Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare
"Compassion & Courage" is a healthcare podcast hosted by professional speaker, Marcus Engel, and his wife, Marvelyne aka The Hotness.
This podcast includes conversations on the leadership topics, we all need: resiliency, finding compassion for ourselves and others, and healthcare trends. There are lots of interviews with docs, nurses, experts, patients, and folks in the field up to their ears doing the work… and finding the balance.
Marcus is a speaker, consultant, professor, and the author of “The Other End of the Stethoscope” and “I’m Here: Compassionate Communication in Patient Care,” two texts that are often used by hospitals and nursing schools.
"Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare" is a Marcus Engel podcast and the views expressed are entirely his own.
Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare
Susan Farren and First Responders Resiliency
In today’s episode, Marcus is joined by Susan Farren. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2016, Susan discovered shocking research that revealed how a career as a first responder can cause physical, emotional, and mental impacts.
Susan explains the origin story of First Responders Resiliency, Inc., a program designed to train first responders how to save themselves, not just others, and how she is fighting to improve the lives of first responders and their families.
Susan also discusses her vision to build a wellness center for first responders to provide the techniques, assistance, and support that they need to get through the darkest moments of their lives.
Key Moments:
- 00:00 – Introductions
- 02:01 – Marcus asks Susan to jump into her story. Susan talks about what leads people into a career of Frist Responders.
- 06:45 – Susan is asked about her retirement.
- 12:00 – The two talk about Susan’s cancer diagnosis.
- 16:30 – Susan goes on to talk about the the eureka moment that drives Susan today.
- 22:50 – Susan puts her first conference on for 40 people and the reset is history.
- 25:10 – Susan shares her story of suicide and a friendly phone call.
- 30:45 – Marcus asks about a Pink Floyd lyric and relates it back to Susan’s story.
- 33:40 – Susan begins to talk about Resiliency First and her vision of the organization.
- 37:39 – Susan wants first responders to know “you are not broken.”
- 41:34 – Susan leaves us with a few final thoughts.
- 42:54 – Thank yous and goodbyes!
Resources for you:
- More communication tips and resources for how to cultivate compassion: https://marcusengel.com/freeresources/
- Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusengel/
- Connect with Susan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-farren-a732782b/
- Learn more about Resiliency First: www.resiliency1st.org
- Learn more about Marcus’ Books: https://marcusengel.com/store/
- Subscribe to The Resiliency First Podcast: https://www.resiliency1st.org/news-media/podcast/
- Subscribe to the podcast through YouTube: https://bit.ly/Youtube-MarcusEngelPodcast
More About Susan Farren:
Susan is a retired paramedic, motivational speaker, published author, and the Founder/Executive Director of First Responders Resiliency, Inc.®
She has served more than 30 years in EMS as a paramedic, supervisor, and clinical manager in both the private and public sector before she was diagnosed in 2016 with what was initially thought to be a terminal cancer.
Susan's road to recovery led her to researching the preventable physiological and physical impacts trauma and stress had on the lives of all first responds and their families. this then led to the development one of the premier proactive behavioral wellness training programs in the nation.
As of 2023, First Responders Resiliency, Inc. has presented to more than 7000 first responders and their families across the country, including more than 50 law enforcement and fire departments from California, Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado, South Dakota, New York, as well as members of Federal law enforcement agencies.
Date: 9/4/2023
Name of show: Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare
Episode number and title: Episode 118 - Susan Farren and First Responders Resiliency