Updates

In 1996, Texas Children’s Cancer Center, under the direction of David G. Poplack, M.D., instituted a seminar for its fellows on the psychological and social aspect of pediatric hematology/oncology. Ernest Frugé, Ph.D. (a clinical psychologist) and Marc Horowitz, MD (a pediatric hematologist/oncologist) combined the concepts of reflective practice and leadership to promote the mission of the fellowship: to produce leaders in the field of pediatric hematology/oncology. In 1999, Jan Drutz, M.D. (a generalist pediatrician) invited Drs. Frugé and Horowitz to translate their methods into education for all residents in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. The model evolved and proved successful with pediatric residents, fellows, and community pediatricians.

In 2003, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations awarded Drs. Frugé, Horowitz, and Drutz a grant for Learning for Leadership: Training for Reflective Practice in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Beyond. The grant funded additional refinements to the model as well as its dissemination to other specialties and institutions. This website is made possible by this grant and other contributions. For more information, please contact Dr. Ernest Frugé at edfruge@texaschildrens.org.


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Ernest Frugé, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with specialized training in group and organizational behavior. He is Director of the Psychosocial Division at Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers and Professor, Department of Pediatrics and the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Frugé’s research primarily focuses on the development of educational methods to enhance decision making, collaboration and leadership in medicine. Dr. Frugé is particularly interested in educational and organizational strategies that help health care providers develop the capacity for “reflective practice,” effective communication, cultural competence and team work. His current projects include the design of conferences to enhance ethical reasoning in critical care settings, coordination of complex care across specialties, and improving the follow-up care for long-term survivors of childhood cancer. He received a grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation to translate methods developed in collaboration with our faculty and fellows in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology to other medical specialties and institutions.


He is past board member and executive director of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations and a Fellow of the A.K. Rice Institute for the Study of Social Systems. A substantial portion of his effort is dedicated to strategic planning, program development and organizational consultation, including support for the Global Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence (HOPE) program at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers.

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Jan E. Drutz, M.D. is a retired professor of Pediatrics and an academic general pediatrician at Baylor College of Medicine. He was director of the Primary Care Continuity Teaching Program for Pediatric Residents. Prior to assuming his full-time faculty position in 1987, he was in private practice. After joining the faculty, he became interested in making an effort to enhance the professional communication skills of residents, especially appropriate verbal interactions with patients, families, colleagues, faculty, and medical ancillary personnel. Working collaboratively with Drs. Frugé and Horowitz, Dr. Drutz has participated in a number of educational workshops and other projects over the years to communicate the importance of reflective thinking as an integral part of the practice of medicine. In line with the ACGME mandated core competencies for resident training, he firmly believes that teaching and modeling of appropriate communication skills, employing deliberate reflection, is essential to preparing young physicians for their professional careers.

 

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Marc Horowitz, MD

Marc E. Horowitz, M.D. is a pediatric hematologist-oncologist for the Texas Children’s Cancer Center. Dr. Horowitz is an experienced solid tumor clinician and investigator in the area of development of new therapies for childhood solid tumors including those of the brain, bone and soft-tissues.

Dr. Marc Horowitz is directing the Cancer Center's efforts in the development and operation of a website for long-term survivors of childhood cancer and their physicians called the Passport for Care® Application.