World-Renowned Expert on End-of-Life and Grief to Be Featured at Littner Lecture Series for Bereavement

Dr. Kenneth J. Doka, Professor of Gerontology at the Graduate School of the College of New Rochelle and Senior Consultant to the Hospice Foundation of America, will present “Grief is a Journey: Finding Your Path Through Grief” at the eighth annual Dr. and Mrs. Max Littner Memorial Lecture Series for Bereavement, co-sponsored by St. Luke’s University Health Network.

“Dr. Doka is a world-renowned expert on end-of-life and grief issues, and his book is a summary of his life's work, passion and dedication to the topic,” says Wendy Littner Thomson, founder of the lecture series.

The lecture is scheduled for 7:30 pm, Wednesday, April 25 at Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church St., Bethlehem.

Dr. Doka clarifies there is no “one-size-fits-all” way to cope with loss. He says that the vital bonds that we form with those we love in life continue long after death – in very different ways. Grief Is a Journey is the first book to overturn the prevailing, often judgmental, ideas about grief, and replace them with a hopeful, inclusive, personalized and research-backed approach.

“He is a dynamic and engaging speaker who will share his experiences and counsel with the audience. They will gain perspective on what is truly a universal experience – loss – as well as a framework to understand and help them navigate bereavement,” Thompson said.

Audience members will also have the chance to participate in a “question, answer and dialogue session” with Dr. Doka, which is a valuable opportunity to ask an expert for his thoughts on personal concerns and issues.

The Dr. and Mrs. Max Littner Memorial Lecture Series for Bereavement was created to raise consciousness for the big issues of life: living meaningfully and well, and sparking necessary conversations with loved ones about issues that are truly matters of life and death. The annual lecture features prominent guests who discuss the importance of mind and body in healing and care, and ways you can cultivate hope, take action and be more responsible for your medical decisions.

Tickets are $10. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to http://www.slhn.org/littnerlectureseries.

Media Contact:

Sam Kennedy, Corporate Communications Director, 484-526-4134, samuel.kennedy@sluhn.org

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network providing services at nine hospitals and nearly 300 outpatient sites.  With annual net revenue of $1.7 billion, the network’s service area includes 10 counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is a major teaching hospital – the only one in the Greater Lehigh Valley.  In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the region’s first and only regional medical school campus.  It also operates the nation’s longest continuously operating School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 23 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 189 residents. Repeatedly, including 2017, St. Luke’s earned Truven’s 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital and 50 Top Cardiovascular Program designations, in addition to other honors for clinical excellence.  St. Luke’s, utilizing the EPIC electronic medical record (EMR) system, is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of St. Luke’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.  St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers.