The Campbell Family Narrative Fund
In gratitude to the mentors who teach the value of narrative, Kathi and I set up a fund supporting Medical College of Wisconsin faculty, staff, and students who want to become Narrative Medicine champions. Our goal is that every patient will be listened to and cared for by physicians who take care of themselves. You can read more about the background of the fund here.
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Recipients
Megan Schultz, MD, MA
2025-2026
Megan Schultz, MD, MA, Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine) at MCW, is the current recipient. She also serves as Director of the Global Child Health Program and Co-Director of the Global Health Scholarly Concentration.
The award will "allow me the time, training, and experience to make my path more clear." The award will be used to buy time away from her busy clinical practice so she can attend the 2025 online virtual course in Storytelling and Medicine at Stanford University. Dr. Schultz writes, "the Stanford course also provides personalized mentorship with a writing coach, which would be invaluable. I would use the rest of the award funds to...focus on writing all summer."
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Kristina Kaljo, PhD
2024-2025
​Kristina Kaljo, PhD, former Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MCW, was the inaugural recipient of the Campbell Family Narrative Medicine Fund Award. The aims of Dr. Kaljo's project were to:
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Actively participate and complete enrichment and professional activities in writing skill development
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Complement existing development opportunities at MCW to further enhance faculty, staff, and trainee skills and application of academic writing and narrative medicine
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Create an institutional Writing Studio where individuals can seek guidance, support, coaching, and collaboration in their writing and scholarly work
Our vision
Working with narrative and medical education experts at MCW and around the counrty, a committee will select one to two recipients each year to take on a project that will encourage the next generation of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and healthcare workers to develop narrative skills. Each recipient will receive up to $50,000 in support, depending on the proposed work. Neither Kathi nor I am on the selection committee. We have provided sufficient funding to get the program off the ground for a couple of years, but we depend on donors (individuals, foundations, and others) to keep the work going. This is a longterm effort.
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Our dream is a fund large enough to support multiple scholars, students, staff, and others doing meaningful work with measurable outcomes and academic rigor. We are looking for people and projects to create lasting change that strenghtens character, caring, and excellence.
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Thanks to those who have donated thus far; in addition to our family's gifts, $12,950 in additional donations have been received from friends, colleagues, and community members as of November 15, 2023. We are gratified that others value this work and are williing to contribute.
If you would like to support the Fund, click the button below. Select "Gift Designation," choose "Other," then add "Campbell Family Narrative Fund." Or contact me and I will help direct your donation. Thank you very much.