In 1974, Pollin earned a master s degree in social work from Catholic University. It was then that she began to champion the emotional needs of the chronically ill and their families. Counseling revealed not only patient improvements but a pattern of similar issues that surfaced. So to help patients, Pollin focused counseling sessions on the medical crisis that precipitated these eight fears, not on any personal or family history. Despite her success with patients, she has waged an uphill battle for acceptance by more traditional medical professionals.
Doctors insist on concrete data.
Pollin chats with University of Maryland, Baltimore President David J. Ramsay, D.M., DPhil. In 1987, Pollin decided to move medical crisis counseling into the academic arena. She and her husband, Abe Pollin, owner of the MCI Center, National Hockey League s Washington Capitals, and the National Basketball Association s Washington Wizards, are well-known for their philanthropic support of foundations. At the School of Medicine, the foundation backs a medical crisis counseling fellowship. So far, five fellows have rotated through the program and a Medical Crisis Counseling Center at the University of Maryland Medical System has actively promoted its services.