Reading Health System to Host Lucy Kalanithi, M.D., Who Will Discuss Her Late Husband's Battle With Cancer and His Memoir, "When Breath Becomes Air"
On Saturday, March 25, Reading Health System will host Lucy Kalanithi, M.D., whose late husband wrote "When Breath Becomes Air," a New York Times best-seller about his battle with cancer.
Kalanithi's presentation, called "When Breath Becomes Air: Finding the Meaning in Medicine," will take place from 1 to 2:15 p.m., at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading, 701 Penn Street, Reading. Vinti Shah, DO, Chief, Section of Palliative Medicine, Reading Health System, will moderate. Admission is free, and a complimentary lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m.
Paul Kalanithi, M.D., was a successful neurosurgery resident at Stanford University School of Medicine when he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer at age 36. One day he was a doctor making a living treating the dying, and the next day, he was a patient struggling to live. He died two years after receiving his diagnosis.
Lucy Kalanithi continues to share her husband's story with the world and to talk - as a physician and a widow - about caregiving, end-of-life care, bereavement, resilience and meaning in medicine. She wrote the epilogue for "When Breath Becomes Air."
Registration for the event is required. Please call 484-628-HELP (4357) or visit www.readinghealth.org/events to register.
Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 714-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians, specialists, and advanced practice providers across 49 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. It is listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for four consecutive years and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS two years in a row. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.