Cooley Dickinson Offers Screening of ‘States of Grace’ Documentary

NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickinson Hospital will offer a free screening of the documentary States of Grace, followed by discussion, on Monday, June 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the hospital’s Dakin Conference Room. The film screening is part of the hospital’s medical staff education grand rounds program and is open to the public. Seating is limited.

Moderators include Dr. Kim Saal, president and CEO of the Cooley Dickinson Physician Network, and Helen Cohen, co-producer/co-director of States of Grace. A filmmaker based in the San Francisco Bay area, Cohen holds a bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College and a master’s degree in urban planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She served on the Hampshire College board of directors from 2004 to 2013.

The documentary, produced and directed by Cohen and Mark Lipman, captures the profound transformation of a revered physician and her family in the wake of a life-changing accident. For Dr. Grace Dammann, a pioneering AIDS specialist who was honored by the Dalai Lama, a routine commute across the Golden Gate Bridge turned tragic when another driver crashed head on into her car. After seven weeks in a coma and a dozen surgeries, Grace miraculously awakened with her cognitive abilities intact, though her body was left shattered.

States of Grace follows her return home to the Buddhist community where she and her partner, Nancy “Fu” Schroeder, live with their teenage daughter Sabrina, who was born with cerebral palsy. Family dynamics are turned upside down as each of them must negotiate new roles and responsibilities. Through verité footage and interviews with doctors, family, and friends, the film paints an inspiring portrait of devotion and trust as it delicately documents one woman’s fight to reinvent herself.

For those attending the program, participating individuals seeking continuing-education credits should be able to describe the challenges that a patient with a life-altering injury faces after hospitalization, outline some resources with which the healthcare team can prepare a patient to manage at home, and list alternative strategies for the patient and their family in coping with illness and disability.

Cooley Dickinson Hospital designates this educational activity for a maximum of two AMA PRA Category 1 credits. Physicians should claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. The hospital is accredited by the Mass. Medical Society to provide continuing medical education for physicians. This program meets the criteria of the Mass. Board of Registration in Medicine for Risk Management study. This program has been approved for two contact hours under the guidelines of the Mass. Board of Registration in Nursing.