Pulse--voices from the heart of medicine
@pulsevoices.org
Telling the personal story of health care.
https://pulsevoices.org
https://pulsevoices.org
"empty wheelchair" by C.X. Turner
pulsevoices.org/haiku/empty-...
#haiku #poem #poetry #medicalhumanities #narrativemedicine #rain #hospital #healthcare #writing #writers #pulsevoices
pulsevoices.org/haiku/empty-...
#haiku #poem #poetry #medicalhumanities #narrativemedicine #rain #hospital #healthcare #writing #writers #pulsevoices
February 3, 2026 at 3:52 PM
"empty wheelchair" by C.X. Turner
pulsevoices.org/haiku/empty-...
#haiku #poem #poetry #medicalhumanities #narrativemedicine #rain #hospital #healthcare #writing #writers #pulsevoices
pulsevoices.org/haiku/empty-...
#haiku #poem #poetry #medicalhumanities #narrativemedicine #rain #hospital #healthcare #writing #writers #pulsevoices
"Etherized Pietà" by Emma Browning
About the artwork: "The painting depicts Boston’s Ether Monument... I wanted to capture the wonder and relief of anesthesia, an invention that changed the patient experience so profoundly that it was memorialized by the city..."
pulsevoices.org/visuals/ethe...
About the artwork: "The painting depicts Boston’s Ether Monument... I wanted to capture the wonder and relief of anesthesia, an invention that changed the patient experience so profoundly that it was memorialized by the city..."
pulsevoices.org/visuals/ethe...
February 1, 2026 at 5:45 PM
"Etherized Pietà" by Emma Browning
About the artwork: "The painting depicts Boston’s Ether Monument... I wanted to capture the wonder and relief of anesthesia, an invention that changed the patient experience so profoundly that it was memorialized by the city..."
pulsevoices.org/visuals/ethe...
About the artwork: "The painting depicts Boston’s Ether Monument... I wanted to capture the wonder and relief of anesthesia, an invention that changed the patient experience so profoundly that it was memorialized by the city..."
pulsevoices.org/visuals/ethe...
Through a personal story, Judy Fine-Edelstein’s “Out, Out, Brief Candle!” illuminates the ethical tensions surrounding Medical Aid in Dying in contemporary medical practice.
pulsevoices.org/stories/out-...
#medicalethics #ethics #medicalhumanities #healthcare #morals #medsky #writing #writers
pulsevoices.org/stories/out-...
#medicalethics #ethics #medicalhumanities #healthcare #morals #medsky #writing #writers
January 27, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Through a personal story, Judy Fine-Edelstein’s “Out, Out, Brief Candle!” illuminates the ethical tensions surrounding Medical Aid in Dying in contemporary medical practice.
pulsevoices.org/stories/out-...
#medicalethics #ethics #medicalhumanities #healthcare #morals #medsky #writing #writers
pulsevoices.org/stories/out-...
#medicalethics #ethics #medicalhumanities #healthcare #morals #medsky #writing #writers
"To My Son, Stillborn, January 16" by Cheryl Byler Keeler
pulsevoices.org/poems/to-my-...
About the poem: "Experiencing the death of a child during labor after a healthy pregnancy is unthinkable and life-changing... Each year on the anniversary of my dead son’s birth, I write to him."
pulsevoices.org/poems/to-my-...
About the poem: "Experiencing the death of a child during labor after a healthy pregnancy is unthinkable and life-changing... Each year on the anniversary of my dead son’s birth, I write to him."
January 26, 2026 at 4:27 AM
"To My Son, Stillborn, January 16" by Cheryl Byler Keeler
pulsevoices.org/poems/to-my-...
About the poem: "Experiencing the death of a child during labor after a healthy pregnancy is unthinkable and life-changing... Each year on the anniversary of my dead son’s birth, I write to him."
pulsevoices.org/poems/to-my-...
About the poem: "Experiencing the death of a child during labor after a healthy pregnancy is unthinkable and life-changing... Each year on the anniversary of my dead son’s birth, I write to him."
New Voices features first-person stories by those whose faces & perspectives are underrepresented in media and in the health professions. You can contribute: pulsevoices.org/new-voices-s...
Featured below is the New Voices story "Us and Them" by Iris Mónica Vargas
pulsevoices.org/new-voices/u...
Featured below is the New Voices story "Us and Them" by Iris Mónica Vargas
pulsevoices.org/new-voices/u...
January 20, 2026 at 9:17 PM
New Voices features first-person stories by those whose faces & perspectives are underrepresented in media and in the health professions. You can contribute: pulsevoices.org/new-voices-s...
Featured below is the New Voices story "Us and Them" by Iris Mónica Vargas
pulsevoices.org/new-voices/u...
Featured below is the New Voices story "Us and Them" by Iris Mónica Vargas
pulsevoices.org/new-voices/u...
"in the waiting room" by Nan Bagwell Payne
pulsevoices.org/haiku/in-the...
To read more of our haiku, visit our website at: pulsevoices.org/haiku/
#waitingroom #narrativemedicine #haiku #Poetry #poem #writing #writers #medsky #medicalhumanity #medicine #healthcare #physician #pcp
pulsevoices.org/haiku/in-the...
To read more of our haiku, visit our website at: pulsevoices.org/haiku/
#waitingroom #narrativemedicine #haiku #Poetry #poem #writing #writers #medsky #medicalhumanity #medicine #healthcare #physician #pcp
January 18, 2026 at 6:43 PM
"in the waiting room" by Nan Bagwell Payne
pulsevoices.org/haiku/in-the...
To read more of our haiku, visit our website at: pulsevoices.org/haiku/
#waitingroom #narrativemedicine #haiku #Poetry #poem #writing #writers #medsky #medicalhumanity #medicine #healthcare #physician #pcp
pulsevoices.org/haiku/in-the...
To read more of our haiku, visit our website at: pulsevoices.org/haiku/
#waitingroom #narrativemedicine #haiku #Poetry #poem #writing #writers #medsky #medicalhumanity #medicine #healthcare #physician #pcp
"The Call" by Julie R. Rosenbaum
There's a medical emergency on board, and a doctor on the flight must react quickly. pulsevoices.org/stories/the-...
#medicine #medicalhumanities #pulsevoices #healthcare #emergency #medsky #flight #flying #airplane #stories #writing #reflection #narrativemedicine
There's a medical emergency on board, and a doctor on the flight must react quickly. pulsevoices.org/stories/the-...
#medicine #medicalhumanities #pulsevoices #healthcare #emergency #medsky #flight #flying #airplane #stories #writing #reflection #narrativemedicine
January 13, 2026 at 10:11 PM
"The Call" by Julie R. Rosenbaum
There's a medical emergency on board, and a doctor on the flight must react quickly. pulsevoices.org/stories/the-...
#medicine #medicalhumanities #pulsevoices #healthcare #emergency #medsky #flight #flying #airplane #stories #writing #reflection #narrativemedicine
There's a medical emergency on board, and a doctor on the flight must react quickly. pulsevoices.org/stories/the-...
#medicine #medicalhumanities #pulsevoices #healthcare #emergency #medsky #flight #flying #airplane #stories #writing #reflection #narrativemedicine
The first More Voices theme of 2026: Nursing.
What’s your experience of nursing–as a nurse, as a patient being cared for by nurses or as someone who works with nursing colleagues?
Excerpt below from "The Changing World of Nursing" by
Marian P. Harrison
Submit now: pulsevoices.org/more-voices-...
What’s your experience of nursing–as a nurse, as a patient being cared for by nurses or as someone who works with nursing colleagues?
Excerpt below from "The Changing World of Nursing" by
Marian P. Harrison
Submit now: pulsevoices.org/more-voices-...
January 11, 2026 at 5:28 PM
The first More Voices theme of 2026: Nursing.
What’s your experience of nursing–as a nurse, as a patient being cared for by nurses or as someone who works with nursing colleagues?
Excerpt below from "The Changing World of Nursing" by
Marian P. Harrison
Submit now: pulsevoices.org/more-voices-...
What’s your experience of nursing–as a nurse, as a patient being cared for by nurses or as someone who works with nursing colleagues?
Excerpt below from "The Changing World of Nursing" by
Marian P. Harrison
Submit now: pulsevoices.org/more-voices-...
"Remembering My Patients" by Alan Blum
About the artwork: "A sketch of a patient I made many years ago during my forty years as a family doctor.”
pulsevoices.org/visuals/reme...
#art #medicine #pulsevoices #medicalhumanities #sketch #patient #care #patients #physician #medsky
About the artwork: "A sketch of a patient I made many years ago during my forty years as a family doctor.”
pulsevoices.org/visuals/reme...
#art #medicine #pulsevoices #medicalhumanities #sketch #patient #care #patients #physician #medsky
January 5, 2026 at 11:27 PM
"Remembering My Patients" by Alan Blum
About the artwork: "A sketch of a patient I made many years ago during my forty years as a family doctor.”
pulsevoices.org/visuals/reme...
#art #medicine #pulsevoices #medicalhumanities #sketch #patient #care #patients #physician #medsky
About the artwork: "A sketch of a patient I made many years ago during my forty years as a family doctor.”
pulsevoices.org/visuals/reme...
#art #medicine #pulsevoices #medicalhumanities #sketch #patient #care #patients #physician #medsky
Entering 2026, we want to highlight "Textures," a compilation of our 2025 haiku submissions! ✍️❤️
pulsevoices.org/haiku/haiku-...
#haiku #happynewyear #newyear #medicalhumanities #poems #pulsevoices
pulsevoices.org/haiku/haiku-...
#haiku #happynewyear #newyear #medicalhumanities #poems #pulsevoices
January 1, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Entering 2026, we want to highlight "Textures," a compilation of our 2025 haiku submissions! ✍️❤️
pulsevoices.org/haiku/haiku-...
#haiku #happynewyear #newyear #medicalhumanities #poems #pulsevoices
pulsevoices.org/haiku/haiku-...
#haiku #happynewyear #newyear #medicalhumanities #poems #pulsevoices
"Resilience Has a Voice, If We Listen" by Karen Kikuta.
A thoughtful piece on global health disparities, viewed through Karen Kikuta’s reflections on her native Brazil.
pulsevoices.org/stories/resi...
#brazil #healthcare #global #medicalhumanities #medicine #cityofgod #southamerica #perspective
A thoughtful piece on global health disparities, viewed through Karen Kikuta’s reflections on her native Brazil.
pulsevoices.org/stories/resi...
#brazil #healthcare #global #medicalhumanities #medicine #cityofgod #southamerica #perspective
December 28, 2025 at 8:44 PM
"Resilience Has a Voice, If We Listen" by Karen Kikuta.
A thoughtful piece on global health disparities, viewed through Karen Kikuta’s reflections on her native Brazil.
pulsevoices.org/stories/resi...
#brazil #healthcare #global #medicalhumanities #medicine #cityofgod #southamerica #perspective
A thoughtful piece on global health disparities, viewed through Karen Kikuta’s reflections on her native Brazil.
pulsevoices.org/stories/resi...
#brazil #healthcare #global #medicalhumanities #medicine #cityofgod #southamerica #perspective
"shorter days" by LeRoy Gorman
pulsevoices.org/haiku/shorte...
#haiku #poem #pulsevoices #healthcare #nursinghome #elderly #eldercare #medicalhumanities #writing #health #care #narrativemedicine #poetry
pulsevoices.org/haiku/shorte...
#haiku #poem #pulsevoices #healthcare #nursinghome #elderly #eldercare #medicalhumanities #writing #health #care #narrativemedicine #poetry
December 23, 2025 at 6:15 PM
"shorter days" by LeRoy Gorman
pulsevoices.org/haiku/shorte...
#haiku #poem #pulsevoices #healthcare #nursinghome #elderly #eldercare #medicalhumanities #writing #health #care #narrativemedicine #poetry
pulsevoices.org/haiku/shorte...
#haiku #poem #pulsevoices #healthcare #nursinghome #elderly #eldercare #medicalhumanities #writing #health #care #narrativemedicine #poetry
Happy Holidays! Today, we're highlighting the haiku, "Last Christmas," by Tracy Davidson. 🎄❤️ pulsevoices.org/haiku/last-c...
#christmas #holidays #haiku #december #poem #poetry #writing #medicalhumanities #Pulsevoices
#christmas #holidays #haiku #december #poem #poetry #writing #medicalhumanities #Pulsevoices
December 22, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Happy Holidays! Today, we're highlighting the haiku, "Last Christmas," by Tracy Davidson. 🎄❤️ pulsevoices.org/haiku/last-c...
#christmas #holidays #haiku #december #poem #poetry #writing #medicalhumanities #Pulsevoices
#christmas #holidays #haiku #december #poem #poetry #writing #medicalhumanities #Pulsevoices
"Memory is Fallacious" by Henry Schneiderman
About the artwork: "I made this sketch in 1971...When I had time to color it in, in 2022, I realized that my vivid memory of how pretty the scene looked must have been modified by all the years between..."
pulsevoices.org/visuals/memo...
About the artwork: "I made this sketch in 1971...When I had time to color it in, in 2022, I realized that my vivid memory of how pretty the scene looked must have been modified by all the years between..."
pulsevoices.org/visuals/memo...
December 15, 2025 at 11:32 PM
"Memory is Fallacious" by Henry Schneiderman
About the artwork: "I made this sketch in 1971...When I had time to color it in, in 2022, I realized that my vivid memory of how pretty the scene looked must have been modified by all the years between..."
pulsevoices.org/visuals/memo...
About the artwork: "I made this sketch in 1971...When I had time to color it in, in 2022, I realized that my vivid memory of how pretty the scene looked must have been modified by all the years between..."
pulsevoices.org/visuals/memo...
Excerpt from "Common Cause" by Kendra Fleagle Gorlitsky
About the poem: "It is my honor to examine and care for people who once drew fire for their courage in resisting despots and injustice."
pulsevoices.org/poems/common...
#poetry #poem #writing #narrativemedicine #health #recovery #pulsevoices
About the poem: "It is my honor to examine and care for people who once drew fire for their courage in resisting despots and injustice."
pulsevoices.org/poems/common...
#poetry #poem #writing #narrativemedicine #health #recovery #pulsevoices
December 14, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Excerpt from "Common Cause" by Kendra Fleagle Gorlitsky
About the poem: "It is my honor to examine and care for people who once drew fire for their courage in resisting despots and injustice."
pulsevoices.org/poems/common...
#poetry #poem #writing #narrativemedicine #health #recovery #pulsevoices
About the poem: "It is my honor to examine and care for people who once drew fire for their courage in resisting despots and injustice."
pulsevoices.org/poems/common...
#poetry #poem #writing #narrativemedicine #health #recovery #pulsevoices
The Quiet Work of Dying" by Christopher M. Smith -- insightful reflections from a nurse working in hospice. pulsevoices.org/stories/the-...
#healthcare #pulsevoices #medicalhumanities #dying #elderly #geriatrics #hospice #endoflife #reflection #appreciation #life #death
#healthcare #pulsevoices #medicalhumanities #dying #elderly #geriatrics #hospice #endoflife #reflection #appreciation #life #death
December 8, 2025 at 9:56 PM
The Quiet Work of Dying" by Christopher M. Smith -- insightful reflections from a nurse working in hospice. pulsevoices.org/stories/the-...
#healthcare #pulsevoices #medicalhumanities #dying #elderly #geriatrics #hospice #endoflife #reflection #appreciation #life #death
#healthcare #pulsevoices #medicalhumanities #dying #elderly #geriatrics #hospice #endoflife #reflection #appreciation #life #death
"care home" by Chen-ou Liu.
pulsevoices.org/haiku/care-h...
#narrativehealth #healing #writers #narrativemedicine #physician #healthcareheroes #nurses #nurse #storiesmatter #hospital #inspiration #md #patient #healthcare #storytelling #poem #haiku #stories #pulsevoices
pulsevoices.org/haiku/care-h...
#narrativehealth #healing #writers #narrativemedicine #physician #healthcareheroes #nurses #nurse #storiesmatter #hospital #inspiration #md #patient #healthcare #storytelling #poem #haiku #stories #pulsevoices
December 6, 2025 at 3:43 PM
December's More Voices theme: House Calls and Home Care. Below, an excerpt from a submission by Ronna Edelstein, "Hearts of Gold": pulsevoices.org/pulse-more-v...
What's been your experience with house calls and home care? We're accepting 40-400-word submissions: pulsevoices.org/more-voices-...
What's been your experience with house calls and home care? We're accepting 40-400-word submissions: pulsevoices.org/more-voices-...
December 2, 2025 at 3:57 PM
December's More Voices theme: House Calls and Home Care. Below, an excerpt from a submission by Ronna Edelstein, "Hearts of Gold": pulsevoices.org/pulse-more-v...
What's been your experience with house calls and home care? We're accepting 40-400-word submissions: pulsevoices.org/more-voices-...
What's been your experience with house calls and home care? We're accepting 40-400-word submissions: pulsevoices.org/more-voices-...
Read "Dr. Poetry" by Kate Rosenblum below. Her piece highlights the power of connecting patients and physicians through literature.
pulsevoices.org/stories/dr-p...
#pulsevoices #literature #poems #medicalhumanities #narrativemedicine #healthcare #patient #healthcare #physicians #poetry #trust
pulsevoices.org/stories/dr-p...
#pulsevoices #literature #poems #medicalhumanities #narrativemedicine #healthcare #patient #healthcare #physicians #poetry #trust
November 30, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Read "Dr. Poetry" by Kate Rosenblum below. Her piece highlights the power of connecting patients and physicians through literature.
pulsevoices.org/stories/dr-p...
#pulsevoices #literature #poems #medicalhumanities #narrativemedicine #healthcare #patient #healthcare #physicians #poetry #trust
pulsevoices.org/stories/dr-p...
#pulsevoices #literature #poems #medicalhumanities #narrativemedicine #healthcare #patient #healthcare #physicians #poetry #trust
"The Voyage to Heal" by Raghuram Reddy
About the artwork: “As the boat glides over the incessant tides, basking in the warm hues of the setting sun, so too does medicine make steady progress towards healing mankind... Medicine's never been about the destination; it's always been about the journey."
About the artwork: “As the boat glides over the incessant tides, basking in the warm hues of the setting sun, so too does medicine make steady progress towards healing mankind... Medicine's never been about the destination; it's always been about the journey."
November 25, 2025 at 9:27 PM
"The Voyage to Heal" by Raghuram Reddy
About the artwork: “As the boat glides over the incessant tides, basking in the warm hues of the setting sun, so too does medicine make steady progress towards healing mankind... Medicine's never been about the destination; it's always been about the journey."
About the artwork: “As the boat glides over the incessant tides, basking in the warm hues of the setting sun, so too does medicine make steady progress towards healing mankind... Medicine's never been about the destination; it's always been about the journey."
Today, we're highlighting the recently published haiku "Election Day," by Roberta Beary. ❤️🩹🏥 pulsevoices.org/haiku/electi...
#poem #healing #writers #narrativemedicine #physician #cancer #storiesmatter #hospital #md #patient #healthcare #writingcommunity #storytelling #pulsevoices
#poem #healing #writers #narrativemedicine #physician #cancer #storiesmatter #hospital #md #patient #healthcare #writingcommunity #storytelling #pulsevoices
November 22, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Today, we're highlighting the recently published haiku "Election Day," by Roberta Beary. ❤️🩹🏥 pulsevoices.org/haiku/electi...
#poem #healing #writers #narrativemedicine #physician #cancer #storiesmatter #hospital #md #patient #healthcare #writingcommunity #storytelling #pulsevoices
#poem #healing #writers #narrativemedicine #physician #cancer #storiesmatter #hospital #md #patient #healthcare #writingcommunity #storytelling #pulsevoices
Below is an excerpt from "Wounded Souls, a Broken System and Me" by Harvey J. Lieberman. An insightful perspective from a clinical psychologist coming from an engineering background, making big strides amidst a broken system.
pulsevoices.org/stories/woun...
#mentalhealth #medsky #medicalhumanities
pulsevoices.org/stories/woun...
#mentalhealth #medsky #medicalhumanities
November 17, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Below is an excerpt from "Wounded Souls, a Broken System and Me" by Harvey J. Lieberman. An insightful perspective from a clinical psychologist coming from an engineering background, making big strides amidst a broken system.
pulsevoices.org/stories/woun...
#mentalhealth #medsky #medicalhumanities
pulsevoices.org/stories/woun...
#mentalhealth #medsky #medicalhumanities
Thyroid Grief by Maria Carolina Alderete
About the artwork: “… Ifound myself experiencing a spike of stress and a lot of anxiety, which affected my hormonal health. That afternoon I realized that I had to sort out my pain, see it, attend to it and give it love, care and time.”
#art #health
About the artwork: “… Ifound myself experiencing a spike of stress and a lot of anxiety, which affected my hormonal health. That afternoon I realized that I had to sort out my pain, see it, attend to it and give it love, care and time.”
#art #health
November 15, 2025 at 3:15 AM
"After the Fall: What Happened Next" by Roberta Peets.
An honest portrayal of being scared and feeling left in the dark in the emergency room.
pulsevoices.org/stories/afte...
#puksevoices #ER #hospital #patient #narrativemedicine #medsky #medicalhumanities #experience #healthcare #medicine #scared
An honest portrayal of being scared and feeling left in the dark in the emergency room.
pulsevoices.org/stories/afte...
#puksevoices #ER #hospital #patient #narrativemedicine #medsky #medicalhumanities #experience #healthcare #medicine #scared
November 10, 2025 at 5:28 PM
"After the Fall: What Happened Next" by Roberta Peets.
An honest portrayal of being scared and feeling left in the dark in the emergency room.
pulsevoices.org/stories/afte...
#puksevoices #ER #hospital #patient #narrativemedicine #medsky #medicalhumanities #experience #healthcare #medicine #scared
An honest portrayal of being scared and feeling left in the dark in the emergency room.
pulsevoices.org/stories/afte...
#puksevoices #ER #hospital #patient #narrativemedicine #medsky #medicalhumanities #experience #healthcare #medicine #scared
In honor of our November #MoreVoices theme on Chronic Pain, we're highlighting the story "A Cruel Companion" by Ronna Edelstein. Her piece touches on how difficulties in life can be exacerbated by chronic pain. ❤️🏥
pulsevoices.org/pulse-more-v...
#stories #narrativemedicine #hospital #pulsevoices
pulsevoices.org/pulse-more-v...
#stories #narrativemedicine #hospital #pulsevoices
November 9, 2025 at 1:05 AM
In honor of our November #MoreVoices theme on Chronic Pain, we're highlighting the story "A Cruel Companion" by Ronna Edelstein. Her piece touches on how difficulties in life can be exacerbated by chronic pain. ❤️🏥
pulsevoices.org/pulse-more-v...
#stories #narrativemedicine #hospital #pulsevoices
pulsevoices.org/pulse-more-v...
#stories #narrativemedicine #hospital #pulsevoices