Healthcare Documentary "The Waiting Room"

                   Healthcare Documentary "The Waiting Room"

  Interestingly,this political season has provided a vast number of narrative stories from both major party candidates. It seems clear that personal stories tug at the heart strings of people from all walks of life. Some of my most treasured family memories are the stories that have been passed on to me from my parents. These stories create an emotional bridge with ancestors I never knew. They also function as a window or lens, through which I connect with who and where I am from. The power and value of stories to create connections between people is an ancient tradition. Every culture uses storytelling to pass on cultural traditions, values, recipes,and family history. 

  Each of us has his or her own stories to tell, and many powerful stories come from those who have health-related narratives to share. This is the raw material from which Bay Area filmmaker Peter Nicks created his documentary about Oakland's Highland Hospital, titled "The Waiting Room". Nicks, who earned his master's degree in documentary filmmaking at UC Berkeley, focuses on the narratives of the uninsured. 

  Using "The Waiting Room" as a launchpad, Nicks has started developing what he calls a "digital storytelling project" about the nation's healthcare system. He wants to examine what works, what doesn't and where to go from here by having ordinary people tell their own stories. The website, www.whatruwaitingfor.com is developing into a multimedia platform where people can share their stories using videos, comments, blogs and pictures. A tab at the top allows you to classify your story according to a specific emotion. The site also gives viewers an opportunity to choose particular themes, such as: access to care, violence and chronic disease, or others that may be relevant to them. 

  This project has reverberating effects into the developing medical community as the film and storytelling website are slated to be incorporated into medical school curriculums, universities and elsewhere, as part of an effort to expand the conversation about healthcare.

  The documentary "The Waiting Room" opens in the Bay Area on Friday October 19th at the Grand Lake in Oakland, Camera Cinemas in San Jose, and Sundance Kabuki in San Francisco.

~Kathy~
*Reference: Tri-Valley Times 10/18/12