Justice Hope Coleman Bluebird Award for Humanism in Medicine
Justice Hope Coleman was a daughter, sister, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, niece, cousin, friend, patient, and teacher. Hope was the embodiment of who she was as a person. She perched in your soul with her smiles, her sparkling eyes and her wise ways.
Even though she never uttered words, she sang a song of life, joy and hope that never stopped. It was pure, it was real and she taught us what life is really about. Despite her young age, Justice taught medical students how to become humanistic, compassionate physicians.
Award Criteria
This award will be given to the INOVA Regional Campus medical student who exhibits the following characteristics:
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Practices or strives to practice medicine in a way that is holistic- centered on people not disease
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Appreciates patients as a whole and looks beyond diagnosis
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Focuses on speaking to or interacting with every patient- regardless of age, ability, capacity, consciousness etc.
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Empathy and compassion are parts of the fiber of their being; who they are as physicians, care team members and people
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Seeks to “listen to” and understand patients and families; focuses on what matter to them
"Hope" is the thing with feathers
By Emily Dickinson
“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
