Bio
Dr. David Kuhl is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Kuhl graduated with a Masters in Health Sciences (Community Health and Epidemiology) from the University of Toronto in 1981, and received his medical degree from McMaster University in 1985. He completed his training in Family Practice in 1987.
Dr. Kuhl was involved in founding and developing the Palliative Care Program at Providence Health Care in 1988. Unique at the time, that Program provided care to persons with cancer and well as to people with AIDS. Through his work, Dr. Kuhl began to understand the complexity of providing care for persons at the end of life, recognizing that the body, mind and spirit were inseparable, especially at life’s end.
In 1996, Dr. Kuhl became a Soros Faculty Scholar, Project on Death in America, an award that allowed him to conduct a qualitative study, Exploring Spiritual and Psychological Issues at the End of Life, which served as the basis for his doctoral dissertation and two books, entitled What Dying People Want: Practical Wisdom for the End-of-Life and Facing Death Embracing Life, Understanding What Dying People Want.
Since beginning his doctoral studies, Dr. Kuhl has worked to combine his interests in medicine and psychology. Initially that involved working with Canadian soldiers who were in transition from military to civilian life. He has continued that work to the present. In 2004 Dr. Kuhl became the Founder and Director of the Centre for Practitioner Renewal. At the Centre, Dr. Kuhl and his colleagues have developed a program of service, education and research that sustains health care providers, seeks to understand the effect of being in the presence of suffering and strives to work with health care providers to address resilience, communication and healthy relationships in the workplace.
Dr. Kuhl was involved in founding and developing the Palliative Care Program at Providence Health Care in 1988. Unique at the time, that Program provided care to persons with cancer and well as to people with AIDS. Through his work, Dr. Kuhl began to understand the complexity of providing care for persons at the end of life, recognizing that the body, mind and spirit were inseparable, especially at life’s end.
In 1996, Dr. Kuhl became a Soros Faculty Scholar, Project on Death in America, an award that allowed him to conduct a qualitative study, Exploring Spiritual and Psychological Issues at the End of Life, which served as the basis for his doctoral dissertation and two books, entitled What Dying People Want: Practical Wisdom for the End-of-Life and Facing Death Embracing Life, Understanding What Dying People Want.
Since beginning his doctoral studies, Dr. Kuhl has worked to combine his interests in medicine and psychology. Initially that involved working with Canadian soldiers who were in transition from military to civilian life. He has continued that work to the present. In 2004 Dr. Kuhl became the Founder and Director of the Centre for Practitioner Renewal. At the Centre, Dr. Kuhl and his colleagues have developed a program of service, education and research that sustains health care providers, seeks to understand the effect of being in the presence of suffering and strives to work with health care providers to address resilience, communication and healthy relationships in the workplace.
