Dr. Glen Gillen, a clinician, educator, and researcher with over three decades of experience, is reminding the healthcare industry that before every diagnosis is a human being. In a field increasingly driven by artificial intelligence and data-driven tools, Gillen argues that the core of medicine remains the relationship between patient and caregiver.
Gillen, who recently retired from Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, has spent his career championing a model of care that values partnership as much as professional expertise. He believes that no patient should feel reduced to a diagnosis, a medical chart, or a number. Instead, meaningful care begins when individuals feel seen, heard, respected, and understood.
His philosophy is grounded in decades of clinical practice, extensive research, and personal experiences navigating the healthcare system. Gillen has authored more than 200 scholarly publications and textbooks, including Stroke Rehabilitation: A Function-Based Approach and multiple editions of Willard and Spackman's Occupational Therapy. His contributions have earned him the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship, occupational therapy's highest academic honor.
As healthcare rapidly adopts technologies like artificial intelligence, Gillen welcomes innovation but warns against replacing human interaction. "Technology can organize information. Algorithms can process data. Artificial intelligence can improve efficiency. But none can replace the trust built between patient and caregiver," he explains. He stresses that patients need conversations and options, not just answers.
Gillen's message is particularly relevant as the industry grapples with balancing efficiency and empathy. He encourages the next generation of healthcare professionals to never lose sight of the person in front of them. "The best care is both clinically sound and deeply human. That is what makes it meaningful," he says.
Though retired from Columbia, Gillen continues to write, speak, and contribute to the profession. His enduring legacy is a reminder that while technology can enhance healthcare, it should never replace the fundamental human connection that lies at its heart.
