose questions to an actor portraying an historical figure in medicine and participating contemporary physician.
According to Dan Collins, senior director of media relations for Mercy Medical Center, the idea stems from the work of the late comedian, writer, and television host, Steve Allen, who launched a similar series in the 1970s on public television.
"Steve Allen's Meeting of Minds," Collins, an admitted fan of the show said, "gathered actors at a table with host Steve Allen, portraying historical figures like Teddy Roosevelt, Cleopatra, and Ulysses S. Grant, for a lively discussion of social, cultural, and political matters from the past and present. I thought, why can't we do the same thing, but narrow our focus to medicine? Hence, Meeting of Medical Minds," he added.
Drawing on a variety of historical sources, Collins prepared four scripts, each featuring a roundtable discussion with one of four key historical figures – Hippocrates, the Father of Western Medicine; Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree; Dr. Joseph Lister, considered the Father of Modern Antiseptic Surgery, and Dr. Charles Drew, the African-American physician who organized America's first large-scale blood bank.
In working with the Baltimore Playwrights Festival, Mr. Collins identified local actors Jim Hart (Hippocrates, Dr. Joseph Lister), Timoth David Copney (Dr. Charles Drew), and Jenn Mikulski (Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell) to play the historic roles. Local community theaters, The Vagabond Players and The Spotlighters, assisted with costumes and set items.
A Mercy physician took part in each discussion, specifically primary care physician Dr. Ernestine Wright; orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Ciotola; gynecologist and surgeon Dr. Ann Peters, and pediatrician Dr. Ashanti Woods. Mr. Collins served as host. Students in Mercy High School's Women in Medicine Program in partnership with Mercy Medical Center served as the studio audience.
"Given the Mercy High School students' interest in medical and health-related matters, it seemed a natural connection to have them take part," Collins said.
The performances are held in the hospital's in-house studio, with each episode videotaped by Zinnia Films, an award-winning, Baltimore-based video production company specializing in storytelling through visual media.
"Zinnia has built a wonderful relationship with Mercy Medical over the years, working on so many projects both internal and external in nature," said David Morley, president of Zinnia Films, citing coverage of the hospital's yearlong celebration of its 150th anniversary and efforts made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Collins noted that the four videos are available on Mercy Medical Center's YouTube channel, by accessing the Meeting of Medical Minds playlist.
"So Mercy High School students who could not attend the actual performance—and anyone else who might be interested—can see for themselves, and hopefully learn a thing or two about some of the achievements of individuals who have made such great contributions to medicine over the decades and even centuries. It's also another way for our physicians to connect with the community," Collins said.
Collins also cited Mercy's Telly Award-winning "Medoscopy" video series, a 30-minute pre-taped program that explores the background and lives of Mercy clinicians, patients and others; Medoscopy was launched in 2022 and airs in two 15-minute segments. (To view past episodes, visit the Medoscopy playlist on the Mercy Medical Center YOUTUBE channel.)
"People want news and information, but they rarely appreciate being lectured. Through programs like Medoscopy and Meeting of Medical Minds, we are seeking to connect with our community in an entertaining way. As Mr. Allen knew, art educates and inspires," Collins said.
Founded in 1874 by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Medical Center is located in downtown Baltimore City, about six blocks from Baltimore's famed Inner Harbor. A university-affiliated teaching facility, Mercy is a Catholic hospital with a national reputation for women's health care, orthopedics, and other specialties. Mercy is home to the renowned Weinberg Center for Women's Health & Medicine, and the $400+ million Mary Catherine Bunting Center. For more information, visit www.mdmercy.com, MDMercyMedia on Facebook and Twitter, www.youtube.com/mmcbaltimore, or call 1-800-M.D.-Mercy.
About Mercy High School: Sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy High School is a private, Catholic, college preparatory school for girls in grades 9-12. An International Baccalaureate World School, Mercy provides its students with rigorous academics, enabling them to form habits of lifelong inquiry, critical thinking, and courageous action in a global society. This year, 445 bright and promising Mercy Girls travel from 70 zip codes every day to take advantage of an excellent Mercy education. Celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, the school claims more than 8,000 who are leaders in Maryland and beyond.
MEETING OF MEDICAL MINDS ACTORS' BIOGRAPHIES:
JIM HART (playing Hippocrates, Dr. Joseph Lister)
Jim Hart, who has performed at the Spotlighters Theater in Baltimore for many years, including The Shadow Box, Cabaret, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, etc. Jim has also worked with The Vagabond Players, The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, Cockpit-In-Court, and Dundalk Community Theatre.
JENNIFER MIKULSKI (playing Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell)
Jennifer Mikulksi, has performed at a variety of Baltimore venues, including Fells Point Corner Theatre, Spotlighters, Mobtown Players, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory Players, etc., in such works as Hamlet, Twelfth Night, etc. Jennifer is also a frequent participant in the annual FREEFALL series of staged dramatic readings produced each October by The Baltimore Playwrights Festival.
TIMOTH DAVID COPNEY (playing Dr. Charles Drew)
Former chair of the Baltimore Playwrights Festival, Timoth David Copney has decades of experience in theatre. A classically trained dancer, he is a veteran of several Equity tours, a Canadian television series, and has worked on more than 50 productions in the Baltimore area as a dancer, director, choreographer, singer, and actor. He was the artistic director of Liberty Showcase Theatre and has been a member of several local theatre boards. He is also a member of the American Theatre Critics Association.
SOURCE Mercy Medical Center
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