The last two years have been an incredible journey for each of us at Johns Hopkins Medicine. The Office of Well-Being has brought together partners across JHM to create H.O.P.E. (Honoring Our Pandemic Experiences). H.O.P.E. is a series of JHM-sponsored events to process our pandemic experiences, using the arts, creativity and reflection.
Throughout 2022, join your colleagues for concerts, a photo contest, storytelling workshops, lectures, and more.
Featured H.O.P.E. Events
Additional H.O.P.E. Events
Join your colleagues for in-person and virtual concerts, webinars, storytelling workshops, lectures, and more.
H.O.P.E. Staff Stories
Suburban Hospital physician assistant, Julia Grossman knitted masks for others during the pandemic. Learn how her creative project helped her relax and relieve stress during that uncertain time.
Julia Grossman Staff Story
Physician Assistant
Suburban Hospital
Pandemic Activity: knitting masks/gardening
How did your activity support you in believing there was hope?
I have always been a positive person, and fixing things or just making them better gives me great satisfaction. It is part of the reason I am a health care provider. As a physician assistant, working in the surgery and trauma services, I get to do this every day. I learned how to sew as a child, and I joined other colleagues in producing what was needed, and not available, at the beginning of the pandemic. Although resources were limited, I had enough fabric in my stash to make masks for family and friends, and particularly for several children who needed smaller sizes in order to go out with their parents.
As for knitting and planting flowers and vegetables (many from seed), I have done these things for many years. Hands in wool or alpaca, or soil, is very relaxing, and there is a certain joy that comes from transforming a ball of yarn into a hat, or a seed into a pepper, cucumber or beautiful flower bed. It was also fun to give some of these things away.
LISTEN AND ENJOY! H.O.P.E. Pandemic Playlist
Music has entertained and inspired us, and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, music united us. The Office of Well-Being, in partnership with Peabody Institute, is excited to share the playlist of songs that lifted our spirits and helped us find meaning over the past two years.
Some songs may evoke strong emotional reactions; we invite you to keep listening or stop listening, tending to self as needed.
The links below will redirect you to a third party website.
Video Gallery
When the Dust Settles
At Johns Hopkins Medicine, we believe that arts can be instrumental in helping us process and make meaning of our experiences, and feelings of grief and loss. Participating in collaborative, creative activities fosters connection, community and well-being.
Kassim Alli-Balogun
Kassim Alli-Balogun, a home care nurse with Johns Hopkins Homecare Group, put smiles on his patients' faces during the pandemic by creating videos of their pets. The videos helped make patients feel more comfortable during uncertain times.
H.O.P.E. — Employees Share Healing Activities
Johns Hopkins anesthesiologist and critical care resident Olivia Sutton saw beauty during the pandemic in the most unusual place: medicine vial caps. “I started saving the colorful vial caps on every medication I administered to a patient over the entire pandemic, and have assembled them into a mosaic self-portrait of myself in the OR that reminds me of what we’ve all gone through,” she says.
Honoring Our Pandemic Experiences (H.O.P.E.)
Kevin W. Sowers, president of the Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine shares the inspiration for H.O.P.E.
March, An Original Poem
As we look for ways to reflect on the events of the past year, many of us have turned to writing, music, art and other creative mediums. Watch a video to hear Mia Scharper, communications manager for Johns Hopkins Medicine International, read her poem, March, accompanied by Peabody Institute cellist Lindsey Choung.
We want to hear from you!
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My H.O.P.E. story
We invite you to share your experience of participating in any of the H.O.P.E. events, activities, or share an experience you have had during the pandemic.
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H.O.P.E. Feedback
We would like to hear from you about how we can improve this year-long program.
H.O.P.E. Team
The H.O.P.E. initiative is led by the Johns Hopkins Office of Well-Being, in collaboration with: