Social work professor Eric Kingson to give book presentation March 23

Social work professor Eric Kingson to give book presentation March 23March 14, 2006Wendy S. Loughlinwsloughl@syr.edu

Syracuse University’s College of Human Services and Health Professions (HSHP) will hold a reception and author presentation honoring the publication of “Lessons From Joan: Living and Loving with Cancer, A Husband’s Story”(Syracuse University Press, 2005) by Eric Kingson, HSHP professor of social work. The event will take place March 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Rooms 304 A, B and C of the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center.

In “Lessons from Joan” — available from Amazon.com, other online booksellers and Syracuse University Press — Kingson recounts his late wife’s 32-month struggle with cancer, as well as the family’s experience with the health care system in Syracuse. The book outlines the things they did to access compassionate, state-of-the-art care and provides readers with lessons and practical advice about how to deal with unexpected life-threatening illnesses. SU Press describes the book as one “that will benefit everyone, especially those negotiating life-threatening diagnoses; their caregivers, family members and friends; and health care providers and their students.”

“Joan’s experience with the health care system has lessons for all of us,” writes Karen Davis, president and CEO of the Commonwealth Fund, in the foreword. “It illustrates the importance of ‘the heart’ in our health care system — for our patients, family members, health care providers and culture.”

The event, which is co-sponsored by the Syracuse University Gerontology Center and the Crouse Health Foundation, is free and open to the public. Parking is free in the University Place lot after 5 p.m. For more information, contact Lynn Roundy at 443-5550or leroundy@syr.edu.