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Accompaniment One Foot at a Time

Written by Jeremy Myers

Over lunch one day, Katie Clark was describing the process of becoming a certified foot care specialist. It was quite the feat! I was curious why she put so much work into that certification. Her response was, “Because most people who come into our Health Commons are coming in for foot care. They’re on their feet all day every day and their feet are in bad shape.” This epitomizes the compassion and commitment of Katie for her work and the people she serves. Katie’s commitment to approaching health care through accompaniment shapes her work as an ever changing response to what the neighbors need.

Headshot of Katie ClarkDr. Katie Clark is a member of the nursing faculty and the Executive Director of Augsburg University’s Health Commons. The Health Commons are nursing-led drop-in centers that focus on radical hospitality and building trusting relationships with people in marginalized communities.  These Health Commons are located in downtown Minneapolis, the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, and Rochester, MN. 

Dr. Clark had extensive experience doing medical missions work overseas in Peru, Haiti, and Namibia. But those experiences never sat well with her. She would return home feeling as though she hadn’t learned enough about the culture or the larger situation and context in these countries. She wondered if she and her companions were simply promoting a monoculture of healthcare and wellness rather than learning how wellness, health, illness, and care were understood in the context of these cultures. 

This uneasy feeling drew Katie to the study of transcultural nursing, the work of Dr. Paul Farmer, and the importance of social justice in the practice of nursing. You can’t just treat the symptoms of a problem; you must work to end the problem. You can just waltz into someone’s life with your solutions, you have to do the work of accompaniment in order to understand who they are, how they suffer, how they heal, and what they might need from you. Katie had found the way she wanted to do her work.

Under the leadership of Dr. Clark, the Augsburg Health Commons sites accompany those who are experiencing homelessness, are marginally housed, or are new immigrants who have fled wars. Their work with these neighbors is constantly evolving because the Health Commons are committed to this practice of accompaniment and mutuality, working diligently to fully humanize these neighbors while offering care. Students in Augsburg University’s nursing program gain firsthand experience providing care for people through more humanizing and relational practices than what most experience in our country’s healthcare system. Continue reading “Accompaniment One Foot at a Time”

Fall Vocation Lunch with Katie Clark

Augsburg Faculty and Staff, the Division of Mission invites you to attend the fall vocation lunch:

Who Gives You Light? 

with Katie Clark, Assistant Professor and Director of Augsburg Central Health Commons

Friday, November 22, 2019
11:15 a.m, – 12:25 p.m.
East Commons, Christensen Center

Katie Clark with her husband and 3 children

Kathleen ‘Katie’ Clark has been teaching in the Department of Nursing since 2009 and serves as the Director of the Augsburg Central Health Commons (ACHC). Her teaching focuses on issues of social justice, health inequities, and civic engagement.  During her time in the department, Katie has designed various courses in an immersion format that allows students to gain insight first-hand from people living in the margins while learning skills of transcultural nursing as well as teaching in more traditional formats.  In 2011, in partnership with two other local non-profits, Katie launched the Health Commons in Cedar-Riverside. Before coming to Augsburg, Katie worked for eight years as a nurse at University of Minnesota Medical Center – East Bank in both oncology hematology and the medical intensive care unit.  She has traveled to 20 different countries and participated in many local volunteer programs, such as the Bridge for Youth and Higher Ground. Currently, Katie lives with her husband and three children in the town of Stillwater.

EDUCATION

  • D.N.P. in Transcultural Leadership: Augsburg University (2014)
  • M.A.N. with a Transcultural Nursing Emphasis: Augsburg University (2010)
  • B.S.N: University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire (2002)

Please note: Guests are also invited (but not required) to bring a donation of socks or other items to the Health Commons as part of this event. Learn more about items needed (or consider making an online donation) at https://www.augsburg.edu/healthcommons/

The Mission and Identity Vocation Lunch is an event that strengthens the concept of vocation at Augsburg for faculty and staff by providing role models from within the community to share a presentation on their sense of call and life journey.