WELCOME TO THE WEBSITE OF WENDY S. HARPHAM, a doctor of internal medicine, 36-year cancer survivor, best-selling author, nationally recognized speaker and patient advocate. Dr. Harpham has used her useful perspective to help clinicians find the best words to inform, comfort, and motivate patients…and to help patients hear what is said in healing, hopeful ways.
Whatever the medical challenge,
the path to optimal care is paved
by effective and compassionate communication.
Dr. Harpham cared for patients in her solo practice until 1990, when she was diagnosed with cancer. Forced to retire in 1993 due to ongoing illness, she turned to writing and speaking to raise awareness about the challenges of illness. Her work has explored ways that patients and their caregivers—healthcare professionals, aides, family, and friends—can promote patients’ healing.
Her early writing and speaking focused on cancer survivorship, such as adjusting to a new diagnosis, coping with post-treatment fatigue, raising children when a parent has cancer, participating in clinical trials, and finding hope that helps patients become Healthy Survivors.
In 2005, she broadened her scope to address patients dealing with any health challenge. Her writing increasing focused attention on improving clinical communication—the words healthcare professionals use to inform, guide, comfort, and motivate patients.
A defining area of Dr. Harpham’s work has been her writings on “healing hope,” the centerpiece of her knowledge-hope-action approach to illness. All her writings and presentations foster the power of patients’ hope to help them make life the best it can be.
Dr. Harpham’s writings took a turn with highly personal real-time reflections after her diagnosis of aplastic anemia in 2022. Her bone marrow disease responded well to therapy. She now enjoys renewed health, with greater passion than ever for helping other patients become Healthy Survivors.
Dr. Wendy Harpham on Healthy Survivorship
A place to read or participate in an ongoing discussion among
patients, clinicians, caregivers, and others interested in improving medical care.
Dr. Harpham's bio
Finding Hope That Heals — free e-Book!
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