Kevin Soden, MD, MPH

The frantic pace of today's world has many people stressed out and looking for ways to cope and to help keep things in perspective. Since ancient times, humor has been at the heart of the healing process. Survivors of disasters, major illness and the trauma of war all have one thing in common: Their reliance on humor as a central way of coping and healing. Humor and Healing is an extremely funny, interactive presentation designed to teach audiences how to see the humor in every day work and personal situations. The group will learn how to get rid of the blues while enhancing their performance at every level by laughing their way to good mental and physical health. Tips and techniques for discovering humor are found throughout the Humor and Healing presentation. Participants are guaranteed to come away from this presentation with a new perspective on life and a smile on their face.

They know the best hospitals, the best doctors, and the newest tests men and women need to detect potential health problems early and prevent medical problems before they start. They know these things and many more. Dr. Soden discusses important information that can significantly impact your health and can help save your life. Who doesn't want to live longer and reduce the risk of significant health problems? Who doesn't want an inside look at medicine from the best doctors in the country? Some of the topics will surprise and shock the audience, even bordering on controversy as it attacks established practices. Kevin will share the most up to date information on a wide-variety of health topics that the general public needs and wants to know.

Companies and individuals often wonder how stories make it on the news. This talk provides an inside look at the television and explains how news stories are generated. It details what elements make a story newsworthy and how to get your story on the air. Entertaining and lively examples are used to share the message with the audience. You'll learn the secrets for creating hooks that will intrigue television correspondents. You'll also learn the five acts guaranteed to doom your story to trashcan oblivion, with tips to keep reporters coming back for more. The audience will learn a great deal from Dr. Soden's 20 years of medical reporting experience, the differences between PR and advertising, and how to brand your business or product. Audience participation case examples round out the presentation.

Skilled ER physicians possess certain traits or skills that anyone would envy, regardless of their profession or position in life. They have to be cool under fire, make important decisions (often with only limited information), work alone in many cases without the benefit of advisors, and be willing to take personal responsibility for whatever decisions they make over the course of an 8 to 12-hour shift. There are 10 specific, clearly defined lessons or practices that can be taken directly from medicine and, if applied by those in business or everyday life, would help anyone become successful in whatever they choose to do. In this program, Dr. Soden will share these 10 important lessons that will positively change your life and your organization for the better.

Stress is a normal part of living in today's world but there are constructive ways (vs destructive ways) to handle some of these stressors. There is no escaping from stress so we'd better learn how to master it before it has negative health impacts on us. How stress produces its effects, why each of us responds differently, and how to reduce the harmful effects of stress are explored. Some people are "hot reactors" to stress while others seem to handle life's hassles and stressors more calmly. Which are you and what is your usual coping style? This talk will help participants recognize the destructive signs and symptoms that stress can produce.