On November 13, New College of Florida students and faculty from the Health, Culture, and Societies (HCS) program participated in a high-level panel discussion on robotic-assisted surgery and its impact on modern healthcare at the Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH). The event highlighted NCF’s distinctive approach to community-engaged research and learning.

Part of the Clinical Innovation Series coordinated by the SMH Medical Library, the event represented a collaboration between the HCS program and SMH. This series serves as a forum for exploring how evidence-based medicine translates from innovative research into state-of-the-art patient care.

The panel discussion attracted more than 110 participants, including physicians and staff at SMHCS as well as students and faculty at New College. It featured four leading robotic surgeons at SMHCS, including M. Blair Marshall, MD, Robert Carey, MD, John Nora, MD and Aaron Carlton, PA. The internationally known panel of clinicians discussed the da Vinci Surgical System, focusing on improving patient safety and healthcare quality, and driving better outcomes and faster recoveries. The panel underscored how healthcare providers are not simply clinicians but also innovators of care and technology. NCF students and faculty joined SMH medical professionals in engaging the panelists with thoughtful questions on the transformation of surgical expertise and the sociocultural implications of robotic surgery. Following the panel discussion, Jessica Depaulo, DNP at SMH and Carlton provided a special tour of the new Center for Simulation and Innovation at the Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute, including the da Vinci Surgical System and the Immersive Room. 

Fourth-year Environmental Studies and HCS student Ayden Murphy was particularly impressed by the simulation lab, one of the only places in the country where students have the opportunity to work hands-on with the da Vinci surgical console. “Being within such a unique educational space for this innovative field provided a tangible glimpse into how healthcare will evolve across clinical, technological, and cultural dimensions while broadening the scope of what healthcare can be,” Murphy said. 

“This collaboration showcases our program’s approach to active learning with our community health partners,” said Dr. Yidong Gong, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Co-Director of HCS at New College. “Students get opportunities to engage with cutting-edge experts in the medical field by reflecting on critical insights from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Such conversations and collaborations are invaluable for our students’ intellectual growth and for immersing them in real-world experiences.” 

“We were thrilled to welcome students from New College of Florida. We know the next generation is often the most innovative, and true innovation requires more than just technology. By inviting students who study both the science of medicine and the culture of medicine, we hope to inspire future leaders to innovate a healthcare system where technology and compassionate patient care advance together,” said Yvonne Boudreau, Manager of the SMHCS Medical Library. 

Fourth-year Psychology and HCS student Kit Lamison said, “This opportunity provided me a great way to interact with experts in my field and experience innovative technologies. I am very grateful to be part of New College’s HCS program, as this is just one more of an endless list of experiences the program has provided me.”

Prior to this event, the HCS program had organized multiple collaborative activities and engagements with community health partners, such as Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services, Empath Health and Tidewell Hospice, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Sarasota and Manatee Counties, and the Multicultural Health Institute. 

“The field trip to the Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute is notable not only for the traditional educational model of receiving instruction from leaders, medical professionals, and experts at the forefront of their fields, but also for embracing an experiential approach to learning that aligns with New College’s educational philosophy since its inception,” said third-year Anthropology and HCS student Akio D’Oyen-Russ. 

About the Health, Culture, and Societies (HCS) Program at New College of Florida

The joint Area of Concentration (AOC) in Health, Culture, and Societies (HCS) was launched in 2020. Funded by a competitive grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, this program is both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary, drawing on the combined strengths of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, while fostering strong community engagement and collaboration. Through this program, students gain a broad, critical perspective on health grounded in the liberal arts tradition at New College. The HCS program has built a strong network of community health partners in and beyond Sarasota. Students are well prepared for a wide range of health-related careers. Graduates have been accepted to or enrolled in top programs across the country, including UNC–Chapel Hill, Emory University, Boston University, the University of Florida, and others. In 2022, Rosemary Mejia was named a Public Health Fulbright Scholar. The HCS program also runs an active monthly scholarship colloquium series.