“When we turn towards the suffering and show up for each other, the miracle of healing begins.”

SCI Supervisory Chaplain, the Rev. Grace Pardun, shared this message during her keynote address at the Lumera Healthcare Collective, highlighting the power of presence, compassion, and connection in caring for others.

The gathering brought health experts together and offered an opportunity for SCI to engage healthcare professionals in its work to advance inland mariner wellness. For mariners navigating extended time away from home and the demands of life aboard a vessel, access to care and meaningful support is essential.

These conversations support the next steps outlined in Partnering to Advance Inland Mariner Wellness, the companion publication to the assessment developed by SCI and Yale School of Medicine earlier this year. Connecting maritime experience with healthcare expertise is an important part of translating that research into practical support for mariners’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

SCI thanks Lumera Healthcare for welcoming its perspective into the conversation and creating opportunities to strengthen connections across professions. Through continued collaboration, SCI is working to help turn shared knowledge into care that responds to the realities of mariners’ lives.