Cultivating Cultural Compassion
St Luke’s Hospital Compassionate Care Conference, themed “Cultivating Cultural Compassion,” explores cultural compassion as a foundation for inclusive care—moving beyond cultural awareness to foster a deeper recognition of our shared humanity and encourage care that is delivered with humility, understanding, and inclusivity.
Date: 29 & 30 Jan 2026
One Farrer Hotel
Guest of Honour
Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash
Minister of State,
Ministry of Culture, Community and
Youth & Ministry of Manpower
A/Prof TAN Boon Yeow
Chief Executive Officer
St Luke’s Hospital
Keynote Speakers
Dr Katie Eastman, PhD, LCSW
Adjunct Professor Antioch
University, Psychotherapist,
Grief and Loss Coach,
member of Advisory Council, Elisabeth Kubler- Ross Foundation
Washington, USA
Ms Liese Groot-Alberts
Faculty Member of Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network and Hospis Malaysia; member of Advisory Council, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation
New Zealand
Leadership Spotlight
Featured Speakers
Panel Speakers
A/Prof Terence Tang
Group Chief Clinical Informatics Officer, NHG Health; Senior Consultant, Geriatric Medicine,
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
Dr Katie Eastman, PhD, LCSW
Adjunct Professor Antioch University, Psychotherapist, Grief and Loss Coach, member of Advisory Council, Elisabeth Kubler- Ross Foundation
Registration
Early Bird Rates
Group Size
Individual/ Group of 1-4: $580/pax
Group of 5-9: $560/pax
Group of 10 or more: $540/pax
Early bird discount ends on 5 December 2025.
Standard Rate
Flat Rate: $630/pax
*All tickets purchases are non-refundable
CPE points awarded
Upon submission, our representatives will contact the participant(s) regarding enrolment and payment details.
Subsidies available:
Community Care Training Grant (CCTG) supports eligible Community Care organisations’ staff learning needs on courses that are not offered by any of the Learning Institutes under the AIC Learning Network. Find out more here.
For further enquiries on CCTG, please email AIC at: GDsubsidy@aic.sg
*Applications for subsidies are open to organisations only.
For Enquries
Please contact us at 68952786 or email event_secretariat@stluke.org.sg
How to get there
- 1 Farrer Park Station Road, Singapore 217562
- By Car
20 minutes from Changi International Airport
15 minutes from Orchard Road, Marina Bay and Shenton Way
- By MRT
Take Exit A or Exit C at Farrer Park MRT Station
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Programme
29 Jan 2026
8.30am
Registration
9.00am
Opening Session
Performance
Opening Address by GOH
MOU Signing (SLH and EKR)
Welcome Message by CEO
9.40am
Keynote 1
Cultivating Culture Compassion
Ms Joan Marston
10.20am
Tea Break
10.55am
Leadershop Spotlight
Compassionate Care in Practice – Cultivating Cultural Compassion in Individuals, Teams and Organisations
Ms Clara Sin (NUHS), Mr Christopher Ong (DHL), Ms Shie Yong Lee (SPS)
12.35am
Keynote 2
Core Postures of Compassionate Care
Mr Winston Tay
1.15pm
Lunch
2.30pm
Workshops
Workshop A
Harmonising Hearts: Connecting Self and Others in Music and Art
Facilitators: Dr Tan Xueli , Mr Lee Sze-Chin, Ms Karen Koh, Ms Camellia Soon
Workshop B
Journeying from Conflict to Collaboration
Facilitator: Ms Liese Groot-Alberts
Workshop C
Healing Starts Within: A Trauma-informed Leadership Journey
Facilitator: Ms Mariya Vynnytska
3.55pm
Tea Break
4.30pm
Keynote 3
Compassionate Care in Times of Loss
Dr Katie Eastman
5.00pm
End of Conference
30 Jan 2026
8.30am
Registration
9.00am
Opening Session
9.10am
Honouring the Legacy and Life Work of Dr Elisabeth Kubler Ross (100th Birthday)
9.40am
Keynote 4
Cultural Competence, Congruence and Humility
Ms Liese Groot-Alberts
10.30am
Tea Break
10.45am
Leadership Spotlight
Compassionate Care in Practice – Cultivating Cultural Compassion in Individuals, Teams and Organisations
Dr Arthur Chern (SAMH), Mr Shee Tse Koon (DBS), Mr Ngien Hoon Ping (SMRT)
12.30pm
Lunch
1.30pm
Workshops
Workshop D
Harmonising Hearts: Connecting Self and Others in Music and Art
Facilitators: Dr Tan Xueli , Mr Lee Sze-Chin, Ms Karen Koh, Ms Camellia Soon
Workshop E
Compassionate Without Borders
Facilitator: Ms Joan Marston
Workshop F
Liminal Space: Navigating the In-Between
Facilitator: Dr Katie Eastman
3.00pm
Tea Break
3.30pm
Keynote 5
Compassionate Care Across Cultures
Mr Timothy Khoo
4.10pm
Panel Discussion: Challenges to Compassion in Our Times: a Digital-era/Multi-polar World Moderator: Mr Timothy Khoo
5.00pm
Closing Act
5.30pm
End of Conference
SYNOPSIS
Keynotes
By Ms Joan Marston
In a world rich with diverse cultures, the potential for compassionate collaboration is vast—yet often fragmented. Cultural compassion, or “to suffer together,” begins with humility, self-awareness, and a willingness to learn from and respect others. By embracing cultural differences with empathy and openness, we can model cultural compassion in our personal lives, workplaces, and broader systems—from healthcare to politics.
By Mr Winston Tay
This session explores compassion as a way of being, not just doing. It examines the core heart postures that convey, “I am here with you and for you,” beyond task or solution offering presence in the midst of pain and suffering.
By Dr Katie Eastman
Grief is universal, but its expression is deeply cultural. In this keynote, Dr. Eastman shares insights from trauma, palliative care, and leadership to guide healthcare professionals in creating compassionate, inclusive spaces that honour diverse grief and support healing.
By Ms Liese Groot-Alberts
Grief is a personal journey, while mourning reflects its cultural expression. Every community has distinct rituals and traditions around loss, and challenges arise when these differences are misunderstood or overlooked. This presentation explores models that foster cultural awareness, humility, and respectful engagement across diverse experiences of grief and loss.
By Mr Timothy Khoo
In a diverse world, culturally sensitive care is essential. This session explores how embracing cultural differences builds trust and deepens compassion. Aligned with the theme ‘Cultivating Cultural Compassion,’ it offers practical insights and examples to foster more inclusive and empathetic care environments.
Workshops
This segment highlights how organisations cultivate cultural compassion at the individual, team, and system levels. Leaders from diverse sectors will share real-world practices that foster inclusion, empathy, and connection—demonstrating how compassionate care can be embedded into culture and daily practice.
Facilitators: Dr Tan Xueli , Mr Lee Sze-Chin, Ms Karen Koh, Ms Camellia Soon
This 90-minute experiential session, led by certified music and art therapists, uses music and visual art to deepen self-awareness and foster compassionate connection. Through acapella rounds, yarn art, and a roving exhibition, participants will explore emotion, heritage, and shared humanity. The session ends with a reflective debrief to integrate insights and experiences.
Facilitator: Ms Liese Groot-Alberts
This workshop explores how personal growth and self-reflection can dismantle judgment and prejudice, creating space for tolerance, healing, and meaningful connection across diverse cultures and communities.
Facilitator: Ms Mariya Vynnytska
In high-pressure care settings, unspoken trauma affects trust and well-being. This workshop guides leaders to explore trauma through self-awareness, fostering personal growth and systemic healing.
Facilitator: Ms Joan Marston
Humanitarian action is rooted in compassion across cultures and crises. In this workshop, participants will share stories of courage, reflect on the personal impact of humanitarian work, and explore the qualities that foster compassionate response. The session includes developing a personal and community preparedness plan for future humanitarian efforts.
Facilitator: Dr Katie Eastman
This experiential workshop explores how professionals can support themselves and others through times of change and uncertainty. Dr. Katie Eastman shares practical tools from her Re-Create Model and Kübler-Ross’s change theory to foster resilience, cultural sensitivity, and compassionate leadership during transitions.
Abstract Submission
St Luke Hospital invites staff from all healthcare institutions to submit abstracts on initiatives, projects, or research demonstrating Compassionate Care in Practice completed between 2024 and 2025. Submissions may also highlight how compassionate care has been introduced to transform workplace culture.
Submission deadline: 30 Sep 2025
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