LaCombe Set To Deliver Inaugural Svahn Lecture

COOPERSTOWN—Bassett Healthcare Network will host the inaugural David S. Svahn Humanities in Medicine Memorial Lecture at Bassett Medical Center at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, May 24. Cardiologist and storyteller Dr. Michael LaCombe will deliver the lecture, which is available in person or via Zoom at bassett.org/Lacombe-lecture. The event honors the late Dr. David Svahn, a longtime Bassett physician who passed away in July 2023.

Dr. LaCombe is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed stories of medicine and more than a dozen books, including “Bedside: The Art of Medicine,” a collection of fictional stories drawn from his experiences. In addition to readings and lectures, theatrical performances of his stories have been recorded for use in medical ethics and humanism training.

“It is a great honor to host Dr. LaCombe,” said Dr. Kai Mebust, chief of the Department of Medicine at Bassett Medical Center. “He is the ideal speaker for this humanities presentation honoring our own Dr. David Svahn. Dr. LaCombe’s commitment to his patients and his creative writings about people in the field of medicine reflect the values of compassionate care personified by Dr. Svahn.”