Physician Blog -- Kate Scannell, MD

Flood Stage -- A Novel, by Kate Scannell
Torrential rains pour into Thalburg Canyon. A catastrophic flood overtakes its community, and the interconnected stories of the canyon residents are acted out on center stage. A paralyzed woman, exhausted by her life, plans an opportune death in the flood. A young boy is transformed after his mother salvages his amputated finger. Couples drift together and apart over old affairs and insurance coverage mistakes. A man burdened by a toxic secret struggles for atonement as the flood encroaches upon his final opportunity for redemption. Together, these stories portray a series of unique personal histories caught up in a universal human drama.

Death of the Good Doctor -- Lessons from the Heart of the AIDS Epidemic
MEMOIR: Kate Scannell abandonned her academic career in 1985 to enter an ordinary medical practice in Northern California. Instead, she found herself assigned to an AIDS ward where much of the medicine she had learned over many difficult years was made irrelevant.

A Soldier's Story -- World War II and the Battle at Sessenheim, France, by John T. "Jack" Scannell; Edited by Kate A. Scannell
A Soldier's Story—World War II and the Battle at Sessenheim, France offers a gripping personal account of one soldier's combat experiences on the bloody battlefields of France and Germany during the months preceding the Allies' 1945 victory in Europe.

John T. "Jack" Scannell was a staff sergeant and infantryman with the 411th Infantry Regiment of the 103rd Cactus Division. He was decorated with the Silver Star for his heroic rescue of wounded US soldiers from a French farmhouse under siege of German fire.

Defying a threat of court martial and braving enemy attack, he returned to the farmhouse where the wounded men had been left behind, honoring his promise to them that he'd come back. Five decades later, after relentless searching, one of those men would locate him and finally be able to thank him.

The author currently lives near Detroit, Michigan with his wife, Norma. He is the father of twelve children and the grandfather (so far) of fifteen grandchildren.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, Reviewed by Kate Scannell
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS
REBECCA SKLOOT

Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 2010, 369 pages, $26.00.
Pre-Print copy for the Journal of Legal Medicine
Reviewed by Kate Scannell, M.D., F.A.C.P.*

ENCOUNTERING HENRIETTA LACKS
Journalist Rebecca Skloot’s new book is a gripping read that embodies all abstractions about research ethics in a compelling tale about Henrietta Lacks – a woman whose microscopic cancerous cells shook the world’s medical establishment in 1951.
Doubtless, before the publication of this book, few people outside of medical or research circles would have recognized that name. But for many of us insiders, “Henrietta Lacks” routinely and mysteriously figured into our witnessing of major medical advances within the last six decades, into ground-breaking discoveries about cancer treatments and the Salk polio vaccine, into the daily routines of many lone scientists sitting endless hours at their research benches in companionship with her “immortal” cells.
I first “encountered” Henrietta Lacks in the early 1980s – (more)

Newspaper Opinions and Essays
More than a decade of syndicated medical opinion columns about the sociopolitical and ethical dimensions of American health care. (For current examples, see "Medical Blog.")

Medical Essays, Samples: An Aging Un-American, The New England Journal of Medicine ; --Writing for Our Lives: Physician Narratives and Medical Practice, Annals of Internal Medicine
Essays about aging, medical ethics, and physician writing.

Journey By Heart: Caring for Loved Ones with Dementia
Journey By Heart: Caring for Loved Ones with Dementia is an award-winning DVD documentary featuring an ideal model of care for adult day programs which enriches the lives of persons with Alzheimer's and their families.

Reviews: "'Journey by Heart' gives an uplifting and honest view of the spirit, creativity and individuality of those among us with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. It convincingly demonstrates the value of Adult Day Health Care and refutes the widespread belief that "nothing can be done" to heal and support the minds and hearts of our relatives, friends, spouses and partners living the reality of dementia."

Richard D. Della Penna MD
Medical Director, Kaiser Permanente Aging Network
National Board of Directors, Alzheimer's Association


"'Journey by Heart' is a sweet, wonderful film...Contrary to our stereotype of what it might be like to care for people with dementia, the feeling is almost joyful... At ASEB people with dementia are accepted and treated as they truly are - much more than their dementia...it is a place where - as staff members say in the film - the supportive environment allows clients to be as fulfilled as they can be. I am proud that we have such a service in our community. A sincere thank you to Dr. Kate Scannell and Michelle Paymar for showcasing this gem."

Guy Micco, MD
Clinical Professor UC Berkeley - UC San Francisco
Joint Medical Program
Director, UC Berkeley Academic Geriatric Resource
Center (Center on Aging)
Co-Director, UC Berkeley Center for Medicine, the
Humanities, and Law

Awards:
Aurora Awards - Platinum - Best of Show
Hugo Award - Silver - INTERCOM, Chicago Film Festival
Best of Festival - Documentary - Berkeley Film Festival
Hermes Creative Award - Gold
New York Film Festivals - Silver Award
Davey Award - Silver
Telly Award - Bronze
Accolade Competion - Award of Excellence
Chris Awards - Bronze - Film Council Of Greater Columbus

Film Festivals:
Chicago International Film Festival - INTERCOM
Berkeley Video & Film Festival
Heart of Gold Film Festival, Australia