Published on July 21, 2015 by Philip Poole  
EXHALE Conference

Samford University’s College of Health Sciences is hosting a two-day conference, titled EXHALE 2015, July 31- Aug. 1. EXHALE (Experiencing Hopefulness Amidst Life’s Experiences) will feature helpful seminars and programs for those experiencing burnout in their lives. 

The conference goes from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. on Saturday. 

Debbie Duke, congregational health program director for Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing, said she and nursing professor Gretchen McDaniel came up with the idea for EXHALE while attending the biennial Innovations in Faith-Based Nursing Conference at Indiana Wesleyan University in 2014. 

The two began discussing the possibility of hosting something similar during the off years of the Indiana Wesleyan conference. Now, approximately 13 months later, this vision is about to come to life at Samford University. 

“This conference is really going to focus on burnout in peoples’ lives,” Duke said. “If it’s because you’re a caregiver, or if it’s because of burnout at work or in your personal life – whatever it is, that’s what this conference is hopefully going to help you address.” 

EXHALE can also serve as continuing education credit for registered nurses, social workers and chaplains, Duke said. 

Eleven speakers with backgrounds in medicine, ministry or a combination of the two will be leading seminars over the course of the two days. Keynote speaker is Scott Morris, CEO of Church Health Center in Memphis, Tennessee. 

“We are thrilled that Dr. Morris is coming to be our keynote speaker,” Duke said. “He just has a heart for how your faith and your health coexist.” 

In addition to the seminars, there will also be an opportunity to meet and mingle with the speakers Friday evening and a prayer room available Saturday. Appetizers on Friday and breakfast and lunch on Saturday are included with the price of admission as well. 

Duke’s goal is that every aspect of EXHALE will help people feel “refreshed and re-energized.” 

“This doesn’t need to be clinical. It doesn’t need to be a bunch of lectures,” Duke said. “I want this conference to touch people where they need to be touched.” 

Corry Mulligan is a journalism and mass communication major and a news and feature writer in the Office of Marketing and Communication.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.